Marketing Week
17 January 2008

  • 7m relaunched Nectar suffers rewards set-back

    Wed, 23 Jan 2008

    The 7m relaunch of Nectar as a reward scheme has backfired after the loyalty scheme was hit by a spate of complaints from customers who have failed to get their promised “rewards”.

  • A Day in the Life of Emma Thwaites

    Tue, 22 Jan 2008

    "Best days are any day that we receive positive, unprompted feedback from a client - our clients are busy people so to receive a call or email saying weve done a great job really motivates the whole team."

  • A Day in the Life of Richard Maddox

    Tue, 22 Jan 2008

    "I love the consultative relationships we have developed here as you are genuinely thanked and appreciated by clients and candidates but the best days are those where I get to see one of my team develop."

  • AA hits out at 'indecisive' State policy on green cars

    Wed, 23 Jan 2008

    The AA has accused the Government of leading motorists down "blind alleys" by "chopping and changing" its policy on alternative fuels and environmentally friendly vehicles.

  • Ad industry to fight back at ISBA conference

    Mon, 21 Jan 2008

    The advertising industry is set to speak out against the "anti-advertising sentiment" at this year's Incorporated Society of British Advertisers' annual conference.

  • Agencies must face TUPE laws

    Mon, 21 Jan 2008

    Agencies will not receive an exemption from the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) laws, according to the Department for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR).

  • ASA bans TV ad for glorifying violence

    Thu, 17 Jan 2008

    The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has banned a TV ad for a computer game, that featured a prolonged shoot-out between four men, for glorifying violence and gun crime.

  • Bank of America chooses WPP arm for Euro push

    Thu, 17 Jan 2008

    Bank of America (BoA) is poised to appoint WPP Group-owned branding agency The Brand Union to head a major European marketing push.

  • Barclays Insurance chief joins Homeserve

    Thu, 17 Jan 2008

    Homeserve, the home maintenance company, has poached Barclays Insurance marketing director Mark Till to join its management board.

  • BBC initiatives aim to restore trust

    Thu, 17 Jan 2008

    BBC director general Mark Thompson has set out a number of initiatives he believes will restore trust between the public broadcaster and the British public.

  • BBC Three relauches as multi-platform channel

    Tue, 22 Jan 2008

    BBC Three, the digital "youth" channel, is axing its "blobs" channel ident characters in a bid to relaunch as a multi-platform channel brand and reconnect with its target audience. The channel will also become the corporation's only non-news property to simulcast on the internet.

  • Black clouds for us marketers - with a ray of light from the east

    Thu, 17 Jan 2008

    A consumer-led recession spells hard times for marketers but TV will be buoyed by the Beijing Olympics, elections and new cable TV technology

  • Boots bucks high street trend

    Fri, 18 Jan 2008

    Alliance Boots, the health and beauty group, has joined HMV and Primark in giving the high street a boost with positive Christmas sales results. The group has reported a 4.8% increase in like-for-like sales over the three months to December 31.

  • Box TV names Virgins Katz as managing director

    Mon, 21 Jan 2008

    Box Television has appointed Gidon Katz as managing director. He replaces acting joint-managing directors Scott Monks and Dave Young, who have been promoted to board level positions at the EMAP and Channel 4 joint venture.

  • Brief by name but not by nature

    Thu, 17 Jan 2008

    To avoid relationships going wrong from the very start, clients must find the balance between a rigid agency brief that stifles creativity and one that fails to clearly define the objectives. By Daney Parker

  • British Gas announces price hike

    Fri, 18 Jan 2008

    British Gas has become the third energy supplier to inflict misery on consumers with price hikes on gas and electricity. The company announced today (January 17) that it is to raise its prices by an average of 15%.

  • British Gas marketing head moves on

    Mon, 21 Jan 2008

    British Gas commercial and marketing director Amanda Mackenzie is leaving the utilities provider to join insurance and investments company Aviva, as group marketing director. She will report directly to group chief executive, Andrew Moss.

  • Cadbury plots year-round Creme Egg Twisted bar

    Wed, 23 Jan 2008

    Cadbury is introducing Creme Egg as a permanent line with the launch of a new bar called Creme Egg Twisted. The launch aims to boost sales of the brand outside its core Easter period.

