Marketing articles from October 2008

Marketing archives from October 2008

BA's Whitton opts for voluntary redundancy.
October 29, 2008... British Airways' top marketer Katherine Whitton has resigned from her role as head of marketing communications. She is one of 450 senior managers to have taken voluntary redundancy as the airline cuts costs following the difficult opening...

LG puts focus on 'insights'.(LG Electronics Inc.)(Brief article)
October 29, 2008... LG Electronics is playing down its 'Life's Good' tagline in its latest campaign, in response to the gloomy economic climate. Its latest ads focus instead on products that make life easier. Marketing director Andrew Warner said the drive...

DCSF to target parents of teen drinkers.(Department for Children, Schools and Families)(Brief article)
October 29, 2008... The Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) is to run a campaign targeting parents of under-age drinkers, and recommend unit guidelines for teenagers. The DCSF is alarmed that growing numbers of parents believe it is...

Tesco Aims to Fill 'Trust Gap' in Personal Finance
October 29, 2008... Tesco is ramping up its efforts in the personal finance sector, leading industry experts to predict that the UK's biggest multiple will profit from dwindling trust in traditional banks and financial-service providers. As the banking sector...

Camelot in 'positive' Lotto ad.(advertising)(Brief article)
October 29, 2008... National Lottery operator Camelot is launching a TV ad campaign for Lotto, focusing on the positive attitudes of those who enter the draw. The campaign, which breaks this weekend, will use a series of feel-good situations intended to...

Times agrees Ocado tie-up.(Brief article)
October 29, 2008... The Times is to combat declining circulation by giving away copies to customers of Waitrose delivery service Ocado. The tie-up means that the newspaper will be distributed to about 10,000 extra households daily, significantly bolstering...

Nestle plots European NaturNes launch.(Brief article)
October 29, 2008... Nestle is preparing to launch the 'biggest innovation (in baby food) since the move from tins to glasses 50 years ago' when it rolls out its NaturNes range across Europe. According to Nestle, the product is '100% natural'; a patented...

Diageo to consolidate Tanqueray gin account.(Brief article)
October 29, 2008... Diageo has appointed Wieden & Kennedy to create a global brand positioning for its Tanqueray gin. The agency was awarded the business, previously handled by Grey in the US and VCCP in other markets, including the UK, following the recent...

ITV revamps iPlayer rival.(Brief article)
October 29, 2008... ITV is expected to relaunch its online video-on-demand service as ITV Player as it increases its web activity. Despite beating the BBC's iPlayer to market, ITV's video-on-demand service has been criticised as less consumer-friendly....

COI's Bishop set to depart.(Central Office of Information)(Alan Bishop)(Brief article)
October 29, 2008... Alan Bishop, chief executive of the COI, is leaving to become chief executive of London's Southbank Centre. Bishop joined the COI in November 2002. One of his first tasks was to persuade the Department for Transport to return to using the...

The Week in Marketing
October 29, 2008... - PM addresses WACL. Gordon Brown addressed representatives from the marketing, advertising and communications industries at a lunch to celebrate the 85th anniversary of WACL (Women in Advertising and Communications London) last Thursday. The...

Media: Sky Arts boosts sponsor activity.(Brief article)
October 29, 2008... Sky Arts, which houses three channels on the Sky platform, is looking to increase its exposure in the arts world through a host of fresh sponsorships and collaborations. The broadcaster has formed several partnerships with arts...

Media: Argos in 3-D Disney tie-up.(Argos Distributors Ltd.)(Walt Disney Co. Walt Disney Studios)
October 29, 2008... Argos has signed a sponsorship deal with Disney Channel UK to support its first 3-D transmission. The retailer will be the key on-air partner for the British TV premiere of the 3-D movie, Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best Of Both Worlds...

Media: Waitrose to send recipe e-magazine to 4m.(Brief article)
October 29, 2008... Waitrose is to target 4m shoppers with a digital recipe magazine, to launch in January. An extension of the Waitrose Seasons Live e-magazine, the title will be produced in two separate versions for men and women. Waitrose has...

