Marketing articles from September 2008

Marketing archives from September 2008

Coke Zero rebrands to highlight Bond film tie.
September 3, 2008... Coca-Cola GB will change the name of its Coca-Cola Zero brand to Zero Zero 7 as part of a multimillion-pound global tie-up with forthcoming James Bond film Quantum of Solace. Limited-edition bottles will roll out in the UK next month,...

Hoban leaves finance brand.(Mike Hoban resigns from Scottish Widow's Fund and Life Assurance Society)(Brief article)
September 3, 2008... Mike Hoban, customer and brand marketing director at Scottish Widows, has left his post after three years. Previously a marketer at Barclaycard, he has also held positions at British Airways and Scottish & Newcastle. Hoban joined Scottish...

Bernard Matthews in pounds 3m rescue push.(Brief article)
September 3, 2008... Beleaguered food brand Bernard Matthews Farms hopes to emulate Mark & Spencer and McDonald's by restoring its reputation with a pounds 3m wide-reaching marketing push. Matt Pullen, marketing director at Bernard Matthews Farms, said he had...

Hovis in pounds 13m fight to reinvigorate its brand.
September 3, 2008... Hovis is hoping to claw back share from market leader Warburtons with a pounds 13m marketing campaign to reinvigorate the brand. The Premier Foods-owned brand will run an ad campaign highlighting its heritage. The ad will showcase 100 years...

Virgin FM rebranded Absolute.(Brief article)
September 3, 2008... Virgin Radio will be rebranded Absolute Radio, the name of part of the consortium that bought the station from SMG earlier this year. Virgin Radio was sold for pounds 53m to TIML, part of the Times of India Group, and the radio consultancy...

Debenhams reassigns mag.(Brief article)
September 3, 2008... Debenhams has hired start- up agency Frost Publishing to handle its customer magazine Debenhams Desire, which has a circulation of 750,000. The agency, founded by Jason Frost, the former chief executive of Publicis Blueprint, and Craig...

Burger King health launch.
September 3, 2008... Burger King is launching a product, called Apple Fries, intended to challenge McDonald's fruit bags and offer a healthy alternative to potato french fries. The product, fresh apple pieces cut in the shape of fries, will be trialled in...

Heritable own brand spend.(Brief article)
September 3, 2008... Landsbanki-owned financial services brand Heritable is targeting older consumers with its first above-the-line consumer advertising campaign. A press campaign in the financial supplements of national newspapers will run until the end of...

Times in subscription loyalty card scheme.(Brief article)
September 3, 2008... The Times and Sunday Times are launching a loyalty card scheme called Culture+ in a bid to attract subscribers. The move follows a 10p increase on the cover price for The Times to 80p, and comes as the quality newspaper market in the UK...

Marks & Spencer targets home diners.(Brief article)
September 3, 2008... Marks & Spencer is aiming to capitalise on the growing number of consumers eating at home with a campaign targeting people who like to eat out. In the campaign, which launches next Sunday, the retailer will promote the 'restaurant quality'...

The week in marketing.(Marks and Spencer PLC)(Facebook Inc.)(Sky1 )
September 3, 2008... M&S debuts berry: Aronia, a berry thought to be the healthiest fruit in the world, will be the latest 'superfood' to hit UK store shelves. The berry, which is similar in appearance to a cranberry, will roll out this week in Marks & Spencer. The...

Media: NME to run gigs for Jack Daniel's.(Brief article)
September 3, 2008... IPC's flagship music brand, NME, has agreed a multiplatform deal to promote and broadcast Jack Daniel's with a series of birthday concerts. The deal is part of a range of activity to mark Jack Daniel's birthday in the run up to a Birthday...

Media: Sainsbury's revamps mag.(Brief article)
September 3, 2008... Sainsbury's Magazine is relaunching today (Wednesday) with a new section offering tips on beating the credit crunch. The section, which includes time- and money-saving recipes, is one of several changes. The first new-look issue,...

