Marketing Week
15 November 2007

  • ...but wins Livingstone re-election task

    Thu, 15 Nov 2007

    London Mayor Ken Livingstone has appointed Saatchi & Saatchi Fallon UK Group (SSF UK) to work on his re-election campaign.

  • 2012 Sponsorship deals 'overpriced and poor value'

    Thu, 15 Nov 2007

    The London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games (Locog) is charging brands too much to become sponsors of London 2012, according to a global sponsorship expert, who says the deals are unlikely to offer value for money.

  • Advertising veteran Kelly joins Start Creative

    Mon, 19 Nov 2007

    Jim Kelly, a founder of RKCR/Y&R, has been appointed as non-executive director of design agency, Start Creative. He will be responsible for its "strategic direction".

  • Alcohol ads face close scrutiny by Government

    Thu, 15 Nov 2007

    The Government has given its strongest indication yet that alcohol advertising will come under greater scrutiny in a bid to tackle binge drinking.

  • AOL launches mobile portal

    Wed, 21 Nov 2007

    AOL UK is launching a new mobile online service that is claims will offer users "the most realistic interpretation of a full online experience". The service, launched today (November 21), is part of AOL's bid to become a major online advertising portal. 

  • ASA bans misleading Bosch ad for dishwashers

    Thu, 15 Nov 2007

    The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has censured white goods brand Bosch for a television ad that claimed its dishwashers always use less water than washing up by hand.

  • Associated Newspapers poaches TMG man to head international sales

    Thu, 15 Nov 2007

    Associated Newspapers has poached Telegraph Media Groups (TMGs) international sales director Nick Edgley to head up its own international sales division

  • Auto Trader to push safe driving at young

    Thu, 15 Nov 2007

    Auto Trader, the classified car ads publication, is to encourage young people to drive safely in its first social responsibility campaign. It claims the Don't Wreck the Ride campaign will take a "radically different approach" to safe driving campaigns.

  • BARB TV measurement shake-up gets cool reception

    Wed, 21 Nov 2007

    The Broadcasters Audience Research Board (BARB) is set to switch its TV measurement contract to TNS/Arbitron a move that is likely to lead to the biggest shake-up in quantifying the medium in almost a decade.TNS is understood to have won the contract to supply BARB with audience data from 2010 based on Arbitrons controversial Portable People Meter (PPM).

  • Barclays to sponsor Sky Sports rugby coverage

    Tue, 20 Nov 2007

    Barclays Commercial Bank has signed a deal with Sky Sports to sponsor its entire rugby coverage next season. It aims to raise awareness of the relaunch of the division.

  • Barclays unveils gift cards before Christmas

    Thu, 15 Nov 2007

    UK banking giant Barclays is hoping to cash in on Christmas by launching a series of pre-paid gift cards.

  • Bebo offers chance to star in KateModern

    Fri, 16 Nov 2007

    Social networking site Bebo is offering viewers of its online drama KateModern the chance to appear in a series of live episodes of the show. The shows will be filmed across London and will run for a week.

  • Bernard Matthews launches Xmas ad depsite bird flu fears

    Mon, 19 Nov 2007

    Bernard Matthews is pushing ahead with plans for a Christmas ad campaign despite fears about bird flu and a turkey shortage. The campaign aims to reinforce the message that turkey makes the festive season.

  • Black and Asian women 'ignored' by beauty firms

    Thu, 15 Nov 2007

    Ethnic consumers are forgotten by the beauty industry according to the latest research from Mintel. It says black and Asian consumers are not being adequately catered for by cosmetics and beauty brands, which need to invest in rebranding and advertising to woo consumers.

  • BMB secures TUI Travel LateRooms website brand and communications strategy account

    Thu, 15 Nov 2007

    Beattie McGuinness Bungay (BMB) has scooped a brief from TUI Travel to develop the brand and communications strategy for its online hotel booking website LateRooms. The win, without a pitch, will strengthen the agency's hold on the TUI Travel roster.

