Marketing Week
9 March 2006

  • A twiggy situation for poultry farmers facing paltry payouts

    Thu, 9 Mar 2006

    As if Marks & Spencer's chicken suppliers haven't got enough on their plates with the threat of bird flu, they are now having to subsidise Twiggy and friends

  • Abbey plans 'rebirth' for simpler Cahoot offering

    Thu, 9 Mar 2006

    Abbey's online bank Cahoot is to undergo a "rebirth" because being a Web-only brand is not enough any more.

  • Agency discontent over a very French coup

    Thu, 9 Mar 2006

    The appointment of Publicis Groupe and Havas to handle France Telecom's £200m pan-European advertising business brings to an end one of the most protracted and talked about reviews of recent years. However, the fall-out looks set to continue,

  • An engaging performance

    Thu, 9 Mar 2006

    The addition of 'engagement marketing' to its armoury has enabled the public relations industry to be taken more seriously by clients as a valuable marketing resource. By Jo-Anne Flack

  • Anti-additives lobby to put brands on the spot

    Thu, 9 Mar 2006

    The Soil Association has teamed up with organic food manufacturer Organix to launch a campaign calling for a ban on additives in children's foods, a move that could see brands including Coca-Cola, Haribo and Walkers come under the spotlight.

  • AOL expands its Paid Services team

    Thu, 9 Mar 2006

    AOL has expanded its Paid Services team in the UK by appointing Kelly Brough as director. Brough reports to Andy Jonesco, senior vice- president of audience at AOL UK.

  • Appetite grows for healthy food

    Thu, 9 Mar 2006

    Consumers are taking note of the issues around healthy eating, and are making changes to their diets. They are also taking a greater interest in food labelling, suggesting this is an area for brands to focus on

  • Are water meters enough to plug the leak?

    Thu, 9 Mar 2006

    Consumer groups fear the Government's decision to allow Folkestone & Dover Water Services to make water meters compulsory for domestic customers could prompt a flood of applications from other providers.

  • ASA deems Diesel ad 'too sexual'

    Thu, 9 Mar 2006

    Diesel has been slammed by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) over an ad in The Sunday Times Style magazine showing a naked man with three pairs of women's legs around his body. The ASA investigated after receiving 28 complaints.

  • Asda signs England cricket captain Andrew Flintoff

    Thu, 9 Mar 2006

    Asda has signed England cricket captain Andrew Flintoff to be the face of a new George clothing range. The supermarket chain is also in talks with Coleen McLoughlin, the girlfriend of footballer Wayne Rooney.

  • Ashley Cole to front testicular cancer awareness campaign

    Thu, 9 Mar 2006

    Ashley Cole, the England footballer is fronting a campaign to raise awareness of testicular cancer. The campaign, for charity Everyman, has been dubbed: 'Keep Your Eye On The Ball'.

  • Asit Mehra to leave Lowe Worldwide

    Thu, 9 Mar 2006

    Asit Mehra, the global planning director on Unilever at embattled Lowe Worldwide, is understood to be leaving the agency after 18 years. His move is thought to be unrelated to the suspension of Lowe London chief executive Garry Lace on full pay pending an investigation.

  • Asthma UK to air its first TV campaign

    Thu, 9 Mar 2006

    Asthma UK is looking to raise awareness of the seriousness of the condition by launching its first television advertising campaign.

  • BDO Stoy Hayward in discussions with agencies

    Thu, 9 Mar 2006

    BDO Stoy Hayward, the audit and accountancy firm and UK member of BDO International, is in discussions with agencies about a brief for a business-to-business campaign.

  • Blair calls for a united front over digital switchover programme

    Thu, 9 Mar 2006

    Prime Minister Tony Blair urged broadcasters, manufacturers, charities and retailers to work closely with the Government on digital switchover plans, at a rallying breakfast meeting held at Downing Street yesterday (Tuesday).

  • British brands struggle with worldwide appeal

    Thu, 9 Mar 2006

    Rita Clifton's views on Branding Britain (MW last week) are interesting, but the heading itself is debatable. In today's busy world of brand, it's not only important to create a brand, it's equally important who owns them and how and what they want to communicate to their TA.

  • BT being sized up

    Thu, 9 Mar 2006

    BT is being sized up as a potential bid target by a number of private equity firms, according to reports. It is understood the group would be valued at a minimum of &£20m.

