Marketing Week
31 January 2008
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...Innocent axes Lowe to go in house
Thu, 31 Jan 2008
Innocent Drinks is axing Lowe London as its above-the-line creative agency and bringing its advertising in house.
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Advertiser-funded TV starts to take off
Thu, 31 Jan 2008
Brands and media owners have endured something of a chequered past when it comes to advertiser-funded programming (AFP) but, following a raft of new deals, some are predicting that 2008 could be the year it finally comes of age.
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Advertising regulator bans another egg advert
Tue, 5 Feb 2008
The television advertising regulator has banned an egg company from using children's voices in a campaign to promote Omega 3 eggs. The Clearcast ruling comes six months after a re-run of the Tony Hancock "Go to work on an egg" advert was also banned.
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At one with the environment
Thu, 31 Jan 2008
The outdoor marketing industry has been at the forefront of the environmental push for many years. Jo-Anne Flack reports on the steps being taken to make sure posters are kept 'green'
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Autism charity launches national print campaign
Tue, 5 Feb 2008
The National Autistic Society (NAS) has launched a major print campaign focusing on the lack of support given to adults with autism. The ads, which break today (February 5), coincide with the launch of a Government policy report into the issue.
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BA unveils digital push for Terminal 5 launch
Thu, 31 Jan 2008
British Airways is gearing up for the launch of Terminal Five at Heathrow with an integrated campaign designed to introduce a "step change" in passenger behaviour.
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'Bentley for Babies' appoints PHD North
Thu, 31 Jan 2008
Silver Cross, the upmarket pram and baby accessories brand, has appointed PHD North as its first media agency to help bolster its rapid expansion plans.
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BHF launches Valentine's campaign on Facebook
Mon, 4 Feb 2008
The British Heart Foundation (BHF) has launched its first Facebook application for Valentine's Day. The application is part of a wider Valentine's campaign, which will allow used to download gifts from its online shop.
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Brit Awards and commercial radio launch Brits Radio Week
Mon, 4 Feb 2008
The commercial radio industry has teamed up with the Brit Awards to create the Brits Radio Week, to take place in the week leading up to the music industry awards.
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British Gas hands Mackenzies marketing role to Jansen
Fri, 1 Feb 2008
British Gas (BG) has promoted the managing director of its Premier Energy division, Chris Jansen, to be its top marketer, with added responsibility for the brand’s profit and loss.
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BT revamps consumer mobile strategy
Wed, 6 Feb 2008
BT is launching a new mobile strategy and a blackberry-style product in bid boost interest in its mobile offering. It is trialling a new service, which may replace its existing Fusion service.
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Burton's Foods launches new Cadbury campaign
Tue, 5 Feb 2008
Burton's Foods is launching a 3 million television advertising campaign for Cadbury Chocolate Digestives. The ad is the first work to from start-up agency Adam & Eve, which won the account last month.
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Can ad agencies trust Google?
Thu, 31 Jan 2008
Publicis Groupes announcement that it has been working with Google sparked a war of words between Publicis chief Maurice Levy and his WPP counterpart Sir Martin Sorrell and has got the industry asking: Google, friend or foe?
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Castlemaine XXXX parts ways with the Rugby Football League
Mon, 4 Feb 2008
Castlemaine XXXX, the InBev-owned lager brand, has dropped its three year partnership with the Rugby Football League. The RFL is now seeking a new official beer.
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Chris Ingram on why the customer experience requires more work
Thu, 31 Jan 2008
There is a lot of talk in marketing circles about the customer experience. This is long overdue, but I fear we are already over-complicating it.
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Christmas retail slump hits WH Smith
Thu, 31 Jan 2008
WH Smith saw sales drop over Christmas due to the tough conditions on the high street. The retailer has reported a dip of 3% in sales at its high street division for the 21 weeks to January 26.
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Coca-Cola launches fitness website for Powerade Orange
Fri, 1 Feb 2008
Coca-Cola is supporting the launch of Powerade Orange with a microsite, which has been created to coincide with the start of the RBS Six Nations 2008.
