Marketing Week
15 June 2006

  • 3 Selects brand and advertising director

    Thu, 15 Jun 2006

    Telecoms operator 3 has appointed former Sony marketer Gary Pepler as its brand and advertising chief to replace Julian Hough, who is returning to the company's advertising agency WCRS.

  • Adams Kids appoints Real TSP

    Thu, 15 Jun 2006

    Adams Kids, the children's clothing retailer, has appointed e-commerce specialist Real TSP to develop its new website, which is due to go live in August. Adams Kids launched its first transactional site last year, which it developed in house. Real TSP will also handle all the online marketing on a revenue-share basis.

  • Aegis no shield from Greeks bearing gifts

    Thu, 15 Jun 2006

    Think, for a minute, of Aegis as an ancient walled city under siege. Outside lies an interesting wooden horse, left by its late assailant as a mysterious peace offering. Should the defenders open their gates and bring it within?

  • Agencies struggle to attract ethnic staff

    Thu, 15 Jun 2006

    Advertising must do more to attract employees from ethnic backgrounds to the business, according to senior industry executives. Their comments follow the release last week of Business in the Community's sixth "Race for Opportunity" benchmarking report.

  • Amicus and T&G unions launch campaign

    Thu, 15 Jun 2006

    Amicus and the T&G unions have launched a £2m press, radio and poster campaign to urge drivers to boycott Peugeot and Citroen cars in protest at the decision to close the Peugeot factory in Ryton.

  • ASA slams bank over mortgage rate claims

    Thu, 15 Jun 2006

    The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has slammed Alliance & Leicester over a TV ad which the regulator ruled was misleading.

  • Asda champagne gift pack falls foul of industry code

    Thu, 15 Jun 2006

    Grocery retailer Asda has been criticised by the Portman Group, the drinks industry's self-regulatory body, for selling a gift pack containing a teddy bear and an alcoholic drink.

  • Asda in 'informal' agency talks over George account

    Thu, 15 Jun 2006

    Asda is understood to be talking to advertising agencies about its George clothing and homeware brand, though the discussions are believed to be informal at this stage and are not expected to affect Publicis' hold on the retailer's flagship £4

  • Baugur lines up Iceland boss Nick Canning for group role

    Thu, 15 Jun 2006

    Iceland marketing director Nick Canning is being lined up for a more senior role within the retailer's parent group Baugur. It is believed Canning is in discussions with the Icelandic retail investment company about the position.

  • BBC to review media planning and buying account

    Thu, 15 Jun 2006

    The BBC is to review its media planning and buying account worth £20m.

  • Bidders for MFI's 200 stores

    Thu, 15 Jun 2006

    DFS, Carpetright and private equity firm Alchemy are believed to be among the bidders for furniture chain MFI's 200 stores. Analysts also believe Argos owner GUS and Swedish kitchen company Nobia may be interested.

  • Big Brother model bets on future

    Thu, 15 Jun 2006

    The Diary rarely gives anyone a mention two weeks running, but when it comes to Big Brother contestants there is only a very limited window of opportunity.

  • Bolloré merger strategy is 'disastrous' for Aegis

    Thu, 15 Jun 2006

    Vincent Bolloré's efforts to harness Aegis, where he is a 29% shareholder, to Havas, where he is chairman and principal shareholder, could lead to a disastrous outcome, according to an analysis published this week.

  • Borders UK appoints Trevor Corfield

    Thu, 15 Jun 2006

    Borders UK has appointed former Penguin Books retail marketing director Trevor Corfield as consultant brand manager, reporting to commercial and supply chain director Cathy Ferrier.

  • Brand mnemonics are the key to migrations

    Thu, 15 Jun 2006

    David Benady's article on brand migration (MW May 25), and it's contributors, missed a crucial and fundamental point - in the packaged goods purchasing process, consumers do not read brands, they recognise them. The strongest brands in the wor

  • Britvic picks Murray for latest chance to Get Good

    Thu, 15 Jun 2006

    Britvic Soft Drinks is offering children the chance to play sports and exercise with professional athletes in its latest &£2m Get Good campaign from Robinsons Fruit Shoot.

  • Bulldog marketing chief to go as C&W closes gate on consumers

    Thu, 15 Jun 2006

    Bulldog's marketing chief, Andrew Morley, is expected to leave the company following Cable & Wireless' decision to stop selling its internet service to consumers.

