Marketing Week
16 August 2007

  • A healthy boost

    Thu, 16 Aug 2007

    Unilever's launch of healthy dried soups through Knorr could give the brand the backing it needs to become an up-to-date, consistent brand in the UK and around the world. By John Reynolds

  • ABC results reveal a downturn in women’s weeklies

    Thu, 16 Aug 2007

    The women’s weekly sector was down by 4.6% in the January to June period and 4.4% year-on-year, according to the latest set of ABCs, indicating an overall downturn in magazine circulations.

  • Agencies chase pan-European gambling brief

    Thu, 16 Aug 2007

    Online betting company Unibet is seeking an advertising agency to handle a pan-European brief.

  • AMV wins climate change pitch

    Fri, 17 Aug 2007

    The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the Department for Transport have appointed Abbott Mead Vickers.BBDO to their climate change advertising brief following a consolidation pitch.

  • Apart from in james bond films, can gambling ever really be seen as sexy??

    Thu, 16 Aug 2007

    With TV ads for gambling on the horizon, critics are getting in a flap about associations with sexual success. But gambling doesn't work miracles

  • ASA upholds complaints about Clarins campaign

    Thu, 16 Aug 2007

    Cosmetics giant Clarins has been censured by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) over claims that its Expertise 3P product can protect against anti-ageing and improve skin health by stopping electromagnetic waves.

  • Bank Brands in Search of an Identity

    Fri, 17 Aug 2007

    Does Jim Hytners imminent exit from Barclays - where he has been marketing director for three years - spell the end of the banks current Now theres a thought advertising?

  • Barclaycard launches ad campaign and criticises its rivals' offerings

    Thu, 16 Aug 2007

    Barclaycard has hit out at its rivals for their "emotionless" and price-driven advertising as it launches a campaign that it claims is its "best for ten years".

  • Barclays ponders global group marketing director

    Wed, 22 Aug 2007

  • BLM Azure creates launch campaign for Bratz rival

    Tue, 21 Aug 2007

    BLM Azure, the specialist toys and games arm of BLM Group, has created the 1m launch campaign for new doll range, This is Me. The media planning and buying agency was appointed to the handle the brief without a pitch.

  • Bmibaby uses ITV regions for first fast-response ads

    Thu, 16 Aug 2007

    Budget carrier Bmibaby is running a targeted advertising campaign on ITV1 regions allowing it to tailor ads just before being aired.

  • BT launches directory services promotion

    Thu, 16 Aug 2007

    BT is promoting its three directory services - The Phone Book, 118 500 and bt.com/thephonebook - in a new outdoor campaign that breaks this week. It is the first time the company has marketed the three services together.

  • Capital 95.8 drops to lowest ever audience figures

    Thu, 16 Aug 2007

    Capital 95.8 has recorded its lowest ever share of audience and slipped into fourth place in London. The latest radio audience figures show that GCap Media's flagship London station is now behind EMAP-owned Kiss, which has moved into third spot.

  • China eclipses UK's ad market growth

    Fri, 17 Aug 2007

    The UK advertising market remains the slowest growing while rapid growth continues apace in India and China, according to WWP Group in its interim results for the six months to June 30.

  • Cisco and Microsoft pledge to collaborate

    Tue, 21 Aug 2007

    Cisco chief executive John Chambers and Microsoft chief executive Steve Ballmer have held a joint webcast to reveal plans for closer collaboration between the two companies as they seek to offer consumers more compatible solutions between the products they offer.

  • Clear takes over Cala Homes account from Red Cell

    Fri, 17 Aug 2007

    Property developers Cala Homes has appointed Clear Marketing Communications to its marketing account. The Manchester-based agency won the business from Red Cell without a pitch.

  • Code Computerlove revamps Sharwood's online strategy

    Thu, 16 Aug 2007

    Sharwood's, the Premier Foods-owned brand, has appointed Manchester-based full-service agency Code Computerlove to revamp its online strategy.

  • Creatives' 'Buddies' bring out the darkside

    Thu, 16 Aug 2007

    If you've happened to notice the creative types in your agency grasping permanent markers, grinning evilly and chatting at length about, and quite possibly to, their new "Buddy" even though there is no one else in sight, fear not, they haven't been sniffing the pen but are just taking part in Carbon ...

