Marketing articles from October 2007

Marketing archives from October 2007

Direct mail bears pounds 8m brunt of door-drop strikes.(Brief article)
October 3, 2007... The cost of the three-week suspension of door-to-door deliveries by Royal Mail will cost the marketing industry up to pounds 8m, according to industry experts. The Communications Workers Union strike will run for two separate two-day...

Virgin Trains marketing boss quits after 10 years.(Brief article)
October 3, 2007... Virgin Trains sales and marketing director Craig Inglis is to step down after 10 years with the rail operator. Inglis will remain with the firm until November and the completion of the transfer of its Cross Country network to Arriva, which...

'False' green ad complaints rise.(advertising agencies are making false advertisements)(Brief article)
October 3, 2007... The surge in green marketing spend has been mirrored by the number of consumers complaining about untrue environmental claims. Last month, the Advertising Standards Authority received 93 complaints about 40 ads making green assertions. For...

Fifa set for loyalty initiative to support brand ties.
October 3, 2007... FIFA is launching a loyalty programme to boost the value of its global brand partnerships, following a spate of negative publicity. The football governing body is rolling out a points-based rewards initiative to encourage consumers to spend...

Online ads save UK from slump.
October 3, 2007... Internet advertising broke through the pounds 1.3bn barrier in the first half of 2007, preventing the UK advertising industry from slipping into recession. The latest figures from the Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB) and...

Evian signs deal with Wimbledon.(Wimbledon Tennis Championships)(Brief article)
October 3, 2007... Evian has signed a multimillion-pound deal to become the official bottled-water brand of the Wimbledon Tennis Championships. The deal, brokered by MEC Sponsorship, is part of Evian's strategy to position itself as an upmarket brand. ...

New campaign: Abbey.(Brief article)
October 3, 2007... Abbey is running a television campaign to back the launch of its Abbey Credit Card. The financial-services brand claims it is the first card to offer the triple benefits of 0% interest on balance transfers for 12 months, 0% interest on...

Monster awards MEC global task.(Brief article)
October 3, 2007... Monster.com has consolidated its pounds 77m global media planning and buying account into Mediaedge:cia. MEC had previously handled its media in most European markets, including the account for monster.co.uk. The consolidation comes...

Goldfish in direct customer drive.(Goldbrand Development Ltd.)(Brief article)
October 3, 2007... Credit-card company Goldfish is seeking a direct agency for a customer acquisition drive. The Morgan Stanley-owned brand has approached several undisclosed agencies. Grey London handles its advertising and direct business. Earlier this...

First Drinks set for global push.(First Drinks Brands Ltd.)(McCann-Erickson Inc.)
October 3, 2007... First Drinks has hired McCann-Erickson to create advertising for the multimillion-pound launch of its Russian Standard vodka brand. The campaign, spanning print and TV, breaks on 8 October and highlights the vodka's Russian heritage with...

Freesat plots digital push ahead of spring debut.(Brief article)
October 3, 2007... Freesat, the free-to-air satellite TV service, is rolling out a digital marketing drive ahead of its launch in March. The joint venture between the BBC and ITV has retained Agency Republic as its digital advertising agency following a...

Aviva insurance brands face pounds 80m budget cuts.
October 3, 2007... Aviva-owned insurance brands Norwich Union and RAC will cut their 2008 marketing spend by about pounds 80m, shedding 140 jobs in the process. Insiders said staff were notified of the cutbacks by email last week, and told the marketing...

GM seeks shop to handle Chevrolet direct activity.(Brief article)
October 3, 2007... General Motors (GM) is reviewing the direct marketing for its Chevrolet marque, which is currently handled by Draft FCB. The car manufacturer has approached several agencies regarding the business. It is not known whether Draft FCB,...

Five marketing boss quits post.(Brief article)
October 3, 2007... Five's marketing director, Jane Scott, has resigned from the broadcaster. In a statement, Five said that Scott left without a job to go to and plans to take time out before 'considering new opportunities'. Scott oversaw the launch of...

