Marketing Week
27 October 2005

  • £10M HP Christmas push to include interactive bus-stops

    Thu, 27 Oct 2005

    As part of its £10m Christmas marketing push, computer hardware giant Hewlett-Packard (HP) will be wrapping bus-shelters in bright colours. The shelters will feature images of passers-by thanks to built-in interactive technology.

  • 3 Sets sights on big four

    Thu, 27 Oct 2005

    After a shaky start, third-generation mobile phone operator 3 is beginning to prosper. Its recent repositioning as a media company is widely seen as being the first step towards flotation, but much will depend on its ability to show that 3G is more than just a novelty, says Robert Lester

  • Aegis names chief excutive of media division

    Thu, 27 Oct 2005

    Aegis has appointed Mainardo de Nardis chief executive of its media division.

  • Alcohol policy calls for drink industry partners

    Thu, 27 Oct 2005

    I was disappointed to read the article referring to the Portman Group (MW October 6). There were inaccuracies. Neither I nor any of my colleagues was contacted by Sonoo Singh to establish any facts prior to publication. Please allow me to correct a few of the main inaccuracies here.

  • Argos hands financial services brief to Black Hole

    Thu, 27 Oct 2005

    Argos Retail Group Financial Services (ARGFS) has appointed direct marketing specialist The Black Hole to handle its below-the-line business following a three-way pitch.

  • Audi move into branded TV braves the sceptics

    Thu, 27 Oct 2005

    Audi's decision to launch a dedicated television channel has been labelled "brave" by one media expert, while others say it could prove to be an expensive experiment and predict other brands will hesitate to follow suit.

  • BA's Martin George quits VisitBritain

    Thu, 27 Oct 2005

    British Airways commercial director Martin George has resigned from the board of VisitBritain, citing the pressure of his new role as an executive board member at the airline.

  • Beck's push plays on artistic past

    Thu, 27 Oct 2005

    Beer brand Beck's is launching an outdoor advertising campaign to mark 20 years of art sponsorship.

  • Blackberry maker cuts media account shortlist to two

    Thu, 27 Oct 2005

    Research in Motion, which makes the BlackBerry, is understood to have cut the shortlist for its media account to two agencies - Carat and Manning Gottlieb OMD.

  • Britannia rules, but the rest of the world is catching up fast

    Thu, 27 Oct 2005

    The UK's creative industries are thriving, but with international competition increasingly fierce, proper training can keep us world class, says Chris Ingram

  • British Gas sponsors Creature Comforts

    Thu, 27 Oct 2005

    British Gas is to sponsor Creature Comforts, the animation series made famous through advertising, in its first terrestrial television series sponsorship deal.

  • British Rally series seeks £1m title sponsorship

    Thu, 27 Oct 2005

    Title sponsorship of the British Rally Championship (BRC) could be up for grabs as the series seeks to extend its portfolio of sponsors.

  • Brollie battle gets personal

    Thu, 27 Oct 2005

    Umbrella etiquette, it seems, is not part of the British psyche. At the first sign of drizzle, the usual procession of eye-gouging, hair-pulling and ear-scratching umbrellas adorn our pavements.

  • Californian Prune Board hunts agency

    Thu, 27 Oct 2005

    The Californian Prune Board is understood to be looking for an agency for its six-figure advertising account. Mustoes, the last agency of record, won the account in 2003 but resigned it shortly after.

  • Canon promotes Jacco Leurs

    Thu, 27 Oct 2005

    Canon has promoted Jacco Leurs to European marketing director of consumer imaging. He was previously general manager of Canon's European marketing and communications division.

  • Clemmow Hornby Inge dropped from Waitrose roster

    Thu, 27 Oct 2005

    Clemmow Hornby Inge has been dropped from the £10m Waitrose roster after the supermarket consolidated its advertising into start- up agency HOW.

  • Coca-Cola appoints AKQA to digital business

    Thu, 27 Oct 2005

    Coca-Cola has appointed AKQA to its £3m global digital business following a pitch believed to include Avenue A/ Razorfish, Digitas's Modem Media, IMC2, OgilvyOne and R/GA.

