Frohlinger's Marketing Report articles from April 1998

Frohlinger's Marketing Report archives from April 1998

VIACOM HAS THE LAST LAUGH.
April 6, 1998... Viacom Inc. CEO Sumner Redstone in midst of massive corporate restructure. Media chieftain bullish on movies and cable interests in wake of decision to remove Simon & Schuster book division from core of company. "1998 will mark the revenge...

LEGAL BEAGLES SNIFF AROUND.
April 6, 1998... Now that tobacco has been dealt a serious blow, look some of the major consumer groups to mount attacks on other industries. Beer, soft drinks, snacks and candy are logical targets for some of the public interest groups to target the8ir...

MILLER DRAFTS NEW STRATEGIES.
April 6, 1998... Miller's Vice President, Marketing Jack Rooney hikes ad efforts for eight brands in Miller portfolio with major revamp on Miller Lite following distributor meetings. Miller's focus on Lite and Miller Genuine Draft main highlights with a...

SERGIO MOVING TO McDONALD's?
April 6, 1998... Will Sergio Zyman play inside the Big Mac umbrella? Coke's former top marketing executive could well be ticketed to Chicago. "There is a lot of heat on at McDonald's to replace the top guy and it is a real issue for them," said an insider at...

SHADES OF THE MEAT-PACKING BUSINESS.
April 6, 1998... The purchase of Arnold by Snyder Communications for $120 million brings back memories of Jim Marlas' Mickelberry Corp. when it tried to get into the advertising business in the early 1980s. Strategy by Snyder to pay a high multiple for Arnold...

WILL LIGHTNING STRIKE AGAIN?
April 6, 1998... Rumors are floating around the Bay community about the relationship between Lowe/SMS and Sun Microsystems. The departure of Bob Jeffrey to sunnier headquarters in New York with J. Walter Thompson kicked off speculation which has resurfaced...

NICK-IT'S OUT THERE.
April 6, 1998... Nickelodeon, the kids network of Viacom, is in the early stages of an advertising review for its $25 million advertising budget. Nickelodeon, one of the budding stars in the cable works with its strong grip on the children's market, has begun...

ULTRA-FEM PROBLEMS.
April 6, 1998... The feminine personal care products marketer is rejiggering its management team following its decision to enter Chapter 11 last week. The company is looking to rebuild its management from top to bottom. Bozell CEO Chuck Peebler resigned as a...

DOUGHBOY SHUFFLE.
April 6, 1998... It's taking longer than expected for the Pillsbury Company to find a President for the United States division. "Rob Hawthorne is a great delegator and it is a good job. The business is under a lot of pressure but there are some terrific...

BROWN FORMAN TOURING.
April 6, 1998... Brown-Forman is believed to have the inside track on the sale of the George Dickel bourbon line up for grabs. Brown-Forman has done well with its sideline business of tourism (the spirits company does well with its winery tours for Fetzer)....

BRUSH IT UP.
April 6, 1998... Arm & Hammer will be spending aggressively on its new efforts behind Arm & Hammer Gum. "We are going to be spending double digits in print and television," said Vice President, Advertising Henry Kornhauser. Ad flights targeted for early May...

BANANA REPUBLIC GOES FORMAL.
April 6, 1998... The Banana Republic is in the early stages of an Advertising review for its $20 million Advertising budget. Gap has become one of the most aggressive spenders in the retail category. The Banana Republic is positioned to a higher-end retail...

IT's NOT EASY BEING A MOVIE TYCOON.
April 6, 1998... Seagram President Edgar Bronfman Jr's remark on a sliding pay-scale for movie ticket prices has drawn lots of thumbs-down from industry veterans. Bronfman did raise concern about the company's relatively meager stock evaluation....

DON'T BOTHER.
April 6, 1998... AST Research is going for a very low profile in the upcoming months said Advertising Director Marty Carroll. "We did not renew with Anderson & Lembke last month and that is because we're going through this quarter by quarter. We simply don't...