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Commercial radio continues to lose listeners while BBC audience grows
Thu, 31 Jan 2008
The commercial radio sector lost share to the BBC for the third successive quarter after a strong performance by Radio 1, Radio 5 Live and BBC7, according to the Rajar figures for the last quarter of 2007. The BBC increased its share to 55.4% as commercial saw its drop from 43.3% to 42.4%.
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Facing up to fragmentation
Thu, 31 Jan 2008
The Web has changed both the market and consumer behaviour. Advertisers must adapt if they are to succeed in a fragmented environment, says Rob Proctor
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Fiat tries to lift marque's desirability with new 500
Thu, 31 Jan 2008
Fiat is focusing on making the brand more "desirable" in the UK this year on the back of its revamped 500 model.
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Golley Slater retains Ministry of Defence account for Army road safety campaign
Thu, 31 Jan 2008
Golley Slater has been reappointed by the Ministry of Defence to work on its Army road traffic accidents campaign.
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Google blames social networking for slow down
Fri, 1 Feb 2008
Google has attributed a slow down in growth for the fourth quarter of 2007 to the difficulty of making advertising work on social networks. The search company has reported a 17% increase in profits, but says that it has seen a drop in the "paid clicks".
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Google will have last laugh in agency pact
Thu, 31 Jan 2008
Last week, Maurice Levy, head of worldwide advertising group Publicis, and Eric Schmidt, chief executive of Google, declared their unstinting admiration for each other in a pact as rich in collaborative rhetoric as it was threadbare in content.
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Google: the enemy within?
Thu, 31 Jan 2008
Publicis Groupe's collaboration with Google has led to accusations that the internet search giant is seeking to become a media owner. Rufus Jay asks whether such fears are realistic or whether the latest partnership is indicative of a new, more open and collaborative digital world
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Green protesters threaten e.on with 'subversive' plot
Wed, 6 Feb 2008
Camp for Climate Action, the group that caused widespread disruption at Heathrow airport last year, has marked energy provider e.on as its key target for 2008.
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Homebase reviews £27m ad business
Tue, 5 Feb 2008
Retailer Homebase is reviewing its £27m advertising business, which is currently at Abbott Mead Vickers.BBDO. It comes just weeks after the retailer reported slow sales growth over the crucial Christmas trading period.
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House of Fraser to review 9m ad and media accounts
Wed, 6 Feb 2008
House of Fraser is reviewing its 9m advertising and media planning and buying accounts, and has invited incumbent agencies Hooper Galton and Starcom to repitch.
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Inbev calls on Wight to help revive flagging Stella Artois
Wed, 6 Feb 2008
Inbev has drafted in advertising veteran Robin Wight, chairman of Engine Group, to advise on its struggling flagship lager brand Stella Artois.
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Initiative Worldwide chief retires
Thu, 31 Jan 2008
Initiative Worldwide chairman and chief executive Alec Gerster is retiring from his role on March 1. Richard Beaven, the chairman and chief executive Initiative North America, will replace him.
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Innocent releases limited-edition recycling symbol logo
Thu, 31 Jan 2008
Innocent Drinks is introducing a limited-edition label to highlight its commitment to recycling. The Innocent logo will change colour and shape to resemble the green recycling symbol for the last two weeks of February.
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ITV stake sinks BSkyB profits
Wed, 6 Feb 2008
BSkyB, the UK's biggest pay-TV operator, has reported a loss for the second half of last year due to its investment in ITV, the impact of its new Barclay Premier League deal and the removal of its basic package from cable.
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John Ayling to launch LoSalt healthy-eating ad campaign
Thu, 31 Jan 2008
John Ayling and Associates has been appointed to handle the 1m planning and buying for the low-sodium salt brand LoSalt, to help launch the first advertising and marketing campaign for the brand.
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John Brown Group picks planning chief
Thu, 31 Jan 2008
Magazine publisher the John Brown Group has appointed WWAV Rapp Collins planning partner Caitriona Henry to the new role of chief strategic officer. She will advise the senior management team on the future direction and growth strategy of the company.
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JWT set to handle pan-European account for Corona Extra
Thu, 31 Jan 2008
Mexican beer brand Corona is understood to have appointed JWT to handle its pan-European ad business for its flagship Extra brand.