  • Charlton Athletic FC seeks new sponsor

    Thu, 17 Jan 2008

    Charlton Athletic is seeking a new sponsor after its deal with Spanish property company Llanera was scrapped when the company went out of business. It is the second time the football team has lost its sponsor to bankruptcy.

  • Chevrolet picks Draftfcb for Epica launch

    Wed, 23 Jan 2008

    Draftfcb London has won the digital and direct marketing business for Chevrolet in the UK following a pitch. The agency has been briefed to produce creative work for the launch of the Epica model (pictured).

  • Chinese brands must fight to be winners

    Thu, 17 Jan 2008

    There's a lot riding upon the China Effect this year. For one thing, as Publicis' Maurice Levy was reminding us this week, the Beijing Olympics are virtually single-handedly expected to reflate our economy. Or, at least, offset the consequences of a potentially severe downturn (see the latest ...

  • Clear Channel offers organic brands top spots in Sainsbury's

    Thu, 17 Jan 2008

    Clear Channel Outdoor is offering organic food brands the chance to target "organic shoppers" through a network of six-sheet poster sites and point-of-sale opportunities at various Sainbury's stores. The outdoor company has signed up Yeo Valley Organic as its first brand.

  • Corgi beats car industry with fuel cell powered toy

    Wed, 23 Jan 2008

    Corgi, the toy manufacturer, claims it has "beaten Detroit to the punch" by signing an agreement with a fuel cell manufacturer to develop a range of eco-friendly toy cars that run on water.

  • Creative Showcase Award

    Thu, 17 Jan 2008

    Poke picks up IAB award for Orange microsite

  • Daily Mail website attracts "highest proportion" of overseas readers

    Tue, 22 Jan 2008

    The Daily Mail's website had the highest proportion of international visitors of all traditional UK media brands in November, according to comScore's World Metrix audience measurement service. The research shows that 69% of the Daily Mail’s 7.6 million visitors were from outside of the UK.†

  • Danone considers scrapping Volvic Revive following poor sales uptake

    Wed, 23 Jan 2008

    Danone's Volvic Revive, its first functional water brand, is under threat of being scrapped after less than a year due to poor response from consumers. The brand, backed by a £7m marketing and advertising push last April, is thought to have failed against established competitors like GlaxoSmithKline's Lucozade.

  • Defra report aims for more targeted green messages

    Thu, 17 Jan 2008

    The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) is urging government departments and private sector businesses to maximise their green marketing efforts by directing the right message to the right audience.

  • Deloitte predicts online advertising backlash

    Tue, 22 Jan 2008

    Online advertising will face a number of hurdles over the next year, according to Deloitte's Media Predictions report, published today (January 22). It predicts that consumers will become hostile towards to online advertising, as part of a backlash against behaviour tracking.

  • Deputy chairman Mendelsohn leaving Grey London

    Thu, 17 Jan 2008

    Grey London deputy chairman Nicola Mendelsohn is leaving the agency after four years without a job to go to. Mendelsohn, who leaves at the end of the month, departs just four months after the arrival of David Patton as chief executive.

  • EMI bids 150m for Chrysalis

    Fri, 18 Jan 2008

    EMI has made 150m bid for independent record label Chrysalis. The move by EMI chairman Guy Hands comes at a difficult time for the music company, which recently announced a major cost-cutting drive.

  • EMI will take jobs axe to marketers in merger plan

    Thu, 17 Jan 2008

    Hundreds of marketers are expected to lose their jobs after EMI revealed it was axing the in-house marketing departments for its stable of record labels and setting up a central marketing function.

  • Epica Awards: Gorilla tactics win day

    Wed, 23 Jan 2008

    Twenty-one, they say, is the year when you grow up; learn to see the world in a different light and act accordingly. There was certainly an element of that in the 21st Epica awards, which mark creative achievement in advertising and are unique in being judged by specialist journalists rather than ...

  • Estee Lauder restarts 70m media review

    Fri, 18 Jan 2008

    Estee Lauder, the cosmetics and fragrances giant, has restarted the review of its £70m global media planning and buying account. It will include the company's £10m UK account, which is currently handled by M2M.