  • Carat promotes Matthew Landeman

    Thu, 15 Jun 2006

    Carat has promoted Matthew Landeman to head of radio, following the departure of Gareth Jones earlier this year. Jones left to join start-up agency The7Stars.

  • Chevrolet aims for traction in difficult European market

    Thu, 15 Jun 2006

    Chevrolet UK has promoted sales director Rory Harvey to managing director following the departure of Andy Carroll (MW last week). But it is likely to be a tough nut for any managing director to crack.

  • Chrissie Barker dies after battle with cancer

    Thu, 15 Jun 2006

    JWT's head of corporate communications Chrissie Barker has died after a battle with cancer. Barker, who was 52, had been appointed to take on a senior communications role at WPP when she was diagnosed earlier this year.

  • Claims ads face tighter regulation

    Thu, 15 Jun 2006

    Tighter regulation of advertising for companies that offer compensation-claim services, a staple of daytime television in recent years, has moved a step closer, after the Compensation Bill cleared its second reading in the House of Commons.

  • Co-operative Group to remove all diabetic products

    Thu, 15 Jun 2006

    The Co-operative Group is to remove all diabetic products from its food stores and pharmacies, following consultation with charity Diabetes UK.

  • Dark times for the black stuff?

    Thu, 15 Jun 2006

    Despite running some of the most iconic ad campaigns of the past two decades and earning the brand a reputation for strong innovation, Diageo has long overseen a decline in the fortunes of Guinness. The fact that the UK stout and ales market,

  • Disney goes character building

    Thu, 15 Jun 2006

    Disney Consumer Products (DCP) chairman Andy Mooney was in London last week to outline forays into new product areas. Like Mickey Mouse in The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, the company is waving its magic wand in a bid to appeal to a wider section of the kids’ market. Its recent launch of “better for you” products for children ...

  • Diversity demands focus

    Thu, 15 Jun 2006

    There are those who believe that the performance of the stock market is driven by the hard-nosed rational decisions of financial experts. Others think that markets are driven by little more that a mixture of primordial fear and greed, and even

  • DNA test-markets The O2

    Thu, 15 Jun 2006

    Digital agency DNA has been appointed to develop online marketing for the launch of The O2, the entertainment venue on the site of the former Millennium Dome.

  • Do search engines spell the end for ad-speak?

    Thu, 15 Jun 2006

    Does the growth of search engine marketing spell the end for "marketing-speak"?

  • Elephant tries integrated affiliate programme

    Thu, 15 Jun 2006

    Car insurer Elephant. co.uk, part of the Admiral Group, has launched an affiliate marketing programme that integrates its online ads with its call centre.

  • Euro RSCG C&O creates first campaign for Orange Business Services

    Thu, 15 Jun 2006

    Euro RSCG C&O, the French agency, has created its first campaign for Orange Business Services since winning France Telecom's business-to-business account earlier this year (MW March 9).

  • FCB London chief favourite to take reins after Draft merger

    Thu, 15 Jun 2006

    FCB London chief executive Nigel Jones has emerged as the frontrunner in the race to head the London office of newly merged FCB and Draft networks, with Draft's John Minnec said to be in line for a group role based in the US.

  • Financial Times shortlist

    Thu, 15 Jun 2006

    Delaney Lund Knox Warren, Miles Calcraft Briginshaw Duffy, United London and DDB London have all been shortlisted by the Financial Times to pitch for its ad account.

  • Giving them the best start

    Thu, 15 Jun 2006

  • Giving them what they want

    Thu, 15 Jun 2006

    Innovation is the lifeblood of any successful brand, critical in ensuring it stays on top of its game and ahead of the market. McCain is only too aware of this, and is keen to move into new categories (MW last week).

  • Google UK chief Kate Burns quits to take 'career break'

    Thu, 15 Jun 2006

    Kate Burns, Google's director for the UK, Ireland and Benelux, and the company's first employee from outside the US, is to leave the company at the end of the month after five years with the company.

  • Havas free food at odds with Cannes

    Thu, 15 Jun 2006

    The Diary is not a regular at the Cannes International Advertising Festival - but it has inside information that the event is an annual shindig of the type where conspicuous consumption is common and people enjoy "lunches that set in".

