Marketing articles from May 2010

Marketing archives from May 2010

Andrew Walmsley on Digital: Perfectly in Step
May 26, 2010... Web-based footwear retailer Zappos has developed a mould-breaking approach to customer service. My memories of childhood shoe-shopping trips remain strong to this day The crushing boredom. The dull product. The sales assistants looking over...

Marketing Promotion: The Thinkboxes Winner for March/April 2010 - Pure TV Brilliance from John Lewis
May 26, 2010... Never knowingly undersold' has been a part of John Lewis' brand positioning for 80 years. At the end of last year, the retailer's marketing director, Craig Inglis took a decision to relaunch the proposition to give it greater resonance with...

Weetos
May 26, 2010... Young people's growing tendency to skip breakfast has hit sales of the cereal brand. Although The Weetabix Food Company has the sector-leading brand in its eponymous cereal range, its Weetos line seems to be losing favour among its youthful...

Adwatch 26.05.10.(Brief article)
May 26, 2010... Marketing's unique weekly analysis of advertisement recall in association with tns. Q: Which of the following TV commercials do you remember seeing recently? 19.05 Brand Agency/TV buyer % 1...

Adwatch 26.05.10: John Lewis
May 26, 2010... This ad may have provoked a lot of comment but does it deserve all the attention? TONY QUINN, Head of planning, JWT I'm tense today; very tense. Not tense in a physical sense, but tense emotionally. A 'tense' where black is white and white...

Profile: Creating the Perfect Blend
May 26, 2010... Jim Slater, marketing director at Costa Coffee, wants to recruit more customers in cities in the UK and abroad. Interview by John Reynolds. Jim Slater, Costa Coffee's marketing director, will no doubt be pleased to hear that there are many...

Opinion: Marketing's Big Debate at Media 360
May 26, 2010... Do advertisers still need specialist agencies to deal with media owners? In Marketing's first Media 360 panel debate, marketers, media owners and agencies will explore the role of the media agency amid evolving technology, audience shifts,...

Power 100
May 26, 2010... As optimism starts to return to the industry and the trials of recession begin to fade in the memory, here is our rundown of the marketers who managed to weather the now-receding storm with aplomb. Marketing's annual list of the 100 most...

Driving Up Costs
May 26, 2010... Any growth in the value of this sector is the result of increased prices as overall volume decreases, writes Jane Bainbridge. Making money in the car and van hire market depends on ensuring that a fleet of vehicles is given its maximum...

What It's Really like Inside: eHarmony
May 26, 2010... - How does the team come up with fresh marketing ideas? We hold weekly brainstorms and ask our successful couples how they would market the service. It gives us great insight into how they describe their experience and what elements of it...

Brand Manager of the Week: Claire Peake, Brand Manager, John Frieda, Kao Brands Europe
May 26, 2010... - Describe yourself in three words. Energetic, organised and sociable. - How would you define marketing? A way to make people fall in love with your brand and never want to buy an alternative. - What would you be if you weren't a...

Sell-Out Performance
May 26, 2010... Relationships between bands and brands have gone beyond using hit songs in ads. Selling out has never been so popular, judging by the startling number of partnerships being forged between musical acts and brands. The latest example is a deal...

The Green Halo Effect
May 26, 2010... Brands are gaining a premium gloss by promoting their eco-friendliness, writes Gemma Charles. Marketers are beginning to recognise that green credentials can be used to meet business objectives beyond simply highlighting their brand's ethical...

Numbers Still Add Up
May 26, 2010... Despite far tougher times for the directory enquiries sector, there is life in it yet, writes Jeremy Lee. The 2003 deregulation of the directory-enquiries market which ended BT's monopoly was meant to be a 'big bang' providing consumers with...

Helen Edwards on Branding: Slavery Doesn't Pay
May 26, 2010... Brands that routinely rely on their customers to work for nothing could be in for a rude awakening. When your grandmother bought a table, she got a table. When you buy a table you get a sheet of laminated chipboard, four legs, a bag of screws...