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K-C starts with a clean sheet
Wed, 6 Feb 2008
In its 134-year history, Kimberly-Clark (K-C) seems to have managed quite adequately without a global marketer, with brands such as Kleenex and Andrex ranking first or second in their respective markets in more than 80 countries.
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Kidman to launch 'Hank Evie' celebrity clothing label
Wed, 6 Feb 2008
Hollywood A-lister Nicole Kidman is understood to be considering the launch of a range of clothing and accessories with her musician husband Keith Urban.
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Lastminute.com founders launch interior decoration site
Mon, 4 Feb 2008
Brent Hoberman and Martha Lane Fox, the founders of lastminute.com, have launched an interior decorating venture. The pair hope that mydeco.com will have the same impact on interiors as lastminute had on the travel industry.
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LBC launches new on-air branding
Mon, 4 Feb 2008
LBC 97.3 FM, the London speech station, is launching new on-air branding as part of a revamp of the station that aims to make it more relevant to Londoners. The new brand imaging launches today (February 4).
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LBi aims to boost search capabilities with Netrank acquisition
Thu, 31 Jan 2008
Digital agency LBi has acquired search optimisation company Netrank in a move that aims to boost its search capabilities. It is understood that the agency beat WPP Group and a second undisclosed bidder to buy the agency.
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Lee Cooper releases centenary logo
Mon, 4 Feb 2008
Lee Cooper has unveiled a new logo as part of the company's centenary celebrations. The British denim-wear brand will also launch a series of collaborations throughout 2008.
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Less talk, more action on giving us the customer experience
Thu, 31 Jan 2008
Despite what many companies appear to think, customer experience is not just a buzz-term to sell services. It actually requires hard work
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Louis Vuitton launches first TV and cinema campaign
Mon, 4 Feb 2008
Louis Vuitton is launching a television and cinema advert for the first time in its history. The company claims that it is the first time a luxury brand has launched an on-screen campaign that is not product-led
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Lowe to replace Gatfield as group chief executive...
Thu, 31 Jan 2008
Lowe Worldwide is understood to be seeking a replacement for chief executive Steve Gatfield, who is due to quit the network in April 2009. It is thought that his departure will trigger changes in the management of the network.
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Lynx global director takes top post at Sara Lee H&BC
Thu, 31 Jan 2008
Sara Lee Household & Body Care has appointed Unilever marketer Margaret Jobling as its top marketer. She replaces Julie Baker, who was promoted to managing director of its tea and coffee business last year.
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Marketing Birmingham seeks agencies for tourism push
Thu, 31 Jan 2008
Marketing Birmingham, the body charged with promoting England's second city, is seeking agencies for a campaign to boost leisure tourism in the city. The aim is to encourage more people to come to Birmingham and stay for longer when they are there.
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Michael Gambon lends voice to Enjoy England campaign
Mon, 4 Feb 2008
Enjoy England has launched a campaign featuring veteran British actor Michael Gambon, aimed at boosting tourism through word-of-mouth recommendations. The ads are designed to drive traffic to the tourism body's online forum where visitors are encouraged to share their experiences of English holidays and attractions.
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Michael Nutley: Microsoft-Yahoo! merger no answer to social networking
Wed, 6 Feb 2008
Its hard to overstate the symbolic importance of Microsofts $44.6bn (22.6bn) bid for its rival Yahoo!
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Microsoft bid for Yahoo! under fire from rival Google
Tue, 5 Feb 2008
Microsoft's proposed bid for Yahoo! has come under fire from rival Google, which claims that the move could create unfair "PC software monopoly".
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Microsoft bids 22bn for Yahoo!
Fri, 1 Feb 2008
Microsoft is understood to have made a $44.6bn (22.4bn) bid for Yahoo!. The offer values the internet service provider at 62% more than its share price when the market closed yesterday.
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Nationwide unleashes TV ad blitz
Thu, 31 Jan 2008
Nationwide, the UK's biggest building society, claims to be launching a "unique" television campaign that marries brand ads with product and direct-response TV spots, in a move to trump its bigger "plc" rivals.
