Marketing articles from March 2008

Marketing archives from March 2008

Camelot reviews pounds 20m Lotto advertising account.(Brief article)
March 5, 2008... Camelot Group, the National Lottery operator, is reviewing the pounds 20m advertising business for its Lotto game ahead of the start of its third lottery licence. The review is being overseen by the AAR and Camelot's marketing department,...

Fast-food firms bolster press spend to win over consumers.(Brief article)
March 5, 2008... Press advertising through the use of vouchers has emerged as the latest battleground for fast-food chains to target consumers with deals. London freesheet Metro is one of the main newspapers used for voucher campaigns by McDonald's and...

Aviva ready to jettison Norwich Union brand in UK.(Brief article)
March 5, 2008... Insurance giant Aviva is preparing to phase out its Norwich Union name in the UK in line with its global brand strategy. The removal of the Norwich Union name, in favour of the Aviva brand, will be overseen by incoming group marketing...

YouTube TV to lure big brands.(Brief article)
March 5, 2008... YouTube is aggressively targeting big-brand TV advertisers for the first time with the addition of live channels to its video-sharing website. The plan will put the Google-owned site in direct competition with commercial broadcasters such...

BT sponsors Isle of Wight festival.(Brief article)
March 5, 2008... BT has secured primary sponsorship of the Isle of Wight Festival, one of the UK's principal summer music events. The deal is the telecoms company's first association with a music festival. Signed with festival organisers SOLO, the agreement...

VW rethinks UK digital strategy.(Brief article)
March 5, 2008... Volkswagen has overhauled its UK digital marketing schedule to focus on its revamped web portal. It is rolling out a heavyweight campaign based on the premise that it has put as much effort into creating its website as its cars. The...

New campaign: Beck's Vier.(Brief article)
March 5, 2008... InBev is launching a campaign to promote Beck's Vier, its 4% premium beer. The 'Different by choice' activity, which encompasses TV and outdoor advertising, features modern cultural icons that have succeeded due to their individualism....

Kimberly-Clark media boss exits.(Oliver Cleaver leaving Kimberly-Clark)(Brief article)
March 5, 2008... Oliver Cleaver, Kimberly-Clark's media director for Europe, is leaving the FMCG company after a decade. Cleaver, who is responsible for media spend on brands including Andrex, Huggies and Kleenex, joined Kimberly-Clark in 1998. Prior...

Nivea seals ITV's Rock Rivals link.(Brief article)
March 5, 2008... Nivea Deodorant has created a fictional girl band to promote its sponsorship of ITV drama Rock Rivals. The series follows the trials and tribulations of contestants in a fictional reality TV show. Viewers will be able to vote the...

Adidas to take on Nike+ with branded handset.(Brief article)
March 5, 2008... Samsung is launching an integrated promotional drive to back the UK launch of its F110 Adidas phone, which is being positioned as a rival to the Nike+ training system. The F110 handset, which is designed for fitness fanatics, features a...

Top ING Direct marketer departs after six years.(Beattie McGuinness Bungay )(Brief article)
March 5, 2008... ING Direct, the online savings bank, has hired Beattie McGuinness Bungay (BMB) to handle its pounds 18m UK advertising account. The appointment coincides with the departure of sales and marketing director Gina Fusco. Fusco, who became...

O2 plots pounds 4m Bluebook social networking debut.(Brief article)
March 5, 2008... O2 is to expand into social networking for the first time with the launch of O2 Bluebook, a web portal enabling users to publish their 'mobile lives' on the web. The network operator has earmarked more than 10% of its annual pounds 41m UK...

T-Mobile awards business to Elvis.(Elvis Communications )(Brief article)
March 5, 2008... T-Mobile has hired Elvis Communications to handle its sales-promotion account. The mobile operator has briefed Elvis to oversee work including point-of-sale and store design across its 255 UK retail outlets, as well as develop experiential...