  • Daley and Man United part company

    Fri, 17 Aug 2007

    Lee Daley, the former Saatchi & Saatchi chief executive, has left Manchester United Football Club after just four months as commercial director.

  • DMA joins initiative to promote B2B marketing communications

    Thu, 16 Aug 2007

    The Direct Marketing Association (DMA) has teamed up with six other trade bodies, including the Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB) and the Institute of Sales Promotion (ISP), to raise the profile and standard of business-to-business marketing communications in the UK.

  • DMS restructures to focus on cross-media sales

    Mon, 20 Aug 2007

    Digital Media Sales is restructuring its sales operations to capitalise on cross-media opportunities. The sales house, whose clients include digital TV channels, outdoor and mobile media companies, says it follows a successful pilot earlier this year.

  • Dogs, courts and human rights

    Thu, 16 Aug 2007

    What do comparative ads have to do with human rights, especially when pet brands are involved? Mike Gardner reveals the legal shield for advertisers

  • Domino’s launches text-order pizza service

    Thu, 16 Aug 2007

    Domino’s Pizza is launching a service that will allow customers to order pizzas by text message. Domino’s claims it is the first pizza company to use text message ordering in the UK.

  • Fiat to promote Perosino to global marketing role

    Thu, 16 Aug 2007

    Fiat is set to hand marketing communications chief Giovanni Perosino its top global marketing role after Steve Norman's move to rival Renault.

  • Food industry unveils second ad blitz to promote GDA labelling

    Thu, 16 Aug 2007

    The food industry is launching a second burst of advertising support for its Guideline Daily Amount (GDA) labelling scheme as it looks to gather momentum over the Food Standards Agency traffic light system.

  • Former EMAP chief takes lead role at Aegis

    Mon, 20 Aug 2007

    Former EMAP marketing chief David Pullan has joined Aegis Media as president of its Service Solutions Group. Pullan, who left EMAP consumer magazines in February, will lead future strategy and product development.

  • Fresh choices facing crisis-hit Morrisons

    Thu, 16 Aug 2007

    Freshness, service and value. Morrisons' new brand advertising that tells us to follow Denise Van Outen while she pushes her trolley, stocking it with fresh food made and prepared in store, to the soundtrack Shine by Take That. Watchable stuff indeed. The only trouble is that some of ...

  • From west to east

    Thu, 16 Aug 2007

    Corporations in the West are increasingly under threat from those in the East, which are making Western markets their priority, moving away from low-cost, value products and placing more emphasis on building brands. Their power should not be underestimated, says Robert Lester

  • Fujitsu Siemens appoints Creative Direction

    Fri, 17 Aug 2007

    Fujitsu Siemens Computers has appointed Creative Direction Consultants to handle its integrated advertising account. The Berkshire-based agency won the business following a pitch against a number of undisclosed agencies.

  • Gambling TV ads under new threat

    Mon, 20 Aug 2007

    Gambling companies looking to take advantage of the deregulation of gambling advertising when the Gambling Act 2005 is introduced on September 1 have been hit by another setback.

  • Games consoles drive electrical sector growth

    Fri, 17 Aug 2007

    Games and games consoles are expected to account for 82.3% of total growth in the electrical sector this year, according to a new report. Retail analysts Verdict Research says that without games consoles the total market would grow by just 0.8% instead of the 4.2% it is forecasting.

  • GCap head ‘won’t be shy’ when reviewing Capital 95.8

    Thu, 16 Aug 2007

    Fru Hazlitt, managing director of GCap London, says she ’won’t be shy’ about making changes at Capital 95.8 in a bid to turn the ailing station around. Hazlitt has said in the past that the London station needs to be ’radically transformed’.

  • George Foreman brand expands into ready-to-grill snack foods

    Thu, 16 Aug 2007

    The George Foreman brand, famous for its Lean, Mean Fat Reducing Grilling Machine, is gearing up to break into the food market with a range of meat, fish, poultry and game products.

