Marketing articles from September 1993

Marketing archives from September 1993

Philips looks to a wider picture. (Philips Companies Inc.)
September 2, 1993... For the first time in over 100 years, Philips is pushing into pan-European advertising. But is it playing too safe with a strategy based on invention? Philips is gambling |pounds~30m on what it claims is the first genuine pan-European campaign...

Tesco breaks Cresta's wave. (Tesco PLC; Cresta soft drink)
September 2, 1993... Tesco has delisted the hugely successful Cresta soft drinks brand in the latest own-label offensive to hit the supermarket shelves. Cresta is set to lose around 20% of its volume sales from the delisting, and admits that its sales curve has...

Sony says disc ahead of DCC. (Sony Corp.'s Minidisc system; digital compact cassette)
September 2, 1993... Sony is claiming that it is way ahead of Philips in the race to provide a digital replacement for the audio cassette. The Japanese firm has announced that it has shipped over 300,000 MiniDisc players into shops worldwide since the system was...

Dixons sets its Hart on sales. (Dixons PLC appoints Jonathan Hart as divisional director)
September 2, 1993... Astra is searching for a new marketing director after Jonathan Hart left the satellite systems company to return to his old firm, Dixons. Hart takes over as divisional director for the Midlands division, with responsibility for about 250 Dixons...

Vauxhall pumps up airbags.
September 2, 1993... Vauxhall has stepped up the pressure on arch-rival Ford this week by announcing its intention to include passenger-side airbags as standard on some 1994 models of its biggest seller, the Cavalier, and on its Calibra coupe. The move will take...

Calculated risks may yet pay off. (new marketing techniques for UK advertising firms)
September 2, 1993... Isn't it cheering to know there are still talented nutters who want to start advertising agencies? Of course the timing is dire, of course there aren't any gaps in the market, of course the trend favours the big players, but MT Rainey and friends...

Lib Dems fight for consumers. (Liberal Democrats)
September 2, 1993... An independent Department of Consumer Protection headed by its own Cabinet Minister is understood to be among a battery of new measures to protect the consumer being proposed by the Liberal Democrats. Plans also include giving the Advertising...

Firms join forces with Labour to smash fraud. (Labor Party)
September 2, 1993... Companies are clubbing together with the Labour party and trading officers to push for a crackdown on counterfeit goods that lose them millions of pounds each year and put 100,000 jobs under threat. The Anti-Counterfeiting Group, which includes...

Wrangler goes all out for No 1. (VF Corp.'s Wrangler Div.)
September 2, 1993... Wrangler this week unveils a new marketing strategy aimed at doubling its turnover within two years and ultimately toppling Levi's from leadership of the |pounds~1.2bn UK jeans market. The strategy is to reclaim Wrangler's heritage as "The...

Hard game for sports sponsors. (Henley Centre) (Column)
September 2, 1993... At the end of a long painful summer, the press has been vilifying British teams in cricket, rugby and football. By contrast, new British personalities in motor racing, athletics and golf have been feted. A triumph of individualism over...

Uncovering the elusive sections of UK society. (geodemographics)
September 2, 1993... Did you think social classification had died with the yuppie? Yuppies may be dead, but the legacy of the Thatcher years lives on in the form of other, more enduring social types, according to CCN Marketing, one of the UK's leading geodemographics...

When art loses out to exams.
September 2, 1993... Life, it has been said, imitates art. But to find life imitating an examination question is rare indeed. I refer you to the very original (we all thought) promotion for Walkers Crisps -- said to bring a new twist to the instant win theme and...

BMW takes a radical stand. (Bayerische Motoren Werke AG)
September 2, 1993... BMW is hoping to steal the limelight at Europe's most important motor show next week with the unveiling of a radically new kind of car stand. Instead of the traditional car park, BMW's stand at the Frankfurt Motor Show (September 9-19) will be...

Meeting the challenge of stability. (Editorial)
September 2, 1993... WH Smith's 5% rise in profits is tangible evidence that the high street economy may be showing signs of life. Like every snippet of encouraging news, however, there is a glum one lurking close by: in this case Do It All, owned by Boots and WH...

