Marketing articles from May 2007

Marketing archives from May 2007

Co-op Group boss Morgan to exit as merger looms.(Zoe Morgan)(Brief article)
May 30, 2007... Zoe Morgan, marketing director of the Co-operative Group, has become one of the first casualties of the group's merger with United Co-operative. Morgan, who was behind plans to roll out a unified brand, 'The co-operative', across all the...

EMI forges brand ties for music download stores.(EMI Group PLC partners with adidas-Salomon AG, Visa International)
May 30, 2007... EMI is partnering with some of the world's biggest brands, including Adidas and Visa, to launch a series of branded music download stores. The music company is making available its back catalogue of more than 20,000 tracks from artists...

Thinkbox's Alps linked to ITV role.(Tess Alps appointed)(Brief article)
May 30, 2007... Tess Alps, chief executive of TV marketing body Thinkbox, is the latest high-profile name linked to the ITV commercial director job. ITV executive chairman Michael Grade has hired advertising and media headhunter Isobel Bird to search for...

Camelot chief retains top spot in Power 100 list.(Camelot Group PLC's Dianne Thompson)(Brief article)
May 30, 2007... Dianne Thompson has been named the UK's most powerful marketer for the second year running in Marketing's Power 100 list. The Camelot chief executive, who last year became the first woman to top the ranking of the industry's most...

Evening Standard set to review ads as sales dip.
May 30, 2007... Associated Newspapers is reviewing its ad account for the Evening Standard, following an 18% drop in circulation amid competition from the London freesheets. Four agencies, including incumbent The Law Firm, which won the account last...

4oD provides TV ad opportunities.(Channel 4 Television Co. launches service for advertisers to run advertisements during its shows downloaded from Internet)(Brief article)
May 30, 2007... Channel 4 is extending its 4oD download service to allow brands to advertise during shows aired on BT Vision, Virgin Media and Tiscali TV for the first time. In March the broadcaster signed up brands including Apple, Ford and Halifax to...

Hewlett-Packard in movie activity.(marketing campaign themed around films)(partnership with the British Film Institute)(Brief article)
May 30, 2007... Hewlett-Packard is to challenge Apple's position as the computer of choice for the creative industries, with activity themed around film. The PC brand is launching a campaign featuring characters from upcoming movie Shrek the Third and...

Advertisers back Big Brother clips.(Emap PLC, EMI Group PLC, Ford Motor Company Ltd., and Paramount PLC to run their ads around Big Brother video clips)(Brief article)
May 30, 2007... Emap, EMI, Ford and Paramount Pictures will be the first brands to run TV-style ads around mobile video clips of this year's Big Brother. Each advertiser has created pre-roll ads to air before exclusive mobile highlights of the eighth...

New campaign: Camelot.(Camelot Group PLC's summer advertising campaign)(Brief article)
May 30, 2007... Camelot is launching a summer campaign to prevent a drop in lottery ticket sales as a result of people going on holiday or being distracted by outdoor activities during warm weather. The work, which breaks on 3 June, continues Camelot's...

Dyson contests 'no clogging' ban.(Dyson Group PLC to appeal against Advertising Standards Authority )(Brief article)
May 30, 2007... Dyson is to appeal against an Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) decision to ban its 'no clogging' ad campaign. The ASA received 36 complaints about its TV executions, which were created by VCCP, including one from rival Hoover Candy...

Kia hunts first UK marketing chief.(Kia Motors UK Ltd.)(Brief article)
May 30, 2007... Kia is seeking its first UK marketing director. The role will oversee a shift in the car marque's focus away from value and toward quality and desirability. The appointment will be made by Kia's managing director, Paul Philpott, who was...

Sainsbury's 'farmer' ads emphasise provenance.(J Sainsbury PLC's advertising)(Brief article)
May 30, 2007... Sainsbury's is aping the ethical sourcing strategy pioneered by rival Waitrose more than six years ago, with an ad campaign that focuses on the British provenance of its produce. Created by Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO, the ads feature...