  • Going back to the roots

    Thu, 16 Aug 2007

    Promotions make products attractive to consumers, so why not find out what they want from a brand? Richenda Wilson explains how customer involement can act as a strong incentive

  • Harris lands top marketing role at Nokia

    Tue, 21 Aug 2007

    Nokia has appointed former O2 marketing chief Will Harris as UK marketing director. Harris, who starts his new role in October, replaces Simon Lloyd, who left to join The Number 118 118 earlier this year (MW April 19).

  • ICI brand name under threat after sale to rival

    Thu, 16 Aug 2007

    The future of the ICI brand looks uncertain after its sale to Dutch rival Azko Nobel is finalised. The brand has been synonymous with British industry for eighty years.

  • Indigo Red unveils UK's 'first' video jobs website

    Thu, 16 Aug 2007

    Indigo Red, the recruitment consultant, has launched the UK's first online video recruitment website, VlogYourJob.com, to reach the "newest generation of job hunters".

  • Is fast fashion on course for ethical backlash?

    Thu, 16 Aug 2007

    Fast fashion retailers will be forced to rethink their marketing strategies in order to head off a forecasted downturn in the market, according to experts.

  • Is the use of eating-disorder sufferers in Dove's ad campaign an act of desperation?

    Thu, 16 Aug 2007

    Dove's controversial plans to feature recovering eating-disorder sufferers in the next phase of its Campaign for Real Beauty (MW last week) have prompted some to question whether the Unilever-owned brand's award-winning advertising is running out of st...

  • Land Rover appoints sustainability project head

    Thu, 16 Aug 2007

    Land Rover has made global brand communications director Julian Whitehead responsible for "sustainability" in a bid to shed its image as one of the worst polluters in the car industry.

  • Leagas forms digital partnership

    Thu, 16 Aug 2007

    Leagas Delaney is boosting its digital credentials by taking a "substantial" stake in digital creative agency Holst Digital.

  • Lego seeks child stars for Nickelodeon TV ad blitz

    Thu, 16 Aug 2007

    Lego - which this year celebrates its 75th anniversary - and Nickelodeon are searching for two children to star in Lego's next TV ad campaign.

  • London Business School appoints Saatchis Hytner

    Mon, 20 Aug 2007

    Saatchi & Saatchi Worldwide deputy chairman Richard Hytner has been appointed an executive fellow of London Business School. He will be attached to the marketing faculty.

  • Lord's hosts Web giants' 2007 cricket tournament

    Thu, 16 Aug 2007

    What better way to sort out company rivalries than a good old English cricket tournament? Last Friday three Net heavyweights - Yahoo!, Google and Lastminute.com - took part in a one-day competition at Lord's.

  • Man in the media

    Wed, 22 Aug 2007

    Jim Hytners decision to leave Barclays for Top Up TV may seem like a step down, but at least hell be back in the media world he loves. Will he defy critics by showing his experience at Barclays has given him a more hard-nosed and strategic side? Time will tell, says Catherine Turner

  • Mango uses size 16 model for campaign

    Fri, 17 Aug 2007

    Mango, the Spanish high street retailer, is launching its range in bigger sizes ahead of London Fashion Week. The initiative will be supported with a campaign starring size 16 model Crystal Renn (pictured).

  • Marketing chief Hytner to quit Barclays for Top Up TV

    Fri, 17 Aug 2007

    Barclays group marketing director Jim Hytner has quit the high street bank after nearly three years in the role to join Top Up TV as commercial director.

  • Mattel sues 'pornographic Barbie' website

    Wed, 22 Aug 2007

  • Money man 'rockying' the Stallone look at Dynamo

    Thu, 16 Aug 2007

    Who's that in marketing communications agency Dynamo's office? Could it be the star of such celluloid classics as A Man Called… Rainbo, F.I.S.T. and Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot, Sylvester Stallone?No, it's actually financial controller Dale Michael. Apparently Dale has borne a ...

  • Monthly magazines suffer circulation slump

    Fri, 17 Aug 2007

    The mens and womens monthly sectors have suffered huge circulation declines, according to ABC figures for the first six months of 2007. The womens lifestyle market is down by more than 4% and, while the mens market posted an increase of 7.5% thanks to freesheet Sports circulation of 317,093, the paid-for titles all experienced significant falls.

