Marketing articles from November 2005

Marketing archives from November 2005

DoH reviews tobacco ads after 20 years with AMV.(Brief Article)
November 2, 2005... The Department of Health (DoH) is reviewing the pounds 25m advertising business for its anti-smoking campaign, which has been held by Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO for 20 years. COI Communications is to oversee the review, with creative, media...

P&G relaunches Ariel to reverse flagging sales.(Brief Article)
November 2, 2005... Procter & Gamble has embarked on the biggest redesign of its flagship Ariel brand in 30 years, to boost stagnant sales in a flat detergent market. In a full-scale design review, a new logo has been created and all packaging has been...

KFC hands top UK role to Yum! boss.(Jennelle Tilling appointment)(Brief Article)
November 2, 2005... KFC UK has named Jennelle Tilling as its top UK marketer. She replaces Claire Harrison-Church, who quit last month. Tilling is currently chief marketing officer at KFC's parent, Yum!, in Canada, where she is responsible for brands including...

GM to pool business for Astra and Corsa models.
November 2, 2005... General Motors has begun a winner-takes-all pitch for the pan-European advertising accounts for its Astra and Corsa ranges. The pitch is being contested by roster agencies Delaney Lund Knox Warren (DLKW) and McCann-Erickson, which handle...

Abbey appoints Carat to handle pounds 26m media job.(Brief Article)
November 2, 2005... Abbey has moved its pounds 26m media-planning and buying account out of MindShare into Carat. The bank, which is the UK's second-biggest mortgage lender, embarked on the media review in September, having examined most of its agency...

InterContinental in media review.(Brief Article)
November 2, 2005... The world's biggest hotel chain, InterContinental Hotels Group, is reviewing its pounds 10m pan-European media account. PHD, which holds the pounds 2.5m UK business, is expected to repitch. The media rethink coincides with a review of...

New Campaign: National Lottery.(Brief Article)
November 2, 2005... The National Lottery continues its campaign to encourage players to 'Think lucky' with its latest TV execution, which breaks later this month. The ad opens with a hitchhiker holding a board that reads 'London, limo preferred'. Somewhat...

British Gas tops satisfaction poll.(Brief Article)
November 2, 2005... British Gas has come top of a customer satisfaction survey, despite introducing several hefty price rises this year. With companies investing heavily in customer initiatives to counter price rises, overall satisfaction rates rose last year,...

Barclays settles tagline dispute.(Brief Article)
November 2, 2005... Barclays and East Midlands accountancy firm Cooper Parry have ended their spat over the bank's advertising strapline, 'Now there's a thought'. The two have reached an out-of-court settlement. When news of Barclays' multimillion-pound...

Thinkbox studies TV engagement.(Brief Article)
November 2, 2005... Thinkbox, the commercial TV marketing body, is to embark on its first research project, after having its budget doubled to pounds 3m. The bespoke research project will analyse how the brain reacts to TV ads. The results are expected in late...

Conveyancer set for pounds 1m ad debut.(Brief Article)
November 2, 2005... Simply Conveyancing has appointed an ad agency for the first time as it gears up for a pounds 1m campaign to promote its Home Information Packs (HIPs) under the slogan 'Simply HIP'. The company, which provides a range of conveyancing...

Nokia hands top global role to Masterfoods chief.(Brief Article)
November 2, 2005... Nokia has hired a top Masterfoods brand marketer, Jenny Williams, to fill the new post of global head of advertising. Her appointment comes as Nokia relocates most of its mobile phone marketing division from Helsinki to the UK. ...

Nestle set to axe Double Cream chocolate brand.(Brief Article)
November 2, 2005... Nestle Rowntree is understood to be scrapping its Double Cream chocolate brand due to poor sales and weak brand recognition. 'It doesn't have the heritage of Cadbury and the fact that it contains double cream has not proved compelling...

Selfridges picks marketing boss.(Brief Article)
November 2, 2005... Selfridges has promoted Sally Scott to the position of marketing director. She will replace Beverley Churchill, who quit the retailer in June. Scott will oversee an advertising budget of more than pounds 1.5m and be responsible for...

Jameson global ads take fight to Johnnie Walker.(Brief Article)
November 2, 2005... Jameson is to embark on its first global ad campaign as it gears up to take on Diageo's Johnnie Walker brand. The Pernod Ricard-owned Irish whiskey brand is investing several million pounds in the campaign, which has been developed by TBWA\...