  • Ex-Ferrari executive joins SsangYong relaunch

    Thu, 17 Jan 2008

    SsangYong, the Korean car marque relaunching in the UK, has made its second senior hiring in two weeks by appointing Ferrari GB executive Ian Nicholson as finance and operations director. The news follows the appointment of former Kia UK chief Paul Williams as managing director at the start of last week ...

  • Food campaigners call for total food ad for kids ban

    Tue, 22 Jan 2008

    Junk food campaigners have applauded Government plans to reintroduce compulsory cooking lessons in schools but have renewed calls for a total ban on food advertising to kids.

  • Former RKCR/Y&R trio launch Adam & Eve

    Thu, 17 Jan 2008

    The former RKCR/Y&R senior management team of James Murphy, Ben Priest and David Golding are launching their start-up this week. The agency will be called Adam & Eve.

  • Foxy Bingo axes Jordan from ads over pay demands

    Thu, 17 Jan 2008

    Foxy Bingo, the online operator, has dropped glamour model Jordan from its advertising. It is understood Foxy Bingo was unwilling to meet her huge pay demands.

  • GCap Media loses operations director

    Mon, 21 Jan 2008

    Steve Orchard, GCap Media operations director, is leaving the radio operator in April. He will step down from the executive board with immediate effect.

  • Government plans 75m anti-obesity campaign

    Wed, 23 Jan 2008

    The Government has pledged 75m on an advertising campaign as part of a 372m strategy aimed at beating the obesity "time bomb". The marketing drive will focus on helping parents to make changes to their children's diet and activity levels.

  • How can brand owners earn consumers' respect on social networking sites?

    Thu, 17 Jan 2008

    The growth of social networking is set to continue in 2008, ensuring advertisers' continued and expanding interest in what is now a mainstream communications channel.

  • Ice cream sector reduces reliance on seasonal sales

    Thu, 17 Jan 2008

    Few will look back on last summer with fond memories except, perhaps, the ducks. But it was particularly miserable for ice cream manufacturers who have historically relied on long, hot summer days to drive sales.

  • Innocent secures 32m to drive European expansion

    Fri, 18 Jan 2008

    Innocent Drinks has secured 32m to help drive its expansion across Europe. The money will also be used to aid domestic growth.

  • iPhone helps Apple post record profits

    Wed, 23 Jan 2008

    Technology giant Apple has unveiled record profits, up 57% in the three months to the end of December, lifted by demand for iPhones and its Mac computers.

  • Jonathan Durden on why hybrid solutions are way forward for creativity

    Wed, 23 Jan 2008

    In advertising I expect that most agencies, media companies and their network owners have this year resolved to become totally integrated communications houses, where an idea can be executed across multiplatforms, working in harmony in brand teams that include their customers. Fair enough as ambitions ...

  • Kia reviews 85m pan-European account

    Thu, 17 Jan 2008

    Korean car company Kia Motors Corporation has called a review of its 85m pan-European advertising account for the Ceed hatchback model. A number of UK and European agencies have been invited to pitch for the business, with a decision expected by March.

  • Kids are "stalked in cyberspace" by food brands, warns charity

    Mon, 21 Jan 2008

    Parents do not realise that their children are being "stalked in cyberspace" by junk food manufacturers, according to a report published today (January 21) by the British Heart Foundation.

  • K-Swiss to board urban bandwagon

    Thu, 17 Jan 2008

    K-Swiss is embarking on a major burst of marketing activity in the UK as it seeks to reposition itself as an urban lifestyle brand.

  • Legion uses football to help recruit youngsters

    Thu, 17 Jan 2008

    The Royal British Legion is aiming to encourage younger supporters through a major charity football tournament. The Poppy Match, a series of 30-a-side football matches, will take place on February 23.

  • London Eye considers short-term sponsor to plug gap left by BA

    Thu, 17 Jan 2008

    Merlin Entertainments, owner of the London Eye, is seeking short-term sponsors for the attraction, while it considers approaches for a new long-term partnership.