Counter revolution at the Post Office. (Cover Story)
September 2, 1993... Heard the one about the Dodo found waiting in a Post Office queue? Dick Wheelhouse reckons the joke's over. Suzanne Bidlake's finds out why Europe's biggest retailer -- yes, the one you think of as inefficient, with mile-long queues and surly...

Stand out in the crowd. (modular stand companies)
September 2, 1993... As more modular system outfits join the exhibition arena, fighting for their own space in an increasingly competitive market, differentiation is vital for survival, says Mandy Sutter Once upon a time, a dozen or so modular stand companies --...

Meeting the conference challenge.
September 2, 1993... How do you choose a conference production company? Simon Rines shines light on the process from first meeting to final decision "The approach to choosing a conference production company should mirror that of choosing an advertising agency,"...

Polarised on packaging. (packaging design industry)
September 2, 1993... There are many clients who want to build a long-term relationship with designers, and others who pay by the yard, says Hester Thomas. What is the best approach? Marketers are developing some curious, polarised methods of purchasing packaging...

The time for design is now. (product packaging and design)
September 2, 1993... Design guru Raymond Loewy, convinced the boardrooms of the US that design sells. Unfortunately, that momentum has since been lost, explains UK designer Wally Olins The late, great Raymond Loewy was the only designer, so far as I can recall,...

The Brit who'll run ads for Coke. (Lowe-Howard Spink Managing Director David Wheldon; Coca-Cola Corp.)
September 9, 1993... In a radical shake-up of marketing at Coca-Cola, David Wheldon is named as the man to head the company's global advertising Coca-Cola is shipping in a British adman this week to head global advertising -- part of new broom Sergio Zyman's review...

Observer goes for broke with Leagas Delaney. (periodical names advertising agency to handle creative work for relaunch)
September 9, 1993... The Observer is to unveil its make-or-break redesign on September 26, and has appointed Leagas Delaney to handle creative work for its relaunch advertising campaign. The new look encompasses a six-section paper and a new editorial team. There...

Mercury's free call offer shocks rivals. (Mercury Personal Communications Ltd.'s One-2-One mobile telephone network)
September 9, 1993... The Mercury One-2-One mobile phone network is launched this week with a "world first" marketing hook -- free local calls -- to put it on the fast track to the mass market. The move throws down a gauntlet to BT as well as mobile rivals Cellnet...

BUPA moves onto a health platform. (BUPA Health Services Ltd.)
September 9, 1993... BUPA, the UK's leading provider of private health insurance, is repositioning itself as a healthcare organisation with a new advertising campaign full of facts about the human body. The |pounds~5m campaign, created by O&M, which breaks this...

Marketing jobs axed in Pickfords merger. (merger of marketing departments of Pickfords Travel Services Ltd and Hogg Robinson Travel)
September 9, 1993... Fifteen marketers are to lose their jobs following the merger of Pickfords and Hogg Robinson marketing departments this week. Pickfords, the number three UK travel agent, is revealing the new line-up of marketers to follow the purchase of rival...

1M pound sterling road safety TV ads return to shock tactics. (television advertising)
September 9, 1993... Road safety minister Robert Key will announce next Tuesday another |pounds~1m of "shock" TV advertising over the following three weeks. Key has received evidence that the Kill Your Speed, Not a Child campaign launched earlier this year has...

Wickes poaches top Dixons man. (Wickes PLC)
September 9, 1993... The Wickes DIY chain has poached a Dixons white goods man as its new marketing director after a year-long search. Edwin Birnbaum was marketing director of white goods for Dixons Stores Group, focusing mainly on the Currys chain. Dixons has yet...

Kimberly-Clark marketing all set for Europe.
September 9, 1993... Kimberly-Clark beefs up its marketing operations this autumn, preparing for a new assault on Europe. The tissues-to-nappies conglomerate is looking for a European marketing manager for its personal care range after "European expansion and...

Adland's insolvency threat. (losses of UK's advertising industry)
September 9, 1993... The loss-making British advertising industry could be technically insolvent within two years, a senior ad agency chairman warned this week. With one third of the top 50 agencies making losses, Ron Leagas, chairman of Leagas Shafron Davis Chick...