Pukka Pies revamps for mainstream appeal.(Brief Article)
November 2, 2005... Pukka Pies is relaunching its classic takeaway pie brand as part of its attempt to become more mainstream. The move come as the brand secures its first listing in a number of multiples, including Sainsbury's and the Co-op, and prepares to...

Dairylea repositions under active banner.(Brief Article)
November 2, 2005... Kraft Foods is seeking to establish its Dairylea range as a health masterbrand, spearheading its efforts to address childhood obesity concerns. The snack-food giant has trademarked the phrase Dairylea Active, which, according to food...

Bohemia Regent in name dispute.(Brief Article)
November 2, 2005... Czech beer Bohemia Regent is heading for a clash with a Mexican beer brand, also called Bohemia, over its plans to launch in the UK. Bohemia Regent is moving into the UK market, having secured distribution through Julian Clay, which manages...

Tesco stays calm over falling poultry sales.(Brief Article)
November 2, 2005... Tesco has insisted it has no plans for special measures in-store to deal with fears of avian flu, despite sales of poultry falling in response to the health scare. All the major supermarkets have confirmed that sales of chicken have fallen...

News brief: Ferrero hands over Kinder.(Brief Article)
November 2, 2005... Ferrero UK has handed its Kinder Bueno business to Clemmow Hornby Inge in a restructure of its agency arrangements. WCRS has picked up Ferrero Rocher's business, as the firm doubles its marketing budget to nearly pounds 10m.

News brief: Premier takes on Heinz.(Brief Article)
November 2, 2005... Premier Foods is taking on Heinz with this week's pounds 10m launch of Branston baked beans. The launch will be supported by ads created by Delaney Lund Knox Warren.

News brief: Egg TV campaign.(Brief Article)
November 2, 2005... Egg has unveiled a TV campaign to back the launch of its Egg Money hybrid account. The work, by Mother, continues the 'guinea pig' theme used in print and radio ads.

News brief: Adidas renews deal.(Brief Article)
November 2, 2005... Adidas has renewed its sponsorship deal with the British Olympic Association for a further three years, despite restrictions on the brand's use of its three stripes design at the Olympics. Adidas will supply Team GB's technical, training and...

News brief: Brindle appointed.(Brief Article)
November 2, 2005... The Financial Times has appointed Frances Brindle as marketing director EMEA. She replaces Gill Hart, who left earlier this year.

News brief: O2 Arsenal relationship.(Brief Article)
November 2, 2005... O2 is to maintain its relationship with Arsenal Football Club after its shirt sponsorship deal ends next summer. It will be the club's exclusive mobile communications partner for three years in a pounds 2.25m deal. Separately, Telefonica's...

News brief: Carphone Warehouse campaign.(Brief Article)
November 2, 2005... Carphone Warehouse is to back the launch of Talk Talk Mobile with a heavyweight ad campaign. The service will allow subscribers to make calls to mobile phones on any network for free.

News brief: Helix disbanded.(Brief Article)
November 2, 2005... Helix, the joint-venture buying operation run by Concord and Interpublic Group's IPM, is being disbanded. Concord will amalgamate its buying with Posterscope, which bought the agency in August.

The Ritz readies centenary push.(Brief Article)
November 2, 2005... The Ritz Hotel in London plans to work with a direct marketing agency for the first time to promote its centenary. The prestigious hotel has shortlisted two undisclosed agencies and will make a decision in December. Previous direct mail...

Dairy Farmers group creates branded line.(Brief Article)
November 2, 2005... Dairy Farmers of Britain, a co-operative of businesses with a combined worth of pounds 650m, is launching a range of dairy products to steal market share from supermarket own-label and mass-market brands. A Farmers Best cheddar range, which...

New campaign: Lavazza.(Brief Article)
November 2, 2005... The Italian coffee brand is investing pounds 10m in a pan-European campaign that will run throughout next year. It breaks in the UK on 21 November with a poster drive. Two executions will draw parallels between Lavazza and the luxury of...

Gillette plots ad drive to back World Cup tie.(Brief Article)
November 2, 2005... Gillette is planning a high-profile integrated campaign to coincide with its sponsorship of next year's World Cup in Germany, to be fronted by brand ambassador David Beckham. The shaving giant, which has launched TV advertising featuring...

This week: Marketing news from the national press.(Brief Article)
November 2, 2005... BT is developing a search engine to take on Google. The engine, which has yet to be named, will operate across BT's on-demand TV services, which are expected to launch next year - The Business. Disney is considering launching a mobile...

Media news: Post Office plans magazine.
November 2, 2005... The Post Office has hired Conde Nast to oversee its customer publishing debut, following a competitive pitch. The magazine will not be mailed to Post Office customers, but rather will be distributed across the organisation's 14,500...