  • BMI shakes up marketing division

    Thu, 15 Nov 2007

    The airline BMI is reviewing the structure of its marketing department, following the departure of commercial director Adrian Parkes earlier this year.

  • Board-level marketer will 'remove sleaze' from Sport

    Thu, 15 Nov 2007

    Sport Media Group, the new owner of the Daily Sport and Sunday Sport, is looking to create a board-level role for its new marketing director.

  • Break-up as EMAP heads for the rocks

    Thu, 15 Nov 2007

    You do wonder about the people who run companies sometimes. Take Alun Cathcart, chairman and acting chief executive of EMAP, the media conglomerate that's been heading for a break-up these past six months.

  • Brown calls for alcohol industry review

    Wed, 21 Nov 2007

    The Government is set to review the alcohol industrys social responsibility measures to counter under-age and binge drinking, said the Prime Minister Gordon Brown at a summit held today (November 21) at Number 10.

  • BT head of branding quits for university lecturer role

    Thu, 15 Nov 2007

    BT head of brand strategy James Freund is leaving the company after nine years to become a marketing lecturer at Lancaster University Management School (LUMS).

  • C4 accuses Coke of child labour abuse

    Thu, 15 Nov 2007

    Coca-Cola is due to come in for fresh criticism next week over its corporate practices following allegations of child labour and environmental abuses to be aired on television next week.

  • C4 raids Yahoo! for new media and technology director

    Fri, 16 Nov 2007

  • CHI wins 30m Samsung account

    Thu, 15 Nov 2007

    CHI & Partners has made further inroads into Samsung's 200m global advertising account after winning another major brief for the Korean technology giant.

  • Chorion strikes 10m deal to extend TV character portfolio

    Thu, 15 Nov 2007

    Chorion, the entertainment content company that owns the rights to Noddy and the Mr Men, has acquired the rights to license more classic children's characters including Paddington Bear and The Snowman.

  • Chrysalis reports trading is as expected after selling its radio division

    Tue, 20 Nov 2007

    Chrysalis Group, the music company, says that trading its in line with expectations after a year of "immense change". It is the group's first results since the sale of its radio division during the summer.

  • Citroen offers green health checks for cars

    Fri, 16 Nov 2007

    Citroen is launching a "Stay Green" health check to help its customers reduce their carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. For £29.99, the marque's technicians will perform a series of tests aimed at keeping emission levels and fuel consumption to a minimum.

  • Coke reveals its Christmas advertising

    Thu, 15 Nov 2007

    Coca-Cola Great Britain (CCGB) has unveiled its advertising plans for the Christmas period, which include the showing of its iconic ‘Holidays are Coming’ Christmas ad. It will air for the first time this Sunday 18 November.

  • Commercial radio revenues continue to rise

    Thu, 15 Nov 2007

    Commercial radio continues to show signs of recovery with a positive set of results for the third quarter of the year, according to industry body RadioCentre.

  • Consumers favour brands that benefit society

    Fri, 16 Nov 2007

    More than eight out of ten consumers would be willing to change the brands they buy if it would help contribute to a better society, according to new research. The study, carried out by Strategy One and Edelman, surveyed 5,600 people across nine countries.

  • Dacre to stay on as DMGT profits rise

    Wed, 21 Nov 2007

    The Daily Mail has denied editor Paul Dacre is about to step down amid continued speculation about his health. The news came as parent company Daily Mail & General Trust reported an 11% rise in pre-tax profits to £288m for the year to September 30.

  • Digital age awaits embrace

    Thu, 15 Nov 2007

    Bluetooth has taken e-promotions to the next level, but Richenda Wilson discovers that brands are reluctant to invest in new technology because support systems remain behind the times

  • Dyson pulls UK ad account in house to integrate work

    Thu, 15 Nov 2007

    Dyson, the homecare brand and engineering company, has axed ad agency Vallance Carruthers Coleman Priest and taken its UK advertising account in house. The agency has held the business since 2004.

