Month: March 2004

Confusion at Unilever as Indian division relaunches Pears in UK

Marketing Week

In a bizarre twist, Unilever is to relaunch Pears with a promise of marketing support just months after the venerable soap brand was pulled from the market. The brand will be relaunched with a range of liquid soap products, including hand washes, facial cleansers and shower gels. A green-coloured, anti-spot variant of the original soap […]

Mastercard axes music deal

Marketing Week

The Music of Black Origin (MOBO) Awards is searching for a headline sponsor following Mastercard’s decision to withdraw from its multi-million pound involvement with the annual ceremony. Mastercard has sponsored the event since 2000 and the deal is worth more than &£1m a year. The awards ceremony has become one of the most important events […]

Danone to launch Volvic ‘functional’ brand

Marketing Week

Danone Waters is preparing to launch a product called Volvic Revive, to grab a share of the “functional waters” market from rivals such as Lucozade Sport Hydro Active. Insiders suggest the new product could be on the shelf by the summer, with a vitamin-based formula designed to help rehydration after exercise. The company launched Danone […]

Electrolux takes on the outdoors

Marketing Week

Electrolux, the home appliances giant, is launching its first own-brand outdoor product. The launch of Automower, a robotic lawnmower, is part of a strategy aimed at strengthening the Electrolux umbrella brand. The move is likely to spell the end for Electrolux’s famous Flymo brand. The Automower, which will be launched at the end of this […]

Wyeth Consumer Healthcare marketing boss quits company

Marketing Week

Wyeth Consumer Healthcare marketing director Mark Cooper has left the pharmaceutical company. It is not known whether he has a job to go to. His departure comes in the middle of a review of the company’s £6m UK advertising business, held by Publicis. The company, which owns the Anadin brand, called the review earlier this […]

Surge in rich media, but banner ads live on

Marketing Week

DoubleClick, a leading provider of marketing tools for advertisers, direct marketers and Web publishers, has announced the results of its Ad Serving Trend Report, prepared in the last quarter of 2003. Overall, the data reveals that rich media represents 37.5 per cent of all European, Middle Eastern and African (EMEA) ads served during October to […]

More than 114 million Americans now use search engines

Marketing Week

Nielsen NetRatings says more than 114 million Americans, or 39 per cent of the population, now use search engines. Businesses spent an estimated $2bn (£1.1bn) on search-related advertising last year, and some analysts expect the market’s value to triple in the next three years.

Lee Cooper to enter US retail market

Marketing Week

Denim brand Lee Cooper is to make its US debut this summer as part of a major expansion of the UK-based brand. The jeanswear company is in talks with US business partners and is hoping to have its products in a number of major department stores by the end of the year. The brand is […]