  • Heinz sells meat-free brand Linda McCartney

    Thu, 15 Jun 2006

    Heinz has sold meat-free brand Linda McCartney to US natural and speciality food company Hain Celestial.

  • HoF takes on fashion rivals with relaunch of Linea line

    Thu, 15 Jun 2006

    House of Fraser (HoF) is relaunching its Linea fashion range as it attempts to boost sales in the face of fierce opposition from rivals, such as Marks & Spencer's Autograph collection.

  • How fantastic is plastic?

    Thu, 15 Jun 2006

    The plastic gift card may still be a relatively new innovation in the UK but its potential for growth is clear. The paper voucher market saw strong sales last year despite tough trading conditions on the high street, and new launches in the ca

  • InfoSpace and WebFetch to join ipoints loyalty plan

    Thu, 15 Jun 2006

    Users of search engine WebFetch will be able to collect loyalty points when they search, after its owner InfoSpace Europe signed up to the ipoints loyalty programme.

  • Isobel launches fund

    Thu, 15 Jun 2006

    Isobel is launching a fund to invest in start-up digital and direct marketing companies as part of its expansion plans. The agency is seeking specialist partners.

  • ITV reports 19% rise in sponsorship revenues

    Thu, 15 Jun 2006

    ITV has reported a 19% rise in sponsorship revenues for the first half of the year. ITV says that brands are increasingly looking to sponsorship in a bid to reach target audiences. Last week Marketing Week reported that ITV1's total advertising revenue was likely to dip below &£100m for the first time in more than a decade.

  • Jeremy Nicholds leaves Mastercard

    Thu, 15 Jun 2006

    Mastercard's European sales and marketing director Jeremy Nicholds is leaving the company to join rival Visa Europe. Nicholds, who had been due to move to Mastercard in the US, will join Visa in a new-business management role.

  • John Brown bolsters business with catalogue buy

    Thu, 15 Jun 2006

    John Brown Publishing Group, the parent company of contract publisher John Brown Citrus Publishing, has acquired specialist catalogue publisher Code London.

  • Keep readers on side

    Thu, 15 Jun 2006

    It's summer, the World Cup is here, the antics of the Big Brother contestants are dazzling as ever - and the question for magazine owners is how to make readers sit up and take notice of your publication.

  • Keep staff morale high

    Thu, 15 Jun 2006

    Maintaining staff morale is important, particularly at a time when England are doing their best to underachieve at the World Cup.

  • Lessons in self-awareness

    Thu, 15 Jun 2006

    It's been five years since we took a snapshot of what marketers really get up to. Has much changed in that time? We're all a little healthier, maybe, and less likely to vote New Labour, but gender issues remain, and it seems we all still love

  • Leviathan Tesco takes a stand against the rule of the quango

    Thu, 15 Jun 2006

    PG Wodehouse's character Roderick Spode, leader of the Black Shorts, discovered that it was possible either to be a retailer of superior ladies' lingerie or a fascist dictator, but not both. Tesco has learnt a similar lesson. It is possible ei

  • Lippincott Mercer appoints Simon Glynn

    Thu, 15 Jun 2006

    Lippincott Mercer, the brand strategy and design consultancy, has appointed Simon Glynn to run its London office. Glynn has been a senior partner at Lippincott Mercer since 2003 and will report to group chairman and chief executive Ken Roberts.

  • Lowe Worldwide denies rumours

    Thu, 15 Jun 2006

    Lowe Worldwide has denied Amanda Walsh, former European chief executive of United, has joined the agency, after rumours she was to be made chief executive. The network is expected to announce an appointment to its worldwide management team soon.

  • Lycos appoints UK chief to lead 'community' revamp

    Thu, 15 Jun 2006

    Lycos has appointed Jeffrey Lee as its UK managing director, as the portal tries to regain its previous high profile in the face of stiff competition from industry giants Yahoo!, MSN and Google.

  • Marketing director quits troubled lottery provider Chariot

    Thu, 15 Jun 2006

    Andrew Williams, marketing director at Chariot, the company behind the troubled new lottery game Monday, has left without a job to go to.

  • Mediaedge scoops Jobcentre task

    Thu, 15 Jun 2006

    Mediaedge:cia has won a strategy brief from the Department for Work and Pensions to improve perceptions of its Jobcentre Plus employment service.