Alberto-Culver shakes up VO5. (Alberto Culver Co.; hair preparations)
September 9, 1993... Alberto-Culver is taking its shampoo brand VO5 further upmarket, with a new formulation and design, a higher price tag, and a boost to the company's total adspend from a claimed |pounds~7.5m to |pounds~9.1m. Simultaneously, the company is...

White moves to Mitsubishi. (Hotpoint marketing director Graham White)
September 9, 1993... Japanese brown goods firm Mitsubishi has recruited Hotpoint's marketing director to head its UK consumer division and help beef up the brand's image in the UK. Graham White will join Mitsubishi in October as managing director of the consumer...

Tupperware snaps up Avon man. (Premark International Inc. Tupperware; Avon group manager of Marketing Tony Jones)
September 9, 1993... Tupperware this week poaches a senior marketer from fellow door-to-door seller Avon, prompting speculation of a marketing shake-up at the company. Tony Jones is to quit his job as group manager of marketing at Avon to join Tupperware on...

Nestle revamps Aero to lift flagging sales. (Nestle Company Ltd.; chocolate brand)
September 9, 1993... Nestle this month relaunches Aero in the hope of bucking the trend in the declining chocolate countline market. The relaunch of the |pounds~65m brand includes a new logo, line extensions and a new |pounds~1.2m ad campaign created by Still...

Cadbury offer targets youth. (Cadbury Ltd.)
September 9, 1993... Cadbury next week launches its biggest promotion this year offering concert tickets in exchange for Cadbury's chocolate wrappers. Tickets for the concert, at Alton Towers on July 2, 1994, which features pop band Wet Wet Wet, can only be...

UK design firms seek Far East business links.
September 9, 1993... UK design firms are expanding their horizons abroad with the first ministerial-led delegation of specialist consultants to target the Far East. Baroness Denton, the consumer affairs minister, who has special responsibilities for design and...

Commodore CD32 backed by 7M pound sterling. (new product from Commodore Business Machines Ltd.)
September 9, 1993... Struggling computer firm Commodore claims that it has a |pounds~7m war chest to spend on the launch of its Sega and Nintendo-bashing computer game. The CD32 is being touted as "the most sophisticated video game on the market" and Commodore has...

Sega teaches safety lesson. (Sega Enterprises Ltd.)
September 9, 1993... Electronic games giant Sega is sponsoring a Baywatch "rookie lifeguards" scheme from the Royal Life Saving Society which aims to put a free water safety video and other educational material into every UK primary school. Mailings have gone to...

Action scheme reaps rewards for Whitbread. (Whitbread and Company PLC)
September 9, 1993... Whitbread is reaping unexpected benefits from employee involvement in its voluntary community action scheme. Ian Anderson, manager of the company's community investment programme, told delegates at a CBI conference this week that the scheme...

TV links boost book sales. (bestsellers linked to television programs and motion pictures)
September 9, 1993... The growing popularity of bestsellers linked to television programmes and feature films is boosting the books market, says Headland Research in its report Bestseller Books, 1993. Consumer spending on books increased to |pounds~1.6bn in 1992, up...

Lloyd moves to top job at DMA. (appointment of KLP founder Colin Lloyd as chief executive of the Direct Marketing Association)
September 9, 1993... The Direct Marketing Association this week appoints KLP founder Colin Lloyd as chief executive, following eight months with no-one at the helm. He takes over from Richard Genochio, who headed the executive team for less than one year before...

Regions set the pollster a challenge. (political pollsters take into account disparities in regional prosperity)
September 9, 1993... Now that the party political conference season is upon us once again, the pollsters are already poring over majorities, electoral boundaries and the rest. Will the "Costa Geriatrica", stretching from Brighton to Bournemouth, swing from...

Courts aims high as it drops Mr Wonderful. (Courts PLC's new advertising campaign)
September 9, 1993... Furniture retailer Courts hopes to assume the mantle of market leader with a new advertising strategy unveiled today which replaces the unforgettable but unclassy character, Mr Wonderful. The advertising reflects Courts' new positioning as an...

