Marketing Week
16 February 2006

  • 3 plans overhaul of 'quirky' image

    Thu, 16 Feb 2006

    Mobile phone operator 3 is rethinking its quirky brand advertising campaigns because it wants to make its proposition more "tangible".

  • A quick pint in the Rovers can do wonders for our memory

    Thu, 16 Feb 2006

    How 79 students, four episodes of Coronation Street and one professor of psychology discovered the best time to broadcast a TV advertisement

  • Acquisition/retention split is false economy...

    Thu, 16 Feb 2006

    David Reed's article on loyalty (MW last week) included the alarming and I'm not sure entirely accurate quote that clients are dividing marketing departments between acquisition, which uses advertising, and sales promotion and retention, which uses direct marketing.

  • Advertising spend under threat in Chancellor's efficiency drive

    Thu, 16 Feb 2006

    The Government's £307.5m advertising and promotion spend is expected to come under serious threat, as Whitehall departments face up to meet Gordon Brown's efficiency targets urging them to cut costs.

  • Affilinet UK appoints Julie York

    Thu, 16 Feb 2006

    Affilinet UK, the affiliate marketing agency, has appointed Julie York, former director of corporate communications at IPC Media, to head its communications strategy. York, who left IPC in 2004 after ten years with the publisher, will help promote the brand in the UK.

  • Alfa Romeo picks ex-Fiat man as managing director

    Thu, 16 Feb 2006

    Alfa Romeo UK has appointed Christopher Nicoll as managing director, completing its new management team.

  • Animal Defenders International attacks Clemmow Hornby Inge

    Thu, 16 Feb 2006

    Animal Defenders International, which campaigns against animal circuses, has attacked ad agency Clemmow Hornby Inge for using the last circus elephant in the UK in an ad for the Toyota Yaris. It has called for a boycott of Toyota cars in protest.

  • Ashes hero to be face of Sky Sports cricket coverage

    Thu, 16 Feb 2006

    Sky Television has signed Ashes hero Andrew "Freddie" Flintoff to be the face of Sky Sports cricket coverage.

  • Budvar Dark in bottles

    Thu, 16 Feb 2006

    Budweiser Budvar is rolling out Budvar Dark in bottles, three years after it was launched on draught . The beer will be avai- lable in 500ml bottles.

  • Chevrolet holds pitch for Captiva pan-European launch

    Thu, 16 Feb 2006

    Chevrolet, the General Motors-owned car marque, is holding a pitch for the pan-European launch of its Captiva sports utility vehicle. It is understood Leo Burnett, FCB London and Bühler & Partners Frankfurt have been shortlisted to pitch for the business.

  • Clemmow Hornby Inge slammed by animal rights campaigners

    Thu, 16 Feb 2006

    Clemmow Hornby Inge has been slammed by animal rights campaigners for using an elephant in its Toyota Yaris ad. It is the UK's last remaining circus elephant.

  • Coca-Cola Enterprises GB is in union talks

    Thu, 16 Feb 2006

    Coca-Cola Enterprises GB is in union talks about a restructure that is likely to result in a large number of redundancies.

  • COI Communications appoints agencies

    Thu, 16 Feb 2006

    COI Communications has appointed BLM Media, Carat, Experience, Mediacom, MindShare, Rise and Universal McCann to its communications planning roster. Ingram, Manning Gottlieb OMD, Mediaedge:CIA, Naked, PHD, Starcom and Zenith Optimedia have also been reappointed.

  • Coke's bid to widen range under attack

    Thu, 16 Feb 2006

    Coca-Cola has been slammed by retailers and agencies for its "scattergun approach" to new product development.

  • Co-op Financial Services to reinforce ethical credentials

    Thu, 16 Feb 2006

    Co-operative Financial Services (CFS) is to push its ethical credentials in an overhaul of its marketing communications. The strapline "Good With Money" is being introduced in all CFS literature.

  • Danone, Kellogg, Kraft, Nestlé and PepsiCo

    Thu, 16 Feb 2006

    Danone, Kellogg, Kraft, Nestlé and PepsiCo have committed to taking a common approach to nutrition labelling. They will put guideline daily amounts (GDAs) on packs so consumers can make informed choices about products.