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Nectar has its Hoover moment
Thu, 31 Jan 2008
Reward scheme Nectar’s botched relaunch (MW last week) rounds off a dire 12 months for free giveaways and prize promotions. The loyalty card, which allows customers to collect points at retailers such as Sainsbury’s, BP and Debenhams, has received a flood of complaints from collectors who have failed to get their promised rewards.
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New campaign - Ford
Thu, 31 Jan 2008
Ford ad strikes a different note
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New campaign - Teleflorist
Thu, 31 Jan 2008
Teleflorist mocks American Beauty in 'campaign for real floristry'
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Nokia to halve energy waste from chargers left on standby
Thu, 31 Jan 2008
Nokia is pledging to halve the standby energy used by its mobile phone chargers as part of a new environmental push.
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O2 and 3 team up for mobile video portal
Mon, 4 Feb 2008
UK mobile operators 3 and O2 are launching a mobile video portal that will bring together their existing services. EyeVibe is currently being tested and will be launched by the end of February.
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O2 exploits iPhone opportunities
Thu, 31 Jan 2008
O2 is seeking a marketer to oversee Apple's iPhone as part of an expansion of its marketing team.
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PepsiCo plots smoothie launch to rival Innocent
Thu, 31 Jan 2008
PepsiCo is launching its juice brand Tropicana into the smoothie market next month in a bid to take on market leader Innocent.
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Photon Group acquires Naked for 16.5m
Tue, 5 Feb 2008
Photon Group, the acquisitive marketing services company, has bought Naked Communications for an initial cash payment of £16.5m. The deal also includes a four year earn-out package for agency’s shareholders.
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PlayStation 3 sales add to positive Sony results
Thu, 31 Jan 2008
Sales of the PlayStation 3 games console contributed to "positive" third-quarter results for electronics giant Sony. The Japanese company reported a 31.2% increase in games sales, leading to the games division's first profit since 2005.
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PriceRunner.co.uk launches innovative new site
Fri, 1 Feb 2008
Price comparison website PriceRunner.co.uk has redesigned its homepage. The new look site went live yesterday following extensive user research.
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Print leaves the door open wide for advertisers to take us by surprise
Thu, 31 Jan 2008
The mute button might enable viewers to ignore TV ads, but there is no print equivalent - leaving us prey to the marketing of all kinds of odd inventions
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Procter & Gamble unveils major Venus razor launch
Wed, 6 Feb 2008
Procter & Gamble is launching a major extension to its Venus women's razor range, which will be backed with the brands biggest TV spend in the UK. Venus Breeze is expected to launch imminently.
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Publicis and Google will be 'thought leaders' says L赹
Thu, 31 Jan 2008
The future of advertising is digital and the industry needs to stop "hanging on to old models", says Publicis chairman and chief executive Maurice Lévy.
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Ringing the changes on the cards
Thu, 31 Jan 2008
MBNA's rebranding campaign needs to engage increasingly savvy consumers with something new, if it is to improve its tarnished reputation in a highly competitive market, says Kate O'Flaherty
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Rolls Royce appoints Aston Martin’s Lenden to head of marketing
Fri, 1 Feb 2008
Rolls-Royce Motor Cars has appointed Aston Martin marketer Graham Lenden (pictured) as head of marketing. He replaces Paul Ferraiolo, who moved to Rolls-Royce North America as president last summer (MW June 28, 2007).
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Rough ride for PepsiCo smoothies
Thu, 31 Jan 2008
PepsiCos decision to slash the price of its PJ Smoothies brand and reduce its product range may well prompt a lift in sales but critics argue that repeated revamps have confused consumers and resulted in PJs losing its mojo.
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Samsung strikes TV deal with Dorling Kindersley
Fri, 1 Feb 2008
Samsung Electronics has agreed a deal with Penguin Group's Dorling Kindersley (DK) to add preloaded content to its one million new television sets. The sets, which were launched this month, have an embedded contents library as well as regular TV channels.
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Scottish & Southern Energy overtakes E.ON in energy market
Thu, 31 Jan 2008
Scottish & Southern Energy (SSE), the energy provider, has overtaken rival E.on to become the UK's second biggest supplier. The Scotland-based utility announced today (January 31) it has increased its customer numbers by 650,000 to 8.5 million.