  • Morrisons ad's future is uncertain due to E.coli outbreak

    Thu, 16 Aug 2007

    Morrisons' advertising campaign, extolling the freshness of its produce, has been left in doubt following an outbreak of E.coli alleged to have been caused by cold meat sold in two of its stores.

  • Morrisons makeover

    Wed, 22 Aug 2007

    Supermarket brand Morrisons has been rocked by turbulence since it took over Safeway in 2004. Its latest mishap an E.coli outbreak on the eve a 450m brand makeover has done nothing to persuade analysts that the retailers fortunes will turn a corner. By Matthew Gorman

  • NatMags ventures forward without losing sight of its heritage

    Thu, 16 Aug 2007

    The men's magazine sector has been bombarded with a host of relaunches in the past year as publishers attempt to reverse declining circulations and revive interest from advertisers. The latest to try to breathe new life into the market is the National Magazine Company, which last week relaunched Esquire ...

  • New campaign: HMV

    Thu, 16 Aug 2007

    HMV rebrands after 15 years

  • Nitro beats McCann to Unilever frozen yoghurt European launch

    Wed, 22 Aug 2007

  • Npower and Homeserve team up to provide installation and home policies services

    Thu, 16 Aug 2007

    Npower is extending its relationship with Homeserve to take on British Gas in the home installation and services sector. Npower has bought Homeserve’s heating services arm and signed a ten-year partnership deal with the company to co-market a range of policies for the home.

  • Npower 'buys' stars for 'out of this world' campaign

    Wed, 22 Aug 2007

  • NS&I and WHSmith enter partnership

    Tue, 21 Aug 2007

    National Savings and Investments is launching many of its products in high street retailer WHSmith. It follows the retailer’s deal with the Post Office to promote its financial services products earlier this year.

  • Odeon signs sponsor for over-50s screenings

    Tue, 21 Aug 2007

    RIAS, the specialist insurer for the over-50s, has become the first brand to sponsor Odeon Cinema Senior Screen, which offers over-50s regular, reduced-price cinema screenings across the UK.

  • Olympics organiser extends sponsorship search to clothing sector

    Tue, 21 Aug 2007

    The London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games has announced a new domestic sponsorship sector for the 2012 Olympics. "Clothing and homeware" has been added to the tier-one categories, meaning there are now six 50m-plus deals available to potential sponsors.

  • Omego launches parent-controlled mobile handset for children

    Thu, 16 Aug 2007

    A mobile phone that gives parents full control over how their children talk and text is being launched this week. OmegoMobile claims to be the first handset that restricts who children can receive calls from and which Web pages they can look at.

  • P&G unveils 140 toothbrush that can teach oral hygiene

    Wed, 22 Aug 2007

    Procter & Gamble is launching a "smart" toothbrush that will tell users how to brush their teeth. The Oral-B Triumph SmartGuide will be launched later this month.

  • Performance drives BLM restructuring

    Thu, 16 Aug 2007

    BLM Group, the independent media and marketing agency, is restructuring to put "neutral planning" at its heart, and is to position itself as a "performance agency".

  • Price of empowerment

    Thu, 16 Aug 2007

    Online spending will hit 42bn this year, but brands would be wise to use impartial channels in their marketing mix because traditional methods are not getting through to empowered consumers

  • Proving an ads success doesnt mean youve been successful

    Wed, 22 Aug 2007

    A study shows marketers favour awareness and image metrics over ROI and market gain, but these have no link to business performance. By Alan Mitchell

  • RadioCentre reports ad revenue rise

    Tue, 21 Aug 2007

    The growing optimism about a recovery in commercial radio has received another boost with RadioCentre revealing that national ad revenue is up by 3.4% for the second quarter of the year. National revenue for the quarter has risen to over £85m.

  • Redemption is in your hands

    Thu, 16 Aug 2007

    Successful, high-profile campaigns have proved how well the medium of mobile can be integrated into promotions, but many companies have yet to take advantage of the trend, says Caroline Parry

  • Rowan lands cosmetic surgery business

    Thu, 16 Aug 2007

    Rowan Marketing, the Cheshire-based integrated agency, has been appointed to handle the direct marketing account for Transform Medical Group, the UK's largest cosmetic surgery provider.