ISBA Annual Conference 2008: Advertisers square up for battle.(International Society for Bayesian Analysis)(Conference news)
March 5, 2008... Speakers urge brands, agencies and broadcasters to resist any further government restrictions on TV advertising. Advertisers, broadcasters and representatives from trade bodies and agencies used the ISBA Annual Conference in London last...

Brands warned of need to make green-themed ad campaigns 'compelling'.
March 5, 2008... Advertisers should be more creative in their use of environmental messages, according to a panel of experts at the ISBA conference's 'Green marketing at the crossroads' session. Robert Senior, UK chief executive of SSF Group, urged...

Cadbury draws up global digital strategy.(MassMedia Studios )(Brief article)
March 5, 2008... Cadbury is rolling out a global digital strategy spanning its entire portfolio of confectionery brands including Dairy Milk and Creme Egg. The company has signed a deal with MassMedia Studios to use its Traction multi-channel digital...

US acne product in pounds 2m UK debut.(Brief article)
March 5, 2008... Zeno, an acne-treatment product, has hired Inferno to handle its pounds 2m UK launch campaign. The US brand, which is aimed at 18- to 49-year-old women, claims to be the most effective non-prescription treatment for the condition. The...

Littlewoods turns to fashion in web shift.(Littlewoods Shop Direct )(Brief article)
March 5, 2008... Littlewoods Shop Direct is repositioning as a fashion-led retailer, as it continues to move away from its mail-order model to focus on its internet business. The firm, whose own-brand products generate 50% of sales, is creating seven...

ITV signs up Harveys to SMS voucher service.(Brief article)
March 5, 2008... Harveys has become the first brand to sign up to an ITV service that allows viewers to text numbers listed in TV ads to receive vouchers redeemable in store. The furniture chain, which sponsors Coronation Street will offer discount...

News brief: Barclays marketing communications manager to leave.(Brief article)
March 5, 2008... Barclays marketing communications manager Sarah Wise is leaving her job at the end of the month. She is set to join Top Up TV, where she will work alongside former colleague Jim Hytner

News brief: British Gas appoints OgilvyOne for ad account.(Brief article)
March 5, 2008... British Gas has appointed OgilvyOne to handle the ad account for its recently-launched British Gas Business division. The agency will be tasked with promoting the energy provider's business expertise

News brief: Johnson & Johnson Vision Care builds on sponsorship.(Brief article)
March 5, 2008... Johnson & Johnson Vision Care is building on its Beijing 2008 Olympic Games sponsorship through the launch of a UK campaign focusing on the importance of regular eye tests

News brief: C&C Group rolls out promotion.(Brief article)
March 5, 2008... C&C Group is rolling out a promotion to back the UK launch of Draught Magners Original Cider this summer. Coors Brewers is the exclusive distributor

News brief: Coca-Cola hires Publicis Mojo.(Brief article)
March 5, 2008... Coca-Cola has appointed Sydney agency Publicis Mojo to develop a global creative strategy to rejuvenate its Diet Coke brand. The work will be implemented by local agencies, including VCCP in the UK

News brief: Government proposal could ban BOGOF.(Brief article)
March 5, 2008... The government has proposed restrictions on the use of the word 'free' in promotions. If approved by parliament, a ban on the term buy one get one free (BOGOF) could come into force in May

News brief: MTV to launch sixth Spanking New Music tour.(Brief article)
March 5, 2008... MTV is set to launch its sixth Spanking New Music tour on 27 April The event will feature gigs by established artists such as The Fratellis, The Ting Tings and Alphabeat alongside up-and-coming acts.

News brief: Brands send delegates to Media 360 conference.(Conference notes)
March 5, 2008... BMW, Coca-Cola and Diageo are among the brands sending delegates to the Media 360 conference, run by Haymarket Conferences, from 14-16 May The offer of an early-booking discount expires tomorrow (Thursday).