Media news: Capital FM loses top London spot.(Brief Article)
November 2, 2005... GCap Media's 95.8 Capital FM has lost its position as the biggest commercial radio station in London for the first time in its 32-year history. Capital slumped to third place behind Chrysalis' Heart and Emap's Magic. For the July to...

Media news: Media choice - The Wall Street Journal Europe.(Brief Article)
November 2, 2005... It seems one cannot visit a newsstand anywhere in Europe at the moment without one well-known title or other having changed its format. This trend has now extended to the pan-regional news market with the launch of a compact edition of The...

Media news brief: Pru Parkinson quits.(Brief Article)
November 2, 2005... Pru Parkinson, a founder of WPP-owned communications planning agency Nylon, has quit without a job to go to. The management of the operation will now fall to Nylon's two co-founders, Tony Regan and Martin Thomas.

Media news brief: Hachette Filipacchi move.(Brief Article)
November 2, 2005... Hachette Filipacchi, publisher of Elle, Psychologies, Inside Soap and Red, has moved its regional sales contract from Unique Media Sales to Media-Link.

Media news brief: Lurpak strand sponsor.(Brief Article)
November 2, 2005... Lurpak is to sponsor a programme strand on UKTV Food for six months. The shows in the strand, which runs on Sundays, include Rick Stein's Food Heroes and Jamie Oliver's The Naked Chef. The deal was negotiated by Carat and IDS.

Media news brief: DatingDirect.com ties up.(Brief Article)
November 2, 2005... DatingDirect.com has tied up with Northern & Shell, publisher of OK! and the Daily Star. The dating service will run a branded channel on Northern & Shell's websites.

Media news brief: I-D Media hired.(Brief Article)
November 2, 2005... IPC Ignite!, the publisher's men's lifestyle and music division, has hired digital agency I-D Media to revamp its NME website. The changes will include an expanded review section and more emphasis on breaking news.

Media news brief: Vogue part of section.(Brief Article)
November 2, 2005... Vogue content will form part of a lifestyle section on the O2 Active portal. The section will include fashion news, celebrity updates and downloadable images of Vogue covers.

Media news brief: Horse & Hound special issue.(Brief Article)
November 2, 2005... Horse & Hound, IPC Media's equestrian magazine, has produced a special issue to coincide with the start of the hunting season. The issue features an interview with Robert Rhodes QC about the implications the Hunting Act will have on hunt staff...

Branding news: Defra to get tough on waste.(Brief Article)
November 2, 2005... The government is to step up the pressure on consumer goods companies to force them to meet packaging guidelines introduced last year to help it hit strict recycling and recovery targets. The activity is intended as a call to arms for...

Branding news: Origins launches anti-ageing line.
November 2, 2005... Estee Lauder's Origins range is to introduce its first anti-ageing brand early next year. The Youthtopia line, which will go on sale from January, will initially include a skin-firming cream and lotion. It will be supported by an...

Branding news: Design choice - Boss Skin.(Brief Article)
November 2, 2005... 'For men who don't have to try too hard'. That's how it went, wasn't it, the 70s ad for Denim, the mass-market aftershave? How things have changed. Today's male, it seems, does have to try. And quite hard too, judging by the abundance of...

Branding news brief: Farmhouse Fare range.(Brief Article)
November 2, 2005... Farmhouse Fare, the luxury desserts company, has created a Puds range of premium fruit-based puddings that will be sold in retailers including Selfridges and Booths Supermarkets. The Hub designed the logo and packaging.

Branding news brief: Nokia to sponsor Awards.(Brief Article)
November 2, 2005... Nokia will sponsor the 2005 Walpole Awards for British Excellence. Awards will be presented for brand excellence in categories including sport, culture, design, British brand, overseas achievement and craftsmanship.

Branding news brief: Blackpool Airport revamp.(Brief Article)
November 2, 2005... Blackpool International Airport is to revamp its brand identity. An overhauled logo created by ICG will be rolled out across a new website and all the airport's marketing literature.

Branding news brief: Floris 'At home'.(Brief Article)
November 2, 2005... Floris, one of the UK's oldest manufacturers of perfumes and fragrances, is relaunching its 'At home' brand. Packaging for the range, which comprises scented candles, scented oils and room sprays, was designed by Point 6 Design.

Branding news brief: Green & Black redesign.(Brief Article)
November 2, 2005... Green & Black's 72% Cooks' Chocolate has been redesigned by Pearlfisher to differentiate it from the company's 70% dark chocolate confectionery bar. The design's aim is to establish Green & Black's as a cooking ingredient.

