Marketing Week
11 September 2008

  • Webb quits Trinity Mirror

    Tue, 16 Sep 2008

    Trinity Mirror managing director Richard Webb has left the company following the announcement of a wider restructure of the publisher. Mark Hollinshead, managing director of the Scottish Daily Record and Sunday Mail, will add Webb's responsibilities to his current role.

  • A Motorola comeback will take more than talking the talk

    Thu, 11 Sep 2008

    Handset manufacturer Motorola is beefing up its marketing team with up to 15 new roles as it attempts to reverse its fortunes with a "product-led recovery".

  • ABC appoints former Unilever chief

    Thu, 11 Sep 2008

    The Audit Bureau of Circulations has appointed former Unilever marketing chief Jerry Wright as chief executive. He replaces Chris Boyd, who is leaving the role after eight years in November.

  • Adidas to build London Olympic venues

    Thu, 11 Sep 2008

    Adidas has committed 1m to the development of a new sporting venue in each of the five London boroughs hosting London 2012. The adiZones are part of the sports brand's 100m investment in the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games as offical sportswear brand.

  • Aegon signs major tennis sponsorship deal

    Tue, 16 Sep 2008

    Aegon, the pensions and life insurance company, has been unveiled as the headline sponsor of the Queen's Club tennis tournament as part of a landmark, five-year deal with British Tennis. Aegon takes over from InBev lager brand Stella Artois, which had been associated with the tournament for 30 years.

  • Air France appoints BEC to market frequent flyer programme

    Wed, 17 Sep 2008

    Air France UK and Ireland has appointed integrated agency BEC London to handle the direct and digital marketing of its frequent flyer programme, Flying Blue. BEC won the business without a pitch.

  • ASA bans 'cheaper than John Lewis' B&Q press ad

    Thu, 11 Sep 2008

    B&Q has been criticised by the Advertising Standards Authority for a press ad that claimed a light could be bought at the retailer for 50 less than at John Lewis.

  • BAA puts Gatwick airport up for sale

    Wed, 17 Sep 2008

    BAA has put Gatwick airport up for sale following concerns raised by the Competition Commission over BAA's market dominance. Analysts are predicting the airport, London's second largest after Heathrow, could fetch between £2bn to £3bn.

  • Bacardi names Y&R as global agency of record

    Tue, 16 Sep 2008

    Y&R has been handed a further two Bacardi advertising assignments as the spirits company confirms the WPP-owned network as its global agency of record for the 100m rum account. Y&R adds Bacardi Flavors and Bacardi Gold Rum to the flagship Bacardi account it won in 2005.

  • Beck's puts BTL account up for pitch

    Wed, 17 Sep 2008

    Inbev's Beck's beer brand is pitching its below-the-line account as part of its push to target the take-home market. It is understood that a number of undisclosed agencies have already started pitching for the business.

  • Brand ambassadors teach Setanta a lesson. Will Stella learn the hard way too?

    Fri, 12 Sep 2008

  • Branson campaigns against BA - AA merger

    Fri, 12 Sep 2008

    Update: Sir Richard Branson says he will do "whatever it takes" to stop the proposed merger of British Airways and American Airlines. He made the comments as †he revealed plans to paint the entire Virgin Atlantic fleet with slogan "No way BA-AA".

  • British Gas launches Generation Green TV campaign

    Mon, 15 Sep 2008

    British Gas is launching a TV campaign to support its Generation Green schools initiative. The campaign, created by CHI & Partners, will launch today (September 15).

  • Brothers & Sisters wins 10m Sky Networks ad account

    Mon, 15 Sep 2008

    Red Brick Road has lost the 10m Sky Networks advertising business to Brothers & Sisters, which already handles advertising for Sky Sports. The move sees RBR lose its place on BSkyB advertising roster after just over a year.

  • BSkyB puts Picnic plans on hold

    Fri, 12 Sep 2008

    BSkyB is putting plans for its Freeview subscription service Picnic on hold due to the lengthy delay caused by an Ofcom investigation into the pay TV market.

  • ByBox

    Fri, 12 Sep 2008

    Product: ByBox

  • Canon reviews 50m Euro media account

    Thu, 11 Sep 2008

    Canon is reviewing its 50m pan-European media planning and buying account. It is understood that European incumbent Mediaedge:cia is not repitching for the account.

