David Rattray

Honda’s Chris Brown jumps to Hyundai

David Rattray

Honda marketer Chris Brown, credited with being one of the architects of the revival in the brand’s marketing communications, is jumping ship to rival Hyundai Motors. Brown, currently head of European car marketing, is joining Hyundai in an as yet unannounced role. The Korean manufacturer is currently undergoing a management restructure. Brown oversaw the advertising […]

First Direct recruits Paul Say as head of marketing

David Rattray

First Direct has appointed experienced e-banking marketer Paul Say as head of marketing as the HSBC-owned bank brand looks to develop its digital marketing activity. Say joins from HSBC Bank International in Jersey, where he was head of marketing and communication. He replaces Mark Mullen, who became regional head of marketing at HSBC Middle East […]

Russell Athletic positions as lifestyle brand

David Rattray

Russell Athletic, the American sportswear brand, is repositioning itself as a lifestyle label in a bid to increase its appeal to younger customers. The label has had limited distribution in the UK for the past three years but is set to reveal a new brand strategy that will focus on its spring/summer 2010 vintage style […]

THQ signs deal with Sky to sponsor Stargate

David Rattray

Games publisher THQ has signed a multimillion pound deal with BSkyB to sponsor Sky1’s new series Stargate Universe. The deal will run for eight months to June 2010 and covers Stargate Universe – the latest spin-off from the Stargate franchise – plus repeats of Stargate SG-1 and Stargate Atlantis episodes on Sky1. There will be […]

Marketing Week Digital Edition Available To Subscribers Only

David Rattray

The national postal strike is likely to disrupt delivery of Marketing Week to subscribers. For the duration of the strike, Marketing Week is producing digital editions of the magazine available to all our subscribers, to ensure that they do not miss out on the very latest marketing news, features, comment and opinion.

Actimel no longer “scientifically proven”

David Rattray

The advertising watchdog has ruled that a television campaign for Danone’s Actimel is misleading because it claims the product is “scientifically proven to help support your kids’ defences”. The advertisement shows a bottle of Actimel jumping over a skipping rope while a voiceover makes the claim. The final image shows the text “scientifically proven” being […]

118 118 launches restaurant booking service

David Rattray

The Number 118 118 is launching a real-time restaurant booking and recommendation service as it seeks to expand its range of information and transactional services. The company is going ahead with the service despite a downturn in the numbers of people eating out due to the recession. The Number 118 118 says that although calls […]

Brands should offer exclusive privileges

David Rattray

Brands offering consumers exclusive privileges and added value services are more likely to earn their loyalty, according to new research. The survey by FastMap Consumer Voice Panel for independent strategic loyalty consultancy The Loyalty Practice reveals that 41% of consumers identify exclusive privileges as the factor most likely to influence their loyalty, followed by additional […]

Morrisons

Morrisons wins over ethical food shoppers

David Rattray

Morrisons’ “buying British” positioning has given it the ethical edge over rivals including Waitrose and Tesco, attracting recession-hit responsible shoppers. According to a new survey carried out by Responsible Research, Marks & Spencer topped the list in terms of the number of consumer purchases that were responsibly motivated in some way. This was followed by […]

Sky Networks appoints BBC marketer

David Rattray

BSkyB has appointed BBC Vision chief marketer Naomi Gibney as director of marketing and communications for Sky Networks. She replaces Alex Lewis, who this year moved to take the role of marketing director for BSkyB’s sister company News International’s The Times and The Sunday Times. Gibney will be responsible for all content and channel-led marketing […]

Pilsner considers first UK TV ad push

David Rattray

SABMiller is considering the launch of the first UK TV ad for its Pilsner Urquell brand as part of its wider global repositioning plans. The brewer is currently testing TV and press advertisements with UK consumers. The ads aim to highlight the heritage and quality of Pilsner Urquell, which is thought to be the world’s […]

ASA bans Vitaminwater ads

David Rattray

Coca-Cola has been forced to pull three posters and a leaflet for its functional water brand Glacéau Vitaminwater because of misleading claims made about the drink’s health benefits. The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) ruling comes as the brand prepares to launch a new flavour. One of the posters for the existing range of drinks was […]