Marketing articles from March 2007

Marketing archives from March 2007

75th Anniversary Issue: Editorial - Marketing: past, present and future.
March 7, 2007... Marketers are by their nature preoccupied with understanding the present and predicting the future, but in this week's issue, we unashamedly take a look back, to mark the magazine's 75th anniversary We hope that you will find this retrospective...

75th Anniversary Issue: Opinion - Marketing makes things happen.
March 7, 2007... I'm not sure whether I can claim any sort of training in marketing, but I think I have a degree of experience. In the late-40s, I sold the combined services of two friends and myself to my father, for the then-equivalent of 25p an hour, to...

75th Anniversary Issue: Quotes - Words of wisdom.
March 7, 2007... For 75 years, Marketing has given leading figures a voice to air opinion on the state and direction of the industry. 'There are people in Great Britain who are rather mystified by references to marketing. There are some on the boards of...

75th Anniversary Issue: Birth of marketing - The way we were.
March 7, 2007... Marketing magazine first appeared as the profession began to emerge from the sales department and the UK struggled through the Great Depression. Claire Murphy looks at how marketers began to blaze a trail. The launch of Marketing in...

75th Anniversary Issue: Marketing careers - A maturing discipline.
March 7, 2007... Marketers rode a tide of consumerism in the 50s to carve a distinct niche as a consumer-focused force separate from the sales function. In July 1961 Marketing published a feature entitled, simply, 'What is marketing?' For a title already...

75th Anniversary Issue: Decades - We'd have had the time of our lives.
March 7, 2007... From the rise of the automobile in the 30s through the growth of Hollywood in the 50s and joys of Zippy and Bungle on Ice in the 70s to digital's explosion in the 90s, which decade do you most wish you had worked in? 1930s Mark...

75th Anniversary Issue: Media timeline - From Logie Baird to London freesheets.(Chronology)
March 7, 2007... 1930s 1933: The union-backed Daily Herald becomes the world's bestselling popular daily, with net sales of 2m. 1936: The first British television channel is launched by the BBC. The service uses John Logie Baird's 30-line system, which...

75th Anniversary Issue: Marketing moments - 75 biggest marketing moments.(Chronology)
March 7, 2007... From the launch of the COI in the 40s to the first TV ad in the 50s, McDonald's arrival in the 70s and Benetton's shock campaign of the 90s, Gemma Charles and Joanna Bowery chart the marketing-related events that defined their era. 1930s...

75th Anniversary Issue: Disciplines - Brand characters and icons - Symbols of success.
March 7, 2007... The best brand characters represent a truth about their owner that elicits consumer buy-in, writes Robert Gray. Just a glimpse of George the Hofmeister bear, Tony the Tiger, Churchill the dog or the Honey Monster has been enough through the...

75th Anniversary Issue: Disciplines - Broadcast - Giving shape to modern culture.
March 7, 2007... Prophesies of destroying civilisation barely slowed the cultural domination or magnetism of TV. Before ITV launched in 1955, novelist Charles Morgan warned that handing television over 'to cynical money-makers is to imperil civilisation'....

75th Anniversary Issue: Disciplines - Customer publishing - More than a good read.(Industry overview)
March 7, 2007... No longer the preserve of the business-class set, customer magazines are a key engagement tool. Until the launch 30 years ago of High Life magazine for BEA, a forerunner of British Airways, the customer publishing industry had focused on...

75th Anniversary Issue: Disciplines - Outdoor and print - Making it big.
March 7, 2007... From aiding the Allied war effort to selling bras, posters have had great impact over the years, writes James Curtis. The outbreak of war in 1939 saw posters play a crucial role in keeping the public informed, with the government spending...

75th Anniversary Issue: Disciplines - Sponsorship - From patronage to leveraged.
March 7, 2007... Sponsorship has existed since ancient times, but only recently have brands moved in on the scene. Sponsorship was born out of philanthropy and patronage. In ancient Greece, Athenians paid to sit close to the Chorus; in Renaissance Italy,...