World Cup row serves as rights renewal warning.(MasterCard International Inc. v. International Federation of Association Football)(Brief article)
May 30, 2007... An ongoing spat between MasterCard and FIFA over the sponsorship rights to the football World Cup has highlighted the need for brands to ensure they secure future opportunities when negotiating initial deals, according to experts. ...

Football League reworks sponsorship structure.(Brief article)
May 30, 2007... The Football League is looking to add four further sponsors as part of a revision of its sponsorship structure. The League, which comprises 72 clubs, already has three official partners: Coca-Cola, which sponsors its three divisions;...

TK Maxx assigns pounds 6m media work.(MindShare)(Brief article)
May 30, 2007... High-street discount-fashion chain TK Maxx has appointed MindShare to its pounds 6m UK media planning and buying account. MindShare won the business in a pitch against BLM and Media Planning Group. Incumbent Starcom declined to repitch....

Boots highlights in-store experts.(Boots Company PLC)(Brief article)
May 30, 2007... Boots is launching the first campaign to promote its 'Ask your Boots Pharmacy Team' initiative, which flags up the 15,000 healthcare experts available in-store. The pounds 2m TV and radio campaign, created by Mother London, shows trained...

Hotels.com set to reposition brand.(website relaunch)(Brief article)
May 30, 2007... Hotels.com, the Expedia-owned hotel booking service, is repositioning itself as a holiday expert with the relaunch of its website. The site will feature new branding, 'Wake up happy' line and a hand-scripted logo developed by...

BA rolls out single-class premium services to US.(British Airways)(Brief article)
May 30, 2007... Business class and premium travel could become the battleground for transatlantic airlines, with British Airways becoming the first mainstream carrier to launch business-class-only flights from Europe to the US. Currently, only Silverjet...

Canon in digital creative search.(Brief article)
May 30, 2007... Canon is looking to expand its digital roster with the appointment of a creative agency to work on a series of bespoke campaigns. The consumer electronics giant recently named LBi as its strategic digital agency, handing it a three-year...

Nestle plots UK roll-out of 'slimming water'.(Nestle Waters UK)(Brief article)
May 30, 2007... Nestle Waters is to roll out French mineral water brand Contrex in the UK, positioning it as a 'slimming' water. The company believes the brand will fill a gap in the growing functional-water category. It claims Contrex helps eliminate...

Adidas signs up to Sky Anytime.(Brief article)
May 30, 2007... Adidas is to become the latest brand to advertise on Sky Anytime, the digital broadcaster's on-demand TV service, which is being rolled out across the UK. The sports brand's 'Impossible is nothing' campaign will run alongside more than...

IPC builds umbrella home-interest site.(Brief article)
May 30, 2007... IPC has developed a standalone website, housetohome.co.uk, as a central online destination for readers of all its IPC Southbank portfolio of home-interest magazines, and has signed up Unilever as a launch advertiser. The creation of the...

S&N hands Kronenbourg CRM task to Story.(Scottish & Newcastle PLC, customer relationship management campaign)(Brief article)
May 30, 2007... Scottish & Newcastle (S&N) has hired Story to handle the first customer relationship management campaign for its Kronenbourg lager. The Edinburgh agency has been briefed to create and implement direct mail and online initiatives for the...

News brief: Land Rover reviews direct account.(Craik Jones Watson Mitchell Voelkel)(Brief article)
May 30, 2007... Land Rover is reviewing its direct account, which has been held by Craik Jones Watson Mitchell Voelkel for 16 years. The agency will repitch for the business

News brief: Children's Mutual seeks ad agency.(Brief article)
May 30, 2007... The Children's Mutual, the savings provider, is seeking an ad agency ahead of a major promotional drive intended to capitalise on the government's Child Trust Funds initiative. The agency search is being handled by the AAR

News brief: DaimlerChrysler promotes jeeps.(Wrangler, Compass and Patriot Jeeps )(Brief article)
May 30, 2007... DaimlerChrysler is using integrated activity to promote the launch of its Wrangler, Compass and Patriot Jeeps in the UK. The initiative, developed by BJK&E, will run on a range of Sky TV channels and websites and in Sky's customer magazine

News brief: SimplySwitch hands ad account to Propaganda.(Brief article)
May 30, 2007... SimplySwitch, the price-comparison site, has handed its ad account to Propaganda. SimplySwitch is a division of Associated Northcliffe Digital; the agency already works with the company's This Is Money site

News brief: Pizza Express focuses on authenticity.(Brief article)
May 30, 2007... Pizza Express is repositioning to focus on its authenticity Activity, by Isobel, will incorporate menus, table booklets, window dressings and posters to promote its authentic Rome menu.