  • Car firms to focus on green features

    Thu, 11 Sep 2008

    Leading car manufacturers are set to use next month's Paris motor show to put a spotlight on new hybrid and low-carbon models.

  • Chris Ingram: On the digital democratisation of media

    Wed, 17 Sep 2008

    After World War II, in ten short years ad agencies swung rapidly from great hardship and limited scope in the Fifties, with strict newspaper rationing and no commercial TV or radio, to their full pomp and power in the Sixties, when they often dictated marketing strategy to clients. Rules evolved then ...

  • COI reviews and restructures market research roster

    Wed, 17 Sep 2008

    The COI is reviewing and restructuring its market research roster of agencies following the passing of a European Union directive. Changes to the existing framework will see the creation of sub-groups within the wider agency roster.

  • Conflict Children campaign aims to end use of child soldiers

    Fri, 12 Sep 2008

    First News, the weekly newspaper for children, the Department for International Development (DFIF) and Save the Children are launching a campaign to raise awareness of the millions of children affected by conflict. It will call for an end to the use of child soldiers.

  • Consumers seek to flout rules of sales promotions

    Wed, 17 Sep 2008

    Marketers are being warned to be vigilant as consumers may increasingly flout sales promotions rules in a bid to cope with tightening fin-ances, according to industry experts.

  • Credit crunch hits Argos and Homebase

    Thu, 11 Sep 2008

    A fall in sales of furniture and homewares has led to a 13% drop in sales at Argos and Homebase. Parent company Home Retail Group says the credit crunch has contributed to the first half decline.

  • Creston in possible buyout talks

    Mon, 15 Sep 2008

    Creston, the marketing service group that owns Delaney Lund Knox Warren, is in talks with an undisclosed private equity company about a buyout of the company.

  • Daily Mail launches discount fashion webstore

    Mon, 15 Sep 2008

    The Daily Mail has launched a branded discount fashion store on its website today (September 15). It has been created in association with online fashion retailer, koodos.com.

  • DEFRA drafts Shane Meadows to star in new campaign

    Wed, 17 Sep 2008

    The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, (DEFRA) has drafted in British filmmaker Shane Meadows to create a TV campaign encouraging consumers to be more energy efficient. The move follows the unveiling last week of a £1bn Government package to help cut energy bills.

  • Dennis Publishing expands into India

    Thu, 11 Sep 2008

    Dennis Publishing has entered a joint venture with South East Asian publisher Media Transasia to help it launch in India. The publishers are keen to tap into the growing media market of 1.1bn consumers.

  • Diet Coke to launch mobile portal

    Tue, 16 Sep 2008

    Coca-Cola Great Britain is to launch a new mobile portal to support Diet Coke called the Silver Room. It aims to target younger, technologically aware female consumers.

  • Directgov to hold pitch for 15m ad account

    Mon, 15 Sep 2008

    Directgov, the Government public services website, has shortlisted four advertising agencies for a £15m brief to help build traffic to the site. CHI & Partner, Farm, Miles Calcraft Briginshaw Duffy and incumbent Chick Trott Smith will pitch for the business.

  • DraftFCB will orchestrate Pepsi Raw's retail launch

    Thu, 11 Sep 2008

    DraftFCB is understood to be working on a brief to launch Pepsi Raw, the premium "natural" cola from PepsiCo, into retail outlets.

  • EU to probe Google/Yahoo alliance

    Tue, 16 Sep 2008

    European regulators have confirmed that they are investigating the online advertising deal brokered between Google and Yahoo. The US Department of Justice is already probing the alliance, which will allow Google to sell advertising on its rival's website in return for a share of the profits.

  • Expedia reviews 8m integrated ad account

    Mon, 15 Sep 2008

    Expedia, the travel portal website, is reviewing its 8m integrated advertising account. It is understood that a decision is due imminently.

  • Global Radio and GCap Media retain GMG contract

    Fri, 12 Sep 2008

    Global Radio and GCap Media have retained the national sales contract for GMG Radio. It is currently handled by GCap, which is being taken over by Global.