BRC chief urges ruling restraint.(British Retail Consortium)(Brief article)
October 3, 2007... Sir Geoffrey Mulcahy, chairman of the British Retail Consortium, has called on the Competition Commission not to use regulations to hold back Tesco's UK growth. Mulcahy told delegates at last week's Marketing Society Retail Forum that the...

Ben Sherman to back MTV2 show.(Brief article)
October 3, 2007... Ben Sherman, the fashion label often associated with mod culture, is to fund a one-off MTV2 show as part of its plans to develop marketing related to music. The company will back a show on the best of British music in what will be its...

Virgin Holidays restructure prompts direct review.
October 3, 2007... Virgin Holidays is reviewing its pounds 2m direct marketing and advertising account, which is held by Kitcatt Nohr Alexander Shaw. The review follows a restructure of the company's marketing department since the arrival last year of former...

Vicks push drops jargon to refocus on 'emotion'.
October 3, 2007... Procter & Gamble is using a multimillion-pound pan-European ad campaign to reposition its coughs and colds treatment brand, Vicks, as a holistic healthcare superbrand. TV and outdoor ads created by Publicis, which break in the UK later...

Adidas hunts experiential shop for London 2012.(adidas-Salomon AG)
October 3, 2007... Adidas is seeking an experiential agency to leverage its domestic tier-one sponsorship of the London 2012 Olympic Games. The brand, which became an official partner of the Games last month (Marketing, 19 September), will retain its...

Tesco Direct set for in-store tills.(Brief article)
October 3, 2007... Tesco is rolling out customer-ordering desks in 200 of its bigger stores to enable it to accept payment for goods from its non-food catalogue. Speaking at last week's Marketing Society Retail Forum, Steve Robinson, chief executive of Tesco...

3 repositions in pounds 15m offensive.(Brief article)
October 3, 2007... 3 UK is launching a pounds 15m ad campaign to reposition its brand and drive uptake in the run-up to Christmas. The mobile network's integrated drive, under the strapline 'Fresh from 3', follows the appointment of Euro RSCG to its pounds...

British Gas CO2 work fails to cut through.(Brief article)
October 3, 2007... British Gas' green initiatives have yet to register with consumers, who continue to rank the firm below its rivals on environmental issues. Speaking at the Channel 4 Media Climate Change conference Gearoid Lane, director of new energy at...

Marketing successes propel John Lewis on.(John Lewis Partnership PLC)(Brief article)
October 3, 2007... John Lewis Partnership chairman Charlie Mayfield has said that the company's successful branding and marketing activity contributed to his strategic decision to double the company's size over the next decade through the expansion of its chains...

News brief: BBC Worldwide acquires Lonely Planet.(Brief article)
October 3, 2007... BBC Worldwide has acquired travel information group Lonely Planet, which plans to expand into the magazines market. Last month, Lonely Planet launched a glossy monthly magazine in Spain in partnership with a local publisher. It is keen to...

News brief: Sky appoints WCRS.(Brief article)
October 3, 2007... Sky has appointed WCRS to handle the creative account for Picnic, a venture offering consumers a cut-price digital pay-TV option via set-top boxes. The plan is subject to an Ofcom public consultation, as it would require Sky's free channels to...

News brief: Visit Wales seeks agencies.(Brief article)
October 3, 2007... Visit Wales is on the hunt for agencies to work across its advertising, direct marketing, media planning and digital marketing, as part of a review of its pounds 6m marketing services roster

News brief: Mattel to launch TV campaign.(Brief article)
October 3, 2007... Mattel is launching a four-week TV campaign to support its Barbie brand. The toy company is offering girls a chance to 'win the life of a princess'. The ads will be supported by online activity driving traffic to a dedicated microsite