Mark Kleinman on Marketing and the City: Bumpy Flight Ahead
May 26, 2010... If a dispute within easyJet is not resolved amicably, it could be forced into some damaging changes. Carolyn McCall must wonder what she has let herself in for. When it emerged that the chief executive of Guardian Media Group (GMG) was...

Editor's Comment: The Powers Behind the Brands
May 26, 2010... Those of you lucky enough to have made it into Marketing's Power 100 this year have particular cause to celebrate. Not only are you among the elite few to have made it to the top at a time of unprecedented upheaval, you are also pioneers at a...

Marketing Mole: Who Does Google Think You Are? - Matthew Pullen, Marketing Director, Bernard Matthews Farms
May 26, 2010... - The first result takes us to LinkedIn which has profiles of 20 Matthew Pullens. - Next is a link to a Facebook profile belonging to another Matthew Pullen. - The next two results are from 123people. The information is not very clear or...

Marketing Mole: Members' Club.(Interview)(Brief article)
May 26, 2010... Ben Hughes, Global commercial director and deputy chief executive, Financial Times. - What issues relating to your brand keep you awake at night? Less the brand, more the market in which we operate. - Tell us about the biggest mistake...

Marketing Mole: We'll Call You - the Met Office
May 26, 2010... The volcanic ash cloud is threatening our holiday, so having heard the UK is set for a scorcher, we rang the Met Office to ask whether we should just stay home. Met Office: Hello, this is the Met Office. How can I help? Mktg: Hi....

Visa plots TV series to build on Olympic tie-up.(Brief article)
May 26, 2010... Payments brand in talks with broadcasters over show focusing on UK athletes. Olympic sponsor Visa is planning to create its own ad-funded TV series following British athletes in the build-up to the London 2012 Games. The brand is in...

COI adspend cut by pounds 160m.(Brief article)
May 26, 2010... The new coalition government is to reduce COI adspend by pounds 160m as part of its wider plan to cut public spending by pounds 6.2bn, Marketing can reveal. The Treasury and the Cabinet Office created an Efficiency and Reform Group to enforce...

Vodafone rethinks global brand identity.(Vodafone Group PLC)(Brief article)
May 26, 2010... Vodafone has called a review of its global brand identity as competition among mobile operators intensifies. The company has appointed The Partners to carry out the work, following a pitch against four undisclosed firms. The agency will now...

Sky Player Glitch Hits Ads during Lost Finale
May 26, 2010... Broadcaster under barrage of criticism after error hits VOD simulcast of drama. Sky's video-on-demand service, Sky Player, has been dealt a blow after technical difficulties meant the heavily promoted finale of Lost cut out halfway through....

Wrangler ups digital focus.(VF Jeanswear L.L.P. in deal with Airlock )(Brief article)
May 26, 2010... Wrangler is stepping up its digital marketing presence in an effort to better connect with the online fashion community. The denim brand has hired digital agency Airlock to handle its activity across Europe, the Middle East and Africa,...

Clinton Cards to reposition.(Brief article)
May 26, 2010... Clinton Cards is planning to overhaul and modernise its brand positioning. The high-street greetings-card chain, which owns more than 700 branches across the UK, has hired Loewy-owned brand consultancy Branded to undertake a 'wide-ranging'...

Lidl in 'Legendary' World Cup strategy.(Brief article)
May 26, 2010... Lidl, the discount supermarket chain, has hired its first UK creative agency as part of a plan to develop its marketing strategy around major public events. An initial six-week campaign, created by Steam UK, will have a World Cup theme....

McDonald's to Sponsor Olympics Volunteering
May 26, 2010... McDonald's is expected to announce that it will be the main sponsor of the volunteering programme for the London 2012 Olympics as part of its wider support for the event. The fast-food chain, which is already one of the Games' worldwide...