  • Goldfish survives Barclaycard consolidation

    Thu, 11 Sep 2008

    Barclaycard is retaining the Goldfish credit card but scrapping the Morgan Stanley brand as part of a move to consolidate its portfolio of products. The financial services giant is reducing the number of cards it offers from 11 to nine.

  • Google measures fail to reassure privacy groups

    Thu, 11 Sep 2008

    Privacy lobby groups have criticised Google's move to revise down its data retention policies, saying the measures have not gone far enough to protect the privacy of its users.

  • Google tries to outshine rivals with Chrome

    Thu, 11 Sep 2008

    Not content with dominating online search, Google's decision to enter the browser market has led to many labelling the move a further "declaration of war" against rivals such as Microsoft.

  • Google's softly, softly approach to world domination pays off

    Thu, 11 Sep 2008

    Ten years after it was founded, the internet search engine is once again giving Wall Street the jitters with its squeamish attitude to advertising

  • Government flexes muscles in clampdown on booze ads

    Wed, 17 Sep 2008

    The alcohol and retail industry is braced for a Government clampdown that is expected to end “happy hours” and severely restrict sales promotions. Government proposals on the sale of alcohol are due to be published in the next few weeks following this summer’s consultation ...

  • Has arrogance led to last orders for Stella?

    Thu, 11 Sep 2008

    It's time for Inbev to cry into its pint of Stella Artois again. Just when it was hoping that the newly launched diluted version - with its strength reduced from 5.2% to 5% - will help restake its claim to being the ultimate premium lager, students across the country decide to no longer savour the reassuringly expensive drink.

  • Holiday industrys blues

    Wed, 17 Sep 2008

    What a difference a summer makes. In May, tour operators were arguing that their industry was “recession proof”, with consumers unwilling to cut back on their weeks in the sun, even if it made for belt-tightening elsewhere.

  • H-P cuts 25,000 jobs

    Tue, 16 Sep 2008

    Hewlett-Packard has announced plans to cut nearly 25,000 jobs as part of a move to make almost $2bn (£1bn) in cost savings over the next three years. It comes as the company attempts to integrate IT giant Electronic Data Systems, which it acquired earlier this year.

  • Indian advertising market growing rapidly

    Mon, 15 Sep 2008

    India will become the 15th largest advertising market by 2009, according to forecasts in a new study from GroupM. The WPP Group-owned media network predicts that media spend will reach $6.6bn by the end of next year.

  • ITV to review commercial structure

    Tue, 16 Sep 2008

    ITV is overhauling its commercial structure for the second time in two years following a review by the Boston Consulting Group. The changes will see ITV Customer Relations rebranded as ITV Commercial and around 25 redundancies from the 500-strong team.

  • John Lewis' pre-tax profits fall

    Thu, 11 Sep 2008

    John Lewis Partnership has reported a 26.6% drop in pre-tax profit amid "difficult trading conditions". The retailer, which also owns Waitrose, has seen profits fall by £38.8m to £107.3m over the six months to July 26.

  • Jygsaw Brands launches 2m campaign for S&N heritage brands

    Fri, 12 Sep 2008

    Jygsaw Brands, the new Scottish & Newcastle joint venture for its heritage brands, is launching a 2m campaign to support the portfolio, including Newcastle Brown Ale and Scrumpy Jack.

  • K&S Holidays goes bust

    Mon, 15 Sep 2008

    K&S Holidays, the travel company specialising in Turkish holidays, has gone into administration. The company collapsed on Saturday (September 13) just a day after XL Leisure, the UK's third largest holiday operator, went bust.

  • Kitchen Guru

    Fri, 12 Sep 2008

    Product: Kitchen Guru

  • Leith wins Aegon ad account

    Mon, 15 Sep 2008

    Aegon, the pensions company that owns Scottish Equitable, has appointed Leith Agency to handle its advertising business following a six-way review. It is the first time the company has appointed a lead agency.

  • Lloyds TSB and HBOS in merger talks

    Wed, 17 Sep 2008

    Lloyds TSB is in advanced merger talks with beleaguered rival HBOS to create a UK retail banking giant worth £30bn, according to sources. HSBC has also shown interest in a potential takeover but is unwilling to pay for HBOS shares.

  • London 2012 starts ticketing task pitch

    Thu, 11 Sep 2008

    The London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games (Locog) is to hold a pitch for the next phase of its marketing communications business. The core part of the brief will be to develop a strategy for the marketing of tickets for the 2012 Games.