  • Campaign to launch Insideout

    Thu, 9 Mar 2006

    Rainey Kelly Campbell Roalfe/Y&R has created a TV campaign to help launch News Magazines' glossy interiors title The Sunday Times Insideout.

  • Can a name change solve Lowe's problems?

    Thu, 9 Mar 2006

    Having the right name above an agency door can make or break a company, highlight its ethos and showcase the talent within - at least according to advertising folk. Interpublic Group plans to rebrand the beleaguered Lowe network in an attempt to sever its association with Sir Frank Lowe (MW last ...

  • Can Ask.com hold its own against the search giants?

    Thu, 9 Mar 2006

    A relaunched Ask has a much cleaner look and is refocusing on search. Will this new strategy help it thrive in the competitive search engine market? asks Andy Atkins-Kruger

  • Christina Aguilera to promote latest Walkman phone

    Thu, 9 Mar 2006

    Orange and Sony Ericsson have signed a pan-European sponsorship deal with Christina Aguilera to promote the latest Walkman phone.

  • Co-op to trial finger-scan payment system

    Thu, 9 Mar 2006

    The Co-operative Group is to become the first UK retailer to allow consumers to pay for their shopping by scanning their finger prints.

  • Costa unveils own-brand version of Fairtrade coffee

    Thu, 9 Mar 2006

    Coffee shop chain Costa is to launch its own brand of fairtrade coffee to coincide with Fairtrade Fortnight, which begins this week.

  • Cracks begin to show in McDonald's golden arches

    Thu, 9 Mar 2006

    McDonald's is in a flap: it is to close 25 UK restaurants following a slump in sales, while the threat of avian flu has forced the fast-food giant to consider contingency plans.

  • DDB to celebrate the life of John Webster

    Thu, 9 Mar 2006

    DDB is holding an event to celebrate the life of John Webster on April 30 in London. For details, contact annie.tobin@ ddblondon.com.

  • Diageo banks on Quinn's

    Thu, 9 Mar 2006

    With sales of ready mixed alcoholic beverages on the wane, Diageo is hoping that its latest innovation, a fruit juice drink with an ABV of 4%, will create an entirely new market as the company tries to distance itself from claims it encourages binge drinking. By Sonoo Singh

  • Direct Beauty enlists F1 star for shaving product range

    Thu, 9 Mar 2006

    Mail order company Direct Beauty Products is launching a David Coulthard-branded male shave and skincare range.

  • DLKW axes staff to prop up Creston share price

    Thu, 9 Mar 2006

    Delaney Lund Knox Warren & Partners has made 5% of its staff redundant, almost a year after it was bought by listed marketing services group Creston.

  • Do your homework and changes to Sky's EPG will be child's play

    Thu, 9 Mar 2006

    Sky has revamped its channels menu to incorporate launches and category moves. But don't get too comfortable with the new system - more changes are on the way

  • Drawing a blank? Don't think this marketing manual will help you

    Thu, 9 Mar 2006

    It was with a dull, ominous thud that a weighty tome entitled "How to make people buy your brand in retail" landed on the Diary's desk this week.

  • Drinks group slaps Beastie

    Thu, 9 Mar 2006

    Drinks industry watchdog The Portman Group has slammed Scottish distiller Inver House over the branding and packaging of two of its products, Wee Beastie and Big Beastie.

  • DVD rental service signs Ann Summers partnership

    Thu, 9 Mar 2006

    Ann Summers, the adult retail chain, is among the latest group of partners for online DVD rental company ScreenSelect.co.uk.

  • EMAP seeks agency for £10m Closer magazine ad brief

    Thu, 9 Mar 2006

    EMAP is in talks with agencies about the £10m advertising business for its celebrity magazine Closer.

  • FA starts bidding for Premiership TV rights

    Thu, 9 Mar 2006

    The FA Premier League has begun formally courting media companies to tender for television rights - the first available since the European Commission forced the league to break its exclusive contract with Sky.

  • Fish4jobs named most popular online recruitment site

    Thu, 9 Mar 2006

    Fish4jobs has been named the UK's most popular online recruitment website for the second year running. Fish4jobs, part of fish4, the UK's largest online classified site, attracts over 1.6 million job seekers every month, 22% more than a year ago.