  • Commerical radio supports British music

    Thu, 27 Oct 2005

    Commercial radio is launching a week-long initiative to support British music and create new sponsorship opportunities. It is understood that a week of promotion will culminate in a day of programming to be broadcast across the commercial networks. It is expected to happen in May next year.

  • Co-op calls £20m 'winner takes all' media review

    Thu, 27 Oct 2005

    The Co-op is reviewing its £20m media agency arrangements as part of a plan to roll out all its brands under a single identity.

  • Cyprus tourism hunts agency for £11m media task

    Thu, 27 Oct 2005

    The Cyprus Tourist Organisation (CTO) is looking for a media planning and buying agency to handle one of its biggest campaigns, worth &£11m, next year.

  • Danone defends Volvic after chemical discovery

    Thu, 27 Oct 2005

    Danone says the discovery by a consumer of potentially harmful chemical naphthalene in a batch of Volvic water bottles is an 'isolated incident', but it is taking the issue seriously and has launched an investigation. Meanwhile, Waitrose has been forced to recall seven chicken product lines after tests showed the possible presence of salmonella bacteria.

  • DDB London to handle Lipton Ice Tea advertising

    Thu, 27 Oct 2005

    DDB London will handle the pan-European advertising for Unilever-owned Lipton Ice Tea after it was moved out of JWT. The two agencies previously shared the account, although JWT handled it in the UK.

  • Del Monte hires former Heinz boss

    Thu, 27 Oct 2005

    Del Monte has appointed former Heinz general manager Leigh Edwards as commercial director ahead of an aggressive push to reinvigorate the brand.

  • Department for Transport to call £20m roster review

    Thu, 27 Oct 2005

    The Department for Transport's (DfT) £20m advertising business is expected to come up for review early next year, a move that could make or entirely break its relationship with Whitehall's central marketing services coordinating body, the COI.

  • Despite GCap carping, extra DAB spectrum will be welcomed

    Thu, 27 Oct 2005

    The momentum behind digital radio is growing steadily: 2 million digital (DAB) radios have now been sold in the UK and this Christmas is expected to be a bumper year for sales as prices of DAB units tumble.

  • Dettol launches range of anti-bacterial handwashes

    Thu, 27 Oct 2005

    Reckitt Benckiser is launching a range of anti-bacterial Dettol handwashes as part of a &£15m investment in the brand.

  • Don't be shy, DM's success is worth a shout

    Thu, 27 Oct 2005

    David Reed's view of the direct marketing industry is well founded (Pride and prejudice, MW last week), and from first-hand experience I agree with the sentiment that the DM industry at times struggles to communicate its successes.

  • Doubt cast over future of Marconi team

    Thu, 27 Oct 2005

    The future of Marconi's marketing department and its marketing chief Martin Harriman hangs in the balance after the company sold the bulk of its assets and its name to Ericsson for &£1.2bn.

  • EasyMobile chief exec leaves

    Thu, 27 Oct 2005

    EasyMobile chief executive Frank Rasmussen, who launched the brand in the UK earlier this year, has left the company. His departure comes just weeks after that of chief marketing officer Sandy Munro (MW October 13).

  • French's outburst triggers fresh debate on sexism

    Thu, 27 Oct 2005

    Outrageous comments are nothing new to WPP creative guru Neil French, who resigned last week after labelling women creative directors "crap" and saying they are more concerned with raising families than being committed to work. But whether or not the 61-year-old's outburst was a headline-grabbing rant, rather ...

  • Gov't reveals proposals for smoking ban

    Thu, 27 Oct 2005

    The Government has put forward revised proposals for a smoking ban in public places, agreeing to allow smoking in sealed rooms in pubs and bars that do not serve food and in private members' clubs.

  • Harley-Davidson launches toys and clothing ranges

    Thu, 27 Oct 2005

    Harley-Davidson, the iconic motorcycle manufacturer, is to launch a range of toys and a children's clothing line to boost the brand's popularity with young consumers.

  • Harveys plans TV drive ahead of store revamp

    Thu, 27 Oct 2005

    Furniture retailer Harveys is launching a television campaign as it unveils a revamp of its 169 UK stores.