Branding news brief: ITV4 branding.(Brief Article)
November 2, 2005... ITV has unveiled the branding for its ITV4 channel. Designed by BBC Broadcast, six idents are based on the concept that appearances can be deceptive.

Branding news brief: Odille repositioned.(Brief Article)
November 2, 2005... Odille, the lingerie brand from high-street retailer Oasis, is to be repositioned with a new identity through View. It will relaunch as a standalone brand, supported by in-store communications.

Direct news: Help the Aged warns of cold.(Brief Article)
November 2, 2005... Help the Aged has linked up with British Gas for one of its biggest irect marketing drives to warn that the old and vulnerable could suffer from record cold temperatures this winter. The campaign, created by Joshua, will run in three stages...

Direct news: National Trust in Scotland activity.(Brief Article)
November 2, 2005... The National Trust for Scotland has appointed direct marketing agency Cascaid to handle a campaign aimed at boosting its subscriber base. A mailer will go to 65,000 existing backers and potential supporters in an effort to raise funds to...

Direct news: Direct choice - Glenfiddich.(Brief Article)
November 2, 2005... A drinks client always used to ask 'What's the value exchange here?' when we presented creative for his relationship marketing. He meant that if you expect a consumer to provide personal data, you had better give something in return - not an...

Direct news brief: UIA Insurance promotes.(Brief Article)
November 2, 2005... UIA Insurance is to promote its policies to members of trade union Amicus though direct mail, ads in union publications and a presence at the Amicus conference. Draft London will handle the campaign.

Direct news brief: Charities inaccurate.(Brief Article)
November 2, 2005... Charities are the worst offenders for sending inaccurate direct mail, according to a survey of UK businesses by EuroDirect. It found 77% of charity mailing addresses were wrong. The FMCG and automotive sectors also did badly.

Direct news brief: Sony Electronics campaign.(Brief Article)
November 2, 2005... Sony Electronics is targeting IT managers with a campaign to promote its data-storage products. Gyro International has developed the mailing and email activity.

Direct news brief: Grasshopper appointed.(Brief Article)
November 2, 2005... The Rugby Football Union has appointed Grasshopper to develop a CRM e-initiative, joint-branded with O2, sponsor of the England rugby team. The campaign, entitled 'O2 England Rugby Challenge', will promote England's matches this autumn.

Direct news brief: PZ Cussons drive.(Brief Article)
November 2, 2005... PZ Cussons is giving winter-sports enthusiasts the chance to win a ski trip in a sampling drive through Tequila\Manchester. Packs of its Original Source shower gel will be handed out at locations including outside Eurostar's Alps service;...

Direct news brief: British Heart initiatives.(Brief Article)
November 2, 2005... The British Heart Foundation is to run a number of direct initiatives through Lowe London as part of its 'Under my skin' anti-smoking drive.

Direct news brief: Joshua appointed.(GlaxoSmithKline and Sensodyne toothpaste campaign)(Brief Article)
November 2, 2005... GlaxoSmithKline has appointed Joshua to handle a direct campaign for its Sensodyne toothpaste. The activity, thought to be worth pounds 500,000, will appear early in the new year.

Retail news: Woolworths in pounds 20m drive.(Brief Article)
November 2, 2005... Woolworths is predicting one of its toughest festive periods and is investing up to pounds 20m on a Christmas campaign to boost sales. Marketing director Ste-phen Robertson believes the current challenging retail environment will continue...

Retail news: Nestle to revamp in-store displays.(contract with Line)(Brief Article)
November 2, 2005... Nestle Rowntree is to overhaul the point-of-sale material for its brands as part of a drive to take on rivals Cadbury and Masterfoods. The activity follows a review and pitch for the confectionery giant's seven-figure POS business, which...

Retail news: Retail choice - Warehouse flagship store, Oxford Street.(Brief Article)
November 2, 2005... When visiting a flagship, one generally expects something big and impressive. In the case of Warehouse's relaunched West End outlet, however, its status must have more to do with its location than its size. At first sight, with its petite...

Retail news brief: Bond Street event.(Brief Article)
November 2, 2005... London's Bond Street is to run a Christmas-themed shopping event, called Bond Noel, on 24 November in aid of Great Ormond Street Hospital. The street will be closed to traffic and will feature falling snow, carol singers, sleighs and...

Retail news brief: Smythson poaches Byng.(Brief Article)
November 2, 2005... Smythson has poached Paddy Byng, global marketing director of Alfred Dunhill, to be its chief executive. Byng is expected to join the luxury retailer in December.