  • France Telecom £200m split a 'French stitch up'

    Thu, 9 Mar 2006

    France Telecom's decision to split its £200m pan-European advertising account between Publicis Groupe and Havas has been slammed as a "French stitch up" by the advertising industry.

  • Friend or foe? Google tackles offline media buying

    Thu, 9 Mar 2006

    Google is recognised as the dominant force in online advertising, particularly because of its clout in paid-for search marketing. But it is now looking to expand into offline advertising, with moves into the print and radio media buying arena. In the US, the company is running its second magazine space-buying ...

  • Gaydar Radio teams up with Pink

    Thu, 9 Mar 2006

    Gaydar Radio has teamed up with popstar Pink to give away tickets to the artist's invitation-only album launch concert in London on March 22. The promotion aims to appeal to the popstar's gay fanbase.

  • GCapMedia considering a review of its media business

    Thu, 9 Mar 2006

    GCapMedia is rumoured to be considering a review of its £5m media business, which is currently split between Rocket, ZenithOptimeda and MediaCom North.

  • GlaxoSmithKline PR offensive

    Thu, 9 Mar 2006

    GlaxoSmithKline is asking 8,000 US staff to meet with community groups and give positive speeches about the drugs industry. The move comes as Michael Moore prepares to release his latest documentary, "Sicko", which is expected to be highly critical of GSK and other drugs firms.

  • Google reportedly planning an online storage facility

    Thu, 9 Mar 2006

    Google is reportedly planning an online storage facility for all users' files.

  • Greene King marketer bags leased pub role

    Thu, 9 Mar 2006

    Greene King Brewing Company marketing director Sue Thomas-Taylor has been promoted to commercial director for Greene King Pub Partners, the tenanted and leased pub side of the company.

  • Heineken in agency talks over £40m account

    Thu, 9 Mar 2006

    Brewing giant Heineken is understood to be in talks with agencies including Sir Frank Lowe's start-up Red Brick Road, about shifting its &£40m global advertising business.

  • Honda appoints Jeff Dodds

    Thu, 9 Mar 2006

    Honda has appointed Jeff Dodds as head of marketing to replace Simon Thompson, who joined Motorola at the start of the month. Dodds was previously head of marketing for Honda's power equipment business.

  • Inbev takes its beers upmarket

    Thu, 9 Mar 2006

    Inbev is launching a wide range of Artois-branded speciality beers in an attempt to move its flagship Stella Artois brand away from the "wife-beater" image.

  • Industry @ Saatchi working with Bottle Green Limited

    Thu, 9 Mar 2006

    Industry @ Saatchi, Saatchi & Saatchi's research and development arm, is working with Bottle Green Limited, a UK-based wine brand owner, to identify innovations in the wine market.

  • ISBA warns of EU threat to children's TV programming

    Thu, 9 Mar 2006

    The Incorporated Society of British Advertisers (ISBA) is warning the future of commercial children's television programming could come under threat when the European Union's "TV Without Frontiers" directive passes through the European Parliament.

  • Jeremy Neaves leaves ITV Sales

    Thu, 9 Mar 2006

    ITV Sales head of customer communications, Jeremy Neaves, is leaving the broadcaster after 14 months. He is believed to be returning to Publicis Dialog, where he was previously a director.

  • Letter contradicts ex-WPP boss' denial of his Babila connection

    Thu, 9 Mar 2006

    A document has come into the hands of Marketing Week, which contradicts the assertion of former WPP media chief Mainardo de Nardis that he has no connection with rival marketing services company Babila.

  • Lord Borrie warns online ads risk reputation with double standards

    Thu, 9 Mar 2006

    Consumers demand the same levels of truthfulness and accountability from online advertising as they expect from offline ads, Lord Borrie, chairman of the Advertising Standards Authority, will tell the UK's leading advertisers this week.

  • Love handed job of selling volunteering to the young

    Thu, 9 Mar 2006

    Manchester-based agency Love has been appointed by COI Communications and The Russell Commission to rebrand Youth Volunteering as it looks to recruit a million new helpers over the next five years. The agency was appointed after a three-way competitive pitch overseen by the COI.

  • Lycos hunts brands for video blogging service

    Thu, 9 Mar 2006

    Lycos Europe is offering marketers the chance to take advantage of the latest craze - video blogging.

  • M&C Saatchi to launch luxury brands subsidiary called Provenance

    Thu, 9 Mar 2006

    M&C Saatchi is launching a luxury brands subsidiary called Provenance.