  • Lonely Planet names first global marketing head

    Mon, 15 Sep 2008

    Lonely Planet, the travel guide brand, has appointed former Carphone Warehouse marketer Dominic Rowell as its first global marketing director. The company hopes the appointment will help to boost its development.

  • Lowe London gives Beck's beer an artistic flavour

    Thu, 11 Sep 2008

    Lowe London has created a press and outdoor campaign for Beck's Bier to support the launch of Beck's Canvas - an initiative that gives contemporary artists the opportunity to have their work displayed on the beer brand's bottle labels. The campaign, which attempts to transform ...

  • M&C Saatchi wins 10m Arik Air global brand account

    Mon, 15 Sep 2008

    Arik Air, the Nigerian flag carrier, has appointed M&C Saatchi to develop a global brand for the airline and to launch it internationally. The account is worth an estimated 10m.

  • MediaEquals

    Fri, 12 Sep 2008

    Product: MediaEquals

  • Morrisons reports 19% pre-tax profit rise

    Thu, 11 Sep 2008

    Cheaper petrol and food promotions have driven a 19% increase in pre-tax profits at supermarket chain Morrisons during the first half of the year. The retailer says it has "confidence" that it will make its full year targets following its strong performance.

  • MTV reviews 1m media account

    Tue, 16 Sep 2008

    MTV UK is reviewing its 1m UK media planning and buying account, which has been held by Equinox for eight years. The move is understood to come ahead of an increase in marketing activity across the broadcasters 10 TV channels and website.

  • Nationwides Sutherland steps down over marketing rethink

    Thu, 11 Sep 2008

    Nationwide sales and marketing director John Sutherland is stepping down from his role following the building society’s decision to bring in a board-level marketing specialist.

  • Nestlé to roll out bite-size extension of Toffee Crisp

    Thu, 11 Sep 2008

    Nestlé extending the Toffee Crisp brand with the launch of a bite-size product, due to launch later this autumn.

  • New campaign

    Thu, 11 Sep 2008

    FT Weekend signs up to sponsor Jazz FM

  • Newcastle United for sale

    Mon, 15 Sep 2008

    Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley says he is putting the club up for sale after his management strategy came under fire from fans. It comes just days after manager Kevin Keegan left the club complaining he had no control over the transfer process.

  • Northcliffe to launch 45 new websites

    Mon, 15 Sep 2008

    Northcliffe Media is launching 45 new websites tomorrow as part of its strategy to boost its online presence. The move will bring its total number of sites to 151.

  • Ofcom: Channel 4 to face 100m-a-year funding gap

    Wed, 17 Sep 2008

    Ofcom will today warn that Channel 4 faces a 100m-a-year funding gap by 2012 and raise the idea of diverting licence fee funds from the BBC to the channel. Ed Richards, the media regulator's chief executive will make the comments in a speech at the Royal Television Society tonight (September 17).

  • Online advertising is "medium of choice", claims research

    Tue, 16 Sep 2008

    The internet is becoming the ad medium of choice as advertising increase their spend on online advertising, according to research from the European Interactive Advertising Association.

  • Online push for Living highlights

    Thu, 11 Sep 2008

    Living TV is launching a brand campaign ahead of its new autumn season as it gets ready to launch a series of new shows, including the new series of Grey's Anatomy, Dirty Dancing season two, America's Next Top Model and Lipstick Jungle.

  • Out with old bakewell, in with new crumpet

    Thu, 11 Sep 2008

    Dame Joan Bakewell might not like it, but the job of female newsreaders is to look gorgeous while their wrinkly male counterparts exude gravitas

  • PayPal launches Unwelcome campaign

    Mon, 15 Sep 2008

    PayPal, the online payment service, is launching a campaign asking retailers if they are "alienating" customers by not offering PayPal as a payment method. It breaks today (September 15).

  • Phones4U enters agency talks over 7m ad account

    Wed, 17 Sep 2008

    Retailer Phones4U is talking to agencies about its 7m advertising business. It is understood the retailer is considering a pitch following the recent departure of marketing director, Jim Slater.