Marketing Moment: Launch of London 2012's Wenlock and Mandeville.(Brief article)
May 26, 2010... Another day, another piece of Olympic design work and another knee-jerk cynical kicking, but why? What are the grounds for the criticism and by what criteria should we judge them? Do I personally like the design of these mascots? No, not...

Sharp Electronics to sponsor UK's premier pro-cycling events.(Brief article)
May 26, 2010... Sharp Electronics is to sponsor the UK's premier pro-cycling events. The company will become official electronics partner of The 2010 Tour of Britain, The Halfords Tour Series and The Prostate Cancer Charity Tour rides. --------------------...

SeeSaw to roll out pay-per-view service.(Brief article)
May 26, 2010... SeeSaw, the online TV platform, is to roll out a pay-per-view service in partnership with MTV, Disney, Comedy Central and BBC Worldwide. Users will be able to rent individual episodes or full series of selected TV shows, in addition to the 3000...

Heinz to debut a radio campaign.(Brief article)
May 26, 2010... Heinz is to debut a radio campaign around the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. It will be the first time the company has undertaken tailored radio advertising for a World Cup. -------------------- Did you find this article useful? Why...

Umbro signs up to England's bid.(Brief article)
May 26, 2010... Umbro has signed up as an official partner of England's bid for the 2018 World Cup. The brand is supporting the bid with a celebrity viral campaign, offering a much-needed fillip to the FA's efforts following the high-profile resignation of the...

Google Pledges to Leave Sports to Broadcasters
May 26, 2010... Google has ruled out competing with broadcasters for the rights to sporting events, despite its recent deal to stream Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket live via its YouTube video-sharing site. Last week, in conjunction with Sony and Intel,...

Brand in the News: Heinz
May 26, 2010... - Why is Heinz in the news? Heinz has appointed Matt Hill, a senior Unilever executive, as its chief marketing officer. Hill, who currently has the unwieldy-sounding job title of global vice-president, brand development, Knorr Masterbrand...

Marks & Spencer new recruits.(Martin Peters, Roger Hunt and Gordon Banks appointed to endorse)(Brief article)
May 26, 2010... Marks & Spencer has recruited members of England's 1966 football World Cup-winning side to promote its menswear. A national print campaign created by RKCR/Y&R features Sir Geoff Hurst, Martin Peters, Roger Hunt and Gordon Banks under the...

Financial Times declines ad.(Brief article)
May 26, 2010... The Financial Times (FT) has declined to publish an ad paid for by human rights group Amnesty International that criticised oil company Shell's activities in Nigeria. The FT claimed it did not run the ad for legal reasons. ...

Summer campaign from Cornetto due to be launched.(Brief article)
May 26, 2010... Cornetto, the Unilever ice-cream brand, is to launch a summer ad campaign following the appointment of BD Network to handle its below-the-line activity. UK sales of Cornetto were pounds 32.4m in 2009, according to Nielsen. ...

Emman Jenkins to leave Procter & Gamble.(Brief article)
May 26, 2010... Procter & Gamble's associate director of new marketing models and ecommerce, Emma Jenkins, is to leave the FMCG company after 12 years there, to launch an internet start-up business. -------------------- Did you find this article...

Benadryl Boosts Online Activity in Allergy Push
May 26, 2010... Benadryl, the allergy-relief medication brand owned by Johnson & Johnson, is embarking on its biggest integrated marketing campaign to date in an attempt to position itself as an information hub for allergy sufferers. The campaign,...

Nationwide Building Society supporting a campaign by Shelter.(Brief article)
May 26, 2010... Nationwide Building Society is supporting a campaign by homelessness charity Shelter, which encourages consumers to wear the colours or strip of their favourite football team to work during the FIFA World Cup. The Strip4Shelter activity is...