News brief: Chairman of The Identica Partnership to step down.(Brief article)
October 3, 2007... Michael Peters is understood to be stepping down as chairman of The Identica Partnership, the design agency he founded in 1992 and sold to Cossette Communication Group in 2004

News brief: ACP-Natmag to launch free TV listings.
October 3, 2007... ACP-Natmag is launching a free TV listings called TV Week. The magazine will be promoted by an ad campaign that will include TV

News brief: TVHits! bites the dust.(Essential Publishing)(Brief article)
October 3, 2007... Essential Publishing's TVHits! is the latest teen title to bite the dust. The company will retain the brand as a website but the last printed issue of the magazine will be published on 4 October

People moves: Prudential.(Brief article)
October 3, 2007... Prudential has promoted Ali Crossley to marketing director following the departure of Angus MacIver. Crossley, who will be the company's third marketing director this year, was previously director of lifetime mortgages at the financial...

People moves: IPC Southbank.(Emma Hindmarsh appointed)(Brief article)
October 3, 2007... IPC Southbank has named Emma Hindmarsh marketing manager of women's glossies Marie Claire and InStyle. Hindmarsh joins from L'Oreal Luxury Products, where she was product manager for skincare brand Biotherm. She reports to Sian Cupid, head of...

People moves: Pets at Home.(Gillian Buttree appointed)(Brief article)
October 3, 2007... Pets at Home, the pet food and product retailer, has handed the new role of marketing director to Gillian Buttree. She was previously marketing and business development director at credit agency Experian

People moves: Barclaycard Business.(Peter Jones appointed)(Brief article)
October 3, 2007... Barclaycard Business has named Peter Jones head of relationship management. He joins from American Express, where he was similarly responsible for customer relationship management. He will oversee a team of 70 in his new role

Media: Public looks to TV for 'green' information.(Survey)(Brief article)
October 3, 2007... Channel 4 research unveiled at the channel's Media Climate Change conference has revealed that despite the significant increase in green marketing spend, consumers still do not understand basic concepts such as 'carbon offsetting' and...

Media: Hospital shifts customer title.(Great Ormond Street Hospital )(Brief article)
October 3, 2007... The Great Ormond Street Hospital is looking for a sponsor for its customer magazine Lifeline, which is being relaunched for the second time in 18 months. Customer publisher John Brown is now looking after the title. It was previously...

Media choice: The Secret Diary of a Call Girl.(Brief article)(Column)
October 3, 2007... People were worried it would glamorise prostitution and trivialise the plight of sex workers forced into working the streets as a result of poverty, violence and desperation. Well, rest assured, I doubt this will be the case. I imagine that...

Media brief: Virgin Media unveils Electric!
October 3, 2007... Virgin Media has unveiled bi-monthly customer magazine Electric! Created by Redwood, the title will initially be sent to a sample group of 250,000 cable customers

Media brief: Top Gear produces DVD covermount for November.(Top Gear Magazine)(Brief article)
October 3, 2007... Top Gear magazine has produced a DVD covermount for its November issue. Produced in association with Warner Bros, Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, Paramount and Spirit Level Film, it features the top 10 movie car chases of all time

Media brief: BBC Countryfile makes newsstand debut.(Brief article)
October 3, 2007... BBC Countryfile magazine made its newsstand debut yesterday (2 October). The title, to be published 13 times a year with an initial print run of more than 73,000 copies, covers all aspects of country life and green, sustainable living

Media brief: Connolly joins STV as commercial director.
October 3, 2007... David Connolly, the former Ofcom Contract Rights Renewal adjudicator and Starcom executive, has joined SMG's Scottish television business STV as commercial director

Media brief: Virgin Radio appoints programme director.(David Lloyd appointed)(Brief article)
October 3, 2007... Virgin Radio has appointed David Lloyd as programme director with immediate effect. Lloyd previously worked at the Galaxy network, where he is credited with growing the audience to more than 2.5m