News brief: HSBC launches major global TV campaign.(Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Ltd.)(Brief article)
May 30, 2007... HSBC is launching a major global TV campaign to highlight its retirement savings products. The spots, which will air on TV stations across the world over the next few weeks, will demonstrate that HSBC understands how different cultures view...

News brief: EDF Energy becomes partner of Games.(Brief article)
May 30, 2007... EDF Energy has become the second tier-one partner of the London 2012 Olympic Games. The utilities company joins Lloyds TSB, which was unveiled as a sponsor earlier this year (Marketing, 3 January)

News brief: Newmarket Racecourses promotes July Festival.(Brief article)
May 30, 2007... Newmarket Racecourses is launching a press, outdoor and radio campaign to promote its Newmarket Festival in July. Created by integrated agency Truth, the campaign coincides with the reopening of the course following a redevelopment

Media: Nick Jr to launch 'puzzle' ad drive.(Brief article)
May 30, 2007... Nick Jr is rolling out a print campaign to promote next month's UK premiere of its show Roary the Racing Car. Display ads in pre-school magazines throughout June and July will take the form of a puzzle inviting children to follow muddled...

Media: AFP web channel signs up brands.(HowTo TV)(Brief article)
May 30, 2007... Vodafone and Wicks are among the first brands to sign up to HowTo TV, a video-on-demand web channel dedicated to advertiser-funded programming. HowTo TV features broadcast-quality instructional videos on topics including DIY, motor...

Media: Freeview supports Playback recorder.(Brief article)
May 30, 2007... Freeview is launching an ad campaign to promote its Freeview Playback digital-TV recorder. The Freeview consortium, comprising ITV, BBC, Channel 4, Sky and the National Grid Wireless, has appointed 4Creative, M2M UK, direct agency 999...

Media choice: Heatworld.(Website overview)(Brief article)
May 30, 2007... It has been a long time coming, but I've eagerly awaited the launch of Heatworld. In my role as a consumer, it doesn't disappoint. Bravely, it is totally web 2.0, with video clips updated hourly. No longer must we wait until Tuesday to...

Media brief: Adidas hires Havas Sports.(Havas Sports )(Brief article)
May 30, 2007... Adidas has hired Havas Sports to handle its communications strategy during this winter's Rugby World Cup. The sports brand is an official supplier to the tournament

Media brief: GCap hires Yomego.(Brief article)
May 30, 2007... GCap has hired specialist agency Yomego to develop interactive web and WAP sites for a number of its radio station brands, with plans to ramp up user-generated content

Media brief: Egmont secures exclusive deal with Tesco.(Egmont Magazines )(Brief article)
May 30, 2007... Egmont Magazines and Egmont Books have secured an exclusive deal with Tesco to launch a series of 'value packs' featuring books and magazines about Thomas the Tank Engine, Fireman Sam and Bob the Builder The packs will be available in stores...

Media brief: IPC plans to close Fashion Inc.
May 30, 2007... IPC is planning to close Loaded spin-off Fashion Inc and is in consultation with staff over redundancies

Media brief: Kirsty Young to leave Five News.(Brief article)
May 30, 2007... Five News presenter Kirsty Young, pioneer of the laid-back desk-leaning style of news presenting - is leaving the programme this autumn. Her co-anchor, John Suchet, will continue to present the news at 5.30pm and 7pm

Media brief: Scottish Media Group expects drop in TV ad revenue.(Brief article)
May 30, 2007... Scottish Media Group is expecting a 7% drop in TV ad revenue for the first half of 2007. The poor performance is attributed to weak sales of interactive TV

Media brief: Daily Mail & General Trust concedes freesheet war 'unsustainable.'.(Brief article)
May 30, 2007... The Daily Mail & General Trust, owner of Associated Newspapers, has conceded that the London freesheet war against News International is 'unsustainable', and has hit sales of the Evening Standard, which fell 16% in April. Last month...