  • Millward Brown poised to buy Chinese research company

    Thu, 15 Jun 2006

    WPP subsidiary Millward Brown is poised to buy a Chinese research company.

  • Mirror Group Newspapers

    Thu, 15 Jun 2006

    Mirror Group Newspapers has invited head of newspapers Mike Allen and agency sales manager Will Wright to apply for new roles at the group after their jobs were axed. MGN managing director Richard Webb is now recruiting for newly created jobs - head of trading and head of business development.

  • MyVillage.com relaunching in August

    Thu, 15 Jun 2006

    MyVillage.

  • New campaign - Lurpak Perfect Breakfasts

    Thu, 15 Jun 2006

    Lurpak is this week launching a campaign in Sainsbury's stores around the country, as it expands its marketing activity to integrate in-store media with TV and online.

  • New product - Kellogg's Football Tigers

    Thu, 15 Jun 2006

    Kellogg is launching what it claims is the first football training video game on packs of Frosties and Coco Pops. It aims to encourage children to play outside as well as playing computer games.

  • Nintendo starts review of global advertising and media business

    Thu, 15 Jun 2006

    Nintendo, the video games developer and publisher, is understood to have started a review of its multimillion-pound global advertising and media arrangements.

  • Nissan seeks to focus UK customers on 'adventure'

    Thu, 15 Jun 2006

    Nissan is underlining its "adventure" credentials in an integrated campaign to promote its range of 4x4 motors.

  • Ofcom issues revised consultation document

    Thu, 15 Jun 2006

    Ofcom has issued a revised consultation document on food advertising to children on television, which rejects introducing a 9pm watershed. The watchdog believes that despite the possibility of significant cost savings for the NHS, the move would be detrimental to commercial TV. The consultation will end on June 30.

  • Online brand hijacking increases rapidly

    Thu, 15 Jun 2006

    Online brand hijacking by travel companies has increased rapidly over the past year, according to research from consultancy Nucleus and trademark attorneys HallMark-IP. A survey of online travel agencies found that 'brand interceptions', in which advertisers pay to intercept searches for other brands, had grown 245% since last year. Among the worst affected were Going Places and MyTravel.

  • Opodo suspends £3m Euro review after staff changes

    Thu, 15 Jun 2006

    Online travel company Opodo has temporarily suspended its pan-European £3m advertising review to allow a new commercial director and marketing director to settle into their roles.

  • P&G in novel link with interactive story for teens

    Thu, 15 Jun 2006

    Procter & Gamble has signed a marketing agreement with the publisher of a new "interactive" novel to promote its Cover Girl make-up brand.

  • Phones4U weeks away from being sold

    Thu, 15 Jun 2006

    Phones4U is understood to be weeks away from being sold to private equity groups Bain Capital and Doughty Hanson as part of the sale of John Caudwell's &£1bn business empire.

  • Premier League seeks new blood for sponsorship role

    Thu, 15 Jun 2006

    to divide the rights into six bundles of 23 matches, stipulating that no one company would be able to own all six.

  • Prison-based design studio Barbed produces first work

    Thu, 15 Jun 2006

    Barbed, a design studio based in a Surrey prison, has produced its first commercial work for RESET, a scheme for young offenders.

  • PwC starts trawl for advertising agency

    Thu, 15 Jun 2006

    PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), one of the world's big four professional services companies, has launched a search for an advertising agency.

  • Russian premium vodka revamp heralds downmarket move in UK

    Thu, 15 Jun 2006

    Russian super-premium vodka Ivan the Terrible - launched in the UK two years ago - is revamping itself in an attempt to muscle its way into UK retail outlets.

  • S&N premium cider to target wine drinkers

    Thu, 15 Jun 2006

    Scottish & Newcastle (S&N) is launching a premium fruit-flavoured cider called Jacques, imported from Belgium.

  • 'Scare-mongering' is damaging affiliates

    Thu, 15 Jun 2006

    When are people going to realise affiliate marketing (AM) is not about "them vs us" and give affiliates the recognition they deserve?

  • Soutar leaves IPC but no one is talking

    Thu, 15 Jun 2006

    Mike Soutar, who left his post as IPC group editorial director last week, would prefer to be remembered as the stuff that legends are made of, say his friends and critics. After savouring the huge success of driving through high-profile launch

  • Starcom UK wins Procter & Gamble work

    Thu, 15 Jun 2006

    Starcom UK has won Procter & Gamble's digital media planning and buying account in the UK, following a pitch against MediaCom.