  • Miele GB appoints Simon Grantham

    Thu, 9 Mar 2006

    Miele GB has appointed Simon Grantham as chief executive, replacing Michael Jeanes, who has left to head Miele Australia.

  • Mirror Group unveils digital plan to tackle sliding sales

    Thu, 9 Mar 2006

    Trinity Mirror Group (TMG) plans to transform itself into a complete media content provider in an effort to stem continuing decline in traditional advertising revenue.

  • Mother, Karmarama lose £6m UKTV account

    Thu, 9 Mar 2006

    UKTV is moving its £6m advertising out of creative agencies Mother and Karmarama and putting it in house.

  • Music titles still rock in the growth charts

    Thu, 9 Mar 2006

    I wonder how many of your readers found Sonoo Singh's piece on the magazine ABCs (MW February 23) bafflingly blind to reality?

  • New Campaign - Green & Black's

    Thu, 9 Mar 2006

    Green & Black's, the organic luxury chocolate brand, is planning a two-week burst of Mother's Day press advertising through its strategic and creative advertising agency Brave.

  • New Campaign - Scottish & Newcastle

    Thu, 9 Mar 2006

    Scottish & Newcastle UK is set to launch the first national television advertising campaign for its Spanish lager brand San Miguel at the end of April as part of a £9m support plan for the year.

  • New Npower campaign

    Thu, 9 Mar 2006

    Npower starts a campaign today (Wednesday) attacking British Gas's policy of charging customers a cancellation fee if they switch utility provider.

  • O2 owner moots brand roll out across Europe

    Thu, 9 Mar 2006

    The O2 brand could be rolled out across Europe following the company's takeover by Telefonica, according to a leading telecoms analyst.

  • OFT urges publishers to 'police' advertisements for scams

    Thu, 9 Mar 2006

    The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) is encouraging magazine and newspaper publishers to screen advertisers more carefully to prevent the publication of ads for mass-marketed scams.

  • Olympics Bill changes are set to appease advertisers

    Thu, 9 Mar 2006

    The House of Lords has made three amendments to the Olympics Bill, which had previously met with strong opposition from the advertising industry.

  • Orange to launch simplified pricing plan

    Thu, 9 Mar 2006

    Orange will launch a simplified pricing plan next month, based on the behavioural characteristics of customers. The company is using animals to categorise consumers. The launch will be supported by a &£10m ad campaign.

  • Pfizer sues P&G

    Thu, 9 Mar 2006

    Pfizer, the maker of Listerine mouthwash, is suing Procter & Gamble (P&G) in the US over its claim that four out of five dentists recommend P&G's Crest Pro-Health mouthwash.

  • Procter & Gamble criticised by environmental groups

    Thu, 9 Mar 2006

    Procter & Gamble has been criticised by environmental groups for making a disposable battery-powered toothbrush.

  • Profero work for COI wins an IAB award

    Thu, 9 Mar 2006

    Profero's "Child Protection on the Internet" campaign for the Central Office of Information is the winner of February's Creative Showcase Awards, run by the Internet Advertising Bureau and sponsored by MSN.

  • Pulling power of knowledge is a 'win-win' for buyer and seller

    Thu, 9 Mar 2006

    Companies must stop pushing traditional marketing messages and start to provide the sort of quality information demanded by the consumer of tomorrow

  • Quality Meat Scotland appoints Uel Morton

    Thu, 9 Mar 2006

    Quality Meat Scotland has appointed Uel Morton as chief executive.

  • Quorn axes marketing chief role

    Thu, 9 Mar 2006

    Premier Foods-owned Quorn has axed the role of its marketing director, following a restructure of the company.

  • Socially responsible investment here to stay

    Thu, 9 Mar 2006

    Your article on ethical investment was helpful and encouraging (MW February 23). In the past decade, despite a rising interest in socially responsible investment (SRI), articles rarely showed the clear link between SRI and corporate social responsibility (CSR). Your article was a breath of fresh air.

  • Sony Electronics consumer sales chief Stan Glasgow

    Thu, 9 Mar 2006

    Sony Electronics consumer sales chief Stan Glasgow has been appointed president and chief operating officer of the San Diego division of the sprawling Sony Corp. He replaces Hideki 'Dick' Komiyama, who ran Sony's electronics business in the US for the past three years.