Media: Christian Aid hires MC&C.(Brief article)
September 3, 2008... Christian Aid has appointed Mike Colling & Co (MC&C) to handle the media planning and buying for its next DRTV campaign. The agency won the business following a pitch. MC&C will work with creative agency Watson Phillips & Norman to develop...

Media: Media Road Test 4Music.(Brief article)
September 3, 2008... - What's new The Hits, a joint venture between Channel 4 and Bauer Media, has been rebranded as 4Music, a move revealed by Marketing earlier this year. - What's in it for viewers The Hits was a faceless, anonymous station playing...

Media brief: LBC 97.3 announces partnership.(Brief article)
September 3, 2008... LBC 97.3, the London commercial talk-radio station, has announced a partnership with the British Travel Awards. The station's audience will vote for their favourite travel brands before the awards, which take place in London on 6 November

Media brief: IKEA relaunches IKEA Family Live.(Brief article)
September 3, 2008... IKEA has relaunched its customer magazine IKEA Family Live with a new look for the autumn issue, which will be available in-store from September. The refresh has been handled by August Media

Media brief: Daily Mail offers free text messages.(Brief article)
September 3, 2008... The Daily Mail is to offer all new users of its MailTxt messaging service 50 free text messages that can be sent to any mobile network worldwide

Media brief: Virgin Media to launch digital version of Electric!(Brief article)
September 3, 2008... Virgin Media is to launch a digital version of its customer magazine Electric! The magazine, published by Redwood Today, targets 18-to 55-year-olds and aims to bridge the gap between the print magazine, the website and regular Electric! email...

Media brief: Global Radio to rebrand Xfm Scotland.(Brief article)
September 3, 2008... Global Radio is to rebrand indie radio station Xfm Scotland as part of its Galaxy dance network this autumn. The relaunch will be overseen by Galaxy's network programme director, Mike Cass

Branding: Marques tap into white-car orders.(Brief article)
September 3, 2008... The number of car brands launching cars and concept vehicles in white has snowballed to meet a rise consumer demand for the retro colour last popular in the 80s. Both Nissan and Honda showed white cars at the London International Motor...

Branding: Stone Cellars in UK debut.(Brief article)
September 3, 2008... Beringer, the California wine brand owned by Foster's Group, is launching its Stone Cellars range in the UK. The premium brand, which goes on sale this month, will be supported by a campaign created by Billington Cartmell that aims to...

Branding: Sudafed adds flu remedies.(Brief article)
September 3, 2008... McNeil-owned healthcare brand Sudafed is adding two cold and flu remedy products to its range. The launch of Congestion and Headache Capsules and Day and Night Capsules will be supported by a pounds 4m marketing drive, which is to run...

Branding: Brand in the news - Pot Noodle.(Brief article)
September 3, 2008... Pot Noodle is scrapping a two-year, pounds 20m ad campaign focusing on healthier credentials. Am I the only one who missed this activity? With Google's help, I learned from Unilever's website that the brand has reduced fat by 5% (from...

Branding brief: Bliss unveils fresh identity.(Brief article)
September 3, 2008... Bliss, a special-care baby charity, has unveiled a fresh brand identity. The overhaul, its first for 10 years, includes changes to the organisation's logo, strapline and website. The redesign, handled by Carter Wong, is intended to coincide...

Branding brief: Specsavers to launch recycled bags.(Brief article)
September 3, 2008... Specsavers, the chain of opticians, is to launch recycled fabric bags featuring an optical illusion as part of an in-store promotion. The bags show a dot-matrix image of a woman wearing spectacles, which comes into focus only from a distance....

Branding brief: Dairy Crest rolls out premium variant.(Brief article)
September 3, 2008... Dairy Crest is rolling out a premium variant of its top-selling cheese brand. Cathedral City Vintage 20 is aimed at consumers who prefer a stronger taste. It will be sold in black packaging, intended to reflect its premium credentials

Branding brief: Cortefiel to make UK debut.(Brief article)
September 3, 2008... Cortefiel, a Spanish retailer, is to make its UK debut through an exclusive deal with Debenhams. The brand will launch concessions in the Guildford and London's Oxford Street department stores, where it will be offering its Cortefiel and...

