Marketing Week
3 January 2008
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An open door policy
Fri, 4 Jan 2008
Innovation was once confined to the R&D room, but easy access to 'creative consumers' eager to get involved, and new methods from research and insight agencies, is changing that. By Alicia Clegg
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BBH announces management restructure
Tue, 8 Jan 2008
Bartle Bogle Hegarty has confirmed that Gwyn Jones, the former chief executive of its New York office, will replace Simon Sherwood as chief operating officer, as first revealed in Marketing Week in October (MW October 25, 2007).
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Bebo named best social networking website
Fri, 4 Jan 2008
Bebo has been named as the best social networking website in a report by Computing Which? magazine. The site, aimed mainly at teenagers, was praised for its attention to security for users. Bebo beat rival Facebook into second place in the study, wh...
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BT and Microsoft to offer BT Vision via Xbox
Mon, 7 Jan 2008
BT and Microsoft have signed a deal to allow BT broadband customers to access its TV service through Xbox 360 consoles. It is hoped the deal will encourage Xbox users to sign up to BT Vision.
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C4 offloads majority stake in Oneword radio for £1
Fri, 4 Jan 2008
Channel 4 has sold its 51% share in speech radio station Oneword to UBC Media for £1. The move, which comes ahead of the broadcaster launching its own-branded stations, has fuelled speculation that Oneword will be closed.
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Cancer Research uses TV ads to target men
Fri, 4 Jan 2008
Cancer Research is launching a TV advertising push targeting what it calls the "untouched" male market. The month-long campaign, which has been created by direct marketing specialist Watson Phillips Norman (WPN), breaks next week (January 7).
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CHI loosens M&C grip after 15m RBS retail triumph
Wed, 9 Jan 2008
CHI & Partners has picked up Royal Bank of Scotland's 15m retail advertising account from M&C Saatchi without a pitch.
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Christmas retail sales hit three-year slump
Tue, 8 Jan 2008
Retailers have suffered the lowest Christmas sales growth in three years, according to figures from the British Retail Consortium (BRC). The figures come as retailers, including Currys and Land of Leather, announce profits warnings.
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Coral chief threatens to close down Bingo outlets
Wed, 9 Jan 2008
Gala Bingo may be forced to close a number of its bingo halls, according to Gala Coral chief executive Neil Goulden. The admission comes despite repeated claims by Goulden that it had “no plans” to close any outlets.
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EDF launches recycled film ad
Thu, 3 Jan 2008
EDF Energy is reinforcing its commitment to environmental issues with the launch of a TV ad made entirely from recycled film clips. The campaign breaks on Sunday (January 6).
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Erratic weather, olympian-sized budgets and al gore bears all - welcome to 2008
Thu, 3 Jan 2008
If the weather and looming recession have you yearning for the duvet to hide under, feel free: here's the highlights of 2008 so you can stay safe in your bed
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Evening Standard replaces billboards with outdoor screens
Fri, 4 Jan 2008
The London Evening Standard is introducing 32-inch screens across its sales outlets in an attempt to better market its brand. It claims the new system is the 21st century's answer to the traditional newspaper billboard.
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From Net gain to cold turkey
Thu, 3 Jan 2008
Social networking website Bebo has enjoyed a remarkably successful 12 months, but the opposite is the case for troubled turkey brand Bernard Matthews. John Reynolds and Louise Jack report
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GCap rejects 300m Global approach
Mon, 7 Jan 2008
GCap Media, the UK's largest radio operator, has turned down a 300m approach from Global Radio. Global is reported to have made the offer in mid-December after it lost out on Emap's radio division.
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High street sales figures fall over Christmas period
Thu, 3 Jan 2008
High street retailers are reporting bleak sales figures for the Christmas period as the traditionally busy sales period failed to encourage consumers to start spending.
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Hughston takes on new business role at Saatchi
Fri, 4 Jan 2008
Saatchi & Saatchi has moved Neil Hughston, the managing director of its interactive division, to handle new business for the main agency. The change is part of a restructure being led by Saatchi's new chief executive Robert Senior.