  • Sponsor events - 1, motivate staff - 0

    Thu, 9 Mar 2006

    I read your article on the benefits of sponsoring sporting events "Wide open goal for sponsors" (MW World Cup Special, last week) with interest.

  • Sunday Times in City AM logo row

    Thu, 9 Mar 2006

    City AM executives have written an angry letter to The Sunday Times for removing its logo from a Homebuyer Show ad. City AM is an official media partner of the event.

  • Surviving in a digital age

    Thu, 9 Mar 2006

    Online search engines have changed the way consumers access information about products and services, but directories can exploit and develop the new channels themselves. By Richard West

  • Tailor advice to the female online shopper

    Thu, 9 Mar 2006

    Yes, online retailers are beginning to contribute to the change in public shopping habits, but improvements still need to be made to the service provided by many (MW February 23).

  • Tesco confirms promotion of Richard Brasher

    Thu, 9 Mar 2006

    Tesco has confirmed the promotion of Richard Brasher, its commercial and trading director, to UK marketing director, replacing Tim Mason as first revealed in Marketing Week (February 16).

  • The evil that men do lives after them

    Thu, 9 Mar 2006

    It's pretty unusual for the head of a global corporation to lay the blame for business failure on a named executive. But that's exactly what Peter Brabeck, chairman and chief executive of Nestlé, did last week to Chris White, former Nestlé Rowntree managing director. Essentially, Brabeck accused White of being a clever ice-cream salesman incapable of grasping that the seasonal product extensions characteristic of the ice cream market are inappropriate to the much more ...

  • The part-time habit of customer service

    Thu, 9 Mar 2006

    Today's consumer is spoilt for choice when deciding where to shop, eat or bank. The service industry is not the only sector where customer choice is growing; education and healthcare are examples of markets where customers are being offered increased choice. This, combined with a society of discerning and savvy customers, means that good customer service is more important now than it ever has been.

  • The7Stars appoints outdoor specialist Kinetic

    Thu, 9 Mar 2006

    The7Stars has appointed outdoor specialist Kinetic to replace Aegis-owned Posterscope.

  • Toyota to hold pitch

    Thu, 9 Mar 2006

    Toyota is holding a pitch for the pan-European launch of its new Corolla model.

  • TSW launches bespoke search arm

    Thu, 9 Mar 2006

    Leading UK search engine marketing company The Search Works (TSW) has launched a new company, The Technology Works (TTW), to offer bespoke technology packages to agencies and major clients.

  • Virgin's e-mail push: by Underwired

    Thu, 9 Mar 2006

    Further to the "Creativity cuts through the clutter" article (MW last week), I would like to point out that Adestra did not run the Virgin campaign as reported. I was simply citing it as an example of how personalisation and relevance can increase campaign response. We did make it clear that it was a separate, external case study. The Virgin work - which rightly won a DMA award - was in fact by Underwired.

  • Vodafone's wake-up call

    Thu, 9 Mar 2006

    Despite strained relationships with the City and too great an emphasis on retail, Vodafone's brand still appeals to consumers. By Robert Lester

  • Volkswagen teams up with David Beckham Academy

    Thu, 9 Mar 2006

    Volkswagen has signed a three-year sponsorship deal with the David Beckham Academy.

  • Wait patiently for payback

    Thu, 9 Mar 2006

    In the fast-moving world of packaged goods, DM is not an obvious choice for marketers, but brands have been adopting its techniques to develop long-term loyalty. By David Reed

  • Waitrose strategy shifts from 'product' to 'partner'

    Thu, 9 Mar 2006

    Waitrose is to launch a television campaign to signify a major shift in strategy, to draw attention to the premium shopping experience that customers can expect when they choose the supermarket chain.

  • Wall Street Journal Asia names Olivier Legrand as marketing director

    Thu, 9 Mar 2006

    The Wall Street Journal Asia has named Olivier Legrand as marketing director.

  • Wonky at the chocolate factory

    Thu, 9 Mar 2006

    The chief executive blames Chris White, but Nestlé's problems with its UK confectionery arm lie in an over-reliance on sub-brands, a failure to 'globalise' and an underestimation of rival Cadbury in its home market. If things don't improve, co

Job of the Week

Latest Jobs

Top Jobs

social+media Facebook Twitter LinkedIn
knowledge+bank