  • Heineken turns away from TV advertising

    Thu, 27 Oct 2005

    Heineken's decision to axe UK television advertising in favour of press and poster ads and an increased focus on its Champions League sponsorship has raised a few eyebrows in the marketing industry. Since its 2003 UK relaunch as a premium strength lager, under the name Heineken Export, sales in the UK have ...

  • IAB reveals new corporate identity

    Thu, 27 Oct 2005

    The Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB) unveils a new corporate identity at its Engage 2005 conference tomorrow (Thursday) as part of the trade body's repositioning as a service organisation for advertisers.

  • Industry buy-ins mar permission targeting

    Thu, 27 Oct 2005

    Alan Mitchell's view that DM needs a fundamental rethink in terms of permission and better targeting is spot on (MW October 6).

  • Industry rounds on design of Britvic premium water

    Thu, 27 Oct 2005

    Britvic is facing criticism over the packaging of its new premium bottled water Drench, which is aimed at the youth market and launches next year (MW September 29).

  • IPC Southbank MD quits

    Thu, 27 Oct 2005

    IPC Southbank managing director Sandy Whetton has left without a job to go to.

  • Isobel sees off The Bank to win Harrods branding task

    Thu, 27 Oct 2005

    Harrods has appointed Isobel to create a brand advertising campaign beginning next spring and lasting most of 2006.

  • It's goodbye from me, and is it also goodbye to e-tail intimacy?

    Thu, 27 Oct 2005

    E-business has come a long way since the dot-com crash, and the likes of Google are powering ahead. But growth should not be at the cost of the customer relationship that made these firms successful

  • Kinetic wins Unilever UK outdoor media account

    Thu, 27 Oct 2005

    Unilever has awarded its £40m UK outdoor media planning and buying account to Kinetic, following a pitch against incumbent Concord.

  • Lastminute deals to ride on Pigsback.com

    Thu, 27 Oct 2005

    Lastminute.com has signed up to partner Pigsback.com, the UK reward-based consumer site, to offer travel services, content and technology.

  • Lloyds TSB bids on St Tropez

    Thu, 27 Oct 2005

    Lloyds TSB is bidding to buy St Tropez, the fake tan company, in a sale expected to fetch more than &£60m. LDC, the private equity unit of Lloyds TSB, is competing with Phoenix Equity Partners for the takeover.

  • Looking beyond the 30 seconds of fame

    Thu, 27 Oct 2005

    When brand owners announce a radical overhaul of their marketing communications strategy, scepticism of their proclaimed motives is usually no bad thing.

  • Müller HQ takes control of headless UK division

    Thu, 27 Oct 2005

    Müller Dairy is thought to have scrapped its top management role in the UK, following the departure of chief executive Andrew Harrison (pictured) earlier this summer.

  • Macrae Food Group names marketing director

    Thu, 27 Oct 2005

    Macrae Food Group, part of Young's Bluecrest, has promoted Yvonne Adam to the new role of marketing director.

  • Mad Dog Mobile strikes Nestlé UK ad deal

    Thu, 27 Oct 2005

    Mad Dog Mobile has struck an advertising deal with Nestlé UK to promote its new mobile content website aimed at teenagers. The site, www.maddogmobile.com, provides an online community for teenagers to chat and earn points (or 'bones') for free mobile content. It has teamed up with Nestlé for its 'Blast from the Past Retro Ringtone' promotion and to advertise the site on chocolate bars.

  • McDonald's adds on-pack nutrition data

    Thu, 27 Oct 2005

    McDonald's has revealed the next stage of its promotion of balance and active lifestyles with the launch of on-pack nutrition information. It is the first time this information has been provided by a fast-food chain.

  • Media and PR agency merge to form Complete Media Group

    Thu, 27 Oct 2005

    Nutbrown Mann, the media strategy, planning and buying agency, and Hoatson Carr Partnership, a marketing and PR agency, have merged to form Complete Media Group, to take on both media and PR work.

  • Meteor 'orang-utan' TV ad riles animal rights groups

    Thu, 27 Oct 2005

    Irish mobile phone company Meteor has been slammed by animal rights groups for using an orang-utan in its latest television ad.