  • Sky bolsters search marketing roster

    Wed, 22 Aug 2007

  • Social networking causes teen magazine slide

    Thu, 16 Aug 2007

    The growth of social networking sites continues to hit the teen magazine sector, with the majority of titles posting another set of gloomy circulation figures. The teenage lifestyle sector was down by 8.1% in the January to June period and the entertainment magazines were down by 4.7%.

  • Sony to crack down on misuse of Home site

    Thu, 16 Aug 2007

    Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE) has warned that it will take a zero tolerance policy to bad behaviour on its yet-to-be launched online portal Home and any misuse will lead to the service being halted altogether.

  • The bare-faced cheek of the poster nickers

    Thu, 16 Aug 2007

    The promotional campaign for an upcoming play at the West Yorkshire Playhouse is certainly attracting attention, but maybe not of the kind that the theatre would ideally like.

  • The Daily Mirror to donate 2p of Cover price to ChildLine

    Thu, 16 Aug 2007

    The Daily Mirror is donating 2p of the cover price of every copy of the paper it sells this Friday (August 17) to children's charity ChildLine. The move is part of a wider campaign across Trinity Mirror's national and regional titles and its websites aimed at supporting the charity.

  • The Krankies star in Scottish online bingo commercial

    Thu, 16 Aug 2007

    Former children's TV entertainers The Krankies are starring in a heavyweight campaign for STV Bingo, an online service from the Scottish broadcaster.

  • The Marketing Store wins Vodafone integrated retail account

    Thu, 16 Aug 2007

    Vodafone has appointed The Marketing Store (TMS) to handle its £2m integrated retail account following a two-month review. The business was previously handled by RMG Connect, which is thought to have declined to repitch.

  • The Sun pours 50m into online bingo and fantasy football group

    Thu, 16 Aug 2007

    The Sun is expected to ramp up its marketing spend to over 50m next year to support its recent investments in fantasy football and online bingo.

  • Thomson to take on price comparison website kings

    Thu, 16 Aug 2007

    Thomson Directories is gearing up to take on the likes of Moneysupermarket.com and Confused.com with the launch of a specialist financial price comparison site.

  • Tory rebels under fire over 'happy slapping' viral ads

    Wed, 22 Aug 2007

  • Turkish Tourism hunts agency for 60m global task

    Thu, 16 Aug 2007

    The Turkish Culture and Tourism Office has called the statutory annual review of its advertising and has invited agencies to pitch for the global business for 2008, thought to be worth £60m. The account is worth an estimated £4m in the UK alone.

  • Virgin Media loses chief executive

    Tue, 21 Aug 2007

    Virgin Media chief executive Steve Burch is leaving the cable company for "family and personal reasons". The company has confirmed that Burch will return to America and leave with immediate effect. Burch will also step down from Virgin Media's board.

  • Virgin Radio names non-executive chairman

    Mon, 20 Aug 2007

    Virgin Radio has appointed Chrysalis Group chief executive Richard Huntingford as non-executive chairman as the SMG-owned radio station gears up for an expected flotation later this year.

  • Visit London pushes multicultural offerings

    Fri, 17 Aug 2007

    Visit London is launching an advertising campaign to promote the capital's multicultural neighbourhoods in an effort to attract more visitors to the city. The one-off campaign breaks on August 20 with 250,000 Explore Multicultural London guides distributed at London railway stations and at UK and overseas events.

  • Watchdog probes Tesco and Asda e-mails

    Mon, 20 Aug 2007

    The Competition Commission has ordered Tesco and Asda to produce the contents of more than 11 million e-mails, as the investigation into claims that they used bullying tactics against suppliers is stepped up.

  • Wells & Young's reviews 2.5m Bombardier brief

    Thu, 16 Aug 2007

    Wells & Young's Brewing Company (W&Y), maker of specialty beers, is reviewing its 2.5m Bombardier advertising account.

  • Which? report slammed for being "out of date"

    Tue, 21 Aug 2007

    The food and advertising industries have slammed a Which? report into the use of kids cartoon characters to promote "junk" food for being "out of date" and "bizarre". The report, which was released today (August 21), warns food companies that using the characters could harm their brands.

  • YouTube launches "transparent" adverts

    Wed, 22 Aug 2007

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