Media: Clear Channel offers mobile-ready sites.(Brief article)
March 5, 2008... Clear Channel is launching a network of mobile-enabled billboards that allow brands to incorporate mobile elements into outdoor ad campaigns using short-codes. Following successful trials, the outdoor contractor is formally launching Clear...

Media: Turner secures Storm Hawks tie.(Brief article)
March 5, 2008... Turner Broadcasting has signed up Toys R Us to sponsor the animated series Storm Hawks, which it shows on its Cartoon Network channel. The tie-up begins this month and was negotiated by the broadcaster's sales division, Turner Media...

Media: MTV in MySpace video chart work.(Brief article)
March 5, 2008... MTV and MySpace are joining forces to create a weekly chart show featuring videos voted for by their users. MySpace Chart, which launches on 16 March on MTV2, will feature 35-40 videos from the channel's playlist with comments from...

Media choice: Terminator: the Sarah Connor Chronicles.
March 5, 2008... Thanks to the bloke at my local video shop allowing me to rent 18-rated films at the tender age of 12, I have been a fan of the Terminator films longer than I should have been. As a result, I sat down to watch the first episode of the...

Media brief: Guardian Media Group Radio plans to relaunch Jazz FM.(Brief article)
March 5, 2008... Guardian Media Group Radio is planning to relaunch Jazz FM in London and the North West as a DAB-only digital station following GCAP media's decision to close its digital station theJazz

Media brief: Livingetc marks 10th birthday.(Brief article)
March 5, 2008... Livingetc, the modern homes magazine, is marking its 10th birthday with a special 212-page collector's edition. The bumper issue has attracted 20 advertisers in total and will be on sale from today

Media brief: STV hires its first client services director.(Brief article)
March 5, 2008... STV, the broadcasting division of Scottish Media Group, has hired John Mac Dougall as its first client services director. He joins from The Union, where he was group account director

Media brief: GCap Media rejects second acquisition offer.
March 5, 2008... GCap Media has rejected a second acquisition offer from Global Radio on the grounds that the revised proposal 'significantly undervalues the company'

Media brief: Domino's Pizza launches online ad campaign.(Brief article)
March 5, 2008... Domino's Pizza has launched an online ad campaign on MySpace and Sky.com to encourage consumers to post videos of themselves recycling their pizza boxes on the social networking site

Media brief: HiFlyers seeks sponsor.(Brief article)
March 5, 2008... HiFlyers, a passenger balloon company, is seeking a sponsor amid plans to have hot-air balloons located at several UK tourist sites by 2010. The company is offering opportunities on balloon fascias, viewing platforms, tickets, websites and...

Media brief: Webuyanycar.com strikes deal with In Your Space.(Brief article)
March 5, 2008... Webuyanycar.com, an online car-buying service, has struck a deal with truck advertiser In Your Space as part of a four-month push to encourage people to use its service. Ads will be displayed on 12 In Your Space trucks in the North of England

Media brief: Outdoor ad revenues dip by 0.9%.(Brief article)
March 5, 2008... Outdoor advertising revenues dipped by 0.9% to pounds 254.5m in the last quarter of 2007 year on year - the first decline for more than five years, according to the Outdoor Advertising Association. Overall, revenue for the outdoor sector...

Branding: McDonald's to ramp up estate makeover.(Brief article)
March 5, 2008... McDonald's is rolling out a fresh restaurant exterior design as part of its UK-wide refurbishment programme. The 'Folded roof' concept is to be implemented on McDonald's 752 drive-through restaurants this year. The design includes a...

Branding: Patently Obvious in Boots launch.(King of Shaves brand-owner KMI)(Brief article)
March 5, 2008... King of Shaves brand-owner KMI is branching into the personal-cleansing sector with a range of environmentally friendly soaps and shower gels under the brand Patently Obvious. A digital and press campaign backing the launch begins next...