  • Metro ponders brand extensions

    Thu, 27 Oct 2005

    Executives at free newspaper Metro are in discussions over how best to extend the brand and are considering magazines, online publishing and podcasting.

  • Miller Brands UK hands Miller sales director role

    Thu, 27 Oct 2005

    Miller Brands UK, the marketing and distribution arm of SABMiller, has handed Nick Miller the new role of sales director. He joins from Coors Brewers UK, where he held the same role.

  • Nestlé Group reports organic growth

    Thu, 27 Oct 2005

    Nestlé Group has reported 5.6 per cent organic growth in its food and beverage business, which it attributes to expanding its distribution with supermarkets.

  • New Campaign: Kleenex Anti-Viral

    Thu, 27 Oct 2005

    Kimberly-Clark has unveiled a £3m television campaign to back its new Kleenex Anti-Viral range of tissues. The company claims it will be its biggest campaign for ten years.

  • New Scientist tests podcasting service

    Thu, 27 Oct 2005

    New Scientist, the science and technology magazine, is testing a podcasting service, with the aim of including audio ads. The first edition of the nine-week pilot launches next week. People will be able to listen each week to a 15-minute podcast available via download.

  • NI property title to launch in March

    Thu, 27 Oct 2005

    News International's monthly property title, Inside Out, will launch on March 16. The magazine, which will have the strapline '50 per cent information, 50 per cent inspiration', will target men and women with tips on topics such as how to apply for planning permission.

  • NME relaunches website

    Thu, 27 Oct 2005

    IPC Ignite!'s NME music title has relaunched its website to make it more user-friendly. It has also increased the focus on exclusive video and MP3 content through a new media player section. Full-service creative agency I-D Media and IPC Ignite!'s in-house team worked together on the revamp.

  • OneZeroOne appoints business development director

    Thu, 27 Oct 2005

    OneZeroOne, the outdoor digital arm of Kinetic, has appointed Ivan Clark as business development director. Clark is a former director of television strategy at MediaCom.

  • Outdoor averts flyposting threat

    Thu, 27 Oct 2005

    The outdoor industry says it has been saved from "disaster" following a decision to amend planning laws covering advertising campaigns.

  • Pepsi to invest in football reality TV show

    Thu, 27 Oct 2005

    Pepsi is understood to be investing £4m in a reality television show ahead of next year's World Cup.

  • Pernod Ricard axes Allied Domecq global marketing review committee

    Thu, 27 Oct 2005

    Pernod Ricard has disbanded the global marketing review board of Allied Domecq, which it bought in July, marking the first step towards the integration of the businesses.

  • Post Office shortlists three agencies for £15m ad account

    Thu, 27 Oct 2005

    The Post Office has shortlisted Lowe, Saatchi & Saatchi and incumbent Publicis to pitch for its £15m advertising account.

  • Premier League chief mulls future

    Thu, 27 Oct 2005

    Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore is understood to be considering his future after six years in the role. Sources say he may soon seek a fresh challenge.

  • Reckitt unveils Finish 'capsule'

    Thu, 27 Oct 2005

    Reckitt Benckiser is gearing up for the multi-million-pound launch of its latest dishwasher tablet, Finish Quantum.

  • Samsung tipped to leave WPP

    Thu, 27 Oct 2005

    It is believed that Samsung is to move its £415m global account out of WPP Group and into Publicis Groupe's Leo Burnett.

  • Search agencies defy IPA over Google media policy

    Thu, 27 Oct 2005

    Search marketers are declaring their support for Google over its decision to scrap agency commission in Europe, in a move that strikes a blow to the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising Digital Marketing Group (MW last week).

  • Signet seeks agency

    Thu, 27 Oct 2005

    Signet, the jewellery retailer, is seeking an agency to handle advertising for its H Samuel chain. The review is being handled by the AAR, and comes just 18 months after McCann Erickson won the business.

  • SimplySwitch.com launches broadband comparison service

    Thu, 27 Oct 2005

    SimplySwitch.com, the independent comparison service, has launched a broadband comparison service. The calculator from SimplySwitch.com is designed to help users find the best deals from the leading suppliers.