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Smoothies for the masses
Thu, 31 Jan 2008
Big corporate companies and smoothie brands may not be natural bedfellows, but PepsiCo aims to drive sales of its PJ's brand by slashing its price. The challenge now is to manage the price cut so there is no change in the perception of quality or health benefits. John Reynolds reports
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Starcom wins 5m media account for AN websites
Thu, 31 Jan 2008
Associated Newspapers has handed Starcom the 5m media planning and buying brief for its FindaProperty.com and Loopylove.com websites. The decision follows a competitive pitch against undisclosed agencies.
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Stella Artois: the beater or the beaten?
Wed, 6 Feb 2008
Lager brand Stella Artois is in intensive care as owner Inbev attempts to revive UK sales and restore its premium image. A new brand doctor is arriving from Germany to take charge of the Belgian patient (MW last week).
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Telegraph Media Group launches in-house ad production department
Mon, 4 Feb 2008
Telegraph Media Group has expanded its online offering to advertisers with the launch of an in-house production department. TMG will now be able to produce audio and video advertising on its website.
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The Fiat 500 marks more than just the return of a classic model
Thu, 31 Jan 2008
The launch party for the updated Fiat 500 last week was about a lot more than just the launch of a new car. The glitzy event on London's Southbank showed the world that, after its much-publicised troubles of recent years, Fiat is back.
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The mobile world according to Google
Fri, 1 Feb 2008
Our story about Dell collaborating with Google to launch the first Gphone has certainly got the blogosphere humming. For the record, Google was rather more emphatic in repudiating the forthcoming Mobile World Congress (formerly 3GSM) telecoms conference at Barcelona as a launch platform for the project than in denying the existence of the project itself.
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The National Blood Service appoints DLKW to 2.5m donor campaign
Thu, 31 Jan 2008
The National Blood Service (NBS) has appointed incumbent Delaney Lund Knox Warren to work on a £2.5m campaign aimed at raising awareness and encouraging existing and new donors to give blood on a regular basis. The decision follows a statutory review of the business and a pitch ...
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Tresemme expands with three product line launches
Thu, 31 Jan 2008
Alberto Culver is bringing out a raft of products in its Tresemme range as part of an expansion plan for the brand across Western Europe.
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TUI to reposition Thomson and First Choice brands
Thu, 31 Jan 2008
TUI, the travel company, is overhauling its marketing strategy after announcing plans to reposition First Choice and Thomson to target different markets.
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US tourism industry promotes the country as a destination with travel website launch
Thu, 31 Jan 2008
The US tourism industry is to unveil an official travel and tourism website as pressure grows on the federal government to set up a body to promote the country overseas.
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Virgin Media signs high street deal with Phones4U
Mon, 4 Feb 2008
Virgin Media is extending its presence on the high street through a new deal with retailer Phones4U. The cable company has announced a six store trial with the chain, although it is expected to be rolled out across the country if it is successful.
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VisitScotland runs cinema ads for 'southern travel junkies'
Thu, 31 Jan 2008
VisitScotland is launching a 2.7m ad campaign to attract visitors from England after it was revealed that more than half the population has never been north of the border.
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Watchdog slams British Gas ad's 'zero CO2' claim
Thu, 31 Jan 2008
The advertising watchdog has censured a television ad promoting British Gas's Zero Carbon dual tariff for gas and electricity, for implying it is the greenest domestic energy tariff.
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Will Mendelsohn be the final piece of the Karmarama jigsaw?
Thu, 31 Jan 2008
Karmarama burst onto the advertising scene with the memorable Van den Puup campaign for Ikea, but in recent years the agency has made as many headlines for its management changes as anything else.
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Wine, women and strong spirits
Thu, 31 Jan 2008
As women's alcohol intake rises, they are becoming more important to drinks advertisers because this group of pub and club goers is most likely to amplify a brand's message through word of mouth
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YouTube launches programme to make UK users money
Thu, 31 Jan 2008
YouTube users are being offered the chance to make money from their videos under a scheme being launched in the UK. The YouTube Partnership Programme is launched today (January 31).