Branding: Dulux introduces Ecosure offering.(Brief article)
March 5, 2008... Dulux is launching a range of paints that are more environmentally friendly than its standard products. Ecosure paints, which will launch in May, will include Matt, Gloss and Undercoat variants. The matt product will be available in...

Branding: Design choice - Nespresso Aeroccino.(Brief article)
March 5, 2008... The challenge we now all face in life is the domestic reproduction of the perfect cappuccino. Over the years I have bought numerous appliances that have failed to live up to my exacting standards. The global onslaught of Nespresso has...

Branding brief: Camel overhauls cigarette pack.(Brief article)
March 5, 2008... Camel has overhauled its iconic cigarette pack. The packaging retains the camel image, but its surroundings have been altered to highlight the oasis scene, with clearer pyramids in the distance

Branding brief: Miller Genuine Draft relaunches with twist-off cap.(Brief article)
March 5, 2008... Miller Genuine Draft bottled lager is relaunching this month with a twist-off cap. Miller is backing the redesign with an eight-week campaign starting on 17 March

Branding brief: Wall's launches Wall's Stroller snack.(Brief article)
March 5, 2008... Wall's has launched a sausage roll-style snack called Wall's Stroller. The individually packed products, available in three flavours, are currently sold in Morrisons, priced pounds 1, but will be rolled out to other retailers from next month

Branding brief: Firefly Tonics runs on-pack promotion.(Brief article)
March 5, 2008... Firefly Tonics, the premium soft-drinks brand, is running an on-pack promotion offering consumers a chance to win a 'wake-up', 'chill-out' or 'detox' holiday by uploading their holiday snaps to its website. The best photos will feature on...

Branding brief: Tyne and Wear Metro given fresh identity.(Brief article)
March 5, 2008... Tyne and Wear Metro has been given a fresh identity by Gardiner Richardson. The new look will be used across signage and vehicle liveries. The agency also created an ad campaign to communicate the changes to the transport network's passengers

Branding brief: European Court of Justice ruling on 'Parmesan' label.(Brief article)
March 5, 2008... The 'Parmesan' label must only be used on cheeses originating from Parmigiano Reggiano, following a ruling by the European Court of Justice. A consortium representing the region's cheese-makers said the ruling would end the activities of...

Branding brief: Home-Start launches fresh identity.
March 5, 2008... Home-Start, a charity that supports families, is launching a fresh identity to reflect its friendly, inclusive approach. This Way Up has created the branding

Branding brief: Alan Coxon launches gourmet vinegars.(Brief article)
March 5, 2008... Alan Coxon, a TV chef, is launching two gourmet vinegars under the Alan Coxon's Historic brand. Ale Gar is based on a medieval recipe, while Ancient Greek Vinaigre draws on classic Greek flavours. Coxon designed the bottles

Direct: Cobra hands direct business to Initials.(Brief article)
March 5, 2008... Cobra Beer has appointed Initials to its direct marketing account following a pitch. The agency won the business from incumbent Joshua G2, which will be retained as Cobra's creative agency. It will be tasked with growing the Cobra brand...

Direct: Nicotinell set to assign POS task.(point-of-sale )(Brief article)
March 5, 2008... Nicotinell is searching for an agency to handle its point-of-sale and direct brief. The smoking-cessation brand, which is owned by Novartis, has already approached a number of UK agencies regarding the business, for which there will be a...

Direct: IFAW sends out ivory ban 'cards'.(International Fund for Animal Welfare )
March 5, 2008... The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) is launching a direct drive to encourage supporters to lobby the government for a ban on legal elephant ivory trade with China. The mailing, which breaks on 14 March and has been created by...

Direct choice: Saab 9-3 TTiD.(Brief article)
March 5, 2008... When I was offered this pack for Saab's 'ground-breaking' 9-3 TTiD saloon, I thought, 'Great. A sophisticated brand, a high-performance car - the mailer is bound to match'. Then the bubble burst. The landscape format and the see-through...