Media Road Test: GQ.(Brief article)
October 29, 2008... - What's new? Men's magazine GQ celebrates its 20th anniversary with a bumper edition, including interviews with cover-star David Beckham, Jack Nicholson and Noel Gallagher. - What's in it for readers? At 582 pages, it is an...

Media brief: RadioCentre submits report to BBC Trust.(Radio 1)(Brief article)
October 29, 2008... RadioCentre has submitted a report to the BBC Trust, claiming Radio 1 has breached its remit and is eating into commercial radio's audience The latest Rajar results show that the Radio 1 audience's average age is 33, but its licence states...

Media brief: Cobra Beer ties up with Dave for promotion.(Brief article)
October 29, 2008... Cobra Beer has tied up with UKTV's Dave to help promote the channel's programme Argumental. A drive will be rolled out to 400 UK student unions, giving students who buy two Cobra beers a free Dave-branded USB stick

Media brief: Comparethemarket.com to continue sponsorship.(Brief article)
October 29, 2008... Comparethemarket.com, an insurance price-comparison website, is to continue its sponsorship of Channel 4's drama season for another year The tie-up covers drama shows on Channel 4, More 4, E4 and 4oD and provides the online company with...

Media brief: ESPN to relaunch rugby website.
October 29, 2008... ESPN, the Disney-owned sports network, is relaunching rugby website Scrum.com as ESPNscrum.com, with Land Rover as a sign-up partner. The website will have enhanced news content. Land Rover is extending its partnership with rugby, which...

Media brief: The Week magazine gets two front covers.(Brief article)
October 29, 2008... Dennis Publishing is to produce two different front covers for each edition of its The Week magazine. Subscribers will be sent issues featuring its traditional style of cover, while a newsstand version will place more emphasis on content, as...

Branding: Tesco's discount focus 'confusing'.(Brief article)
October 29, 2008... Tesco's positioning as 'Britain's biggest discounter' is putting consumers off, according to branding experts. In September the supermarket added 350 discount brands to sit between its Value and own-label ranges. However, according to...

Branding: Cluedo given modern look.(Brief article)
October 29, 2008... Hasbro's classic board game Cluedo has been brought up to date for the 21st century with the launch of a version set in the Hollywood Hills. The 'whodunit' game will feature more involving game play and different characters. ...

Branding: Dr Oetker in seasonal line.(Brief article)
October 29, 2008... Pizza and baking brand Dr Oetker has launched a Halloween-themed children's activity range in a bid to get them interested in cookery. The Halloween Activity Kits, featuring Cupcake, Choco Bats, Choco Lolly and Apple Decorating...

Branding: Brand in the news - Pepsi.(Pepsi-Cola Co.)(Brief article)
October 29, 2008... What is Pepsi playing at with its pounds 700m rebrand. It has garnered headlines aplenty, and the oft-used adjective 'radical' is never far away - all good for a challenger brand. But the pep went out of Pepsi some time ago and the flat,...

Branding brief: Yazoo to update packaging.
October 29, 2008... Yazoo, the milkshake, is updating its packaging and ingredients to position itself as a 'healthier choice'

Branding brief: Lucas Bols to re-introduce Bols Genever to UK.(Brief article)
October 29, 2008... Lucas Bols, the Dutch spirits company, is re-introducing white-spirit Bols Genever to the UK. Genever, currently available only in Europe, will be promoted as a cocktail ingredient by Maxxium

Branding brief: Discovery Foods launches range of spicy products.(Brief article)
October 29, 2008... Discovery Foods, a Mexican food brand, is launching a range of spicy products, including jarred Banana Chillies, Chilli and Jalapeno Tortillas, the Wicked Chilli Spice Mix and the Wicked Chilli Two-Step Sauce

Branding brief: Hunter appoints Dave to handle campaign.(Brief article)
October 29, 2008... Hunter, the footwear brand, has appointed consultancy Dave to handle an integrated campaign. The agency won the account following a three-way pitch against Exposure and Medicine Man