  • DDB loses £12m Weetabix to WCRS

    Thu, 16 Feb 2006

    WCRS has scooped the £12m advertising business for Weetabix from incumbent DDB London. It is understood the cereal company has already moved the account.

  • De Agostini hires MPG to handle £7m media brief

    Thu, 16 Feb 2006

    Havas-owned Media Planning Group has been appointed by partwork publisher De Agostini to handle its &£7m planning and buying following a competitive pitch. The incumbent on the business was MediaCom, which has held the business since 2000.

  • Decline in the number of independent UK food stores

    Thu, 16 Feb 2006

    A group of MPs is expected to report this week that the decline in the number of independent UK food stores will lead to price rises. Local stores could disappear in ten years, leaving supermarkets free to increase prices in convenience outlets.

  • Digital Spy appoints 24/7 Real Media

    Thu, 16 Feb 2006

    Digital Spy, the digital television and entertainment website, has appointed 24/7 Real Media to manage advertising sales and serving ads on the site in an effort to boost revenues.

  • Dog Digital creates viral campaign

    Thu, 16 Feb 2006

    Dog Digital, the digital marketing agency, has created a viral campaign based on a quiz game to help launch commercial talk radio station, Talk 107, which will broadcast to Edinburgh and Eastern Scotland. The radio station is owned by Ulster TV.

  • Dunnhumby data link with major rival to Tesco in US

    Thu, 16 Feb 2006

    Tesco is risking the wrath of US retail giant Kroger when it opens its first North American stores next year.

  • Electrolux 15m rebrand applies the science of consumer need

    Thu, 16 Feb 2006

    Electrolux, the world's largest appliances group, is doubling its advertising spend to 15m as part of a new strategy intended to put marketing and brand communications at the heart of the company.

  • Electrolux doubles spend with new strategy

    Thu, 16 Feb 2006

    Electrolux, the world's biggest appliances company, is doubling its marketing spend to 15m across its key UK brands. The move aims to put innovation and marketing at the centre of the company's strategy.

  • Energizer to extend its reach with Euro website

    Thu, 16 Feb 2006

    Energizer, the battery and torch company, has launched a European website - energizer-eu.com - created by Them. The site uses a bespoke content management system, ThemCMS, that enables Energizer to rapidly update information in English, French, Italian, German and Spanish.

  • E-tail can provide an antidote to slow growth on the high street

    Thu, 16 Feb 2006

    Figures from traditional sales outlets may have hit a brick wall but retailers wishing to take advantage of the latest growth trend must look to improve their online presence, says Richard Hyman

  • Ex-Five boss takes BBC digital reins

    Thu, 16 Feb 2006

    The BBC has appointed a former Five marketer to head its digital and new media.

  • Faking or stalking - Valentine promotions tell you how

    Thu, 16 Feb 2006

    The Diary likes to settle down on Valentine's night with a bottle of Plymouth Gin and a Joy Division CD to watch an unremittingly bleak Ingmar Bergman film with the sound turned off before crashing out on the sofa, alone.

  • Figure it out for yourself

    Thu, 16 Feb 2006

    Three studies prove that events are still a fast growing element of the marketing mix and are highly influential in the buying decision while having a significant impact on the economy. By Ian Whiteling

  • Ford considering axing Destination Football activity

    Thu, 16 Feb 2006

    Ford is considering axing its Destination Football activity as part of a revamp of its European football sponsorship strategy.

  • France Telecom sparks further £150m review

    Thu, 16 Feb 2006

    France Telecom is thought to be conducting a review of agencies handling its £150m global branded entertainment properties. The pitch is separate to a review of France Telecom's £200m pan-European advertising business, which is expected to con

  • Gaming is changing so why isn't marketing?

    Thu, 16 Feb 2006

    News of the arrival of Nintendo's Professor Kawashima's Brain Training game in the UK (MW January 26) is indicative of a continued evolution of the gaming industry. It is no longer correct to assume that the typical gamer is a spotty male teen in his bedroom, sacrificing sleep and personal hygiene for hand-to-hand combat with Orcs.

