Frohlinger's Marketing Report articles from November 1998

Frohlinger's Marketing Report archives from November 1998

GARTH BOOKS REVOLUTIONIZES MUSIC MARKETING.
November 2, 1998... The launch of Garth Brooks new CD Double Live will be backed with the most aggressive marketing campaign ever developed for a new title. "This represents a major departure for the record industry because we will be spending significant...

CONSULTANTS EXPAND INTO TRADITIONAL AD AGENCIES FRAMEWORK.
November 2, 1998... What began as a slow march has turned into a full stampede with at least seven major searches out for senior consulting executives to join traditional advertising agencies. Moves started by Young & Rubicam Advertising and followed recently...

CITIBANK TURMOIL.
November 2, 1998... The high pitch of executive angst at Citicorp can be heard down Park Avenue as a result of the merger between Citi and Travelers. "This one is very volatile. It has gotten very nasty and anyone who thinks this is a merger is nuts. This is a...

HACHETTE CLEANS UP THE PLATE.
November 2, 1998... Hachette Publishing has put Eating Well on the auction block. The magazine is being sold after several years of non-growth. Hachette purchased the property from Montreal-based Telemedia. "The problem with the magazine is that it does not...

DIAL GIVES ANOTHER TWIST.
November 2, 1998... The Dial Corporation is pounding the streets for a Senior Vice President, Marketing. Void created by the abrupt departure of Scott McHenry in the summer. "The company has come out of the gate strong. They have done well resurrecting some of...

KELLOGG'S CRUNCH TIME.
November 2, 1998... The Kellogg Company, trying to whip itself around with several major initiatives. has kicked off another large profile move. Kellogg's is looking for a President of its North American food operations. "The company is looking around for a...

FIDELITY FLOPS.
November 2, 1998... The new advertising campaign from Fidelity leaves a lot to be desired. Insertion of Fidelity icon Peter Lynch in advertising a smart move but the ads have such a stiff cardboard feeling to them that it is hard to develop any appreciation for...

QUAKER FLEXES MUSCLE.
November 2, 1998... Quaker Oats, which is beefing up its new products arsenal for its flagship Gatorade brand, is also looking for some top marketing help. Quaker is looking around for a Senior Vice President, Marketing, a move which has surprised many since the...

J&J's HEADACHES AND PROMISES.
November 2, 1998... There are heads turning left and right at Johnson & Johnson Company's McNeil unit over the company's flagship Tylenol brand. "The business has gotten much softer recently. The advertising is terrific. It's turning more of an emotional key...

PEPSI'S STILL THE ONE.
November 2, 1998... A major realignment has been put into place by top PepsiCo marketer Phil Marineau. Pepsi's president has recruited Don Quigley, the top sales executive from California based brewery Pete's Wicked Ale, to join Pepsi as the head of national...

MOLSON SHAKEUP.
November 2, 1998... Heads are rolling in Toronto as a management shakeup is underway Molson. John Barnett, CEO of Molson Breweries, was forced to resign his position with the official date set for mid-November. A full-scale search for a replacement is...

NEWSWEEK REBOUNDS.
November 2, 1998... Newsweek Publisher Carolyn Wall feels the new regional sales management team in place is poised to pay off. "The team seems much more focused and the jobs are aligned much more specifically. The results will demonstrate that," said Wall. One...

CONDE NAST PICKS A WINNER.
November 2, 1998... Decision by Conde Nast CEO Steve Florio to change publishers one more time this year with new publisher at Allure actually seen as a good choice. Decision to move Erica Bartman into publisher's role held by Sandy Golonkin not unexpected....

PHASE ONE EXPANDS.
November 2, 1998... Major Internet research program underway by Phase One. Los Angeles based company on leading edge with litmus test for advertising agencies and clients to evaluate commercials. Vice Chairman Sean Driscoll confirmed that the company has met...

Ad Libs:.
November 2, 1998... Major unrest continues at Campbell Soup. "Lots of unhappiness in the ranks there. It is getting ready to erupt. Watch it," said a source with senior connections at Campbell Soup&CNN has a major search out for a SVP, Strategic Marketing. News...

DURK JAGR HOLDS CENTER COURT.
November 16, 1998... Procter & Gamble's New President Durk Jagr will do nothing less than redefine the face of advertising within the next ten days to two weeks. In that timeframe, a decision is expected that will expand the P&G conflict policy inside...

BEAM IT UP.
November 16, 1998... While much attention has been focused on narrow bandwidth, major changes are afoot in Europe and in the U.S. that likely will shake up the Internet and advertising community. Rupert Murdoch's Sky Networks is rolling out this month its Sky...

FEED THE BEASTS.
November 16, 1998... At some point in the very new future, the larger advertising ad agency holding companies will come to a brick wall in terms of major ad agency acquisitions. It will become increasingly harder for Interpublic Group and Omnicom to keep on...

BESTFOODS KEEPS FOCUS.
November 16, 1998... Bestfoods management recently told the investment community that expansion will be a major thrust forward for the company. Using its lead brand Knorr as the driver, Bestfoods has entered 13 new countries in Eastern Europe and Asia and has...

MERCK REJIGGERS RX FLOW.
November 16, 1998... Merck's CEO Ray Gilmartin has told the investment company that the drug firm will continue to drive top-line growth while significantly investing in R&D and SG&A continues on plan. Newly launched products are performing in line with...