Retail news brief: Fairtrade Foundation line.(Brief Article)
November 2, 2005... The Fairtrade Foundation is launching its first branded clothing line. It is lining up retailers to stock the range.

Retail news brief: Waitrose recall.(Brief Article)
November 2, 2005... Waitrose has recalled seven chicken products because of a suspected salmonella contamination. The affected items include roast chicken mini-fillets, Chinese chicken and cooked chicken breast.

Retail news brief: Carpetright sales down.(Brief Article)
November 2, 2005... Carpetright's like-for-like UK sales for the 25 weeks to 22 October were down 6.7%. The retailer said there had also been a decline in margins, which it attributed to its promotions strategy.

Retail news brief: Tesco given green light.(Brief Article)
November 2, 2005... Tesco has been given the green light by the Office of Fair Trading to purchase 21 former Safeway garage forecourts from Morrisons. The deal will give Tesco a 6% slice of sales in the UK's convenience market.

Retail news brief: Asda criticised.(Brief Article)
November 2, 2005... Asda has been criticised by Wirral County Council over its marketing of eggs as a Halloween accessory. It believes the retailer's decision to label packs of eggs with the words 'Halloween fun' is encouraging children to throw them at homes and...

Helen Dickinson on retail: Time to draw a line on Sunday trading.
November 2, 2005... In today's society, it is unlikely there is any such thing as a 'typical' day. We are surrounded by choices that can liven up even the dullest 24 hours. Want to go to the pub in the middle of the afternoon? Of course you can. Want to...

News Analysis: COI has its ups and downs.
November 2, 2005... Its annual report shows a clear rise in government spend; the COI claims otherwise. David Tiltman investigates. The COI does not normally dispute its own figures, yet last week that is exactly what it did. The trigger was the news that the...

News Analysis: Virgin eyes clear blue water.
November 2, 2005... The company claims its cruise line would remove the 'blandness' from an emerging middle market. Virgin has carved out a strong brand by introducing mass-market offerings to previously rarified sectors. Last week it emerged that the company...

Raymond Snoddy on Media: Homechoice must close credibility gap.
November 2, 2005... A 1200-site outdoor campaign for TV service Homechoice breaks in the London area this month. It follows an extensive commercial TV campaign in September that ran into the early part of October. Nobody is saying how much it cost, or indeed...

Media Analysis: Outdoor's extras under siege.
November 2, 2005... Advertisers are starting to fight back against oft-hidden agency commissions of up to 25%, writes Jeremy Lee. The outdoor industry has long been accused of being the least transparent of all the media channels when it comes to agency...

Brand Health Check: OXO.
November 2, 2005... Lack of innovation and a failure to embrace evolving consumer tastes have left the stock cube floundering. If the children of the OXO family are still around today, the chances are they have ditched Sunday roasts for convenience food and...

Mark Ritson on Branding: Skype's call is worth the disruption.
November 2, 2005... It all began in the car park behind my college bar in 1992. Despite an overdraft even more impressive than my own, my best mate Simon had bought himself a mobile phone. Even more impressive, in return for a pint of beer (the common currency...

One to watch: BigRedShark.
November 2, 2005... An online inkjet cartridge retailer that backs body-builders - typecasting is not a problem here, writes Bill Britt. The rain is bucketing down on an industrial estate not far from Berwick-upon-Tweed's Elizabethan ramparts. Inside one of...

Profile: Pace maker - Barnaby Dawe, Managing director, Heart 106.2.
November 2, 2005... Slapped between a council estate, wasteland and a railway bridge in West London, the location of Chrysalis' headquarters seems to lend itself more to a pirate radio station than the easy listening of its flagship Heart 106.2 brand. But...

Adwatch: The weekly analysis of advertisement recall.(Brief Article)
November 2, 2005... Q: Which of the following TV commercials do you remember seeing recently? Last Brand Agency/TV buyer % week 1 (1) Sainsbury's Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO/PHD 77 2 ...

Adwatch: IBM - 'Road in the middle of nowhere'.
November 2, 2005... Most of what is referred to as business-to-business communications seems to exist in a parallel universe dominated by conventions ripe for disruption. Open an in-flight magazine, switch on a news channel, or look at airport media and you will...

Presswatch: The monthly analysis of advertisement recall.(Brief Article)
November 2, 2005... Q: Which of these newspaper ads do you remember seeing recently? Company Agency/Media buyer % 1 Dell DDB London/Carat 49 2 Sky Digital HHCL...