Clients cool on LNR. (London News Radio)
September 9, 1993... Advertisers will have more radio stations to choose from, but it will be more of the same when the new London licences come on stream next year. Reaction to the removal of LBC in favour of a similar service, London News Radio, and new licences...

Nike takes sport to the streets with 9M pound sterling ads. (Nike Inc.)
September 9, 1993... Nike this week continues its induction of reserved Europeans into the ways of American ra-ra self-actualisation with a corporate ad campaign encouraging ordinary people to take up sport. The |pounds~9m campaign, which breaks in 15 western...

Nationals boost value to combat NI pricing. (News International's decision to cut the price of The Times newspaper)
September 9, 1993... Advertisers and readers are being promised an improved product and better value for money from national newspapers as they move to counter the latest News International price offensive. The Times' decision last week to drop its price by a third...

European report poses threat to EC sponsorship. (proposed legislation banning commercial sponsorship of sports, arts and television)
September 9, 1993... Massive curbs on sponsorship could be introduced if a new European Parliament report becomes law. MEP Yves Fremion, reporting for the Committee on Culture, Youth, Education and Media, recommends a ban on commercial funding of sport, the arts...

Gaymer adds youthful face to Country Satin. (Gaymer Group launches variants to its creme liqueur brand)
September 9, 1993... The Gaymer Group is planning two extensions to its Country Satin cream liqueur this autumn, as the brand gets a facelift to attract a younger target audience. White and dark chocolate variants will sit alongside the existing cream-based...

British design gains Initiative. (establishment of British Design Initiative)
September 9, 1993... The UK's battered design industry is being given a boost to help it gain more overseas contracts. The British Design Initiative, an association of 50 design consultancies with no more than 20 employees each, is launched this week. It has a...

Electrolux set for free trips. (Electrolux Ltd.'s travel promotion)
September 9, 1993... Electrolux is rolling out a multi-million pound travel promotion for its white goods division next week, citing evidence that consumers are not blaming the industry for the Hoover free flights debacle. The company argues that far from being...

Birds Eye books into class. (frozen food manufacturer's adoption of investment in education as a marketing strategy)
September 9, 1993... Birds Eye, the UK's largest frozen food company, this week joins the swelling ranks of companies which are investing in education as part of their marketing strategies. The Birds Eye Free Books for Schools scheme offers primary schools books...

Lever goes all out for Funfit. (Lever Brothers Co.'s new marketing strategy)
September 9, 1993... A new style of marketing is now emerging as companies venture into the classroom Detergents giant Lever Bros is rushing headlong into the brave new world of "public purpose marketing" with the announcement this week that its recently launched...

Take time to evaluate results. (evaluation of advertising campaigns)
September 9, 1993... I have now been writing for a living for nearly 38 years. Like most writers I often reflect gloomily on matters such as why I haven't improved much and, more philosophically, on what makes a striking idea. The likely reasons for the former are...

Star turns knock brands off course. (endorsement of products by celebrities)(includes related article)
September 9, 1993... In 1983 Pepsi signed a deal with Michael Jackson. Ten years on, the company is employing a private detective agency to look into claims of child abuse. Harriot Lane Fox looks at the perils of linking top brands with often unpredictable...

Titan Times takes on an angry Indie. (feedback on price cut by The Times newspaper) (Editorial)
September 9, 1993... There's no justice in marketing. Just when you think you've got the measure of the market and what the opposition are up to, something downright barmy happens. Something so supremely bonkers it may even damage its perpetrators more than you....

Wrangler rides on the all-American dream. (VF Corp. Wrangler Div.) (Cover Story)
September 9, 1993... Wrangler's new campaign has dumped the youth-led conventions of jeans advertising. Some say it's suicidal, but Mike Taylor reckons it will give him market leadership. Wrangler's new marketing strategy, unveiled last week, aims to double its...

The voucher variants. (cashless incentives)
September 9, 1993... Vouchers have secured a key place in the promotions and incentives business. Sue Bryant investigates the rise and rise of cashless incentives In just 20 years the voucher market has grown from simple gift tokens to a thriving, |pounds~350m...

The broader solution. (Marketing Services: Sales Promotions and Premiums)
September 9, 1993... With customers front of mind, large sales promotion agencies are adopting an holistic approach to marketing. Laura Mazur discovers why integration is becoming the industry buzzword Like most disciplines, marketing has its fashions. In the...