Media brief: The Secret Diary of a Call Girl opens with 1.8m viewers.(Brief article)
October 3, 2007... ITV2's new drama The Secret Diary of a Call Girl, starring Billie Piper, opened with 1.8m viewers, handing ITV its biggest audience this year for an original commission on multichannel

Media brief: BBC Magazines to launch Robin Hood Adventures.
October 3, 2007... BBC Magazines is launching a fortnightly magazine entitled Robin Hood Adventures on 10 October. The magazine, priced pounds 1.99, is aimed at six- to 11-year-olds

Branding: Cusquena adds Inca elements.(Brief article)
October 3, 2007... Cusquena, the lager brand, has revamped its packaging to play on its Inca heritage. One design features an image of Machu Picchu; another has an embossed picture of a stone from the walls of Cusco, Peru, where the beer is brewed. Cusquena...

Branding: M&G in overhaul of brand identity.(Brief article)
October 3, 2007... M&G Investments has introduced a fresh corporate identity following a year-long brand review. The branding, by Corporate Edge, is intended to update the fund-management firm's image and provide a point of differentiation, as well as...

Branding: Benylin readies pounds 8m relaunch campaign.(Brief article)
October 3, 2007... Benylin, the Pfizer-owned cough medicine brand, has introduced fresh packaging and bigger bottles ahead of the peak winter coughs and colds season. The design, which is bolder than its predecessor, has been updated to unify the brand...

Branding: Design choice - Harman/Kardon Go + Play.(Brief article)(Column)
October 3, 2007... Spike Lee's 1989 film Do The Right Thing charts the tensions in a Brooklyn neighbourhood on the year's hottest day. The catalyst for a riot is a man called Radio Raheem, who endlessly plays Public Enemy's Fight The Power on his portable...

Branding brief: The Met Office introduces fresh identity.(Brief article)
October 3, 2007... The Met Office has introduced a fresh identity and brand positioning through Elmwood. The logo uses four ripples to reflect how the organisation's work benefits colleagues, businesses, government and the public

Branding brief: Mars Family Refuel introduces designs by Vibrandt.(Brief article)
October 3, 2007... Mars Family Refuel, part of the Mars drinks range, has introduced three designs, created by Vibrandt. The packs depict three athletes who are sponsored by the brand, two of whom hope to qualify the Winter Paralympics in 2012

Branding brief: The Game Conservancy Trust changes its name.(Game and Wildlife Conservancy Trust)(Brief article)
October 3, 2007... The Game Conservancy Trust has changed its name and updated its branding to better reflect its work on broader conservation issues. From this month, the charity will be known as The Game & Wildlife Conservancy Trust

Branding brief: Tolkowsky introduces visual identity for launch.(Brief article)
October 3, 2007... Tolkowsky, the diamond brand, has introduced a visual identity for the launch of a range of diamond jewellery. The branding, based on the geometry of a diamond, was created by Brandhouse

Branding brief: Maxxium UK introduces limited-edition bottle.
October 3, 2007... Maxxium UK is introducing a limited-edition bottle for The Famous Grouse in the off-trade. The white packaging, featuring the iconic grouse, offers alternative serving suggestions

Branding brief: Ugo's Deli Cafe unveils launch identity.(Brief article)
October 3, 2007... Ugo's Deli Cafe, a hot panini range from Kepak Convenience Foods, has unveiled its launch identity. The packaging, by Leahy Brand Design, uses a cafe-sign look, with the flavour marked on a 'chalkboard'

Branding brief: Venues rebrand under Galsgow's Concert Halls name.(Glasgow Cultural Enterprises)(Brief article)
October 3, 2007... Glasgow Cultural Enterprises' venues - The Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, City Halls and Old Fruitmarket - have rebranded under the name Glasgow's Concert Halls through The Hub Agency

Direct: Unilever awards Sure deodorant job to Iris.(Brief article)
October 3, 2007... Unilever has appointed Iris to handle through-the-line marketing for its Sure deodorant range. Iris, which was appointed to the FMCG giant's sales promotion, experiential and sampling roster earlier this year, will work on Sure Sport, Sure...