75th Anniversary Issue: Visible difference.
March 7, 2007... Great design is timeless, with many classic brand identities still resonant today. Mary Cowlett reports. Transport a housewife from the 30s to a supermarket today and she might be baffled by bar codes and regulatory information. Many of the...

75th Anniversary Issue: Disciplines - Direct marketing - Targeted, personal, effective.
March 7, 2007... A medium developed by mail-order retailers in the 1900s now delivers sales worth over pounds 100bn. The early history of direct marketing in the UK was shaped by the Northern mail-order and catalogue-shopping businesses such as Great...

75th Anniversary Issue: Disciplines - Digital - Boom, bust, booming again ..
March 7, 2007... In the 13 years since banner ads first appeared, digital has become a sophisticated discipline. Although Tim Berners-Lee had been developing his idea of a World Wide Web since 1980, it wasn't until 1995-96 that the world started to...

75th Anniversary Issue: Now and then - Changing times, lasting truths.(Industry overview)
March 7, 2007... Consumer tastes, technology and media channels have all changed almost beyond recognition since the 30s, but the industry's core principles have remained remarkably constant. Six industry figures look back at defining features from the past 75...

75th Anniversary Issue: Helpline.(Project Link delivers incentive solutions )(MPA Screen and Digital Print prints high-quality posters and banners)(Neil Kerber the cartoonist )
March 7, 2007... Becky Charles takes the hassle out of finding the right product or service - you ask the question, she'll provide the answer. STRIKING GIFTS Q: We are appearing at a telecoms exhibition and want to give away goody bags that contain...

BUPA eyes younger consumers in repositioning.(British United Provident Association Ltd.)(Brief article)
March 14, 2007... Healthcare provider BUPA is to overhaul its brand as part of plans to appeal to a younger audience and fight back against a growing number of competitors. The company is looking for a branding consultancy to work on the brief, which will...

P&G drops Charmin and Tempo brands in Europe.(Procter & Gamble Co.)(Brief article)
March 14, 2007... Procter & Gamble is pulling out of the household-paper products market in Europe in the wake of poor sales for its Charmin and Tempo brands. The firm is to offload the Tempo brand and its manufacturing assets in the region, along with the...

Government to clamp down on price promotions.(Brief article)
March 14, 2007... The government is to introduce a raft of legislation that will affect discount price claims in a bid to outlaw unscrupulous selling. Discount sales by retailers are currently policed by the Trading Standards Institute under the Code for...

ITV ditches Play gaming channel.(ITV Play)(Brief article)
March 14, 2007... ITV is to axe its dedicated gaming channel, ITV Play, following a spate of negative publicity criticising 'rip-off' phone-in TV competitions. It is understood that the broadcaster will now assign ITV Play's place on the digital terrestrial...

Water market forecast to build on 11% growth.(Industry overview)(Brief article)
March 14, 2007... Soft-drinks companies' main growth is set to come from bottled water, according to the Britvic Soft Drinks Category Report 2007. The report revealed that, as consumers seek healthier options, water's take-home value increased by 11% to...

CK backs scent on Second Life.(Coty launches CK IN2U fragrances)(Brief article)
March 14, 2007... Coty is launching its latest fragrances in department stores and virtual world Second Life simultaneously to target what it calls a 'technology-savvy generation'. Two fragrances called CK IN2U, one for men and one for women, will roll out...

C4 reveals first 4oD advertisers.(contracts)(Brief article)
March 14, 2007... Apple, Ford and Halifax are among the big-name brands to have signed up to advertise on Channel 4 video-on-demand service 4oD. More than 12 advertisers will run TV-style executions around 4oD shows including Ugly Betty and Ramsay's Kitchen...

Unilever expands its digital roster.(Brief article)
March 14, 2007... Unilever has revised its global digital roster less than four months after finalising a line-up of four agencies. Last November, the FMCG giant selected Dare, Tribal DDB, Ogilvy One and Momentum MRM to develop online ad campaigns for its...

New campaign: TJ Hughes.(Brief article)
March 14, 2007... Discount department-store chain TJ Hughes is launching its first TV ad campaign next week. The work, which features the relatives of celebrities, including Robbie Williams' dad, Jonathan Ross' mum and Wayne Rooney's brother, is intended to...