  • London Irish seeks sponsor after Llanera goes bust

    Thu, 17 Jan 2008

    London Irish Rugby Union Club, is being forced to find a new sponsor after Spanish property company Llanera went out of business. It comes just weeks after football club Charlton Athletic was also forced to axe its deal with the company (MW last week).

  • Looking forward with confidence

    Thu, 17 Jan 2008

    The past 12 months was a year of recovery for TV, but what will 2008 bring? Consumer regulation and digital loom large on the horizon, says Nick Bampton

  • Marketing Week/Bellwether Confidence Index

    Thu, 17 Jan 2008

    Confidence at two-and-a-half year low as pressures grow

  • McCann leads Sony Ericsson's overhaul

    Thu, 17 Jan 2008

    Sony Ericsson is overhauling its global marketing strategy in a bid to "sharpen up" its brand campaigns and make them more "engaging" for consumers.

  • MEPs in hunt for agencies

    Thu, 17 Jan 2008

    The European Parliament is putting its communications brief up for tender. It will have a heavy emphasis on outdoor, digital and experiential media, and promotional and direct marketing.

  • Mirror Group reviews 3.5m account

    Thu, 17 Jan 2008

    The Mirror Group has called a review of its 3.5m advertising account. The publisher is parting company with M&C Saatchi, marking the end of a 12-year relationship.

  • Morrisons reports strong Christmas sales

    Tue, 22 Jan 2008

    Morrisons has reported strong results for the Christmas period, which it says were driven by its new advertising campaign and promotional deals. The retailer has reported like-for-like sales, excluding fuel, of 9.5% for the six weeks to January 6.

  • Motorola posts profit fall as handset unit struggles

    Wed, 23 Jan 2008

    Motorola reported a sharp fall in profits in its fourth quarter results. The company warns that the recovery in its ailing handset division will take longer than expected.

  • Muir joins Octopus Investments as its first marketing chief

    Thu, 17 Jan 2008

    Patrick Muir, the former Morgan Stanley and Egg marketer, has joined City investment company Octopus Investments as its first marketing director.

  • New campaign - Stop The Traffik

    Thu, 17 Jan 2008

    Stop the people trafficking

  • Nielsen figures reveal eBays Christmas popularity

    Tue, 22 Jan 2008

    eBay has emerged as the most popular online retailer over the Christmas period, according to figures from Nielsen Online. The site was visited by an average of 15 million Britons in both November and December.

  • O2 promotes customer director to Euro management

    Mon, 21 Jan 2008

    O2 UK has promoted customer director Cath Keers to its European management team. Keers, who was previously the mobile operator's UK marketing director, becomes a non-executive director at Telefonica O2 Europe, reporting to new group chief ...

  • Online will boost UK ad spend to 22bn by 2019

    Mon, 21 Jan 2008

    The growth of online will drive UK ad spend to grow as much as 37.9% to 22bn by 2019 despite a drop in classified recruitment ads, according to a report published by the Advertising Association (AA).

  • Phone scam uses FSA name

    Mon, 21 Jan 2008

    A bogus phone survey on water purity and diet is using the Food Standards Agency as a cover to collect personal details from the public. The government body has been alerted by consumer charity, Citizens Advice.

  • Positives of pester power

    Wed, 23 Jan 2008

    Energy brand npower and car marque Renault are leading the way in re-inventing a once frowned upon marketing tactic.

  • Profero secures 4m brief for major MyLotto24 push

    Thu, 17 Jan 2008

    Profero has scooped the 4.2m digital media brief for MyLotto24 UK. The online lottery company is planning a major UK push.

  • Purnell suggests "other broadcasters" could share licence fee

    Fri, 18 Jan 2008

    The Government is considering plans to share the BBC licence fee across rival broadcasters to help pay for public service programming, according to culture secretary James Purnell. It is the first time the government has revealed it is considering the plans.

  • S&N enters takeover talks with rival consortium

    Fri, 18 Jan 2008

    Scottish & Newcastle, the last major UK brewer, has started possible takeover talks with rivals Carlsberg A/S and Heineken NV. The brewer has been fighting off approaches from the consortium since last October.

  • Scalextric unveils BBC Top Gear and Bond tie-ups

    Thu, 17 Jan 2008

    Toy brand Scalextric has signed a licensing deal with BBC motoring show Top Gear that will see a branded game released in March.