Cashing in on cheques. (Marketing Services: Sales Promotions and Premiums)
September 9, 1993... Why reward consumers with cheques when one third of the population has no bank account? Margaret Bennett looks at the options There are times when a cheque is the perfect way to reward a consumer. Next week, for example, Electrolux -- in a move...

Building up a class act. (Marketing Services: Sales Promotions and Premiums)
September 9, 1993... Pushing politically correct products into the classroom is the latest attempt to conquer new markets. Ken Gofton gives the low-down As state schools in England and Wales got down to business again this week after the summer break, some 200,000...

Barclays attacks ASA on ad ruling. (Barclays Bank PLC; Advertising Standards Authority)
September 16, 1993... Barclays Bank has bitten back against the ASA which criticised its poster this week. Can the current code review quell advertisers' misgivings? Barclays Banks has hit out at the Advertising Standards Authority for upholding complaints...

Abbey's boardroom shake-up splits role. (Abbey National Bank)
September 16, 1993... Abbey national has restructured its entire marketing department and director John Berry has moved from the top UK seat, following last week's boardroom shake-up. Berry moves to become European director after three years heading up the UK's...

Clydesdale in Dalgety move. (Golden Wonder Ltd.'s CEO Doug Clydesdale; Dalgety PLC)
September 16, 1993... Dalgety has poached rival KP's marketing director to fill the new position of chief executive of Golden Wonder's Bagged Snacks division. Doug Clydesdale has been with KP owner United Biscuits since 1982 and has overseen the development of...

The brave new world of brands. (brand management) (Henley Centre)
September 16, 1993... The marketing community is as susceptible as any to the herd instinct and to the temptation to extrapolate current experience forever. Those who remember the late 70s will recall that we were then in the midst of |price wars' and predictions of...

Price war for business fliers. (airline ticket discounts for business travellers)
September 16, 1993... Two unprecedented pricing initiatives this week threaten to destabilise business class air travel well beyond recession. British Midland has launched the airline world's first season ticket, offering up to 65% savings on international...

Live 93 boosts industry. (consumer electronics industry exhibition)(includes related article)
September 16, 1993... Britain's biggest consumer electronics show, the News International-backed Live 93, opens its doors in London this week. The event, which is expected to attract over 100,000 visitors, is the first industry-wide consumer show on this scale...

David Jones takes chief post at LH-S. (Lowe Howard-Spink chief executive officer)
September 16, 1993... Lowe Howard-Spink has wrongfooted the advertising community by appointing David Jones, currently MD of Collect Dickenson Pearce, as its new chief executive. Jones is expected to take up his new role this week, following the departure of...

Foster's 35 million pound sterling bid for the top. (Courage Ltd.'s Foster beer brand)
September 16, 1993... Courage marketing director John Nicolson is betting his shirt on Foster's becoming the UK's leading beer with a claimed 35 [pounds] m package, the biggest brand investment in the company's history. The massive spend aimed at toppling...

Save & Prosper's timely trim. (Save and Prosper Group launches credit card campaign)
September 16, 1993... Save & Prosper claims its credit card launch is |the right product at the right time', but rivals remain sceptical. William Drew finds out why Save & Prosper received over 3000 calls in the first 24 hours after it shocked the industry last...

Field agencies form UK group. (Field Marketing Association)
September 16, 1993... Field marketing companies have joined forces to launch the Field Marketing Association in a bid to sell their services to UK companies. The FMA believes companies waste money on in-house sales teams. Research by CPM Field Marketing reveals...

All change for a lively new brand. (promoting great marketing standards) (Editorial)
September 16, 1993... It may not always have been obvious to you what this magazine stands for. We hope that it will become increasingly clear. We are under new editorial direction, and like all new brooms we are keen to sweep a little cleaner. Which is not to say...

Lost in the translation? (product marketing)
September 16, 1993... The fabled British tourist who assumes that speaking English loudly is the only concession that needs to be made when communicating with foreigners is an object lesson for UK manufacturers. When it comes to marketing brands in another country,...