  • Gaming-chipped clothing range plans UK entrance

    Thu, 16 Feb 2006

    Online gaming and fashion are collaborating on an innovative range of clothing recently launched in the US - and likely to be launched in the UK this year.

  • GCap Media's music chart airs teenage safety podcast

    Thu, 16 Feb 2006

    GCap Media's music chart Hit40uk is to offer its first podcast as part of the Home Office's internet safety campaign targeting teenagers.

  • Going overboard?

    Thu, 16 Feb 2006

    Unilever chief Cescau is taking his axe to top UK food brand Birds Eye as part of his purge on poor performers and promise to boost sales and market share. Worth &£50m in profits, the frozen food brand's sale is a powerful sign that no business will escape his scrutiny. By David Benady

  • Google, Microsoft and Yahoo! asked to give evidence

    Thu, 16 Feb 2006

    Google, Microsoft and Yahoo! are being asked to give evidence to the US House of Representatives' International Committee on Human Rights on their operations in China.

  • Helping customers to make up their minds

    Thu, 16 Feb 2006

    Alan Mitchell is astute to point out the commercial cost of providing too much "choice" to us poor beleaguered consumers ("Emotional or rational, choice has never been so expensive", MW last week).

  • Honda Racing signing will drive F1 'a step forward'

    Thu, 16 Feb 2006

    Honda's decision to hire Simon Fuller's 19 Entertainment to handle the global marketing activity for its Formula One team is a major step forward for the sport, according to a leading sports marketer.

  • HP pits roster agencies against each other

    Thu, 16 Feb 2006

    Global technology and printing giant Hewlett Packard is conducting a global internal pitch that is likely to sharpen competition between roster agencies Goodby Silverstein & Partners and Publicis.

  • Hytner adds group role to Barclays responsibilities

    Thu, 16 Feb 2006

    Barclays has promoted its high-profile top marketer Jim Hytner to oversee the marketing of its Barclaycard and Barclays International businesses. Both businesses are now tipped to undergo a repositioning, with the bank believed to want to align each more closely with the high street brand.

  • In peer power we trust

    Thu, 16 Feb 2006

    When opinion formers were asked who they trusted most, their answer was 'a person like me', so pure branding communications may not be enough to turn customers into brand advocates

  • In-car phone system is first fruit of Fiat-Microsoft tie-up

    Thu, 16 Feb 2006

    Fiat Auto and Microsoft will launch an in-car communication and entertainment (ICE) system at the end of the month - the first product to emerge since they signed a partnership deal in 2004.

  • Information is at the heart of loyalty

    Thu, 16 Feb 2006

    In "Customers for keeps", David Reed discusses devoting a bigger slice of budget to the retention of customers than to their acquisition, but fails to point out that the main reason why it's cheaper to retain customers is the supplier has customer information that it can use in a targeted, inexpensive way to sustain loyalty.

  • Jayne O'Brien promoted

    Thu, 16 Feb 2006

    British Airways head of marketing for UK and Ireland Jayne O'Brien has been promoted to head of global brand and marketing communica- tions as part of a man-agement restructure. Global head of marke- ting Jill McDonald has already left. O'Brien will report to Tiffany Hall, newly appointed global general manager of marketing and distribution.

  • JWT parts company with Allied Bakeries

    Thu, 16 Feb 2006

    JWT has parted company with Allied Bakeries, owner of the Kingsmill and Sunblest bread brands, following the departure of marketing director Jo Sykes. It is understood the company is in the early stages of a review.

  • Kia Motors appoints chief ahead of UK sales drive

    Thu, 16 Feb 2006

    Kia Motors (UK) Limited has appointed Byong Kwang Jang as president.

  • Knickers in a twist

    Thu, 16 Feb 2006

    The highly public removal of the Bodyform poster advertising sanitary towels raises the issue of how to connect with consumers on taboo subjects. While SCA chose provocation, rivals have opted for the tongue-in-cheek approach. At all costs, avoid being patronising. By Barny Stokes

  • Labour rebel speaks out against NHS advertising

    Thu, 16 Feb 2006

    A Labour MP has attacked Government plans to allow hospitals to advertise their services to potential patients.