  • Social media for the masses

    Thu, 17 Jan 2008

    The battle for the Recommendation Generation's pound will be fought in the social media arena and brands that shun the opportunity to get involved online could miss out on sales worth millions

  • Statue of the unknown debtor sits on plinth made out of plastic

    Thu, 17 Jan 2008

    Britain's economic miracle has been built on the illusion that it is possible to spend more than you earn without ever having to repay the debt

  • Sunsilk unveils celebrity campaign at Superbowl

    Fri, 18 Jan 2008

    Celebrities Madonna and Shakira are to feature in the latest global campaign for Sunsilk, which will also include Marilyn Monroe. Unilever will unveil the campaign next month.

  • Suso Drinks hunts agency to handle 4m account

    Thu, 17 Jan 2008

    Suso Drinks, the carbonated fruit juice drink launched by former Red Bull managing director Harry Drnec, is looking for an agency for its 4m advertising account.

  • Sweet smell of innovation

    Thu, 17 Jan 2008

    Reinvention has been the hallmark of Unilever's bodyspray brand Lynx. But can new ads for the latest variants help it escape the lads' cultural niche in which it is embedded? asks Louise Jack

  • The Hits and C4 put on Sunday music season

    Thu, 17 Jan 2008

    The Hits, the EMAP-owned music channel, and Channel 4 are joining forces to launch a season of music programming. 4Music Sundays will include live performances, documentaries and shows from C4 youth strand, T4.

  • The Positive Power of Pestering

    Fri, 18 Jan 2008

    Here are some words you wont often hear from the children of Britain: Mum, instead of watching telly and eating sweets, can I go to the bookshop, buy some mind-enhancing reading material, do an intensive physical work-out then have curly green vegetables and other healthy fare for supper. Please?

  • US publisher brings Muslim Girl magazine across Atlantic

    Fri, 18 Jan 2008

    A new title aimed specifically at Muslim teens is due to hit the shelves later this month. Muslim Girl, a US export, will aim to challenge stereotypes. It will launch on January 25.

  • Vimto resurrects marketing director role

    Thu, 17 Jan 2008

    Vimto Soft Drinks is seeking a marketing director after admitting that its decision to hand responsibility for marketing of the brand to the managing director had failed to work out.

  • Why aren't soft-drinks companies investing more in new product development?

    Thu, 17 Jan 2008

    Britvic's struggle to get supermarket listings for its water brand Drench, despite an extensive overhaul, has prompted some to question whether the big soft-drinks companies are spending too much time and money tinkering with existing brands and not enough on developing new products.

  • Will Suso inject sparkle into carbonated drinks?

    Thu, 17 Jan 2008

    With a growing number of retailers bemoaning the lack of new product development in the soft drinks market, it is little wonder that all eyes are on Suso, a new carbonated drink made with 100% fruit juice being launched by former Red Bull managing director Harry Drnec.

  • Wood named COI's second non-executive board director

    Thu, 17 Jan 2008

    COI has appointed Chris Wood, the chairman of Corporate Edge, as its second non-executive board director. He will join the management board immediately and will advise Whitehall on delivering effective communications.

  • WWF calls for Government action on carbon emissions

    Mon, 21 Jan 2008

    The World Wildlife Fund UK has launched a campaign calling on the Government to set tougher carbon emission cuts. In an open letter published today in national newspapers, the charity says cuts set out in the UK Climate Change Bill are based on out-of-date science.

  • Yahoo! and T-Mobile agree Web 'n' Walk deal

    Thu, 17 Jan 2008

    Yahoo! has struck a deal with mobile phone operator T-Mobile UK to handle on-portal advertising for its Web 'n' Walk internet service. Yahoo! will sell and serve graphical mobile advertising, such as banner ads, for the operator.

  • ZenithOptimedia wins consolidated O2 media planning and buying account

    Mon, 21 Jan 2008

    O2 UK has consolidated its entire media planning and buying business into ZenithOptimedia following a review. Zenith, already the incumbent on the offline media account, has now picked up online media planning and buying, which has been handled by Media Republic since ...

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