Direct: Borders pushes readers' choices.(Borders (UK) Ltd.)(B'lowfish Advertising)(Brief article)
October 3, 2007... Bookstore chain Borders UK is aiming to boost customer visits through an online and offline direct campaign. The work, created by Blowfish Advertising, centres on customer recommendations via the promotion of customers' top 10 books, films...

Direct: Grosvenor casino plans pounds 1.5m blitz.(Brief article)
October 3, 2007... Grosvenor Casinos is launching a multi-channel marketing campaign. The Rank Group operation is investing pounds 1.5m over the next three months in the integrated campaign, which is intended to drive custom to its casinos. The Gambling...

Direct choice: Travelex.(Travelex Corporate Foreign Exchange)(Fastcheck Arrival Guides)(Brief article)
October 3, 2007... A collaboration between Travelex Worldwide Money and Fastcheck Arrival Guides, this is direct mail meets the Swiss Army Knife. Appropriately credit card-sized, the mailout is a US mini-guide featuring a collection of helpful travel bits and...

Direct brief: Cancer Research hires direct marketing director.(Natasha Hill appointed)(Brief article)
October 3, 2007... Cancer Research UK has hired Natasha Hill as its direct marketing director. Hill succeeds Anthony Newman, who became director of supporter relationship management earlier this year

Direct brief: England Rugby promotes leisurewear with catalogue.(Brief article)
October 3, 2007... England Rugby is promoting its latest leisurewear range with a catalogue created by Loewy. It will be mailed to 55,000 customers, with a further 120,000 targeted through a digital version

Direct brief: The MS Society launches campaign.(Multiple Sclerosis Society)(Brief article)
October 3, 2007... The MS Society, a multiple sclerosis charity, is launching an awareness-raising direct-response campaign featuring the words and images of MS sufferers posted on the society's online messaging boards The work, created by Spencer Du Bois, will...

Direct brief: Napolina puts pounds 2m behind campaign.(Brief article)
October 3, 2007... Napolina, the Italian food brand, is putting pounds 2m behind its latest campaign, spanning direct marketing and press and outdoor ads The activity carries the strapline 'Bursting with real Napolina passion'.

Direct brief: VisitBritain seeks marketing services agency.(Brief article)
October 3, 2007... VisitBritain is searching for a marketing services agency to manage its above- and below-the-line advertising account. It wants to increase tourism to the UK from Germany and Switzerland

Direct brief: Virgin Media launches customer magazine.(Virgin Media Group Ltd.)(Brief article)
October 3, 2007... Virgin Media is launching a customer magazine as it continues its battle with BSkyB. The bi-monthly title, called Electric! and published by Redwood, will be trialled for two editions

Direct brief: Swap Game hires Cocktail Marketing.(Brief article)
October 3, 2007... Swap Game, a video-game rental website, has hired partnership marketing agency Cocktail Marketing to forge a series of tie-ups in a bid to raise awareness of its service and drive traffic to the site

Direct brief: Practical Action to launch fundraising campaign.(Brief article)
October 3, 2007... Practical Action is launching a fundraising direct campaign featuring former Monty Python Terry Jones. Created by EHS Brann Cirencester, it highlights the poor sanitation in Kenya's Kitale region, where people have been known to use a plastic...

Digital: 3 strikes in-game ad deal.
October 3, 2007... 3 UK is making its first major foray into in-game advertising via a partnership with video games publisher THQ. Branding for the mobile network operator will appear throughout Juiced 2: Hot Import Nights, a THQ title that will be released...

Digital: Escada perfume in launch assault.
October 3, 2007... Procter & Gamble is rolling out a digital marketing drive to promote the launch of Escada S, a fragrance from its Escada fashion range. The FMCG giant has briefed Holler to create an online advertising campaign and branded microsite to...