Branding: Fox's plots image overhaul.(Fox's Biscuits hires Brandopus)(Brief article)
May 30, 2007... Fox's Biscuits has hired design agency brandopus to rework its identity, following an operational overhaul of parent company Northern Foods last year. Design work is being carried out across all the ranges in the Fox's Biscuits...

Branding: Eat Natural to highlight health.(change in packaging)(Brief article)
May 30, 2007... Eat Natural has revamped its packaging to make it more environmentally friendly and highlight the product's healthy ingredients. The overhaul, which has been handled in-house, sees the outer cardboard packs produced with a more matt...

Branding: Design choice - Fiat 500.(new model)(Brief article)
May 30, 2007... Some designs go down in history for their technological or styling innovations, others for the role they have played in everyday life. The few that combine the two become truly iconic. One such design is the Fiat 500, the original 'big...

Branding brief: Nude Skincare to launch next month.(from Fresh and Wild)(Brief article)
May 30, 2007... Nude Skincare, a range of products created by the founders of Fresh & Wild, is to launch next month. With packaging designed by Pearlfisher, it will be available from the soon-to-open Whole Foods Market in Kensington, Harvey Nichols and online

Branding brief: Weight Watchers extends cookie range.
May 30, 2007... Weight Watchers has extended its cookie range with a Raspberry & White Chocolate variant. The biscuits are made under licence by Walkers Shortbread

Branding brief: Alpen appoints Blue Marlin for packaging.(Brief article)
May 30, 2007... Alpen has appointed Blue Marlin to create the packaging for its new Groove snack bar. The consultancy has also devised the brand strategy, including the strapline 'Go against the groove'

Branding brief: PJ Smoothies overhauls look.(Landor appointed)(Brief article)
May 30, 2007... PJ Smoothies is overhauling its look to appeal to younger consumers. Landor has been retained to manage the redesign of the packaging and branding for the PepsiCo-owned range

Branding brief: PLJ adds lime flavour.(Pemberton and Whitefoord contract)(Brief article)
May 30, 2007... PLJ, the cordial brand, has added a lime flavour and been given a fresh look through Pemberton & Whitefoord. The design highlights that the cordials have no added sugar and are low in calories

Branding brief: Packaging advice published for retail sector.(Waste and Resources Action Programme)(Brief article)
May 30, 2007... The Waste and Resources Action Programme has published advice for the retail sector to help it meet its commitments to reducing packaging The guidelines can be found at www.wrap.org.uk/retail.

Branding brief: British Car Auctions Scotland rebrands centres.(Brief article)
May 30, 2007... British Car Auctions Scotland has rebranded its Edinburgh and Glasgow centres. The new look has been created by Cheetham Bell/JWT, the company's retained advertising agency. The logo incorporates the Scottish saltire

Direct: Vauxhall to step up partnership activity.(Brief article)
May 30, 2007... Vauxhall has hired Swordfish to handle its UK partnership marketing business, which is believed to be worth pounds 2m. The appointment follows a four-way pitch handled by Creative Brief. The agency has been tasked with securing a range of...

Direct: Anglian awards job to catchpole.(Anglian Home Improvements and catchpole&friends contract)(Brief article)
May 30, 2007... Anglian Home Improvements, the UK's biggest double-glazing and conservatory firm, has appointed catchpole&friends to handle its direct marketing. The agency was hired following a five-way pitch overseen by Anglian's marketing director,...

Direct: ING Direct backs F1 tie in mailing.(Brief article)
May 30, 2007... ING Direct is building on owner ING Group's multimillion-pound title sponsorship of the Renault F1 team with a direct campaign. The work, created by Claydon Heeley, will target 1m customers. It will comprise direct mail and email intended...