Premium member ship scheme launched.(Brief article)
May 26, 2010... Guardian News & Media, publisher of The Guardian and The Observer, has launched a premium membership scheme. Called 'Extra', it offers a range of benefits through partnerships with organisations such as the National Portrait Gallery, Eden...

First UK TV ad campaign for abortion advisory services.(Brief article)
May 26, 2010... Marie Stopes International, a sexual-health services provider, is running the first TV ad campaign for abortion advisory services in the UK. The work directs women facing an unintended pregnancy to its 24-hour helpline. --------------------...

National Maritime Museum appoints SomeOne.(Brief article)
May 26, 2010... The National Maritime Museum has appointed design agency SomeOne to carry out a rebrand of the attraction, following a pitch handled by creativebrief. The agency has been briefed to create an identity that better explains what the museum offers....

The Week in Marketing
May 26, 2010... - What's Next unfolds Premium paper producer Sappi has appointed John Brown to produce a magazine designed to champion the joy of print. The spring edition of the magazine, entitled What's Next, will be followed by a second later this year....

Andrew Walmsley on Digital: Connecting the Dots
May 19, 2010... The data we generate by using electronic devices and the web could create a business opportunity. The web we all know and love is a web of sites. From YouTube to MSN, Google to Directgov, these exist to facilitate the exchange of content...

Everything to Everyone?
May 19, 2010... The corporate entity housing Orange and T-Mobile now has a brand of its own, writes David Tiltman. If the team behind the merger of Orange and T-Mobile wanted to attract attention, it certainly went the right way about it. Not for those...

Helen Edwards on Branding: The Supply-Chain Reaction
May 19, 2010... The reputation of your brand is at the mercy of the success or failure of the chain of supply behind it. Earlier this month, BP gave a great deal of free publicity to one of its many suppliers. Across the media spectrum, we heard and read all...

Parliament
May 19, 2010... Will the latest batch of MPs to enter the Commons be able to repair its reputation, asks Joe Thomas. New politics, or just more of the same? The political TV debates in the run-up to the election were meant to usher in a more transparent ways...

Jeremy Lee on Media: The Uncertainty Principle
May 19, 2010... The formation of a coalition government means the media's future is far from a foregone conclusion. Whether you think of the new government as a beautiful marriage or an unholy union will depend on your politics and point of view. However,...

Adwatch 19.05.10.(Statistical table)(Brief article)
May 19, 2010... Marketing's unique weekly analysis of advertisement recall in association with tns. Q: Which of the following TV commercials do you remember seeing recently? 12.05 Brand Agency/TV buyer % 1 ...

Adwatch 19.05.10: Sony
May 19, 2010... The brand's ad for its internet-enabled TVs fails to offer a compelling reason to buy one. Sony's ad for its internet TVs is the most interesting in the Adwatch table, so a positive start for an execution that has taken a knocking. It...

Opinion: The Marketing Society Forum - Do Consumers Care More about Price Than They Do about Provenance?
May 19, 2010... Warburtons has axed plans to launch its first loaf produced using only British wheat after it conducted research that it claims revealed consumers were put off by the concept NO- Andrew Hawkins, Managing director, DCH Not when provenance...

Tweenage Angst
May 19, 2010... Today's teens are as misunderstood by marketers as they are by their own parents. Suzy Bashford examines ways to redress the balance. The cliche that children 'grow up too quickly these days' has never seemed more apt than in the wake of the...

PR Leagues
May 19, 2010... The latest agency league tables suggest the UK PR industry is in rude health, writes Mary Cowlett. For the UK PR industry, 2009 was a turbulent year. Many of the 150 biggest agencies were hit hard by the recession and had to roll out their...

What It's Really like Inside My-Wardrobe.Com
May 19, 2010... - How does the team come up with fresh marketing ideas? We have regular brainstorming sessions and work with key digital influencers, so we have our finger firmly on the pulse. - What are the perks of the job? Working in a creative...