Branding brief: Thirsty Planet redesigns packaging.(Brief article)
October 29, 2008... Thirsty Planet, the ethical water brand, has redesigned its packaging in a bid to attract younger people. The bottled water, which was launched in 2007, is now available in a 500ml bottle with a sportscap

Branding brief: Museum of London unveils fresh logo.
October 29, 2008... The Museum of London has unveiled a fresh logo, departing from its former red box design. The logo was created by Coley Porter Bell

Digital & Direct: Sony Ericsson in C905 campaign.
October 29, 2008... Sony Ericsson is promoting its C905 Cyber-shot camera phone through a global multimedia campaign featuring images taken using the handset. The aim of the campaign is to demonstrate how the 8.1 megapixel device allows users to be more...

Digital & Direct: Yell scraps car insurance title.(Brief article)
October 29, 2008... Yell, the directories business, is withdrawing from the door-drop market just three months after launching its car insurance guide. Yell had planned to produce 40m copies of the guide to compete with price-comparison brand AsRecommended,...

Digital & Direct: Kids' charity hires Flourish.(Save the Children )(Brief article)
October 29, 2008... Save the Children has hired direct marketing agency Flourish to create an integrated campaign for its virtual gift product, Wish List. As well as online ads, the charity will send out a catalogue and other direct mail to registered...

Direct choice: Orange.(Brief article)
October 29, 2008... Most of the direct mail that comes through my door goes straight in the bin, which is ironic considering how I make a living. I did keep a Streetcar card (useful). I also have a drawer full of takeaway menus (tasty). The Orange...

Digital & Direct brief: Unicef seeks agency.
October 29, 2008... Unicef is seeking a direct agency to work on its 'high-value' donor fundraising programme for 2009

Digital & Direct brief: Channel 4 to close 4DS.(Channel 4 Television Co.)(Brief article)
October 29, 2008... Channel 4 is closing 4DS, its in-house digital advertising sales agency. 4DS was set up in March 2007 to sell advertising on third-party websites to external clients

Digital & Direct brief: Ford supports launch of Fiesta.
October 29, 2008... Ford will support the launch of its latest Fiesta with an experiential campaign targeting shoppers. The work has been created by Ogilvy Action

Digital & Direct brief: Marketing to host conference.(Conference news)(Brief article)
October 29, 2008... Marketing is to host a conference looking at how to unlock the potential of emerging markets to drive global expansion. The event, on 22 January, will be held at the New Connaught Rooms, London. For more information, visit...

Digital & Direct brief: DoH appoints Carlson to handle initiative.(Department of Health)(Brief article)
October 29, 2008... The Department of Health has appointed Carlson to handle a fresh smoking-cessation initiative aimed at increasing the use of NHS Stop Smoking services. The agency picked up the brief following a three-way pitch

Digital & Direct brief: Cadbury appoints RPM for sampling campaign.(Brief article)
October 29, 2008... Cadbury has appointed experiential agency RPM to run a national sampling campaign in association with freesheets London Lite and Metro to publicise its chocolate bar, Creme Egg Twisted. The activity will take place on 31 October

Andrew Walmsley on Digital: Permission to Engage
October 29, 2008... The web has imbued younger generations with a strong political and entrepreneurial vigour. As he wandered around the grounds in Evelyn Waugh's Scoop, William Boot's uncle, Theodore, would sing: 'Change and decay in all around I see.' It set...

News Analysis: Palm Aims to Smarten Up
October 29, 2008... The once-ubiquitous PDA of the 90s is attempting to regain lost ground in the face of technology-rich rivals, writes Fiona Ramsay. Way back in the mid-90s, Palm Pilot entered the vernacular as the generic synonym for personal digital...

News Analysis: Religious Fervour
October 29, 2008... The debate surrounding religious marketing has been thrown into sharp relief by the proposal of an atheist-led riposte, writes Miranda Fitzgerald. Evidence of how strongly emotions can be stirred when it comes to religion became apparent last...