  • Energizer refreshes Wet Ones UK strategy

    Thu, 15 Nov 2007

    Energizer Personal Care is reviewing the UK marketing strategy for Wet Ones , the disposable hand and face wipes, after acquiring the brand, in the UK and Ireland, from Jeyes Group earlier this week.

  • Engine Group buys Republic PR

    Thu, 15 Nov 2007

    Engine Group is boosting its PR offering with the acquisition of Republic PR for an undisclosed amount. It is merging the agency with its existing public affairs PR consultancy, AS Biss & Co to form Mandate Communications.

  • Ennals leaves Digital UK for Nike

    Mon, 19 Nov 2007

    Digital UK chief executive Ford Ennals is leaving the digital switchover body to join sportswear giant Nike as president of footwear and leather goods. The news comes just weeks after the analogue switch-off began.

  • Esure replaces Powergen as 10m sponsor of ITV weather

    Wed, 21 Nov 2007

    Esure is to be the new sponsor of the ITV national weather bulletin. It replaces Powergen, which pulled the plug on the UK’s longest running TV sponsorship in September.

  • Europcar reshuffles marketing team after restructure

    Fri, 16 Nov 2007

    Europcar Group has promoted Nick Harwood to the new role of sales and marketing director as part of a restructure. Harwood will head sales and marketing for the Europcar and National Car Rental brands.

  • Fedex launches global advertising campaign

    Wed, 21 Nov 2007

    Fedex Express has launched a global advertising campaign to highlight how the delivery company helps customers to access market opportunities. It breaks today (November 21) across the UK, France, Germany and India. 

  • GMG reviews Smooth radio ad account

    Thu, 15 Nov 2007

    Guardian Media Group (GMG) Radio is reviewing the advertising account for its Smooth radio brand. The account is worth about £1.5m and is currently handled by Clear Marketing, which has been invited to repitch.

  • Hammonds awards Carat 4m account

    Thu, 15 Nov 2007

    Carat has won the 4m media planning and buying business for furniture retailer Hammonds from PHD without a pitch. The incumbent had handled the account for over a decade.

  • HP sponsors CNET video service

    Fri, 16 Nov 2007

    CNET Networks, the UK's biggest online-only publisher, is launching a standalone online video service on Monday. It will run across four channels focusing on music, film, video games and technology.

  • Hyundai calls 10m pitch for pan-European launch

    Wed, 21 Nov 2007

    Hyundai Motor Europe has called a pitch for the pan-European launch of its i10 model. It is thought the business is worth up to £10m.

  • IAB seeks e-mail marketing rules

    Thu, 15 Nov 2007

    The Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB) has made a significant step towards establishing consistent industry standards for e-mail marketing after backing guidance set out by the Direct Marketing Association (DMA).

  • Jewellery's lack of lustre

    Thu, 15 Nov 2007

    Jewellery shop displays are failing to sell products. Everything is put together, swamping brand identity. Opportunities are being missed, says Richard Perks

  • LondonLite slams rivals' recycling policy

    Mon, 19 Nov 2007

    Vendors of freesheet LondonLite believe rival papers do not take recycling seriously, according to campaign group Project Freesheet. The claim was made at a meeting between the group and 40 LondonLite distribution team leaders.

  • Looking a gift card in the mouth?

    Thu, 15 Nov 2007

    The plastic gift card is making steady gains on paper vouchers, and hot on its heels is a pre-loaded cash card. But some believe such cards will have a detrimental effect on incentives. By Richard West

  • Matalan founder resigns as chairman

    Mon, 19 Nov 2007

    Matalan founder John Hargreaves has stepped down as chairman less than a year after taking the business private. He will be succeeded by his long-term adviser John Mills.

  • McDonalds plans to enter the coffee market

    Mon, 19 Nov 2007

    McDonald's is gearing up to go head to head with Starbucks with a major assault on the coffee market. The plan was announced to analysts in the US late last week.