Levi's to develop loyalty initiative.(Stephens Francis Whitson)(Levi's Europe)(Brief article)
March 14, 2007... Levi's is launching a pan-European CRM scheme to build stronger relationships with its target 15- to 24-year-old market. The denim and casual-wear brand has hired direct agency Stephens Francis Whitson to create a loyalty programme that...

Woolworths' top marketer to exit.(Stephen Robertson)(Brief article)
March 14, 2007... Woolworths marketing director Stephen Robertson is leaving the retailer this month, without a job to go to. Hired by chief executive Trevor Bish-Jones three years ago, Robertson was responsible for the appointment of Bartle Bogle Hegarty,...

Boots draws up digital roster to revamp website.(Brief article)
March 14, 2007... Boots is drawing up plans for a multimillion-pound overhaul of boots.com, aiming to transform it into a leading e-commerce portal. The retailer is seeking a roster of digital shops to handle microsite development, online advertising and the...

CAP warned off rejecting nutrient profiling model.(Committee of Advertising Practice)(Brief article)
March 14, 2007... Food campaigners claim the Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP) would be 'shooting itself in the foot' if it rejects the Food Standards Agency's (FSA) nutrient profiling model when it drafts rules for non-broadcast food and drink ads aimed...

3 to sell TV-style ads around streamed ITV shows.(Brief article)
March 14, 2007... 3 UK plans to give advertisers the opportunity to run TV-format ads around streamed versions of ITV1 shows on its mobile portal. The network operator has an agreement with ITV that enables it to simulcast ITV1 and ITV Play gaming channels...

Carphone begins review of ISP job.(Carphone Warehouse Group PLC)(Brief article)
March 14, 2007... Carphone Warehouse is reviewing the direct account for its broadband ISP service, which it continues to operate under the name AOL UK following its pounds 370m acquisition of the business late last year. The winning agency will be tasked...

Egypt exhibition in partner hunt.(SML Marketing to target partners for Treasures of Tutankhamun exhibition)(Brief article)
March 14, 2007... The exhibition bringing more than 100 artefacts to London from King Tutankhamun's tomb and other sites in Egypt's Valley of the Kings is seeking brand partners. The organisers of the Treasures of Tutankhamun exhibition have appointed SML...

'Surf reef' seeks naming sponsor.(Bournemouth Tourism )(Brief article)
March 14, 2007... Bournemouth Tourism is seeking a lead sponsor for Europe's first artificial surf reef, located at Boscombe. The package will include naming rights to the reef and sponsorship of surf events and competitions. It is also seeking a creative...

Cadbury plots overhaul of Bassett's sweet range.(Brief article)
March 14, 2007... Cadbury Trebor Bassett is to relaunch its Bassett's confectionery brand. The firm has briefed design agency Jones Knowles Ritchie to handle the revamp. It is unlikely that the new work will include the end of long-standing brand icon...

BT service to let viewers create own TV channels.(British Telecommunications PLC)(Brief article)
March 14, 2007... BT is to allow viewers to launch their own TV channels on BT Vision, the TV-over-broadband service it launched last year. The telecoms giant is holding talks with advertisers about funding the initiative. BT is keen to replicate the...

Pathe Films in review of pounds 6.5m UK media account.(Brief article)
March 14, 2007... Pathe Films, the French-owned independent movie producer and distributor that produced Oscar winner The Queen, is reviewing its pounds 6.5m UK media account through the AAR. Pathe has invited a number of media agencies to pitch for the...

Rail operators to boost web sales.(Brief article)
March 14, 2007... The Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC) is stepping up its online strategy with the intention of making all its discount-railcard sales online by 2012. The body has handed the brief to Craik Jones Watson Mitchell Voelkel. ...

Diageo explores potential of cider.(Diageo GB)(Brief article)
March 14, 2007... Diageo is the latest brewer looking at a move into the cider market, following a trial of premium brand Cashel's Extra Smooth in the on-trade. The cider has an ABV of 4.5% and is being tested in four bars in London, one in Leamington and...