Media Analysis: It's Not All Bad News
October 29, 2008... A widening audience eager for financial insight is buoying business-news brands. There can be few media companies finding much cheer in this recession but business-news brands, across various platforms, are fast becoming indispensable sources...

Brand Health Check: Land of Leather
October 29, 2008... The sofa company's sales are down, and it has been getting bad press. Miranda Fitzgerald reports. Land of Leather ads are as much a Christmas staple as sprouts, family arguments and indigestion. So it is appropriate that the sofa seller has...

Raymond Snoddy on Media: Fundraiser in Chief
October 29, 2008... US presidential candidate Barack Obama is rolling in campaign money - TV is reaping the benefits. If you can find a way, it would be instructive to watch US television tonight (Wednesday). Senator Barack Obama, the highest-spending...

Mark Ritson on Branding: Tesco Takes Fight to Aldi
October 29, 2008... Can the retailer's shift to a fighter brand strategy prove business-school theories wrong again? The marketer who is bored with Tesco is bored with life. If you have been into a Tesco store recently, you will already have seen a new line...

Recall: Adwatch 29.10.08.(Statistical table)(Company rankings)
October 29, 2008... Marketing's unique weekly analysis of advertisement recall in association with tns. Q Which of the following TV commercials do you remember seeing recently? 22.10 Brand Agency/TV buyer % ...

Recall: Adwatch 29.10.08 - Tourism New Zealand.(Brief article)(Column)
October 29, 2008... The country certainly looks appealing, but this image is shattered by a poor endline. Don't put all your eggs in one basket. If the Federation of Basket Makers ever needed an endline, there it is. It's memorable, and does what any good...

Profile: Engineered for Success
October 29, 2008... Richard Hudson, marketing director at BMW, is continuing the brand's focus on technology and broader appeal. Interview by Alex Brownsell. Vorsprung durch technik, or, to non-German speakers, advancement through technology, may be the phrase...

Opinion: The Marketing Society Forum - Can You Run Two Parallel Marketing Strategies at the Same Time?
October 29, 2008... Carling is to launch a multimillion-pound campaign to promote the brand as a premium product, while retaining its more blokey 'Belong' ads with the strapline 'You know who your mates are'. YES - CRAIG JOHNSON COMMERCIAL DIRECTOR, RIPPLEFFECT...

Editor's comment: A soft line on hard drinking?(Editorial)(Brief article)
October 29, 2008... Whatever your social demographic, there is an anti-alcohol message for you. Not even children can escape the growing number of messages addressing our 'binge-drinking culture'. Recent months have brought ads created by Drink Aware and...

Branded Content: Festival Fever
October 29, 2008... More people than ever pulled on their wellies and went to a festival this year. Nicola Clark looks at the best examples of brand entertainment. In the UK there were 555 summer festivals, attended collectively by more than 3m people - a highly...

Sector Insight: Soups - Consumers Take Comfort
October 29, 2008... An inexpensive, satisfying meal whatever the economic climate, soups look well-placed to thrive during the downturn, writes Jane Bainbridge. From chicken soup's reputed health-boosting properties in Jewish culture to Andy Warhol's iconic...

Search Marketing: SMEs Look to Web Answers
October 29, 2008... Smaller companies with limited budgets can still develop an effective online strategy that will boost both their visibility and their bottom line, writes Jane Simms. Foneshop, a leading UK online retailer of mobile phones and accessories, was...

Marketing Special Report: Design - Everyone's a Designer
October 29, 2008... Asking consumers to submit their own designs for a product's packaging is the perfect way for brands to adopt the essential marketing principles of engagement and inclusiveness, writes Adam Woods. In August, InBev's Brazilian beer brand...

Marketing Special Report: Design - the Flexibility Factor
October 29, 2008... Design agencies must develop a versatile offering to negotiate tough times, writes Adam Woods. A recent paper from design consultancy Ideo suggested that recession-fearing businesses should take inspiration from the potato Brought to Europe...

