Frohlinger's Marketing Report articles from August 1997

Frohlinger's Marketing Report archives from August 1997

HASBRO - PLAYTIME GETS SERIOUS
August 4, 1997... Hasbro has kicked off an international market assessment and is looking hard domestically at brand proliferation as the major business priorities. "We are looking very carefully at the ways in which we do our business. Hasbro} is looking at it on...

TRUE NORTH & BOZELL FINALLY TIE THE KNOT
August 4, 1997... Long mating dance finally over as Bozell, Jacobs, Kenyon & Eckhardt, Inc. acquired by True North Communications. Move doubles size of True North with projected revenues of $1.2 billion. Move expected and necessary for both agency networks as...

NOBODY DOES IT LIKE SARA LEE
August 4, 1997... It looks like musical chairs at Sara Lee as CEO John Bryan prepares for retirement in next 18 months at the multibillion food/apparel/coffee company. Executive Vice President Steve McMillan anointed as heir apparent of the company but a whole...

NABISCO ADDS CONTEMPORARY AD APPROACH
August 4, 1997... Nabisco has redefined advertising approach with insertion of hipper, bolder feel to the company's advertising. Nabisco Holdings Chairman John Greeniaus feels moves are necessary as consumers become harder to reach. "We had advertising developed...

GOODWILL TO ALL
August 4, 1997... Turner Broadcasting is making a major push with integrated corporate marketing programs behind the Goodwill Games to be held in New York next summer. Five top sponsors signed up (includes Canon, Kodak, Discover). "The games will be a strong...

CHANNEL ONE MOVES INTO SECOND GEAR
August 4, 1997... Channel One Network is on an aggressive expansion drive with 16 new advertisers this year noted Martin Grant, President of Sales and Marketing. "That is the greatest number ever as we expanded beyond our base in eating and drinking. We have gone...

YM - AGGRESSIVE EXPANSION
August 4, 1997... YM has made significant circulation inroads in the female market and plans are afoot to aggressively sell the magazine in the marketplace. Publisher Alyce Alston expects solid results in second half; ad pages expected to increase 20% over 1996...

A BLUSHING BRIDE NO MORE
August 4, 1997... Stream of management changes at Bride's Magazine. Publisher Deborah Fine elevates Glenn Pagan to National Sales Director and Katherine Rizzuto upped to Associate Publisher slot. "We've upgraded our management team as we have become more marketing...

SAATCHI'S DRIVETIME
August 4, 1997... Look for retirement of Saatchi Vice Chairman Stan Becker in next three to six month period, report insiders. Becker has long been one of the key people on Saatchi's largest worldwide accounts-Toyota, which bills over $300 million worldwide. "The...

AWESOME, JUST AWESOME
August 4, 1997... TBWA Chiat/Day's Lee Clow has placed creative flag at the top of the world. While many in the industry moan over the lack of outstanding creative leadership, Clow has turned out several world-class signature campaigns recently. The new ads for...

LESS ALLURING?
August 4, 1997... There is a lot of management churn at Allure, Cond Nast's beauty book. Advertising Director Nada Stirratt left last week in a falling out with Publisher Sandy Galonkin. Nada, the No. 2 executive on the business side follows the exit of...

Ad Libs:
August 4, 1997... Merrill Lynch reportedly sold a major portion of Seagram's investment in Time-Warner last week with reports of up to 10% of Seagram's shares sold&A major search is underway to recruit a President of North America for the Whirlpool Corporation, a...

Note to Subscribers:
August 4, 1997... Our next issue, Vol. 10 No. 14 will be out in three weeks. The next issue will be dated August 25, 1997 and our offices will be closed for the next two weeks. Ciao.

PUBLICIS - SIBLING RIVALRY BRINGS TAKEOVER SPECULATION
August 25, 1997... Publicis, trapped in the middle of an embarassing public family feud over control, voting rights and value, is vulnerable to a takeover. Publicis Communications, which is the single largest contributor of Publicis' earnings (close to 80%) could...