  • Small businesses thinking big

    Thu, 27 Oct 2005

    The latest Marketing Trends Survey shows that smaller businesses are more positive about using marketing than larger companies, which seem to believe they can rely on their size the bring success

  • Something for the student lunch box

    Thu, 27 Oct 2005

    Whenever the Diary passes through a university campus and sees the hordes of designer clothes-wearing, mobile phone-toting students avoiding lectures, it can't help but wonder what happened to the cash-strapped, fish finger-eating undergraduates of yore.

  • Sony lays off top marketer as Stringer cuts swathe

    Thu, 27 Oct 2005

    Sony vice-president for marketing communications Andy Griffiths is understood to have taken voluntary redundancy from the Japanese electronics giant.

  • The sting in the tale of Barclays' revamp

    Thu, 27 Oct 2005

    Barclays has finally aired its long-awaited ad campaign showcasing a new "inventive spirit" brand positioning. But if accountancy firm Cooper Parry had had its way, the Bartle Bogle Hegarty-created drive would never have seen the light of day. The East Midlands company last week asked the High Court to issue ...

  • This is your captain speaking...

    Thu, 27 Oct 2005

    Despite having lost out to Willie Walsh for the top job, BA's senior marketer has a seat on the board and a formidable power base. Even BA's restive staff like him, says Jonathan Harwood

  • Thomas Cook shortlists sales promotion agencies

    Thu, 27 Oct 2005

    Thomas Cook has drawn up a shortlist of sales promotion agencies after conducting an informal pitch. The travel company wants to develop initiatives, including brand partnerships.

  • T-Mobile in need of a personality transplant

    Thu, 27 Oct 2005

    Although there have been hopeful signs, T-Mobile's brand is still weak and needs a radical overhaul (MW October 13). The T-Mobile identity is visually weak, looked dated when it was launched (it has the appearance of a local German brand), is extremely forgettable and lacks any emotion. The brand name itself is boringly functional and the "sonicon" is irksome at best. In short, a bland brand.

  • Unilever to spend £10m relaunching Pot Noodle

    Thu, 27 Oct 2005

    Unilever UK Foods is planning to invest over £10m in a massive "reinvention" of snack brand Pot Noodle. It is understood that the renovation plans are designed to boost flagging sales by attracting new consumers.

  • Vauxhall hires collective to create 'hip' ad campaign

    Thu, 27 Oct 2005

    Vauxhall has chosen four people with no advertising experience between them to create its latest campaign.

  • Victor Chandler chief quits to join Cypriot gambling firm

    Thu, 27 Oct 2005

    Former Victor Chandler group marketing director Alan Randall has left the Gibraltar-based gaming company to take up a role as managing director of Cypriot gambling firm Casiopea.

  • Video Island extends Tesco tie-up

    Thu, 27 Oct 2005

    Video Island, the online DVD rental service and operator of ScreenSelect.

  • Walkers unveils Nobby's launch to rival Peperami

    Thu, 27 Oct 2005

    Walkers Snacks is gearing up for a major assault on Unilever-owned meat snack Peperami with the launch of a beef jerky product under its Nobby's brand.

  • Weight Watchers enters flavoured water market

    Thu, 27 Oct 2005

    Weight Watchers is to launch a range of flavoured sparkling and still waters in January to cash in on consumers who will be attempting to lose weight at the start of the year.

  • When the walls talk back

    Thu, 27 Oct 2005

    Outdoor advertising has progressed far beyond the traditional, single-impact poster. Modern ads appear in a bewildering array of formats - and some of them can use the phone. By Richard West

  • Whitbread Group retains marketing operations

    Thu, 27 Oct 2005

    Whitbread Group is leaving its marketing operations largely unchanged despite an operational restructure. The company's brands marketing departments will remain intact, while other departments are merged. Eight of the 250 job cuts announced are in marketing.

  • Why tourists should be spared the horrors of 'real' london life

    Thu, 27 Oct 2005

    American tourists are being encouraged to sample proper London life, but is it fair to subject our visitors to a diet of binge drinking, violence and profanities?

  • WWF launches campaign to promote environmental work

    Thu, 27 Oct 2005

    The WWF is repositioning itself to reflect the work it does on global environmental issues in its biggest marketing campaign to date.

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