Helpline
October 29, 2008... Joe Thomas takes the hassle out of finding the right product or service - you ask the question, he'll provide the answer. SHOW OUR BEST SIDE Q: We are attending an exhibition and would like some help obtaining a stand. Who could help us?...

Careers: What It's Really like Inside - Young's
October 29, 2008... - How do you come up with fresh marketing ideas? Most of our ideas come from understanding and talking to our consumers We also continually review market trends here and abroad. - What is the main marketing challenge you face? ...

Careers: Brand manager of the week - Steven Simpson, Senior brand manager, Dr Beckmann, Acdoco.(Interview)(Brief article)
October 29, 2008... - Describe yourself in three words. Driven, ambitious, caring. - What would you be if you weren't a brand manager? A sports journalist - I always look on in awe at those with a month-long gig at the Olympics or the World Cup. ...

Careers: Me & My Mentor - Amanda Jones, Marketing director, Silentnight Beds.(Brief article)
October 29, 2008... My marketing mentor is Lorna Scott, with whom I worked when I was at Cussons UK, based in Manchester. Lorna was the senior brand manager on the Imperial Leather range, and was full of energy and enthusiasm. She always had great drive and...

Marketing Mole: Who Does Google Think You Are? - Rupert Howell, Managing Director, Brand and Commercial, ITV
October 29, 2008... - The first result is a link to Marketing's news article about ITV's appointment of Rupert Howell. His role there is unclear from the immediate information. - The second and third results link to profiles which detail his career and profile...

Marketing Mole: Name that brand.
October 29, 2008... This Unilever brand was launched in 1930 but didn't assume its current name until 1950. The longest-running ad campaign on British TV was interrupted last year when the brand adopted ITV Digital's Monkey character. Can you name this...

Marketing Mole: We'll Call You - Cats Protection
October 29, 2008... The feline charity has reportedly lost pounds 11m invested in an Icelandic bank. Has donors' money been wasted, and what plans are in place to safeguard funds? Cats Protection Hello, Cats Protection. Mktg Hi, I've just got a general...

Pepsi rolls out pounds 700m global brand makeover.
October 22, 2008... Pepsi has unveiled a new-look logo as part of a radical dollars 1.2bn (pounds 700m) global brand revamp ahead of plans to launch its US brands Mountain Dew and Sierra Mist in the UK. The brand's red and blue globe icon was created in the...

Carling shifts focus to premium quality.(Brief article)
October 22, 2008... Carling is gearing up for a multimillion-pound drive to promote the brand as a premium product, placing an emphasis on the provenance of its ingredients. According to a spokesman for Carling, the strategy, due to be unveiled next month,...

H&B in fresh ad strategy.(Holland and Barrett)(Brief article)
October 22, 2008... Holland & Barrett is moving away from its long-standing price- and product-led marketing strategy with a pounds 7m campaign highlighting its in-store advice service. In a radical shift for the health-food chain, the ads will introduce a...

DVD Sales Spike Fuelled by 'Low-Cost Escapism'
October 22, 2008... Consumers are turning to home entertainment as a low-cost form of escapism in the economic downturn. The British Video Association revealed 51.7m DVDs were sold during the third quarter - the sector's best-ever performance in the period, up...

Liverpool widens sponsor list.(Brief article)
October 22, 2008... Liverpool Football Club has secured a raft of new sponsorship agreements worth more than pounds 10m. The club has signed a deal with travel and sports tour operator Thomas Cook that makes the brand the official travel partner for...

Skinny Cola set to launch.(Bio-Synergy planning to roll out Skinny Cola product)(Brief article)
October 22, 2008... Bio-Synergy, the drinks company behind Skinny Water, is planning to roll out a Skinny Cola product. It will add the 'fat-free' still cola to its range of drinks for health, fitness and wellbeing. Bio-Synergy was heavily criticised by...

Palm to create agency roster for Europe.(Brief article)
October 22, 2008... Smartphone manufacturer Palm has announced that it is planning a multimillion-pound European marketing campaign in an attempt to win back share from rivals Nokia and market leader RIM, which makes BlackBerrys. Earlier this month, Palm...