NEW POLISH TIME.
April 6, 1998... Look for top-level management changes in near future at Del Laboratories, Inc. Changes in the marketing ranks are expected shortly. "Del has been on a strong streak shortly and sales were up 13% last year to $263 million. Marketing and...

SECOND "AB" FOR MICHELOB.
April 6, 1998... Current ad efforts for Michelob miss the mark. There is a need for a premium American beer and the question is whether Michelob will get it right the second at bat. New ad efforts okay but not a home run. There is a classic opportunity to...

SEE THE LIGHT.
April 6, 1998... A product that has succeeded on its own merits has been metal halide lightning. Advanced Lighting Technologies (ALT) is now marketing the first application of metal halide technology for table lamps in the residential and lodging markets...

Ad Libs:.
April 6, 1998... Gene Bartley promoted for job well done at Bozell New York with promotion to head of Bozell's domestic operations. Is anybody running J. Walter Thompson's new business department? It's strike three in New York, strike three in Chicago&Body...

PEPSI PRETTY.(Company Business and Marketing)(Buyers Guide)
April 20, 1998... Almost coincidentally at the same moment in time as Coke, Pepsi has changed its top marketing ranks. Pepsi's Chief Marketing Officer Brian Sweete has reportedly left the company, report Pepsi insiders (FMR reported move in the works June,...

NABISCO LOOKS AROUND.(Company Business and Marketing)(Brief Article)
April 20, 1998... RJR Nabisco Chief Steve Goldstone is playing his cards close to the vest following the failure of tobacco negotiations but changes are expected at the company's Nabisco division. "We're looking at all of our assets carefully at Nabisco and...

OMNICOM SEARCHES FOR LEADERSHIP.(Company Operations)
April 20, 1998... Trial balloon sent up by Omnicom Chairman John Wren to tap former GGT Chairman Mike Greenlees as TBWA Chiat/Day President makes sense.Wren bailed GGT out of financial ruin after its New York agency was fired by Procter & Gamble and...

HALLMARK ON THE LINE.(DDB Needham, Young & Rubicam vie for account )(Company Business and Marketing)(Brief Article)
April 20, 1998... There are serious discussions on-going over the Hallmark account which Leo Burnett has handled since the early 1980's. DDB Needham, Young & Rubicam and Messner Vetere Berger McNamee Schmetterer Euro RSCG reportedly are the three agencies...

INSURANCE FRENZY.(Company Business and Marketing)(Brief Article)
April 20, 1998... The planned merger of Citicorp and Travelers Group has huge implications for the insurance industry, CitiGroup, which would have over $700 billion in assets and over 100 million customers worldwide, has kicked off a frenzy in the insurance...

DELTA GROUNDED.(Saatchi & Saatchi campaign)(Company Business and Marketing)(Brief Article)
April 20, 1998... Delta Airlines is moving slowly but surely to change its cautious Southern style with a more aggressive global and branded approach. The departure of former Vice President, Marketing Tom Coggin seen as a breath of fresh air in Delta ranks....

MILLER UPS ANTE.(Company Business and Marketing)(Brief Article)
April 20, 1998... Miller Beer, the Philip Morris division, is looking to sharpen its advertising focus this year but has affirmed its strength and conviction to its distributor network. "We have told our distributors with a clear pointed message that our...

US NEWS REALIGNS.(Company Business and Marketing)(Brief Article)
April 20, 1998... New management structure in at US News & World Report as Advertising Director Pat Hagerty in line for Publisher promotion. Julian Lowin likely to move from top advertising position at New York Daily News to Associate Publisher of U.S. News...

LEVER GOES UNISEX ROUTE.(Company Business and Marketing)(Brief Article)
April 20, 1998... Lever's Elida Faberge is launching a unisex deodorant-based range called Phisio Sport. The range, scheduled to launch initially in England in June, will include deodorant, body spray, shampoo and shower gel products and will be backed by a...