Digital & Direct: Top Up TV signs PlayPhone deal.(Brief article)
September 3, 2008... Top Up TV, the digital pay-TV service, is joining forces with mobile company PlayPhone to launch a TV channel, called PlayPhone Hits. The venture, which debuts on Top Up TV on Saturday (6 September), is the first time a mobile entertainment...

Digital & Direct: BT.com hands job to Crayon.(Brief article)
September 3, 2008... BT.com has hired Crayon as its retained creative and strategic digital agency for its UK digital marketing communications, as it looks to boost its online presence. It appointed the agency to a two-year contract following a competitive...

Digital & Direct: Guide Dogs in DRTV activity.(Brief article)
September 3, 2008... The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association is targeting potential donors with a direct- response TV campaign to promote its Sponsor a Puppy fundraising product. The campaign, developed by TDA, highlights the work of guide dogs and urges...

Digital & Direct: Digital choice - World Vision.(Brief article)
September 3, 2008... World Vision, a leading relief and development agency, has produced a DM pack that contains a real baby's bottle, which looks like it's filled with dirty, disgusting water. And there's a message in that bottle - if all you could give your child...

Digital & Direct brief: Norwich Union to launch campaign.(Brief article)
September 3, 2008... Norwich Union is launching a direct marketing campaign, devised by TDA, to promote improvements to its equity-release products. The activity will include national press ads, direct mail and door-drops

Digital & Direct brief: Manchester United teams up with mxData.
September 3, 2008... Manchester United Football Club has teamed up with mxData to launch free mobile technology to help its fans get to matches

Digital & Direct brief: MTV UK supports reality show.
September 3, 2008... MTV UK is supporting reality show Totally Calum Best - The Best is Yet to Come with an online game created by digital agency Kerb

Digital & Direct brief: Playboy to launch portal launch.(Brief article)
September 3, 2008... Playboy is launching a lifestyle portal launch in the UK. The as-yet unnamed website will be ad-funded - a different model to its current online offering, which relies on subscriptions

Digital & Direct brief: GlaxoSmithKline launches website.(loveyourmouth.co.uk)(Brief article)
September 3, 2008... GlaxoSmithKline has launched a website to support its Love Your Mouth campaign, to re-engage customers with its five oral-care brands The site, loveyourmouth.co.uk, was created by Swamp.

Digital & Direct brief: V Card agrees deals.(Brief article)
September 3, 2008... V Card, Varsity's student loyalty scheme, which has more than 750,000 members, has agreed affiliate deals with Express by Holiday Inn, Domino's Pizza, Play.com and EA Sports. The tie-ups were brokered by Cocktail Marketing

Digital & Direct brief: Carling iPint.
September 3, 2008... Carling iPint, in last week's Digital Choice, was created by Beattie McGuiness Bungay

Andrew Walmsley on Digital: Facebook's imperfect pitch.
September 3, 2008... Engagement Ads are essentially a form of pyramid selling, and risk alienating site's users as a result. A few years ago, I met up with a group of friends in the living room of a house in Wandsworth, London. We had all known each other for...

News Analysis: Boutique bank bows in.
September 3, 2008... It may be a tough time to launch, but Metro Bank hopes service will give it an edge. A time of economic downturn and credit write-downs seems an odd moment to be launching a new financial services brand - let alone one based on a structure...

News Analysis: Can Westfield hit target?
September 3, 2008... The pounds 1.6bn London megamall will have to work to maintain early momentum. Westfield London, the much-anticipated West London shopping mall, will become the biggest in-town shopping centre in Europe when it opens its doors next month....