Direct choice: Audi Q7.(Brief article)
May 30, 2007... Royal Mail's compact digital direct mail, or 'personalised integrated media' as it is called, is an interesting and clever concept. Launched in partnership with Sony DADC, the company's worldwide CD-manufacturing network, it enables...

Direct brief: Nissan pushes 4x4 range.(Brief article)
May 30, 2007... Nissan is running a direct push to promote its 4x4 range. The mailing, by Tullo Marshall Warren, is an extension of the brand's 'Naturally capable' TV ads and is intended to encourage test-drives

Direct brief: Hebridean International Cruises teams up with Fortnum & Mason.(Brief article)
May 30, 2007... Hebridean International Cruises has teamed up with Fortnum & Mason to offer readers of the retailer's magazine the chance to win a 12-night luxury cruise for two worth pounds 10,000. The tie-up was brokered by Cocktail Marketing

Direct brief: Lurpak runs weekly prize draw.(Brief article)
May 30, 2007... Lurpak is running a weekly prize draw offering the chance to win Dualit kitchen appliances. The activity, created by bd-ntwk Scotland, will run until November on packs of Lurpak's Spreadable and Lighter lines

Direct brief: Scottish & Newcastle invests in sampling campaign.(Brief article)
May 30, 2007... Scottish & Newcastle is investing pounds 7m this year in its 'The Biggest Round' nationwide sampling campaign. The activity, created by BEcause Experiential Marketing, will offer consumers in pubs and bars a free drink from a selection of S&N...

Direct brief: Divorce-Online launches first DRTV campaign.(direct response television marketing)(Brief article)
May 30, 2007... Divorce-Online has launched its first DRTV campaign. The drive for the low-cost separation service comprises a 40-second ad, which will appear on channels including Discovery Home and Health, Movies for Men and True Movies, and will be seeded...

Direct brief: Energy Saving Trust offers free 'green fleet review'.(Brief article)
May 30, 2007... The Energy Saving Trust is offering firms a free 'green fleet review'. The service is intended to help them run their fleets more efficiently and will be promoted in a mailing by Tullo Marshall Warren

Direct brief: National Missing Persons Helpline backs launch.(Brief article)
May 30, 2007... The National Missing Persons Helpline is backing its relaunch with its first direct mail campaign, which will focus on children. The charity was relaunched last week on International Missing Children's Day

Direct brief: Habitat runs events for Finchley Road opening.(Habitat Group PLC)(Brief article)
May 30, 2007... Habitat is running an evening of experiential events for the opening of its store on Finchley Road in London. The activity, created by Sense, will back its Midnight Ocean summer collection

Digital: EasyJet in MySpace channel.(easyJet PLC to launch a online community site with MySpace.com Inc.)(Brief article)
May 30, 2007... EasyJet has formed a partnership with MySpace to launch a branded community allowing consumers to upload photos and video footage of holiday destinations around the world. The budget airline is tapping into the social network's 8.7m user...

Digital: Nike ads mirror 'bespoke' offer.
May 30, 2007... Nike is mounting an online campaign that allows consumers to create personalised ads featuring customised training shoes. The sportswear brand has briefed AKQA to develop a promotion for Nike ID, an e-commerce portal where consumers can...

Digital choice: Email Britain.
May 30, 2007... There's nothing like a rummage through a box of old letters. But hardly anyone sends them any more, so when this archive project invited me to 'Reserve your place in history by sending us your most memorable emails', the romantic in me loved...

Digital brief: ITV News to offer mobile bulletins.(Brief article)
May 30, 2007... ITV News is to offer its 9m viewers the opportunity to subscribe to made-for-mobile video alerts. The exclusive mobile bulletins will be sent every working day to subscribers who pay pounds 2 a week

Digital brief: Worthington's to sponsor fantasy darts game.(Brief article)
May 30, 2007... Worthington's, the beer brand, has signed up to sponsor The Sun's online fantasy darts game. The Darts Dream Team initiative offers pounds 50,000 to the participant who selects the most successful darts professionals in tournaments until the...