  • Momentum wins Genworth European golf tour sponsorship work

    Tue, 20 Nov 2007

    Momentum, the integrated agency, has been appointed by financial services company Genworth Financial to work on its sponsorship of the European golf tour. Genworth signed a five-year deal to sponsor the tour's statistics programme in April in a bid to build its brand.

  • Motorists use Facebook to rally against fuel companies

    Thu, 15 Nov 2007

    Motorists plotting a boycott against fuel companies in response to rising petrol prices are using social networking site Facebook. Over 144,000 motorists have signed up to a group called No Fuel Day on the site.

  • Move over scientists, benny hill's sussed the secrets of sex appeal

    Thu, 15 Nov 2007

    Sex sells every product from coffee to cough remedies, but hot pants - not academics - can best help marketers gain a commercial advantage

  • New era of advertising hinges on the free flow of information

    Thu, 15 Nov 2007

    Facebook and MySpace are trying to extract the commercial value of their members' profiles in exchange for 'free' online networking

  • Npower to launch green strategy

    Thu, 15 Nov 2007

    Npower, the RWE-owned energy supplier, is to roll out a green strategy encouraging consumers to think about how they can not only save energy but generate their own. The strategy will have the strapline/ "Be as green as you want to be".

  • Ofcoms consumer panel calls for greater interest in childrens issues

    Tue, 20 Nov 2007

    Ofcom should take a greater interest in children's issues according to the organisation's own advisors. Colette Bowe, chairman of the body's consumer panel, has called for a dedicated children's panel to look at a range of issues.

  • Olbas unveils flu pill

    Thu, 15 Nov 2007

    Olbas is launching a 2m campaign to support the launch of its first tablet-based remedy, Olbas Powerflu. The TV ad, created by Bray Leino, uses "live action" overlaid with computer generated imagery (CGI) to show two cold sufferers as they struggle through the day.

  • P&G rebrands laundry products to encourage people to rewear clothes

    Thu, 15 Nov 2007

    Procter & Gamble (P&G) is ramping up its focus on the student market with a range of laundry products that freshen up clothes without the need for washing in water.

  • P&G to replace Bold and Lenor with premium line

    Wed, 21 Nov 2007

    Procter & Gamble is launching a laundry sub-brand that aims to reposition its Bold and Lenor ranges as premium products. The Infusions range will be introduced early next year.

  • Partying with a distinct purpose

    Thu, 15 Nov 2007

    With corporate hospitality events, it is difficult to please everyone. The key is to remain subtle, appropriate and ethical, as organisers are increasingly being held accountable, says John Stones

  • Peugeot brand chief to lead growth plan

    Thu, 15 Nov 2007

    PSA Peugeot Citro?has promoted managing director of the Peugeot brand Frederic Saint-Geours to a senior group role to spearhead its ambitious growth plans.

  • Phone gamblers boost Ladbrokes profits

    Thu, 15 Nov 2007

    Ladbrokes has seen profits almost double over the past four months due to heavy losses by its "high roller" telephone gamblers. The rise in phone sales offset a poor performance by the chain's high street betting shops.

  • Private equity settles in for the long ride

    Thu, 15 Nov 2007

    Since Cerberus Capital Management completed its $7.4bn (3.7bn) takeover of the once-mighty Chrysler in the summer, the car industry has been watching closely for insights into the private equity giant's intentions for the sector. It may be about to get some answers.

  • Promotions left on the shelf

    Thu, 15 Nov 2007

    Marketers are out of touch with consumer attitudes and behaviours towards sales promotions. Worse still, they appear to be staking investments without sufficient thought or consumer insights

  • Restrictions drive alcohol ads off TV

    Mon, 19 Nov 2007

    Alcoholic drinks companies are shifting advertising spend away from television as a result of tough new restrictions, according to Ofcom and the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA). A new report shows that drinks suppliers are spending 26% less on TV ads than they were two years ago despite overall spend across ...