Raymond Snoddy on Media: Sun shines on Royal Opera.
September 3, 2008... The Covent Garden opera house is trying to shed its elitist image with a gala for red-top readers. On Monday, Sun readers who pay attention might have received a nasty shock. Not the usual unpleasant details about Amy Winehouse's latest...

Media Analysis: Facing Five's demons.
September 3, 2008... Dawn Airey will have an age-old set of challenges to tackle on her return to Five, writes Jeremy Lee. Dawn Airey, who is expected to make her return to Five as chairman and chief executive next month, may be capable of many things, but even...

Brand Health Check: JJB Sports.
September 3, 2008... The retailer is suffering from its unwavering focus on leisurewear in a tough market. Given how quick JJB Sports was to blame its poor sales figures on the England football team's failure to qualify for this summer's Euro 2008 tournament,...

Mark Ritson on Branding: A mutual attraction.
September 3, 2008... Reader, I met him online. Penguin and Match.com's dating site for book-lovers is a marketer's dream. He saw her first. Glancing up from his laptop, he found himself utterly spellbound at the sight of the deliciously beautiful, very proper,...

Recall: Adwatch 03.09.08.(McDonald's Corp.)(Morrisons)(Tesco PLC)(Statistical table)
September 3, 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? 27.08 Brand Agency/TV buyer % 1 ...

Recall: Adwatch 03.09.08 - McDonald's.(Brief article)
September 3, 2008... The fast-food chain's 'Oriental' ad is exuberant, but ultimately feels cartoonish and unreal. About 12 months ago, I read an interview with a restaurateur from New York. He runs a simple but well-respected short-order place, and struck me...

Profile: Dispelling the food myths.(Ben Pearman, marketing director at Birds Eye)(Interview)
September 3, 2008... Ben Pearman UK marketing director, Birds Eye, is determined to get peas back on the nation's dinner plates. Interview by Gemma Charles. When Ben Pearman was growing up, his post-war generation parents berated him if he failed to eat all...

Opinion: The Marketing Society Forum - Are energy brands justified in increasing marketing spend?
September 3, 2008... Energy costs are skyrocketing and brands are fighting to maintain their consumer base while acquiring new customers. Is it acceptable to hike spend while increasing prices? YES - RAOUL PINNELL, FORMER CHAIRMAN, SHELL BRANDS INTERNATIONAL...

Editor's comment: Turkey brand is taking a risk.(Editorial)(Brief article)
September 3, 2008... Bernard Matthews is spending pounds 3m on a cam-paign that pushes its heritage and portrays its staff as proud employees. It draws inspiration from other 'turnaround' brands, notably McDonald's. In theory, using McDonald's as inspiration...

Blog of the week: Regional press.
September 3, 2008... It's all too easy to sneer at the local press, with preconceptions of parochial stories of village fetes, speed bumps and planning disputes. Unfortunately, and despite the efforts of the Newspaper Society, it's difficult to make the...

Strategy: Feminisation of brands.
September 3, 2008... Consumers are shunning macho approaches to marketing, write Philippa Roberts and Jane Cunningham. With 'guyliner' hitting the shelves at Superdrug, and Angelina Jolie replacing Tom Cruise as the action hero du jour, it is clear that the...

Sector Insight: Cordials and squash - Health focus raises interest.
September 3, 2008... Squash and cordial manufacturers are tapping into healthy-eating trends in their fight for share against rival soft drinks. By Jane Bainbridge. Today's children may find it hard to believe, but when their grandparents were young Ribena was...

Market research: Market research leagues.
September 3, 2008... Tried-and-tested methods continue to work for the industry, but agencies are having to innovate, too, writes Mary Cowlett. When the managing director of one of the UK's most prominent international market research firms reportedly quipped...

Helpline.
September 3, 2008... Joe Thomas takes the hassle out of finding the right product or service - you ask the question, he'll provide the answer. CAMPUS CAPERS Q: We would like to promote our business on the campus of our local university. Who can help us...