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In the best possible taste
Thu, 3 Jan 2008
Despite an emphasis on health, flavour is the most important factor in consumers’ food choices. Brands need to experiment with increasingly exotic tastes to ensure they don’t slip from the menu
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India's jewel could put the glint back into UK marques
Thu, 3 Jan 2008
Tata, the Indian conglomerate, has moved into pole position in the 1bn race to buy Jaguar and Land Rover and, despite the company's low UK profile, experts believe it could be the marques' much-needed white knight.
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IPA calls for better recognition of advertising
Tue, 8 Jan 2008
The Institute of Practitioners in Advertising (IPA) is calling for business to give greater recognition to the contribution of advertising and marketing and has launched a book for case studies to support its campaign.
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Is the Olympic pitch worth winning for kudos alone?
Thu, 3 Jan 2008
The agency that wins the London 2012 pitch could be asked to become a low-level Olympic sponsor instead of taking a fee. It's an idea which has caused consternation among those being asked to pitch.
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ITV hopes to appeal to viewers and advertisers with refreshed weekend schedule
Thu, 3 Jan 2008
ITV is courting viewers and advertisers with a new-look ITV1 schedule. The broadcaster is hoping to replicate the success of its refreshed Saturday night line-up across the weekend with changes to its Sunday night line-up.
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LG appoints Electrolux marketer to head home appliances
Mon, 7 Jan 2008
LG Electronics has appointed former Electrolux marketer Andy Mackay to the new role of UK sales director for digital appliances. He will also be responsible the cooking, floorcare, refrigeration and laundry products.
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LG Mobile names UK marketing head
Mon, 7 Jan 2008
LG Mobile has appointed Jeremy Newing as UK head of marketing. He joins from Benefon, the handset manufacturer that specialises in GSM/GPS devises, where he was chief marketing officer.
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London Eye hunts partner after 7-year BA deal ends
Wed, 9 Jan 2008
The London Eye Company (TLEC) and British Airways are scrapping their partnership after seven years. The pair will part company in February after deciding to end the sponsorship.
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Looking back, forging forward
Thu, 3 Jan 2008
As we sweat it out to keep our resolutions whether that be tackling the gym or trying to resist chocolate we'll be reflecting on the reasons why we made the commitments in the first place and what we hope to achieve. But what about the movers and shakers how do they view the past year and what do they think is lying in wait in 2008? By Caroline Parry
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Looking for new ways to make money in the age of free media
Thu, 3 Jan 2008
If it costs nothing to promote a brand on social networking sites, how can advertising agencies make a living from free media?
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Mattel inspires digital fashion designers with latest Barbie range
Tue, 8 Jan 2008
Mattel has unveiled its latest digital Barbie Girls product, which allows users to become computer fashion designers. Barbie iDesign is a fashion design game that features a CD-ROM computer game, USB-connected scanner and 200 collectible cards.
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Mobile operators get ready for 3G auctions
Thu, 3 Jan 2008
The UK's five mobile phone networks are gearing up for the latest round of bidding for third-generation (3G) spectrum, which is expected to lead to newcomers such as Google coming into the market.
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NPower blames Government targets for price hike
Fri, 4 Jan 2008
Npower has blamed the Government's energy efficiency targets for its decision to hike prices for gas and electricity. The energy provider confirmed today (January 4) that it is increasing electricity prices by 12.7% and gas prices by 17.2%.
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Npower incurs consumer watchdog's wrath
Fri, 4 Jan 2008
Energywatch has slammed European energy companies for "treating Great Britain like a treasure island" after npower revealed plans to hike its prices by 15%. The German-owned company will reveal the full extent of the rise later today (January 4) and its rivals are expected to follow suit.
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O2 recruits music chief
Wed, 9 Jan 2008
O2 UK has appointed Matt Ward as head of music. He joins from mobile video specialist Mobix Interactive, where he was head of the consumer proposition team that developed and managed "mobile live" services.
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Parkinson to front Axa over-50s insurance campaign
Mon, 7 Jan 2008
Axa, the insurance giant, has signed Sir Michael Parkinson as the face of its over-50s life insurance product. The deal comes just weeks after Parkinson's retirement from broadcasting.
