Month: September 2002

Abbey Nat to cut one third of retail marketers

Marketing Week

Abbey National, the high street bank, is planning to make nearly a third of its 317-strong retail bank marketing team redundant. While the bank refuses to name names, it is understood that retail insurance marketing director George Haslem may be one of those in line to lose his job. An Abbey National spokeswoman says that […]

Ginsters brands Wessex trains

Marketing Week

Snack food brand Ginsters, best known for its Cornish pasties, is to sponsor 12 trains run by operating company Wessex, in a three-year deal. The livery has yet to be finalised, as any design has to undergo a series of safety checks, but the branded trains are expected to come into service before the end […]

BDH TBWA to win Original Source task

Marketing Week

PZ Cussons, manufacturer of Imperial Leather, is expected to appoint roster agency BDH TBWA to handle its newly acquired Original Source hair and body care brand. The six-year old brand was acquired from Health & Beauty Solutions this week. The Manchester-based agency picked up the &£8m Cussons account in 1999, after PZ Cussons parted company […]

HBOS names charity chief

Marketing Week

HBOS has named Ray Macfarlane as its new head of group community relations, in charge of the banking group’s UK-wide sponsorship and charitable programmes. Macfarlane will also be in charge of government relations. HBOS spends about £4m a year on sponsorship, and is committed to giving away £20m over the next five years to local […]

RFU to launch Transatlantic competition

Marketing Week

The Rugby Football Union (RFU), in partnership with the International Rugby Board (IRB), is planning to launch an international tournament with the aim of building up the sport’s following in the US and Canada, where the sporting agenda is dominated by American football, baseball and ice hockey. The RFU is hoping to broker a &£600,000 […]

Not-so honest Joe

Marketing Week

All too often, the same people respond to surveys, each time pretending to be a different person. This is bad news for the industry and the MRS is moving to eradicate the problem of a dishonest Joe Public and weary field workers.

Drug link forces drink off shelves

Marketing Week

Soho Drinks has been forced to pull its premium packaged spirit Crack Ice after a string of complaints suggesting that the name and packaging associate the product with crack cocaine. Soho Drinks has halted production and is seeking advice from the Portman Group, the alcohol industry funded lobby organisation, on how packaging can be amended […]

Robots aren’t like you and me

Marketing Week

Having worked in the call centre industry for many years, I have seen how technology has enabled centres to grow and offer greater efficiency. However, there is a limit to how far technology will go. It seems ridiculous that a call centre would invest 90 per cent of its budget in technology, with only ten […]

Robinsons lands in hot water as ASA attacks swimming ad

Marketing Week

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has branded as irresponsible a Robinsons poster showing a girl and a boy swimming under water. The advertising watchdog ruled the ad, which showed the two children holding bottles of Britvic Soft Drinks fruit juice, portrayed an unsafe activity. The poster campaign was created by HHCL & Partners. Small print […]

Second Euro marketing boss quits Nintendo

Marketing Week

Nintendo Europe is looking for a new marketing chief after Niclas Friese-Greene abruptly abandoned the position after only a month in the job. It is not known whether he has another job to go to. Friese-Greene was appointed head of marketing in August, following the decision of former marketing head Franco De Cesare to quit […]

Robinsons lands in hot water as ASA attacks swimming ad

Marketing Week

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has branded as irresponsible a Robinsons poster showing a girl and a boy swimming under water. The advertising watchdog ruled the ad, which showed the two children holding bottles of Britvic Soft Drinks fruit juice, portrayed an unsafe activity. The poster campaign was created by HHCL & Partners. Small print […]