Careers: What it's really like inside - Google.(Interview)
September 3, 2008... As Google celebrates its 10th anniversary this month, what is the main marketing challenge you face? Measurability. We want to be able to gauge the success of our campaigns, not just in terms of the brand, but also the influence our...

Careers: Brand manager of the week - Anton Colton, Online marketing manager, O2.(Interview)(Brief article)
September 3, 2008... Describe yourself in three words. Charming, easy-going, diplomatic. How would you define marketing? Product, place, price, planning, persistence, patience and a fantastic promotion. What advice would you give someone starting...

Careers: Me & My Mentor - Cheryl Calverley, Marketing manager - Marmite, Unilever.(Occupation overview)(Brief article)
September 3, 2008... My marketing mentor is Matt Burgess, managing director of UK Chrysalis brands (Pot Noodle, Peperami, Marmite and Bovril). Having worked with him for the past three years, he has taught me how to think around a problem and examine every way that...

Marketing Mole: Who does Google think you are? - Dianne Thompson Chief executive, Camelot.(Interview)
September 3, 2008... - The official Camelot profile of Thompson means there can be no mistake establishing her background and position within the company However, none of the links refers to anything post-2006. - An interview and a press release from 2006 do...

Marketing Mole: We'll Call You - Foxtons.
September 3, 2008... We are keen to get onto the property ladder, but given the parlous state of the current housing market, is it really a good idea to go flat-hunting? Foxtons: Hello, Foxtons. Mktg: Hi, I'm interested in purchasing a flat, but I don't...

Marketing Mole: Name that brand.
September 3, 2008... Launched in the 1840s, this product is designed to clean, polish and protect household metals. In 1907 its print ads used the strapline 'So much depends on it'. The brand retains an old-fashioned metal can packaging. Can you name this...

Government shifts ads focus to target jobless.(Department for Work and Pensions)(Brief article)
September 10, 2008... The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is creating an over-arching campaign focusing on promoting the benefits of employment as part of its plans to cut numbers of long-term benefits claimants. The department is planning a pounds 6m...

Birds Eye adds eat-out team.(Brief article)
September 10, 2008... Birds Eye has launched a division to secure listings for its products in pubs, leisure centres and schools. Birds Eye Foodservice will aim to generate a turnover of pounds 20m over the next four to five years by marketing the company's...

Levi's readies global 501's drive.(EVB)(Duke/Razorfish )(Brief article)
September 10, 2008... Levi's is targeting a new generation of jeans-wearers through its first global marketing campaign for its iconic 501 brand. It will also be 501's first marketing activity in more than four years. The TV element includes four ads...

Cancer Research and ISP clash over cigarette ban.
September 10, 2008... The sales promotion industry has branded proposals to ban displays of cigarettes in retail outlets 'misplaced and wrong'. Speaking as the Department of Health (DOH) consultation on the future of tobacco control closes this week, the...

Jobsite readies pounds 15m activity.(Brief article)
September 10, 2008... Jobsite, the recruitment website, has hired Hooper Galton to handle a pounds 15m integrated marketing campaign, which, it claims, will be the biggest marketing investment ever made by a UK job site. The agency, which was hired following a...

Hotel chain in pricing shift.(InterContinental Hotels Group )(Brief article)
September 10, 2008... InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) is planning to launch several hotel brands as it shifts from a price-targeted business toward a customer preference-led model. Andrew Cosslett, chief executive of IHG, said the group is developing brands...

Drinks firm in agency hunt.(Brief article)
September 10, 2008... Constellation Brands, which owns wine brands including Hardys and Robert Mondavi, plans to appoint its first agency roster. The company, which also produces beers and spirits, has approached several agencies regarding the business, which is...

SABMiller takes on female beer market.(Brief article)
September 10, 2008... SABMiller is preparing to launch an beer brand aimed at female consumers across its global markets. Helen Pyman, global marketing development director at SABMiller, said that although the activity so far had been confined to local markets,...