Ads chief hits back at obesity lobbyists.(Baroness Peta Buscombe, Advertising Association chief executive )(Brief article)
March 14, 2007... Advertising Association chief executive Baroness Peta Buscombe has slammed consumer groups for unfairly blaming the ad industry for the UK's obesity problems. 'Advertising is an easy target for consumer groups trying to justify their own...

GCap offers space on digital-radio screens.(Brief article)
March 14, 2007... GCap Media is pioneering the use of advertising on digital-radio screens with the roll-out of a service later this month. The technology, which has been trialled by companies including Procter & Gamble and Lloyds TSB, enables advertisers to...

News brief: Honda to sponsor ITV's 2007 Formula One coverage.(Honda Motor Europe Ltd.)(Brief article)
March 14, 2007... Honda has signed up to sponsor ITV's 2007 Formula One coverage, which starts on Sunday with the Australian Grand Prix. The deal includes coverage on ITV1, ITV4 and online

News brief: Ryanair blocks online travel agents.(Brief article)
March 14, 2007... Ryanair is blocking online travel agents including lastminute.com from selling its flights at inflated prices. It claimed that some added up to 133% to the price and provided incorrect and misleading terms and conditions. Lastminute has...

News brief: Walkers to be official snack-food supplier of Wembley.(Walkers Snack Foods Ltd.)(Brief article)
March 14, 2007... Walkers is to be the official snack-food supplier of Wembley Stadium until July 2010. The company will supply all crisps and bagged savoury snacks to stadium visitors

News brief: Maison de la France launches marketing scheme.(Brief article)
March 14, 2007... Maison de la France has launched a partnership marketing scheme with six regional tourist boards in France and several ferry operators to promote its 'France in your car' campaign. The print and online push promotes the country as an...

News brief: Encams puts its media account up for pitch.(Brief article)
March 14, 2007... Encams, the environmental charity behind the 'Keep Britain Tidy' campaign, has put its pounds 1.5m media account up for pitch. The business is currently handled by MediaVest Manchester

News brief: Final rules on gambling ads have been published.(Brief article)
March 14, 2007... The Committee of Advertising Practice and Broadcast Committee of Practice have published final rules on gambling ads. The rules, which are intended to prevent ads from appealing to children or linking gambling to sexual prowess, will apply from...

News brief: The CIM hires Redactive Media Group.
March 14, 2007... The Chartered Institute of Marketing has hired Redactive Media Group to replace Story Worldwide as publisher of members' magazine The Marketer

News brief: Raoul Pinnell of Shell Brands is retiring.(Shell Brands International)(Brief article)
March 14, 2007... Raoul Pinnell, chairman of Shell Brands International, is retiring at the end of March. Pinnell, 55, will return to the UK from Switzerland and plans to devote himself to non-executive director roles

People Moves: The Financial Services Forum.(appointment of Neil Scaife)(Brief article)
March 14, 2007... Neil Scaife, former head of marketing at Post Office Financial Services has been named managing director of The Financial Services Forum. Scaife left the Post Office in January after Gary Hockey-Morley was hired as marketing director

People Moves: Palm Europe.(appointment of Mark Doorbar)(Brief article)
March 14, 2007... Mark Doorbar, a former marketing director at RHM, has joined mobile communications manufacturer Palm Europe as senior director of marketing for Europe, Middle East and Africa. His appointment follows the hiring of Brodie Keast as global senior...

People Moves: The Hanover Foundation.(appointment of Ruth Culver )(Brief article)
March 14, 2007... Business-training charity the Hanover Foundation has hired Ruth Culver as head of marketing. Culver has been a freelance charity project manager for the past 12 years

People Moves: Small Luxury Hotels of the World.
March 14, 2007... Small Luxury Hotels of the World has appointed Nikki Harrison vice-president of global marketing. Harrison joins from Travelport

People Moves: Rebtel.
March 14, 2007... Will Harris, former marketing director of the Conservative Party, has joined mobile phone company Rebtel as director of strategy

People Moves: First Business Support.
March 14, 2007... Sara Robinson has been hired as marketing manager of employment law specialist First Business Support. Robinson joins from Skipton Financial Services

King of Shaves plans first fragrance range.(Brief article)
March 14, 2007... King of Shaves is to extend into the fragrance sector next year with the creation of perfumes for men and women. The company has briefed its agencies about the launch; names for the line are still in development. King of Shaves is...