  • Pitfalls of public sector marketing

    Wed, 17 Sep 2008

    The Labour Governments love affair with marketing and advertising over the past decade has lured many a marketer through the doors of Whitehall departments. Some forge new careers while others use a spell at a ministry as a stop-off between corporate marketing jobs. Then there are those who fail to adapt to the exigencies of the state sector and are quickly propelled towards the exit.

  • Portman Group slams Scottish Govt alcohol proposals

    Thu, 11 Sep 2008

    The Scottish Government's controversial plans to ban under-21s from buying alcohol will not solve the nation's alcohol problems but will demonise alcohol, says the Portman Group.

  • Poundland sale mooted

    Mon, 15 Sep 2008

    Poundland, the budget retailer, is to be put for sale by its private equity owners. Advent International is understood to be appointing advisors for find potential buyers for the chain.

  • Private healthcare brand hands DHM 5m account

    Thu, 11 Sep 2008

    BMI Healthcare is understood to have moved its 5m advertising business out of WFCA into Dye Holloway Murray (DHM) without a pitch. The decision comes just six months after the healthcare brand appointed WFCA as its integrated agency.

  • Private sector should pay for next-generation networks, says report

    Fri, 12 Sep 2008

    The private sector should pay for new super-fast broadband networks because the case for public investment is "weak at best", according to the report by Lehman Brothers Europe.

  • Publicis Groupe switches Cadbury business to SSF

    Wed, 17 Sep 2008

    Publicis Groupe is moving its estimated 100m Cadbury business out of Publicis advertising network into the year-old Saatchi & Saatchi Fallon (SSF) group. The win will be a first for the group, which has so far failed to win any group business.

  • 'Refill' innovation i-clean to shake up household cleaning

    Thu, 11 Sep 2008

    McBride, the supplier of own-label goods for many of Europe's largest retailers, is aiming to shake up the household cleaning category with the launch of i-clean, a soluble refill pod.

  • SABMiller appoints global brand director

    Thu, 11 Sep 2008

    SABMiller has promoted its European marketing director Chris Taylor to the new position of group international brand director. He will be responsible for the brewer's brand portfolio including Peroni Nastro Azzurro, Pilsner Urquell and Grolsch.

  • Sainsburys launches pre-pay gift card

    Thu, 11 Sep 2008

    Sainsbury's is launching a pre-pay gift card, which it hopes will become the "gift of choice" for birthdays and Christmas for loyal consumers. It comes just weeks after it announced plans to launch the Meal Ticket card aimed at students and parents.

  • Scottish Rugby launches tourism campaign

    Thu, 11 Sep 2008

    Scottish Rugby is launching a series of films comparing Scotland's landscapes to the national team. The campaign, We are Scotland, has been created by north east agency Cravens.

  • Sekonda's Seksy brand to sponsor ITV1 music shows

    Thu, 11 Sep 2008

    ITV has signed Sekonda to sponsor a high-profile series of weekend music-themed shows on its flagship terrestrial channel ITV1.

  • Show the assets behind the cloak

    Thu, 11 Sep 2008

    A long reputation - it opened in 1815 - and iconic branding have kept Scottish Widows a leader in the pensions market

  • Simply Washing

    Fri, 12 Sep 2008

    Product: Simply Washing

  • Sky distances itself from Home Office with refund

    Mon, 15 Sep 2008

    BSkyB has refunded the Home Office the 400,000 it contributed to eight-part series UK Border Force because it wanted viewers to be confident the programme was "wholly independent".

  • Sony and Nissan spark TV bidding war

    Thu, 11 Sep 2008

    ITV, Channel 4, UKTV-owned Dave and Virgin Media Television youth channel Bravo are understood to be involved in a bidding war for the right to broadcast an advertiser-funded series by Sony PlayStation and Nissan.

  • Sony Ericsson launches music download service

    Fri, 12 Sep 2008

    Handset maker Sony Ericsson is going head to head with rival Nokia, with the launch of a music download service. It will take on Nokia's recently launched Comes with Music offering and will launch in October.

  • Starcom names Eyre as independent advisor

    Thu, 11 Sep 2008

    Starcom MediaVest Group (SMG) has appointed the former Capital and ITV chief executive Richard Eyre to the newly created role of senior independent advisor. Eyre has been appointed to the non-executive role by the new chief executive, Stewart Easterbrook.