  • There's still a place for print

    Thu, 15 Jun 2006

    According to David Worlock, chairman of information industry consultancy EPS, it has never been easier to predict the "demise of paper directories". He adds: "Print publishers who are not very worried are very complacent."

  • Thinkbox research is independent of LBS

    Thu, 15 Jun 2006

    Your news story "Thinkbox plans joint PVR research with LBS" (MW June 8) was rather misleading. While Thinkbox has invested &£500,000 in its own study to interrogate the depth of brand engagement on television, we will not be working with the LBS on a PVR-specific study. And while we think there are some very valuable learnings coming out of the recent LBS research, it is important to explain that ours is an entirely separate project to the jointly funded Ofcom, ITV, Channel 4, ...

  • Top-end café chain hunts agency for UK launch

    Thu, 15 Jun 2006

    The Merchant Group International, an Australian café chain, is looking for an advertising agency to lead its launch in the UK. The move coincides with its hunt for a marketing director.

  • Unilever gears up for major sauces relaunch

    Thu, 15 Jun 2006

    Unilever Food UK is gearing up for a major relaunch of two key sauces brands, Chicken Tonight and Ragu. It is understood that the company is planning to pour millions into the two ranges, which sit under the Knorr masterbrand.

  • United London appointed by the Early Learning Centre

    Thu, 15 Jun 2006

    United London has been appointed by the Early Learning Centre.

  • Virgin Radio boosts listener reach by 7m through Freeview launch

    Thu, 15 Jun 2006

    Virgin Radio, the national commercial rock station, is launching on Freeview at the end of June as part of Virgin's strategy to develop its station's reach over a variety of new platforms.

  • Walker Media wins dairy co-op brief

    Thu, 15 Jun 2006

    Dairy Farmers of Britain (DFB), the dairy farmers co-operative, has appointed Walker Media to handle its media planning and buying, without a pitch.

  • Walkers starts 'Lunch Happy' drive

    Thu, 15 Jun 2006

    Walkers Snacks is launching a major promotion this summer to encourage people to enjoy their lunchtime packet of crisps. The campaign will also support the launch of new Steak & Onion and BBQ Rib flavoured crisps.

  • Walkers to become official supplier to new Wembley stadium

    Thu, 15 Jun 2006

    Walkers, the crisp brand, has signed a £2m contract to become an official supplier to the new £450m Wembley stadium.

  • Waterstone's alters structure

    Thu, 15 Jun 2006

    Waterstone's is altering the structure of its product, commercial and marketing teams. Toby Bourne joins as fiction and children's category manager from Asda. Fiona Kennedy, previously commercial manager, becomes non-fiction category manager; Nick Hudson is now head of merchandising.

  • When engagement is a cover for brand-centric selfishness

    Thu, 15 Jun 2006

    Interruption is out and engagement is in, but if the focus isn't on the customer, brands risk falling into the attention-seeking trap once again

  • Whiff of rebellion in the air as e-brands plan for the long haul

    Thu, 15 Jun 2006

    It was a privilege to speak at the Google Zeitgeist Europe conference late last month - and not just because I could make glad eyes at David Cameron after his "money doesn't buy happiness/it's really all about GWB (general wellbeing) rather th

  • World Cup media playground offers a glimpse of the future

    Thu, 15 Jun 2006

    The Times has got Baddiel and Skinner's World Cup podcast, promoted with a big banner on its home page and e-mails to its subscribers. There's a fans' forum and the podcast is good fun, though some might say a bit of a comedown from the post-m

  • Yahoo! appoints Geraldine Wilson

    Thu, 15 Jun 2006

    Yahoo!

  • Yell could face new price controls

    Thu, 15 Jun 2006

    Yell, the company that owns Yellow Pages, could face new price controls following a study by the Competition Commission, which says Yell retains a dominant position in the directories market and that competition is not working effectively.

  • Yotel appoints Jo Berrington

    Thu, 15 Jun 2006

    Yotel, the futuristic hotel chain due to open at Heathrow and Gatwick airports, has appointed Jo Berrington as its first sales and marketing director. Berrington was most recently head of marketing for the London Eye and has held roles at British Airways.

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