Waitrose debuts organic care line.(Brief article)
March 14, 2007... Waitrose has become the first supermarket to launch a beauty range certified by the Soil Association. Waitrose Organic Body and Bath, which comprises eight products, is rolling out in all 183 Waitrose stores this month, as well as in 26...

Tesco Direct growth prompts team rejig.(Brief article)
March 14, 2007... Tesco is to revise the structure of its marketing department following the expansion of its Tesco Direct non-food arm. The catalogue- and web-based service launched last year to allow the grocer to compete with retailers such as Argos. The...

New campaign: Homebase.(Brief article)
March 14, 2007... Homebase is encouraging consumers to give their home a redesign this spring in a campaign showcasing its range in the run-up to Easter. The ads feature 40 products and continue to use the orange ball motif employed in its Christmas...

This week: Marketing news from the national press.(Brief article)
March 14, 2007... Morrisons, the supermarket, is ditching its iconic yellow-and-black logo and 'More reasons to shop at Morrisons' strapline from this week as it overhauls its image. - The Sunday Telegraph Patak's, the family-owned Indian food brand, has...

Media: Capital Radio to roll out brand campaign.(advertising campaigns)(Brief article)
March 14, 2007... Capital Radio is launching its first brand campaign for two years as part of an overhaul of its marketing, branding and events strategy. The activity, which breaks this week, is being led by Nick Button, the station's marketing director,...

Media: News Magazines unveils Sun title.(Brief article)
March 14, 2007... News Magazines, a division of News International, is to produce a title carrying The Sun branding. The 132-page 'bookazine', called Peter Seabrook's Garden Year, is the first branded magazine created for the newspaper. Published on 29...

Media: H Bauer reviews pounds 3m media task.(Brief article)
March 14, 2007... H Bauer is reviewing its pounds 3m UK media business. The account is currently held by Starcom. The lion's share of the magazine publisher's adspend is accounted for by its flagship women's weekly title, Take a Break. However, it has also...

Media Choice: Stylefinder.com.(Website overview)(Brief article)
March 14, 2007... As a devoted online shopper, I was both intrigued and excited to hear that Conde Nast was launching its first standalone website dedicated to fashion and beauty shopping. Sections on the site include Trends, which offers expert advice on...

Media: Food Commission criticises soap operas.(Brief article)
March 14, 2007... The Food Commission has criticised soap operas for promoting alcohol. According to a survey conducted by the body, alcohol featured in 18% of scenes in Hollyoaks, more than 17% of those in Coronation Street and more than 16% in EastEnders and...

Media: X-Fator being revamped.(Brief article)
March 14, 2007... The X-Factor is being revamped by its creator, Simon Cowell Presenter Kate Thornton and judge Louis Walsh are leaving the ITV talent show, while Radio One DJ Chris Moyles has been tipped to join.

Media: Emap names editor of Arena.(appointment of Giles Hattersley )(Brief article)
March 14, 2007... Emap has named Giles Hattersley editor of its struggling men's magazine Arena, and editor-in-chief of Arena Homme Plus. He moves from The Sunday Times, where he was chief interviewer

Media: CNBC Europe launches print campaign.(advertising campaigns)(Brief article)
March 14, 2007... CNBC Europe, the pan-European business and financial TV channel, is launching a print campaign to promote itself to financial professionals The ads will run in titles including The Wall Street Journal Europe and Time.

Media: Carphone Warehouse axes sponsorship of Big Brother.(Brief article)
March 14, 2007... Carphone Warehouse has permanently axed its sponsorship of Channel 4's Big Brother. The pounds 3m deal was placed under review following the racism row that erupted during the celebrity version of the show this January

Media: Community Service Volunteers calls on Ofcom.(Office of Communications )(Brief article)
March 14, 2007... Community Service Volunteers, which operates a national network of social-action broadcasting, is calling on Ofcom to guarantee that money is not the sole factor governing the use of broadcast frequencies. It wants to ensure that after the...