Digital choice: Radio Times.(Brief article)
October 3, 2007... What with the world being overtaken by web 2.0, Radio Times has launched a user-generated content section on its website called Talk. What I like best about it is that it does exactly what it says on the tin: it allows users to discuss and...

Digital brief: LG Electronics signs deal with CondeNet.(Brief article)
October 3, 2007... LG Electronics has signed a seven-figure commercial deal with CondeNet to advertise across the websites of Vogue and GQ magazines in the UK, France, Germany, Italy and Spain

Digital brief: Harvey Nichols makes first foray into viral marketing.(Harvey Nichols and Company Ltd.)(Brief article)
October 3, 2007... Harvey Nichols is making its first foray into viral marketing with the launch of a campaign to promote its Foodmarket. The digital drive builds on London Fashion Week with a satirical behind-the-scenes depiction of a fashion show

Digital brief: John Lewis appoints Steak Media.(John Lewis Partnership PLC)(Brief article)
October 3, 2007... John Lewis has appointed Steak Media to handle its paid-search account following a competitive pitch. The retailer plans to invest in a structured search campaign to increase traffic to the John Lewis Direct e-commerce site

Digital brief: Evening Standard launches first stand-alone website.(Website overview)
October 3, 2007... Evening Standard has launched its first stand-alone website featuring news, columns and blogs, on which viewers can participate in debates

Digital brief: Blyk signs launch advertisers.
October 3, 2007... Blyk, the ad-funded mobile virtual network operator (MVNO), has signed Buena Vista, Coca-Cola, L'Oreal Paris, Stepstone and Yell.com as its launch advertisers

Digital brief: Universal Music partners with coull.tv.(Brief article)
October 3, 2007... Universal Music has partnered with coull.tv to launch an interactive music video, allowing fans to comment on Like the Sun by RyanDan while the clip is playing

Digital brief: Facebook overtakes MySpace.
October 3, 2007... Facebook has overtaken MySpace as the highest-traffic UK social-networking site with 6.5m unique users last month, according to Nielsen//NetRatings

Digital brief: Sony Pictures rolls out online ad campaign.
October 3, 2007... Sony Pictures is rolling out an online ad campaign promoting the film Superbad. The work comprises a branded banner on a video player on which consumers can view a trailer for the movie

Andrew Walmsley on digital: Spend less, invest better online.(Column)
October 3, 2007... This week I recommend you spend less on advertising online. Last year's IAB report showed a 41% increase in online adspend. This year's figures are due to be released this month, and the only discussion is how much the increase will be, not...

News Analysis: Physical or digital?(briefs)
October 3, 2007... As Purves & Purves goes online while Dell plots its first stores, Jane Simms explores the bricks to clicks conundrum. At the beginning of the dotcom boom, doom-mongers conjured up images of deserted high streets and blowing tumbleweed....

News Analysis: Uncertain alliance.(Labour Party conference)
October 3, 2007... Will Gordon Brown be good for advertisers? Gemma Charles reports from the annual Labour Party conference. Last week's Labour Party conference gave the marketing industry the opportunity to take the political temperature of prime minister...

Raymond Snoddy on media: UK TV launches are toughest trick.
October 3, 2007... David Hulbert, chief executive of the Sparrowhawk Media group, gave a most interesting party on Saturday evening at the headquarters of The Magic Circle. Friends, colleagues and assorted hacks were invited to celebrate the sale of...

Media Analysis: In local we trust.(research on newspapers )
October 3, 2007... Move over, nationals; provincial media are now consumers' most trusted sources of information. Socks, the Blue Peter cat reprieved from being named 'Cookie' even though it won a consumer vote, has become the latest, and furriest, example...

Brand Health Check: Chelsea FC.(Chelsea Football Club)
October 3, 2007... The club wants global domination; it's struggling to keep even local fans happy. What can the boys in blue do, asks Ed Kemp. The success of a football club can be measured in many ways. Since Roman Abramovich bought Chelsea FC three and a...