LADIES HOME JOURNAL CHANGES WITH THE TIMES.
November 16, 1998... Publisher Michael Brownstein keeps venerable women's service publication in fast forward mode. Ladies Home Journal, a Meredith property, on track to achieve increase to 1540 ad pages this year (up 100 pages from last year). Major plusses...

DANONE SEARCH GETS LUMPY.
November 16, 1998... The search for a Senior Vice President of Marketing at Danone in the U.S. is moving into its ninth month. "The company needs to rethink the way it treats its American players. They don't treat people well in the States and that is a real...

NEW SPROUTS.
November 16, 1998... Tri-Valley Growers in California is about to kick off a CEO search, report reliable sources. "They had some people in there who didn't work out. The word is that they are about to kick off a CEO search," said a senior industry executive.

Ad Libs:.
November 16, 1998... Two of True North's agencies were in the recent IBM consolidation in the interactive area (RGA and Modem Interactive)&Foote, Cone & Belding strengthens UK operations with purchase of Banks Hoggins O'Shea agency (shares S.C. Johnson and...

EUROPEAN AUTO MARKET BACKFIRES.
November 30, 1998... A round of automobile/ad agency mashing is underway on a regional and global basis as several major German auto producers try to thrash out new local and global realignment policies. Mercedes-Benz, which has used an mixed bag of advertising...

BROADCAST CHANGES ON TAP.
November 30, 1998... On December 17th , the FCC may consider seven new mass media ownership rules, pertaining to 1) the radio/television one-to-a-market rule, 2) television duopoly, 3) TV local marketing agreements (aka LMAs), 4) broadcast ownership attribution,...

GLAMOUR TOPS CHARTS TWICE.
November 30, 1998... Glamour has turned in another blockbuster performance in 1998. Publisher Mary Berner reports that for the second consecutive year, ad pages in the magazine are up significantly. Glamour was up 7% in 1998 and surpassed the 2,000 ad page...

AOL SHOWS NEW STRIPES.
November 30, 1998... America Online Inc.'s acquisition of Netscape Communications Corp hikes the pressure on other Internet companies to strengthen and merge. The key development in AOL's deal is that the company will try to develop value added end-to-end...

POP GOES THE BUBBLY.
November 30, 1998... With the need to keep Seagram's shareholders increasingly happy, the company has placed its Mumm and Perrier division on the auction block (FMR, prediction June 1997). "The company is looking at scale in many markets and found that it really...

BACARDI SNIFFING.
November 30, 1998... Rumors have kicked up around Bacardi and the liquor company's need to diversify its portfolio. Sources close to Bacardi report that the company has been looking to expand its way into the vodka market and has looked closely at two...

BOOK IT.
November 30, 1998... Barnes & noble.com has kicked off a major fourth quarter integrated marketing campaign with a strong television emphasis. Vice President, Marketing John Rindlaub Jr. said the company has been looking for ways to differentiate itself in the...

ANGOTTI SHIFTS.
November 30, 1998... Look for Angotti, Thomas Hedge agency to merge into Gotham agency, a division of Ammirati & Puris Lintas which has evolved from a principal-Maybelline only agency to a complete agency status with AOL among its major clients. Angotti...

HAVAS LOOKS FOR MORE FIXINGS ON U.S. PLATE.
November 30, 1998... Euro RSCG, which has been on a strong new business streak in the United States and globally, is actively looking for acquisitions in the United States, said Euro RSCG CEO Bob Schmetterer. "We have no debt now and we've assumed a fairly...

BAUSCH & LOMB EYES CHANGES.
November 30, 1998... Bausch & Lomb insiders feel the company will come to terms in the next nine months on key business objectives. Following the integration of surgical acquisitions, the company is seeking a value enhancement from either a potential sale or...

CAMPBELL SOUP LOOKS FOR DIFFERENCE.
November 30, 1998... Campbell's market share has improved over the last three quarters and core products like Red & White, Chunky and Healthy Request are doing well. This is shown by the company's improving base share vs. incremental share. In cookies & crackers,...

BIG G RESTRUCTURES.
November 30, 1998... General Mills announced a $32 million after tax or $0.21 a share restructuring charge that will be recognized in the second quarter. Management is streamlining a number of operations including packaged food, foodservice and milling. The...

HERSHEY TASTES SWEET.
November 30, 1998... Hershey continues to improve its core chocolate and non-chocolate confection segments. In the key chocolate segment of the market, market share improved on a dollar basis and market share, determined by volume, held steady at 44%. As a...

INT'L HOME FOODS HITS BUMPS.
November 30, 1998... It is well documented that IHF has had difficulty in core categories like canned pasta and tuna. In canned pasta, Chef Boyardee has reported material volume declines and market share has dropped. Trade efficiency has also declined but base...

NABISCO COMES BACK.
November 30, 1998... The latest market share data show some top-line numbers coming back in volume growth for cookies and crackers for Nabisco. In crackers, core brands like Wheat Thins, Ritz, Saltines and Triscuits, market share is up modestly. In cookies,...

Ad Libs:.
November 30, 1998... Edelman Public Relations Worldwide named Harry Pforzheirrer, III General Manager of its Silicon Valley office& Former Molson Breweries CEO John Barnett shift from brewery to Rothmans in Canada (40% owned by Philip Morris) seen as desire by...