Brand Manager of the Week: Marcy Richardson, Digital Marketing Manager, Hachette Filipacchi UK
May 19, 2010... - Describe yourself in three words. Determined, creative, geek. - What would you be if you weren't a brand manager? Restaurant critic. - What advice would you give someone starting their marketing career today? Keep up to date...

Energy Goes into Efficiency
May 19, 2010... Energy brands are shifting away from green marketing to more credible themes. EDF's decision to review its sustainability-driven marketing strategy (Marketing, 12 May) may mark a turning point in energy firms' use of environmental themes in...

Same Old Recipe
May 19, 2010... The public is losing its appetite for celebrity-chef endorsements of food brands. Bernard Matthews Farms' decision to launch a range of co-branded products with Marco Pierre White extends its relationship with the celebrity chef, who will...

Profile: Up for the Cup
May 19, 2010... Darran Britton, marketing and strategy director at Carlsberg, is using World Cup fever to build brand momentum. Interview by Gemma Charles. Darran Britton, marketing and strategy director at Carlsberg, confesses that he has been annoying his...

Editor's Comment: Facebook Risks Losing Faithful
May 19, 2010... Mark Zuckerberg might appear to be more affable geek than evil genius, but the Facebook founder's masterplan to seize control of the web would make even the dastardliest Bond villain proud. The social networking site, founded just six years...

Takeaway Success
May 19, 2010... Fast-food outlets have performed well during the recession because consumers view their offering as an 'affordable treat', writes Jane Bainbridge. In Japan they are a safe place for teenage girls to hang out, in Mexico families flock to them...

Marketing Mole: Who Does Google Think You Are? - Peter Duffy, Head of Marketing, Audi UK
May 19, 2010... - The first and second search results take us to an engineering company called Peter Duffy Limited. - The next listing pushes to LinkedIn, where 92 Peter Duffys are registered. - Google's new display format then gives us two references to...

Marketing Mole: We'll Call You - KFC
May 19, 2010... Mole enjoys the occasional Bargain Bucket, so was shocked to hear KFC had been fined after vermin was found in one of its branches. We rang to discover more. KFC: KFC customer care line, how can I help you? Mktg: Hi. I read an article...

Travel brands seize on ash cloud flight chaos.(Brief article)
May 19, 2010... Hotels and train operators run tactical drives to appeal to grounded travellers. Travel and leisure brands are aiming to cash in on the aviation sector's troubles with a series of campaigns encouraging consumers to avoid flying. Premier...

118 118 chief Murphy exits.(Gerry Murphy left the job)(Brief article)
May 19, 2010... Gerry Murphy has left The Number 118 118 after two years as chief executive. It is not known whether he has a job to go to. Murphy joined in April 2008 from Superdrug, where he had been group marketing director for three years. He replaced...

Government brings clarity to COI spend.(Brief article)
May 19, 2010... The COI's marketing activities are to be opened up to public scrutiny under the new government's plan to publish details of agency contracts. The government is preparing to publish in full contracts for 'goods and services worth over pounds...

Vauxhall Backs Meriva with Pounds 10m Ad Strategy
May 19, 2010... Marque to focus on making family car as popular as Corsa and Astra models. Vauxhall is backing the relaunch of the Meriva, its family model, with a pounds 10m UK push, aimed at making it one of the marque's top-three selling vehicles. The...

BP postpones Ultimate drive.(Brief article)
May 19, 2010... BP has suspended planned marketing activity in the wake of the growing oil-leak crisis in the Gulf of Mexico. Until this week, the energy company's global marketing teams had been working on a 'business-as-usual' basis, with the...

Capital One appoints LBi.(Capital One Financial Corp.)(Brief article)
May 19, 2010... Capital One has handed its multimillion-pound UK digital advertising account to LBi as part of a strategy to boost its online presence. The digital agency, which takes over the business from VCCP, has been briefed to further develop Capital...