Direct brief: Learndirect Scotland launches viral campaign.(Brief article)
March 5, 2008... Learndirect Scotland is launching a viral campaign to raise awareness of its training courses and learning resources among small businesses. A viral game created by WWAV Rapp Collins Edinburgh is being emailed to 27,000 businesses with fewer...

Direct brief: RNLI hires Acxiom.
March 5, 2008... The Royal National Lifeboat Institution has hired Acxiom to provide lifestyle, demographic and geo-demographic data to enhance its donor profiling systems

Direct brief: Propertyfinder.com and Matalan reach deal.(Brief article)
March 5, 2008... Propertyfinder.com and Matalan have reached a cross-promotional deal, negotiated by Cocktail Marketing, in which the retailer will offer customers the chance to win a pounds 5000 room makeover from Propertyfinder.com

Direct brief: Ford Britain appoints PHWT.
March 5, 2008... Ford Britain has appointed PHWT to develop a campaign for its Accident Repair Centres. PHWT previously created work for Ford's other European markets in 2006

Direct brief: Lastminute.com appoints GOAL.(Brief article)
March 5, 2008... Lastminute.com has appointed start-up agency GOAL to develop experiential campaigns for the brand. The agency has recruited actors to dress as lastminute.com holiday reps, and to target commuters handing out postcards that detail special offers...

Direct brief: School Stickers appoints Baker Goodchild.(Brief article)
March 5, 2008... School Stickers, the school reward scheme supplier, has appointed Baker Goodchild to distribute leaflets and marketing materials to 30m school pupils a year. The agency will manage the mailing and distribution of the materials to more than...

Direct brief: Motability appoints BEC London to direct account.(Brief article)
March 5, 2008... Motability, a scheme that gives disabled people access to cars, has appointed BEC London to its direct account. The agency has been briefed with engaging eligible customers for the scheme

Direct brief: Delicious ties up with Le Creuset for promotion.(Brief article)
March 5, 2008... Delicious, the monthly food title, has tied up with Le Creuset to offer purchasers of selected items from the cookware brand three free issues of the magazine. The promotion will be supported by Delicious branded point-of-sale materials

Digital: BSkyB eyes further cuts to iTV ad costs.
March 5, 2008... BSkyB is aiming to reduce the cost of interactive TV (iTV) advertising in yet another effort to convince brand owners to experiment with red-button campaigns. The company's media sales division, Sky Media is working with Sky Subscribers...

Digital: Royal Navy adds rolling news site.(Brief article)
March 5, 2008... The Royal Navy is expanding its digital activity with the launch of a branded online news channel showcasing its various global operations. The RN Live rolling news channel, developed by twentysix London, aims to keep consumers informed...

Digital: James Villas to launch web push.(Brief article)
March 5, 2008... James Villa Holidays is rolling out a digital marketing strategy to promote its range of resorts and breaks in the run-up to the key summer-holiday booking season. The villa holiday provider has hired Crayon to develop an online initiative...

Digital choice: Flixster.(Brief article)
March 5, 2008... Despite very little PR or promotional spend in the UK, Flixster.com has grown phenomenally since its launch in 2006, attracting more than 40m registered users. Consequently, it is probably the biggest film review site in the world. What I...

Digital brief: This is Money attracts 1m users for first time.
March 5, 2008... This is Money, the financial website, attracted more than 1m unique users for the first time during January, according to Associated Northcliffe Digital. Consumer interest in the credit crunch has been cited as the reason for the rise in the...

