Analysis

In-depth features, interviews and insights into marketing’s biggest issues.

Beware the ‘official’ bandwagon

Marketing Week

Sponsoring high-profile sporting events is a good way for a brand to get noticed but if fans think it is just trying to cash in on the popularity, this attention will not always be welcome. By Paul Gander

Orange seeks to regain its zest

Marketing Week

Orange is one of the great marketing success stories of recent times but even parent company France Telecom (FT) admits the brand has lost some of its lustre. In the New Year FT is bringing in Virgin Mobile founder Tom Alexander in a bid to rediscover the sparkle that made the operator the darling of […]

2007: A year to remember

Marketing Week

This has been a year of marketing battles and agency bust-ups, flashy new product launches and an avowedly unflashy new Prime Minister. In 2007, we have witnessed some stratospheric highs and nadir-scraping lows, while a number of pivotal events have wrought changes across many of marketing’s biggest sectors. Significant events include the introduction of smoking […]

Renault promotes marketer to management committee

Marketing Week

Renault has promoted senior vice-president of global marketing Stephen Norman to its management committee just three months after he joined the French marque from Fiat. Norman, who reports to executive vice-president of sales and marketing Patrick Blain, joins the management committee on January 2 along with senior vice-presidents Michel Balthazard (pre-engineering, projects and requirements), Christian […]

EU denies vodka protected status

Marketing Week

The European Union has not given protected status to vodka made from potatoes and will no longer force vodka brands made from other raw ingredients to rename their products “white spirits”. The EU has ruled that vodka made from potatoes, and sugarcane and grapes can all be called “true vodka”. The ruling ends a five-year […]

Centrica signals gas price rise

Marketing Week

Centrica, the utilities giant that owns British Gas, has warned that gas prices may rise due to “more challenging” market conditions and a “difficult environment” for energy suppliers in 2008. It made the comments in a trading statement ahead of its full year results, which are due in the New Year. The company says it […]

Tesco opens Child Trust Fund

Marketing Week

Tesco has launched a Child Trust Fund (CTF) in a drive to encourage eligible parents to cash in their vouchers. It says the initiative aims to make it easier to parents to save for the children’s future. The fund, which was launched this week, will be supported by an in-store campaign to raise awarness among […]

Thorntons unveils ice cream launch

Marketing Week

Thorntons, the high street chocolatier, is launching into the ice cream sector for the first time. The ice cream will be positioned as a super premium product and will be introduced early in the new year.

Music festivals ditch Red Bull in favour of Monster

Marketing Week

Red Bull is expected to be dropped as the official energy drink of summer festivals including Global Gathering and the O2 Wireless. It is understood rival Monster is poised to snatch the contract. The loss comes just weeks after former Red Bull brand director Guy Carling left the company to join Monster, which is due […]