KEY BANKS ON SUPERSTORE CONCEPT
August 25, 1997... Key Corp., a Midwestern bank with strong national aspirations, is kicking off new moves following a revamp in its sales training efforts. Vice President Marketing Steve Cone noted new sales methods are working. "The new} sales process is...

FOOD INDUSTRY - NEW PLAYERS, TOUGHER TIMES
August 25, 1997... With a new round of management coming into play on the horizon in the food world and little if any domestic growth, the clear outcome in the industry is even tougher growth levels. A recent McKinsey study predicted 0% growth in the domestic food...

NEW TRADEMARKS ON LIQUOR HORIZON
August 25, 1997... Upstart liquor marketer Sidney Frank is adding several new touches into the marketplace. On the launch pad: Grey Goose Gin. "We will launch a super premium gin in the Fall and back it aggressively," said CEO Sidney Frank.Product priced in upscale...

CLIPPED WINGS
August 25, 1997... There may be a reason why August Busch is no longer flying his own plane anymore. Morale is down at Anheuser-Busch as the company has had a hard time meeting ebullient forecasts set following a strong performance last year (the best of this...

COTY LOOKS FOR NEW LEADER
August 25, 1997... Sources indicate a major recruitment effort is underway at the North American cosmetics fragrance division of Benckiser. The top-level management position is for the president of Coty, one of the nation's top fragrance and cosmetics divisions....

IS LEO THROWING APPLES DOWN THE ELEVATOR?
August 25, 1997... The account switch of McDonald's from Leo Burnett to DDB Needham has been well documented but under the surface several questions go begging. Why would an agency lose/shift so many of its best client service people off the business in the middle...

GOLF - THERE'S MAGIC IN THE AIR
August 25, 1997... One of the most significant sports upsides this year has been golf's resurgence as advertisers have enjoyed sizable bonuses. For the PGA, advertisers enjoyed a 55% increase. With a growing audience of younger demographics, two questions are worth...

GUINNESS, GRAND MET RUMBLINGS
August 25, 1997... As the two large British companies push forward on merger talks, the companies may want to take a look at some problems in forced marriages. Guinness has made it clear in the past that it views consolidation of U.S. distributorships as good...

ARNOLD SALE LOOKS STRONGER
August 25, 1997... It looks like there could be a merger between two old mates in the near future. Look for DDB Needham to pursue an acquisition of Arnold Advertising in the near future. With McDonald's firmly back in DDB's lap for the first time domestically, a...

POLITICALLY INCORRECT
August 25, 1997... Does the boss always want to hear the truth? Well, not always. That may be the way to read the tea-leaves in the aftermath of Campbell's David Johnson successor selection process. "Sometimes it is the way you say things in front of other people...

TELETHONS - AN MODERN ANACHRONISM?
August 25, 1997... One of the major rites of Fall, the Jerry Lewis telethon, is just around the corner. For years, many companies have tapped into the program as a solid charitable program. With costs up significantly and the charities finding it harder and harder...

BOZELL-TN-IT DOES COMPUTE
August 25, 1997... Look for the pairing of Bozell's Poppe Tyson unit and True North's Digital unit in first year merger following November shareholder meeting approval. "It's very likely that the two units will be put together. It makes sense to harmonize them,"...

WOOLWORTH TOP CHANGE
August 25, 1997... A series of top management changes are on the vine at what used to be known as the Woolworth Corporation. "There will be some major changes made in management. There will be a new person in charge of the main specialty stores and that is what's...

SKYY's THE LIMIT
August 25, 1997... Industry officials indicate Skyy is having problems in a major market-California. "The brand has done very well but it may have peaked. They made a major mistake in California and cut price in bars and left stores selling it at a difference...

PACKAGING:IT'S THE GAME
August 25, 1997... Packaging is more than half the game in the marketing world and it works well in the advertising business also. Fallon has done exceptionally well with moderate creativity and phenomenal packaging. Wieden & Kennedy, which was very creative a few...

Ad Libs:
August 25, 1997... Perrier has moved Ice Mountain and Oasis, well-priced premium water products, into West Coast test markets. "The products are doing well and as additional distribution is added in major markets, additional advertising will run," said a Perrier...