Mobile brand global work.(Brief article)
September 10, 2008... Sony Ericsson is planning a global on- and offline marketing campaign to support the launch of its X1 smart-phone. The handset is the first product from its sub-brand Xperia. Sony hopes the X1 will challenge the iPhone and BlackBerry...

Royal Mail to showcase business service record.(Brief article)
September 10, 2008... Royal Mail is to unveil a multi-million-pound ad campaign in an attempt to fend off competition from rivals. The marketing drive, which is called 'Partners for Growth' and showcases how Royal Mail has helped business customers, breaks in...

The Week in Marketing.(Premier Foods is launching Fancy brand)(Peugeot is launching low-cost motor )(Nike is releasing the latest tranche )
September 10, 2008... Halloween Fancies: Premier Foods is launching a limited-edition variant of its French Fancy brand, called Fiendish Fancies, for Halloween. The cakes, out next month in packs of 12, will have orange and black icing. Innocent veg launch:...

Media: C4 restructures marketing team.(Brief article)
September 10, 2008... Channel 4 has announced a reshuffle of its marketing department, which will expand to include research and insight. The department, which currently comprises teams from off-air marketing, press and publicity and in-house creative agency 4...

Media: Media Road Test The Daily Telegraph.(Brief article)
September 10, 2008... - What's new 'For the first time in its long and distinguished history,' The Daily Telegraph announced pompously, 'every page will be in colour'. It has used the usual meaningless hyperbole to describe the 'brilliant', 'exciting' changes....

Media: Kiss launches online player.(Kiss Radio)(Brief article)
September 10, 2008... Kiss Radio, the broadcast network owned by Bauer, is launching a full-service online radio player that will pull together the highlights from its network of stations and TV channel. The radio player, called 'Kube', will offer live...

Media: VBS to back book scheme.(Brief article)
September 10, 2008... Viacom Brand Solutions (VBS), the sales house for MTV, VH1, Nickelodeon and Paramount Comedy, is launching a campaign to encourage children to read. The scheme will be created and run in partnership with Leapfrog and the National Schools...

Media brief: DoH hires Mediaedge:cia.(Brief article)
September 10, 2008... The Department of Health (DoH) has hired Mediaedge:cia to the pounds 12m media account for its campaign to raise awareness of the risk of strokes. MEC beat off Manning Gottlieb OMD to win the pitch, which was called in May

Media brief: Nokia and BBC announce partnership.(Brief article)
September 10, 2008... Nokia and the BBC have announced a partnership in which BBC iPlayer will be supported on the Nokia N96, which is released in the UK next month. The handset will be the first with the capability to download programmes from the BBC's...

Media brief: London street vendors to sell Economist.
September 10, 2008... The Economist is to go on sale from street vendors in targeted London locations in an attempt to boost circulation and broaden its readership

Media brief: Computeach retains MediaVest Manchester.
September 10, 2008... Computeach has retained MediaVest Manchester on its pounds 3m media account following a three-way pitch that included Brilliant Leeds and McCann Erickson Central

Media brief: IPC appoints Tinsley.(Victoria Tinsley has been appointed)(Brief article)
September 10, 2008... IPC has appointed Victoria Tinsley as senior marketing manager for its homes titles Livingetc and 25 Beautiful Homes. A former marketing manager for IPC's Hobbies & Outdoor Group, Tinsley has also held marketing positions at the Financial Times...

Branding: Grocers to stage value fightback.(Brief article)
September 10, 2008... The UK's biggest supermarkets are shifting their focus from premium own-brands to value ranges to compete with the rapid growth of discounters including Aldi and Lidl. Tesco is understood to be planning the launch of an additional...

Branding: Yop overhaul targets mums.(Brief article)
September 10, 2008... Yoplait is revamping its yoghurt drink Yop for the second time in 18 months to increase the product's appeal to teens and mums. The fresh packaging, created by Springetts, carries a new typeface and a pink, red and purple swirl design. It...