Media: Emirates signs long-term contract with JCDecaux Airport.(contracts)(Emirates Airline)(Brief article)
March 14, 2007... Emirates, the airline, has signed a long-term contract with JCDecaux Airport to advertise on the Concorde roundabout at the gateway to Heathrow Airport. The deal follows BA's decision to end its 16-year tie with the site

Media: Fox Interactive Media launches review site.
March 14, 2007... Fox Interactive Media, a division of News Corporation, is launching movies and video-game review site Rotten Tomatoes in the UK

Branding: Johnson's in wipes overhaul.(Johnson & Johnson)(Brief article)
March 14, 2007... Johnson & Johnson is relaunching its Baby Wipes range to differentiate itself from competitors and maintain its position as the UK market leader. The revamped packaging, by Lewis Moberly, will be rolled out from this month across Europe...

Branding: Beringer creates fresh packaging.(Beringer Wine Estates Holdings Inc.)(Brief article)
March 14, 2007... US winery Beringer is revamping the packaging across its seven varietals as it seeks to compete with big names including E&J Gallo and Diageo's Blossom Hill. The packaging, which has been developed by design agency Elmwood, will appear...

Branding: Design choice - Marmite Guinness.(Brief article)
March 14, 2007... Guinness would have us believe that good things come to those who wait. Well, frankly, I haven't been longing for Marmite with a Guinness twist. That said, now that it's here I'm quite pleased. Marmite's flavour doesn't float my boat, but...

Branding: Blu-Tack runs on-pack promotion.(Brief article)
March 14, 2007... Blu-Tack is running an on-pack promotion to tie in with animated Disney film Meet the Robinsons. The film's logo will appear on both handy size and economy packs, with a contest to win a family trip to Budapest. The film is released on 30 March...

Branding: Dom Perignon overhauls its packaging.(Brief article)
March 14, 2007... Dom Perignon has overhauled its packaging to give it a more elegant look. Research Studios, which was briefed to assess the champagne brand's identity in 2004, has created matt black packaging

Branding: Tangerine launches range of fudge and chocolate products.(Brief article)
March 14, 2007... Tangerine, the confectionery firm that acquired Burton Foods last year, has launched a range of fudge and chocolate products called Princess Little Delight. It has also revamped packaging and recipes for its Princess Marshmallows line

Branding: Wyke Farms redesignsk its packaging.(marketing)(Brief article)
March 14, 2007... Wyke Farms, a Somerset cheese and milk producer, has redesigned its packaging to reflect its provenance. The brand, which has listings in Asda, Morrisons, Sainsbury's and Tesco, invited customers to suggest what should appear on the label

Branding: Big D relaunches its Chilli Peanuts.(Chilli Peanuts )(Brief article)
March 14, 2007... Big D, the pub-snack brand, is relaunching its Chilli Peanuts with a new recipe and a card design featuring the brand's scantily-clad Big D Girl, Malene

Branding: Auerbach and Steele unveils new store design.(Push Design)(Brief article)
March 14, 2007... Auerbach and Steele, a London optician, has unveiled a new store design through PushDesign. Its branch on the Kings Road in Chelsea features neutral finishes with a black slate facade

Branding: Carlton Club revamps its logo and brochures.(Brief article)
March 14, 2007... The Carlton Club has revamped its logo and brochures to celebrate its 175th anniversary. K4 Creative was briefed to clarify the members-only venue's original 1832 identity

Direct: Homebase pounds 3m task goes to Craik Jones.(raik Jones Watson Mitchell Voelkel )(Brief article)
March 14, 2007... Homebase has appointed Craik Jones Watson Mitchell Voelkel to handle a pounds 3m brief to promote its Spend & Save loyalty scheme. The DIY retailer is seeking to bolster its number of Spend & Save members and the amount they spend through a...