  • 'Lesbian kiss' ad under the ASA spotlight

    Thu, 16 Feb 2006

    Despite ditching its FCUK logo, French Connection's new ad campaign, featuring a "lesbian kiss", is under scrutiny from the Advertising Standards Authority.

  • LG Electronics appoints Mark Bernard

    Thu, 16 Feb 2006

    LG Electronics, the consumer electronics and telecoms company, has appointed former Casio marketing director Mark Bernard as UK general manager for corporate marketing. He replaces Connie Park, who moved to the company's South Korean headquarters last month (MW January 12).

  • Life in the old dog yet

    Thu, 16 Feb 2006

    The Post Office's move into new product areas is designed to appeal to a younger market as well as retain its older customers. By Robert Lester

  • Little Chef coffee bar picks shop

    Thu, 16 Feb 2006

    Little Chef has appointed Sheffield-based agency Dig For Fire to the creative account for its Coffee Tempo! concession, the "grab and go" coffee bar chain revealed in Marketing Week (January 19).

  • Lowe managing director is linked to 'Sampson' ITV role

    Thu, 16 Feb 2006

    Lowe managing director Chris Hunton has been linked with the new ITV advertising development director role, which is similar to the one recently vacated by Justin Sampson.

  • Majority of mobile phone users 'shun 3G services'

    Thu, 16 Feb 2006

    3G services are shunned by almost three-quarters (73%) of people who use mobile phone, even though they own compatible handsets, according to a survey.

  • Media bosses urge Thinkbox to 'step up a gear'

    Thu, 16 Feb 2006

    Media agency executives have called on Thinkbox to up the ante as it approaches its first birthday.

  • Microsoft and Vodafone to launch Windows Mobile E-mail

    Thu, 16 Feb 2006

    Microsoft and Vodafone are to launch a portable e-mail service, Windows Mobile E-mail, to compete with Blackberry.

  • Microsoft has asked us to point out...

    Thu, 16 Feb 2006

    Microsoft has asked us to point out that there is "no substantiation" to the claim that it has put Universal McCann on notice (MW last week).

  • Mobile phone operators pledge to work together

    Thu, 16 Feb 2006

    Orange is among 15 of the world's biggest mobile phone operators to have pledged to work together to bring instant messaging to 2 billion mobile users.

  • Motorola appoints Simon Thompson

    Thu, 16 Feb 2006

    Motorola has appointed former Honda marketing director Simon Thompson as regional marketing director for Europe. Thompson joins the company on March 1

  • Naked wins strategic Home Office brief

    Thu, 16 Feb 2006

    The Home Office has appointed Naked to work on its strategic brief to handle the way passport applications are being processed.

  • Nestlé boosts confectionery roster with Arc London

    Thu, 16 Feb 2006

    Arc London has been added to Nestlés below-the-line roster for its confectionery brands.

  • NetNames to launch domain name and trademark search

    Thu, 16 Feb 2006

    Marketers will soon be able to run a combined trademark and website name search, using a new service being launched by NetNames, the online domain name search and registration site.

  • New Campaign - Scottish Executive

    Thu, 16 Feb 2006

    The Scottish Executive is running an outdoor campaign to raise awareness of the dangers of passive smoking and highlight the smoking ban that begins in Scotland on March 26.

  • Nothing backward in Krow's win of Alfa Romeo

    Thu, 16 Feb 2006

    Krow, the communications agency set up last year by a group of former D'Arcy and BMP bosses, has clinched Alfa as a major client (MW last week). It will handle the launch of the Alfa Romeo Brera, on the back of what the shop's founders claims is a "new attitude to advertising".

  • Number of PayPal accounts now exceeds 100 million

    Thu, 16 Feb 2006

    PayPal, the online payment system, has announced that the number of accounts it operates now exceeds 100 million.

  • Opodo ads support new positioning

    Thu, 16 Feb 2006

    Pan-European online travel company Opodo is repositioning itself in the travel market following a research and rebranding project last year.