Digital brief: Biggest online activity to date for LivingTV.(Brief article)
May 30, 2007... LivingTV has briefed Edpic to create a branded microsite, online ads and viral campaign to promote the latest series of Grey's Anatomy in its biggest online activity to date

Digital brief: Skoda to roll out branded microsite.(Brief article)
May 30, 2007... Skoda is rolling out a branded microsite and digital campaign to back the TV push for its new Fabia model. The digital drive, through Archibald Ingall Stretton, features behind-the-scenes footage of the ad in which a life-size, edible Fabia...

Digital brief: Virgin Wines revamps website.(Brief article)
May 30, 2007... Virgin Wines is revamping its website to include an auction service that enables internet users to buy wine at reduced prices. The site also includes a tasting tag system to help users understand the flavours of different wines

Digital brief: Yahoo! and Eurosport combine expertise.
May 30, 2007... Yahoo! and Eurosport have combined their expertise to launch a portal covering sports including football, cricket, tennis, Formula One and rugby

Digital brief: Philips signs deal.(Brief article)
May 30, 2007... Philips has signed a deal with Microsoft Digital Advertising Solutions to run a multi-region advertising campaign targeting young families with an interest in health and wellbeing

Andrew Walmsley on Digital: Digging Deep Just to Stay in the Race
May 30, 2007... Microsoft buys aQuantive, which owns AvenueA/Razorfish. It has Microsoft/MSN as a client, whose Performance Plus system is driven by Arbiter, which belongs to aQuantive. And they all live happily in Seattle. Ad-serving is the technical...

News Analysis: Airlines' Words Curry Little Favour
May 30, 2007... Carriers are uniting to explain their green activity, but critics are demanding action over rhetoric. The air travel industry is one of the least likely sectors to be leading the charge on tackling climate change. Its fuel consumption is such...

News Analysis: Kia Invests to Impress
May 30, 2007... The marque is pouring pounds 18m into promoting the quality of its cars in the UK. Will this be enough, asks Lucy Barrett. Most consumers would be hard-pressed to remember a marketing campaign for Kia; it would even be a stretch for non-car...

Raymond Snoddy on Media: Roll Up, Roll Up for Jade-Inspired Circus
May 30, 2007... It is time to offer due praise to poor, put-upon Jade Goody. Far too many glib people have accused her, probably falsely, of racism as a result of her performance earlier this year on 'Celebrity' Big Brother. She may have come across as...

Media Analysis: Tarnishing the Silver Screen
May 30, 2007... As movie tie-ups proliferate, their value to both brand and film are becoming more questionable. Shrek has a hectic summer ahead; not only does he have to save the kingdom of Far Far Away in his third movie, he also has Hewlett-Packard (HP),...

Brand Health Check: Heart 106.2
May 30, 2007... The Chrysalis station has slipped in the hard-fought battle for supremacy of the London airwaves. Jeremy Lee reports. The disappointing performance of Heart 106.2 in this month's Rajars will not have enhanced the value of Chrysalis Radio,...

Mark Ritson on Branding: Big Mac or Coke: Who's Got It Right?
May 30, 2007... A Big Mac and Coke. Two stellar brands of the 80s that seemed locked in each other's orbit, linked by simple usage occasion, power-brand status and shared origins in US consumer culture. The two brands even supported each other, with McDonald's...

Profile: Steel with a Smile - Clare Salmon, Group Strategy, Marketing and Customer Director, Royal & SunAlliance
May 30, 2007... What lies under the skin of Clare Salmon, Royal & SunAlliance's energetic, complicated new group marketing director - a woman of undoubted charm, yet someone who has been slammed by former colleagues for being crassly insensitive to others?...

Adwatch: The weekly analysis of advertisement recall.(Statistical table)
May 30, 2007... Q: Which of the following TV commercials do you remember seeing recently? Last Company Agency/TV buyer % week 1 (1) Asda Fallon London/Carat 67 2...

Adwatch: Asda - 'Victoria Wood - Hot Bread'
May 30, 2007... Damn that internet! Marketing used to be a bit of a doddle: book a room at The Marriott, invite the team, flip some charts, storm some brains and hey presto (does anyone say that any more?) out popped the year's brand story that we, the...