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Porsche increases green focus with second hybrid
Mon, 7 Jan 2008
Porsche is launching a hybrid version of its new Panamera model as it increases its focus on the environment. The German marque unveiled a hybrid Cayenne SUV at last year's Frankfurt Motorshow that uses a third less fuel than a conventional model.
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Publicis Groupe beats WPP to 65m BT media
Wed, 9 Jan 2008
BT has consolidated its 65m media planning and buying account into Publicis Group following a three-month review. A combined Starcom and Zed Media team, which will be based at BT's headquarters, has been established to service the account.
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Race to win the turf war
Wed, 9 Jan 2008
When Ladbrokes finally signed up to Turf TV last week, it marked the beginning of the end of a bitter battle between the horse-racing industry and bookmakers that has been raging for the past year. William Hill is sure to follow this week, and with only Betfred left to reach agreement with the new ...
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Racing UK seals John Smith's tie-up
Wed, 9 Jan 2008
John Smith's has signed a sponsorship deal with horse racing channel Racing UK. The beer brand's ads will run on the channel as part of the partnership and will be the first non-racing ads on Racing UK.
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Ruth Mortimer: Brands should follow new soap operas lead
Wed, 9 Jan 2008
The new soap opera from ITV, Echo Beach, has more to interest viewers than ex-Neighbours heartthrob Jason Donovan. Unlike a traditional soap, Echo Beach comes hand-in-hand with its own behind-the-scenes “mockumentary” called Moving Wallpaper. The idea is that while people watch the fictional ...
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Sony and Skype offer free PSP calls
Mon, 7 Jan 2008
Sony Computer Entertainment and internet telephony company Skype have signed a deal to allow Playstation Portable (PSP) users to make free Skype calls. A software update will be available to users later this month.
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Sustain calls for Government to ban staff from drinking bottled water
Thu, 3 Jan 2008
Sustain, the lobby body, is calling for all Government departments to ban staff from using of bottled water. It is due to publish a report looking into the issue in the next two months.
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The Chancellor calls crisis meeting with Ofgem over price rises
Mon, 7 Jan 2008
Chancellor Alistair Darling has called a crisis meeting with energy regulator Ofgem over last week's gas and electricity price rises. It is understood Darling is concerned that energy providers are using fluctuations in the wholesale market to excuse soaring prices.
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Unilever launches three-in-one Lynx body spray
Tue, 8 Jan 2008
Unilever is launching a major new innovation under the Lynx brand that will offer consumers three variants in one can. Lynx 3, which will be launched early this year, will include two body sprays that can be used separately or combined.
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Unilever tops ethical reputation index
Fri, 4 Jan 2008
Unilever has the best ethical reputation among multinational companies, according to an influential survey. Marks & Spencer, Rio Tinto and Dell have all entered the top ten for the first time in Covalence's annual reputation index.
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Visa retains OMD to handle bulk of global media account
Wed, 9 Jan 2008
Visa has retained OMD to handle the lion's share of its $650m (330m) global media planning and buying account following an eight-month review. The Omnicom-owned agency has been reappointed to handle media duties in the US and Asia, although it is not yet clear who will handle the business in Europe.
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Waitrose launches in Dubai
Wed, 9 Jan 2008
Retailers across the country failed to ring in the New Year or a great deal else on their cash registers as consumers tightened their purse strings going into an economic slowdown. But as a host of brands cast a long shadow over the sector with their bleak Christmas trading updates, one retailer, the John Lewis Partnership, stood out from the crowd.
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Waitrose to spend 39m on expanding its brand
Wed, 9 Jan 2008
Waitrose is increasing its advertising spend by 50% to 39m this year as it aims to make the brand accessible to more consumers.
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Warehouse Overall
Mon, 7 Jan 2008
Warehouse is currently one of the strongest performers in the Mosaic Fashions company, following on from a stellar high street performance in the current year to date. This is due to a well thought out product range hitting the fashion looks strongly. The brand currently has very strong functional elements, but the emotional side of the brand is not as well developed as some competitors which is important in developing a loyal customer base. One main concern would be that Warehouse has ...
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Whyte quits McCann Erickson
Tue, 8 Jan 2008
McCann Erickson London chief executive Stephen Whyte has resigned from the agency after four years. He does not have a job to go to.