  • Pizza Hut denies it is reviewing its ad account

    Thu, 16 Feb 2006

    Pizza Hut has denied it is reviewing its £13m advertising account out of Wieden & Kennedy.

  • Poker site unveils viral campaign

    Thu, 16 Feb 2006

    Beechwood has created a viral campaign for online gambling site Sportingodds, which rolls out today (Wednesday).

  • Publicis and Joshua keep £35m Post Office business

    Thu, 16 Feb 2006

    Publicis and Joshua have retained the Post Office's £35m advertising and marketing business following a six-month review that also added Triangle to the below-the-line roster.

  • SCA relaunches Tena incontinence range to highlight benefits over sanpro products

    Thu, 16 Feb 2006

    SCA Hygiene is relaunching its Tena range of incontinence products with a major new campaign aimed at breaking down the taboos surrounding bladder weakness.

  • Selling off the silver?

    Thu, 16 Feb 2006

    DMGT's auction of regional newspaper group Northcliffe reflects a long-term approach to acquisition and revenue generation. By David Forster

  • Sony BMG Music Entertainment appoints Duncan Bird

    Thu, 16 Feb 2006

    Sony BMG Music Entertainment has appointed Duncan Bird, former managing director of Soul Adver- tising, as vice-president of brand partnerships. Bird will report to Clive Rich, senior vice-president of its futures division.

  • TBG London and dating agency form partnership

    Thu, 16 Feb 2006

    Digital marketing agency TBG London has picked up DatingDirect.com’s £1m online account without a pitch. It has been tasked to handle the dating agency’s online creative and media businesses.

  • The Beano Annual was never this interesting

    Thu, 16 Feb 2006

    The Diary was over the moon when the OMD yearbook landed on its desk.

  • The Financial Times appoints WebTrends

    Thu, 16 Feb 2006

    The Financial Times has appointed global Web analytics provider WebTrends to analyse visitor behaviour in order to identify ways to make the site easier to navigate and increase user loyalty. FT.com is the most widely read financial news information site in the world with over 4.1 million unique users a month.

  • Thinkbox: A year of unfulfilled promises

    Thu, 16 Feb 2006

    It is a year since television marketing body Thinkbox launched amid a fanfare of promises to promote the medium as a whole to advertisers, at a time when some were questioning its ability to deliver in a fragmented media landscape.

  • Travelocity appoints Niall McKinney

    Thu, 16 Feb 2006

    Travelocity has appointed Niall McKinney as group marketing director.

  • Tropicana challenges Sunny D for share of children's market

    Thu, 16 Feb 2006

    Tropicana is launching a new juice drink for children called Tropicana Go to challenge the "in transition" Sunny D brand in time for the summer.

  • 'UK's best marketer' leading Tesco entry into hard-to-crack US

    Thu, 16 Feb 2006

    Considered by some observers to be the UK's best marketer, Tim Mason is set to pioneer Tesco's foray into the US, with many seeing the move as a test of whether he has the clout to eventually step into chief executive Sir Terry Leahy's shoes.

  • W&K wins launch work for mobisode

    Thu, 16 Feb 2006

    Wieden & Kennedy has won the brief to launch "Brick-It", the first soap series to be made exclusively for mobile phones. It is understood the business is worth £1m.

  • WCRS denies that Julian Hough is leaving

    Thu, 16 Feb 2006

    WCRS has denied that founding partner Julian Hough, the agency's senior executive on the 3 account, is leaving.

  • When the cash cows are no longer sacred

    Thu, 16 Feb 2006

    Businesses, especially the large, listed ones that exist under the constant arc-light of City scrutiny, are often (rightly) accused of pursuing short-term profit at the expense of strategic value. So it is interesting to see two behemoths going courageously against the grain in a risky gamble for future gain.

  • Wieden & Kennedy wins global account for Old Spice

    Thu, 16 Feb 2006

    Wieden & Kennedy has won the global account for Procter & Gamble's Old Spice aftershave brand from incumbent Saatchi & Saatchi.

Job of the Week

Latest Jobs

Top Jobs

social+media Facebook Twitter LinkedIn
knowledge+bank