  • Stella no longer to be available in NUS bars

    Thu, 11 Sep 2008

    The National Union of Students has delisted Inbev-owned Stella Artois in its bars, months after the lager was given a similar snub by the Young's Pub Company.

  • Success with less money in the pot

    Thu, 11 Sep 2008

    Budgets are being squeezed and procurement departments are demanding evidence of ROI, but live marketing agencies are rising to the challenge to make the impact clients desire. By Jo-Anne Flack

  • TBG London gets 3m easyCar digital brief

    Thu, 11 Sep 2008

    Online car hire brand easyCar has appointed TBG London to its 3m UK digital business. The brief includes advertising and media planning and buying responsibilities.

  • The Independent cover price goes up

    Thu, 11 Sep 2008

    The Independent is to raise its weekday cover price from 80p to 1 and its Satuday edition by 10p to 1.60. The price hike follows that of quality rivals The Times and the Daily Telegraph last week.

  • Thomas Cook and TUI launch reassurance campaigns

    Mon, 15 Sep 2008

    Thomas Cook and TUI, the UK’s largest holiday operators, have launched national press campaigns in a bid to reassure consumers after a series of operators have gone bust. The ads follow the collapse of XL Leisure Group, the third biggest holiday company, on Friday (September 12).

  • Thomson Intermedia set to rebrand itself as Ebiquity

    Thu, 11 Sep 2008

    Thomson Intermedia, the owner of media auditing company Billetts, is rebranding as Ebiquity as the company looks to integrate the businesses and expand globally.

  • Thresher Group appoints Krow to 2m ad account

    Fri, 12 Sep 2008

    Thresher Group, the off-license retail chain, has appointed Krow Communications and Media Planning Group to handle its £2m advertising and media accounts. The agencies won the business after a final pitch against Albion and BJK&E.

  • Tradition bites the dust

    Thu, 11 Sep 2008

    The days of children spending their pocket money on sugary sweets appear to be over, with adults now driving the growth of premium chocolate brands and cereal bars in the confectionery sector

  • TUI Travel set for Christmas repositioning of key brands

    Thu, 11 Sep 2008

    TUI Travel is planning a major repositioning of its flagship Thomson and First Choice brands at the end of the year to coincide with the Christmas season.

  • UKTV Style signs up Centrum and Pilkington as sponsors

    Wed, 17 Sep 2008

    UKTV Style has signed sponsorship deals with multivitamin company Centrum and glass manufacturer Pilkington. Centrum will sponsor the channel's lifestyle strand, while the Pilkington will sponsor its home improvement programming.

  • Unilever to launch luxury fragranced Comfort range

    Thu, 11 Sep 2008

    Unilever is plotting a range of strongly-fragranced luxury variants for its Comfort fabric conditioner in 2009. It intends to attack head on Procter & Gamble's Lenor Infusions line, which launched earlier this year.

  • Universal McCann promotes Breijer to regional president

    Tue, 16 Sep 2008

    Universal McCann, the Interpublic Group-owned media network, has appointed Diederik Breijer as president of Europe, Middle East and Asia. Breijer will report to Graham Duff, EMEA president of IPG Mediabrands.

  • Why online consumers are the building blocks of modern branding

    Thu, 11 Sep 2008

    Traditional advertising models are no longer enough: the internet means consumer opinion will spread, whether brands like it or not

  • Wine critics launch consumer website

    Tue, 16 Sep 2008

    A group of wine critics have launched a website that aims to "debunk myths about wine and wine-tasting" for consumers. Thewinegang.com launches today (September 16).

  • Woolies posts record profit fall of 90.8m

    Wed, 17 Sep 2008

    Woolworths has posted a record fall in underlying pre-tax profits of 90.8m in the six months to August 2. The high street retailer has attributed the loss to "operational issues and strategic challenges" facing its retail arm.

  • XL Leisure blames fuel prices for collapse

    Fri, 12 Sep 2008

    XL Leisure Group, the UK's third largest package holiday company, has blamed rising fuel prices and the poor economic conditions for its collapse. The operator says it has been unable to obtain further funding, leaving thousands of holidaymakers stranded abroad.

  • Young Marmalade

    Thu, 11 Sep 2008

    Product: Young Marmalade

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