UKTV plans brand overhaul for Watch.(Brief article)
May 19, 2010... UKTV is to overhaul the brand identity of its general entertainment channel Watch, after just 18 months. The broadcaster, which is a joint venture between Virgin Media and BBC Worldwide, is holding a branding agency pitch and plans to make an...

Mountain Dew Returns with Social Media Push
May 19, 2010... PepsiCo is backing the return of Mountain Dew to the UK with a campaign targeting Facebook and Twitter users. The soft-drink brand, which has been absent from the market for 12 years, will return under the extended brand name Mountain Dew...

McDonald's seeks replacement for global chief marketing officer.(Mary Dillon at McDonald's Corp.)(Brief article)
May 19, 2010... McDonald's is seeking a replacement for global chief marketing officer Mary Dillon, who is leaving the fast-food company after five years. She becomes chief executive and president of telecoms company US Cellular on 1 June. ...

Appointment at RSPCA.(Sally de la Bedoyere at Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals)(Brief article)
May 19, 2010... Rajar chief executive Sally de la Bedoyere has been appointed director of income generation for the RSPCA, a role that includes overseeing the animal welfare charity's marketing. Rajar chairman David Mansfield will add chief executive duties to...

Coca-Cola seeks to boost environmental credentials.
May 19, 2010... Coca-Cola is seeking to boost its environmental credentials with an interactive sustainability app. Trace Your Coke, part of the company's CSR drive, will enable consumers to track their drink's can or bottle to its British factory of origin. ...

Pom-Bear runs football-themed promotion.(Brief article)
May 19, 2010... Pom-Bear, the snack brand, is running a football-themed promotion to coincide with the World Cup, offering children the chance to get football tips from former England star Graeme Le Saux. It has teamed up with charity Football Aid, for which Le...

O2 Reignites Battle with Home Broadband Rivals
May 19, 2010... O2 will this week step up its battle with broadband suppliers by launching a pounds 5m campaign accusing rivals of making misleading claims and offering poor customer service. The ads, created by VCCP, use a series of characters to illustrate...

Brand in the News: Facebook
May 19, 2010... - Why is Facebook in the news? Facebook is facing a backlash over its approach to privacy, which has led some users to delete their profiles. Last year the social networking site, which has 400m users worldwide, announced that some personal...

Costa Coffee to step up presence in metropolitan areas.(Brief article)
May 19, 2010... Costa Coffee is to step up its presence in metropolitan areas with the launch of a series of 'metro'-style specialist outlets. The Whitbread-owned chain has hitherto enjoyed greater success in the regions than the UK's big cities. ...

Aviva to push retirement products in campaign.(Brief article)
May 19, 2010... Aviva is to push its retirement products in the latest phase of its ongoing ad campaign fronted by comic actor Paul Whitehouse. The TV, print and digital campaign has been created by Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO. -------------------- Did you...

Holiday Autos runs outdoor campaign.(Brief article)
May 19, 2010... Holiday Autos, the Lastminute.com-owned car-hire firm, is running an outdoor campaign under the strapline 'We go further'. The company will use its Twitter feed to promote deals and pass on holiday advice, destination tips and travel ideas. ...

Adobe takes out ads to hit back at Jobs.(Brief article)
May 19, 2010... Adobe has taken out press and digital ads to hit back at Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, who has criticised its Flash software for draining Apple products' batteries and causing them to crash, and refused to allow its use on iPads and iPhones. ...

Power Plate to Target Men Via F1 Team Tie-Up
May 19, 2010... Power Plate, the fitness and training equipment brand, has signed a three-year deal with the Williams Formula One team as part of a push to win over male consumers. The brand, which manufactures gym equipment, has previously relied on...

Lastminute.com launches online TV channel.(Brief article)
May 19, 2010... Lastminute.com is launching an online TV channel, as it looks to transform itself into a hub for destination information. The channel, at Lastminute.com/tv, will feature a mix of ad campaign material and travel features. The site is being...