By Jon Rees

Companies realise the importance of customer data but, if the gathering process is not up to scratch, huge targeting opportunities can be missed. Sue Norris investigates the benefits of effective marketing technology

The Mersey Partnership is about to roll out a 1m profile-building campaign, drawing on humorous stereotypical images of the area and its people. But is the initiative on the right track to lure investors? Tom O’Sullivan reports

Cordiant is now looking for a chief executive as a possible alternative to the vacant role of chairman, which it has been unable to fill since January. Cordiant’s current chief executive and acting chairman Charlie Scott is expected to work in harness with the successful candidate, either as chief executive or chairman. According to sources […]

United Distillers has begun trials of a new gin-based drink which it hopes will increase the Gordon’s brand appeal to a younger market. Ginzing is a mix of Gordon’s Special Dry Gin, herb extracts and citrus flavourings. Sold in 275ml bottles, it is only available in four Nottingham bars. UD will test Ginzing for a […]

UK advertisers have been criticised in a House of Commons Motion for running ads during Channel 4’s screening of the controversial film, The Last Temptation Of Christ. The complaint comes in the same week as an influential US Christian lobby group is calling for a boycott of Unilever goods in protest at what it claims […]

By Jon Rees

NEWS Vauxhall Motors is preparing to create “strategic partnerships” with other brand owners to make its promotional spend more efficient.

Etam, the womenswear retailer, has frozen plans to refurbish its stores and take the chain upmarket. The troubled chain, which has 224 shops, is two-thirds of the way through an 8m refurbishment programme. But it is holding back on refitting the remaining shops until deciding how best to reposition the chain. One City analyst says […]

Cellular operator Cellnet has axed John Cleese and Ronnie Corbett from its ad campaign and sent its agency back to the drawing board in a branding and marketing strategy rethink. Abbott Mead Vickers.BBDO had already completed new work for the mobile phone service but this has been dropped. Cellnet now wants to create a stronger […]

Northern Foods, owner of Express Dairies, is calling for Milk Marque to be reformed as the decline in doorstep deliveries continues. The company has confirmed it is going ahead with the 2,200 job cuts it announced in March. This follows on from the 1,500 job losses rival Unigate announced this week. Unigate blames the losses […]

Cellular operator Cellnet has axed John Cleese and Ronnie Corbett from its ad campaign and sent its agency back to the drawing board in a branding and marketing strategy rethink. Abbott Mead Vickers.BBDO had already completed new work for the mobile phone service but this has been dropped. Cellnet now wants to create a stronger […]

IPC Weeklies Group has increased the ratecard on four of its mass-market magazines because of improved circulations, but has met agency opposition. The ratecards for Woman and Woman’s Own have been hiked by seven per cent each, rising to 19,050 and 23,650, respectively, for a standard page. Chat and What’s On TV’s rates have risen […]

NEWS Campbell’s has picked Colman’s of Norwich marketing director Alison Levett to take on the same role at the world’s largest soup company.

After a year of constant staff upheavals, direct marketing agency PPHN is relaunching in July as Touch. Only one of the original founders of PPHN, creative partner Ian Haworth, is still at the agency. Stewart Pearson, who co-founded the agency in 1989, was forced out in August last year and last month PPHN managing director […]