Digital brief: Blinkx partners with Denuo.(Brief article)
March 5, 2008... Blinkx, the video search engine, has partnered with Denuo, the media futures arm of Publicis Groupe, to explore and create best practices for improving advertising and marketing around online video

Digital brief: Harveys appoints eCircle.(Brief article)
March 5, 2008... Harveys, the furniture retailer, has appointed eCircle to manage its email marketing account with a brief to reinforce its relationships with existing customers and drive lead-generation for campaigns

Digital brief: Unicef briefs Profero to launch ad campaign.(Brief article)
March 5, 2008... Unicef has briefed Profero to launch an online ad campaign, fronted by Claudia Schiffer, Sir Roger Moore and Jemima Khan, to encourage the public to lend their support to help prevent babies being born with HIV

Digital brief: Tiscali to launch green web portal.(Brief article)
March 5, 2008... Tiscali is launching a green web portal designed to encourage consumers to be more environmentally friendly. The 'Green' channel features a user-generated video section allowing users to watch more than 600 environmentally focused films

Digital brief: LinkedIn allows members access via mobiles.(Brief article)
March 5, 2008... LinkedIn, the social networking site for professionals, is allowing its 19m members access to the service from their mobile phones. A WAP site has launched in six languages, providing visitors with access profiles, invitations and updates

Digital brief: O2 drops broadband subscription price.(Brief article)
March 5, 2008... O2 is dropping the subscription price of its fixed-line broadband service for pre-pay customers. The mobile operator has 11.5m Pay&Go users who can now subscribe to the home ISP for pounds 7.50 for a basic package, pounds 5 less than non-O2...

Digital brief: Bright Blue Day Digital report findings.
March 5, 2008... Two out of three brand owners are failing to listen and respond to their online consumers, according to a report commissioned by agency Bright Blue Day Digital

Andrew Walmsley on digital: Best digital media deals are off-menu.
March 5, 2008... Media folk have been hitting the slopes or heading South for the sun - the year's work is done, and it's time to hand over the reins to the enforcers, those beleaguered media buyers who will spend the rest of the year chasing media owners and...

News Analysis: For appearances' sake?
March 5, 2008... Retailers' green focus is turning to plastic bags, but how enduring it will be remains to be seen, writes Jeremy Lee. Unlikely bedfellows Marks & Spencer and Gordon Brown were both quick to join the Daily Mail's 'Banish the bags' campaign,...

News Analysis: A matter of national pride.
March 5, 2008... Adopting another country's attributes to sell a brand is a risk-laden strategy with few benefits, writes Jane Simms. Borrowing the brand attributes of another country to help sell your product and service carries considerable risks, even...

Raymond Snoddy on media: Harry's tour was perfect manoeuvre.
March 5, 2008... It may be only March, but just as it is obvious that BBC business editor Robert Peston's Northern Rock disclosures will win every journalism award going, so the marketing campaign of the year is already clear. Only the highest praise will...

Media Analysis: iPlayer steals the show.
March 5, 2008... The headline-grabbing success of the BBC's on-demand service has left its rivals playing catch-up. The BBC is trouncing its commercial rivals in the nascent on-demand TV market, with its iPlayer service recording up to 500,000 programme...

Brand Health Check: M&S Food.
March 5, 2008... Competition from supermarket premium brands is taking its toll on the retailer's food division. Antoinette Odoi reports. 'This is not just food. This is M&S food' coos the female voiceover while slow-motion close-up shots of melted...

Mark Ritson on branding: Panda's prowess is lesson to us all.
March 5, 2008... I have always been a working smoker. While I never touch the evil weed at home, I accept the occasional one when I am consulting, for a very simple strategic reason: you can learn more from a fellow smoker in five minutes outside headquarters...

Profile: Old school, new agenda - Jim Cane, Managing director, Young's Seafood.(Occupation overview)
March 5, 2008... You can say what you like about Jim Cane, as long as you don't call him a 'wine-bar marketer'. These reprehensible characters, according to the managing director of Young's Seafood, are the sort who would rather ponce about in fancy drinking...

Adwatch: The weekly analysis of advertisement recall in association with tns.(Statistical data)
March 5, 2008... Q: Which of the following TV commercials do you remember seeing recently? Last Brand Agency/TV buyer % week 1 (1) Churchill WCRS/MediaCom 83 2...