Barclaycard Highlights 'Convenience' Message
October 22, 2008... Barclaycard has unveiled a strategy that focuses on the convenience of contactless payment, replacing its long-standing campaigns in which celebrities used the card to evade sticky situations. The ads, created by Bartle Bogle Hegarty, will be...

Samsung fills top position.(Samsung Electronics UK appointing Mikah Martin-Cruz as manager of marketing )(Brief article)
October 22, 2008... Samsung Electronics UK has drafted in Sony's former general manager of marketing, Mikah Martin-Cruz. Martin-Cruz has taken the top role at Samsung, where he is now head of marketing, following the exit of Anthony Marsella in June with no...

Pfizer assigns Viagra task.(Brief article)
October 22, 2008... Pfizer has appointed Universal McCann to its media planning and buying account for Viagra ahead of an over-the-counter (OTC) launch next year. An above-the-line campaign will promote the erectile dysfunction drug in the consumer press....

The Week in Marketing
October 22, 2008... - Poppy appeals online The Royal British Legion has teamed up with Moblog to develop a 'Poppy Man' online persona for this year's Poppy Appeal. The Poppy Man's blog will follow his nationwide appearances in the charity's 'Poppy Man on the...

Media: Freeview boosted by extra channels.(Discovery Communications Inc. winning a regular slot at high-definition (HD) channels to be launched )(Brief article)
October 22, 2008... Freeview has been boosted by the announcement that ITV, Channel 4 and the BBC are to launch high-definition (HD) channels on the platform next year and that a regular slot has been sold to Discovery Communications. Discovery bought the...

Media: BBC's listener share declines.(briefs)(Brief article)
October 22, 2008... Commercial radio is continuing to claw market share from the BBC, according to the latest Rajar results. The BBC's weekly audience fell from 33.3m to 32.9m in the third quarter of 2008; commercial radio climbed from 30.9m to 31.2m...

Media: Setanta plans e-newsletter.(Setanta Sports UK)(Brief article)
October 22, 2008... Sports broadcaster Setanta is to launch a digital newsletter in a bid to attract subscribers. The newsletter, which will be sent initially to 500,000 people in the UK, will feature video footage, previews of sports events and interviews....

Media Road Test: Richard and Judy.(Brief article)
October 22, 2008... - What's new? Richard and Judy's New Position has launched on UKTV channel Watch. - What's in it for viewers? Much of the programme is, in fact, not that new at all - which isn't necessarily a bad thing. The trademark...

Media brief: Promotion at UKTV.(promotion of Julia Swanston at UKTV Interactive Ltd.)(Brief article)
October 22, 2008... UKTV has promoted lifestyle channels marketing manager Julia Swanston to the position of deputy channel head for GOLD and Watch Swanston will work on editorial and business strategy.

Media brief: MTV partners Blyk.(MTV Networks Inc.)(Brief article)
October 22, 2008... MTV has partnered Blyk, the free ad-funded mobile phone network for 16- to 24-year-olds, to launch its first mobile marketing campaign in the UK. The push promotes MTV shows The Hills and Living on the Edge

Media brief: Jazz FM and Pizza Express sign deal.(Brief article)
October 22, 2008... Jazz FM and Pizza Express have signed a commercial deal allowing the latter to air the radio station's programmes in its UK restaurants The deal also names Pizza Express as the sponsor of Jazz FM's weekday Drivetime show.

Media brief: First digital airport ad for CNBC.
October 22, 2008... CNBC has rolled out its first digital airport ad, at London City Airport. Ten-second animations based on the US broadcaster's current print ads will be placed throughout the airport

Media brief: Marie Claire editor to leave.(Brief article)
October 22, 2008... Marie Claire editor Marie O'Riordan is to leave the IPC title at the end of the year after seven years at the helm. The glossy magazine's recent circulation results showed a year-on-year fall of 4.8% to 316,765 copies