Big brands will survive. (brand management)
September 16, 1993... Mark Twain ruefully commented on reading his obituary in a newspaper "reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated". The quote springs to mind in the wake of the recent scaremongering by the press on the supposed demise of the brand. True,...

Taxis' animal magic. (animal rights group wins liveried taxi competition)
September 16, 1993... The response was excellent, the ideas truly imaginative and the artwork was great, but there can only be one winner, and the judges' unanimous decision awarded the RSPCA first prize in the Marketing Magazine/Positive Media's liveried taxi...

Fashioning a new image in Sears stores. (brand management)
September 16, 1993... Knowing who your customers are is key when revamping brands. Sears women's wear marketing director Stella Hartley gives hers pet names. Sally Bain discovers why Putting the customer first is uppermost in the mind of Stella Hartley,...

Response and reaction. (automatic response systems)(includes related article)
September 16, 1993... One of the most remarkable marketing developments of the past few years has been the extent to which consumers are now urged to respond to TV and press advertisements by telephone. With direct response TV (DRTV) the vast majority of the calls...

A telephony revolution. (telemarketing)
September 16, 1993... New technology is transforming the use of the telephone in marketing and sales, but how does it work in practice? Michael Stevens offers a simple guide to the daunting techno-jargon The telephone has started to fulfil its promise as a...

Extraas puts the bite on rivals. (Haagen-Dazs Company Inc.'s new product)
September 23, 1993... Haagen-Dazs, the brand that almost single-handedly created the UK's super-premium ice-cream sector, is hoping to steal a march on the swelling ranks of copycat products with the launch this week of its first major brand extension. Backed...

Asda does a Novon with brand assault. (new laundry products; ASDA Stores Ltd.)
September 23, 1993... Asda is following in the footsteps of Sainsbury's and launching a "branded" range of own-label laundry products. Asda Integra powders hit the market this week and Asda Integra liquids will appear on the shelves next week. A key part of the...

C&G in touch with mothers. (Cow and Gate Ltd.)
September 23, 1993... Leading UK babyfood manufacturer Cow & Gate is boosting support for its new Olvarit brand against growing competition with the launch of two "industry firsts" - a TV sponsorship and long-term direct marketing programme - backed by a 1m...

KP get Carter on marketing. (new KP Foods UK marketing director Will Carter)
September 23, 1993... KP Foods has drafted in its worldwide marketing development chief to fill a gap left after UK marketing director Doug Clydesdale's sudden departure last week. Will Carter is appointed head of the UK team, after just two and a half months...

Compaq takes on home users. (Compaq Computer Corp.)
September 23, 1993... Compaq Computer has finally taken the plunge into the 600m [pounds] consumer computer market and launched a new brand for the growing army of home users. The move marks a major shift in Compaq's marketing strategy. Until now the US company...

HHCL rejigs for the 90s ad mix. (Howell Henry Chaldecott Lury Advertising)
September 23, 1993... Creative hot shop Howell Henry Chaldecott Lury is repositioning itself as an integrated communications agency. This month HHCL took on two below-the-line heavyweights, Chris Satterthwaite and Mark Piper, former managing director and...

Nescafe plans mini-soap ads. (Nestle Enterprises Ltd.)
September 23, 1993... Nescafe this week drops its personality-led advertising approach after 15 years. Gone is the implausible adland of Gareth Hunt, Richard Briers and Andre Agassi. They are to be replaced by a 7m [pounds] marketing push that strives to anchor...

Golden Wonder bags C4 tie-in. (new marketing strategy for cereal; Golden Wonder Ltd.)
September 23, 1993... Golden Wonder has broken new ground in TV tie-ins by striking the first food branding deal with Channel 4's The Big Breakfast. The early morning show, which passed the two million viewer mark for the first time last week, reaches its first...

Pizza Hut makes a hit with 40% recall for its Anglicised campaign. (Pizza Hut (U.K.) Ltd.)
September 23, 1993... Pizza Hut continues to Hit the Hut in its Anglicisation of an American campaign. For the first time Pizza Hut has a campaign which is essentially about eating out and it's remembered by 40% of our sample. Ironically, Pizza Hut now seems like...