  • Ruth Mortimer on Web 3.0s robot marketing wars

    Wed, 21 Nov 2007

    Inside every woman and man lurks the dreaded inner geek. One man recently admitted to me that he yearned for a stamp collection, while a female friend confessed that she had learned all the lyrics to every Queen song ever written. But much, much worse than this, my inner geek is thinking about something ...

  • S&N sells French division to reject takeover bid

    Tue, 20 Nov 2007

    Scottish & Newcastle has announced the sale of its underperforming French wholesale distribution business in yet another bid to fight its takeover by Carlsberg A/S and Heineken NV.

  • Saatchi & Saatchi to shut down Gum...

    Thu, 15 Nov 2007

    Saatchi & Saatchi London is poised for a major shake-up, which is expected to see the closure of brand entertainment division Gum.

  • Selling more of less: the unlikely method of long-tail marketing

    Thu, 15 Nov 2007

    With the growth of long-tail marketing, the familiar markets of millions have been replaced by millions of markets of one, says Charles Vallance

  • Starbucks to open in Center Parcs

    Mon, 19 Nov 2007

    Starbucks is launching outlets at Center Parcs as part of a 17m overhaul of the holiday village chain. The coffee shops are due to open in UK resorts next year.

  • Starcom to handle 70m Tele2 pan-European media account

    Thu, 15 Nov 2007

    Tele2, the Swedish telecoms company, has appointed Starcom to handle its 100m (70m) pan-European media planning and buying account.

  • Stream to develop film tie-ins as part of Heinekens global strategy

    Wed, 21 Nov 2007

    Stream, the branded content arm of TBWA/London, has landed a place on the Heineken roster to develop and implement a global film strategy.

  • Telegraph Media scraps marketing director role

    Thu, 15 Nov 2007

    Telegraph Media Group (TMG) has axed its marketing director role and promoted senior brand manager Emma Fraser to the new role of head of brand communications.

  • The Independent reviews 3m ad account

    Thu, 15 Nov 2007

    The Independent is reviewing its 3m advertising account with an agency expected to be appointed by the end of the year. The newspaper is holding meetings with a number of agencies and is understood to be looking to shortlist four agencies.

  • The Photon Group buys Sledge for 3.9m

    Tue, 20 Nov 2007

    Sledge, the brand experience agency, has been bought by The Photon Group, the Australian marketing services company, for $9.2m (£3.9m). It is the group's third UK purchase in the past month.

  • The search for global fortune

    Thu, 15 Nov 2007

    European financial giant Fortis is relatively unknown as a commercial bank in the UK. Grey, recently appointed to handle its global advertising, is expected to put it in the spotlight, says Catherine Turner

  • The tourism industry takes its funding grievances to the Prime Minister

    Mon, 19 Nov 2007

    Tourism chiefs have written to Prime Minister Gordon Brown to express their anger over cuts in funding as the industry launches the "Take Tourism Seriously" campaign.

  • Twelve months on: gambling sites are alive and well

    Thu, 15 Nov 2007

    Twelve months ago tough new restrictions came into force in the US clamping down on internet gambling, prompting many to claim a death sentence had been passed on some UK online gaming operators.

  • Virgin and Innocent claim Top Employer Survey 2007 honours

    Wed, 21 Nov 2007

    At first glance, Virgin Group appears to exert an unshakeable grip on the aspirations of UK marketers. More of them want to work for Sir Richard Branson’s organisation than any other company, according to our annual Top Employer Survey.

  • When cutting-edge means just plain cutting

    Fri, 16 Nov 2007

    Ive seen the future, improbably enough through a rather turgid press release from Publicis Groupe that floated across my desk this week.

  • Xfm brings superheroes to South Wales

    Thu, 15 Nov 2007

    Xfm, the GCap Media-owned radio brand, is supporting the launch of its South Wales station with a major outdoor campaign that will break on November 16.

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