FINANCIAL CHANGES.(Company Business and Marketing)(Brief Article)
April 20, 1998... Several financial titles are in a state of confusion. McDonald Communications' Individual Investor is reportedly being shopped around. The future of two additional financial magazines is also unclear. Financial World is also reportedly on...

GEOCITIES LANDS NEW STAR.(Company Operations)
April 20, 1998... Tom Evans, the President & Publisher of U.S. News, has joined the Gold Rush movement towards Silicon Valley. With fast-rising salary packages and stock option plans, the excitement over the Internet and its rising tide is a powerful lure....

TRICON GAME DOWN TO TWO.(Company Business and Marketing)(Brief Article)
April 20, 1998... The estimated $400 million media budget assignment from Tricon is now down to three agencies as Foote, Cone & Belding has slipped out of the race. Sources close to Tricon point to BBDO and Young & Rubicam, two long-time Tricon agencies as...

SONY - DIVIDE AND CONQUER.(Company Business and Marketing)(Brief Article)
April 20, 1998... Sony's PlayStation is likely to divide and conquer. The successful video division is in the process of splitting into two divisions with distinct software and hardware division. "There is a lot of sense structurally to that case and we will...

BIDDING WAR FOR OUTDOOR.(Hicks & Muse and Bill Reagan top bidders for )(Company Business and Marketing)(Brief Article)
April 20, 1998... Martin Outdoor, a leading outdoor billboard firm is on the auction block. Hicks & Muse and Bill Reagan are rumored to be the two leading contenders for the firm. Reagan, the former principal of Reagan Outdoor, is looking to get back into...

SPRINT ON THE LINE.(Company Business and Marketing)(Brief Article)
April 20, 1998... Sprint, the No. 3 domestic telcom marketer, is looking around for senior-level marketing help. "It looks like there is a major spot open at the company, they are casting a wide net and talking to lots of pretty high level marketing and...

REMY CHANGES IN THE AIR?(Marshall Berkowitz to be tapped as the next CEO of Pernod Ricard's Remy Martin)(Company Operations)(Brief Article)
April 20, 1998... Look for Marshall Berkowitz to be tapped as the next CEO of Pernod Ricard's Remy Martin division by the summer. Move pending as Wild Turkey brand shaking loose from Heublein in States. Wild Turkey brand expected to land inside Pernod arm....

FORBES ON THE MARCH.(Company Business and Marketing)(Brief Article)
April 20, 1998... Forbes, the category leader in the financial magazine market, is on a roll. The new Forbes 500 issue carries 311 ad pages, up 82 pages over last year's title. Year-to-date, ad pages are up 4.6% through May. Preeminent magazine recorded over...

STOLI MOVING?(Company Business and Marketing)(Brief Article)
April 20, 1998... There has been a great deal of speculation about Stoli Vodka shifting gears under the new portfolio alignments inside Diageo. Look for Stoli to move into Somerset-Schiefflin side of liquor company. "They don't really have a major imported...

COKE SENDS A SIGNAL.(Kirshenbaum & Bond agency gets contract)(Company Business and Marketing)(Brief Article)
April 20, 1998... Assignment given to Kirshenbaum & Bond agency on Coke can be interpreted two ways. Underscores power and influence of Coke CEO Doug Ivester in wake of exit of Sergio Zyman. Sends message to financial community over Ivester's power in brand...

BBH ON PROWL.(top management sought for New York office)
April 20, 1998... BBH, the touted British ad agency, is on the prowl for top management to open up its New York office. The British network now owned by Leo Burnett has given the assignment for tapping a CEO and creative leader to Ty Montague's spouse. "She...

BACARDI - IPO TIME?
April 20, 1998... The high price paid by Bacardi to purchase Dewar's may push the family-held business in another direction-the public sector. Industry executives predict the very high price, $1.9 billion, was an unwarranted premium and long-term may leave...

Ad Libs:.
April 20, 1998... David Verklin named CEO of Carat's domestic operations smart move&Mike Silver considered crucial to Heineken assignment move. Silver angling for top management position with new firm, report sources& Publicis irons out family woes, ends...