In-depth features, interviews and insights into marketing’s biggest issues.
Smart, the Mercedes Car Group-owned small car brand, is overhauling its marketing strategy with the launch of a digitally-led campaign to support its ForTwo model. The work is the first major marketing activity from Smart this year and the first from newly-appointed agencies Abbott Mead Vickers-.BBDO and the Zulu network. A press, poster, radio and […]
Retailers have hit out at Coca-Cola’s new functional drink Diet Coke Plus, saying it is “too niche” and is unlikely to have an impact on the carbonated drinks market, just weeks before the drink is due to be launched. Diet Coke Plus is expected to be supported by a major campaign, and insiders are concerned […]
Volvo has promoted direct marketing chief Anita Fox to its top UK marketing role. She replaces Paul Walder, who has joined the global marketing team in Sweden. Fox was previously direct marketing manager, and takes on Walder’s former role of head of marketing communications. She reports to UK managing director Stuart Kerr. Walder becomes global […]
Royal Philips Electronics is planning a major design and fashion-led campaign to support the launch of its new Aurea LCD television. The strategy is part of a move by the company to move away from its traditional stance of focusing on the technical benefits of its products towards a lifestyle positioning. The company plans to […]
MyTravel group marketing director Tim Marsden is leaving the company without a job to go to just months after its merger with Thomas Cook. It follows a major restructure of the two companies’ marketing teams. Marsden was the last senior MyTravel marketer at the company and his departure sees all of the main roles filled […]
Unilever has been undergoing something of a facelift for a number of years, starting with the Path to Growth strategy that was introduced in 2000, which saw it shrink its 1,600 brands down to just 400 and cut thousands of jobs. But when Patrick Cescau took over from Niall FitzGerald as chief executive in 2005 […]
Gavin Miller, the former Universal Pictures Home Entertainment and Capital Radio marketer, is launching a marketing consultancy. The new agency will be part of strategic marketing network NXO. Miller, who was previously marketing director at Universal, will focus on the technology, media, telecommunications and entertainment. Connect NXO will provide a strategic marketing consultancy service to […]
Kraft Foods has been banned from using the claim that Dairylea Lunchables are “Packed with Good Stuff” by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA). It follows complaints from three people that the strapline made the range sound healthier than it is given some products are high in salt and saturated fat. The claim was made in […]
Cadbury Schweppes is launching an Omega-3 variant of its Bassett’s Soft & Chewy multi-vitamin pastilles in response to the growing consumer demand for the supplement.
Changed man to lead Nokia’s transformationNokia has turned to a familiar face to fill its top UK marketing role – Will Harris, who introduced the O2 brand to the UK. He joins the world’s biggest handset manufacturer in October, as first revealed by marketingweek.co.uk last week.
Nitro is understood to be “actively” hunting a number of UK acquisitions in order to build its London agency to the same size as its New York and Shanghai offices. The London agency has around 80 people in London, but it is understood to be keen to achieve a “critical mass” by doubling in size. […]
Dell is understood to have parted company with Omicom after shortlisting WPP Group and Interpublic Group to go through to the final round of its $730m (£367m) global advertising pitch. WPP, IPG, Omnicom, Publicis and Havas had put forward agency teams to pitch for the consolidated global business, but sources say only WPP and IPG […]
Homeserve, the emergency policy and repair business headed by former BSkyB marketing director Jon Florsheim, is building its first agency roster ahead of ambitious plans to boost the brand. The roster includes brand consultancy Venture Three, which Florsheim worked with at Sky, Group M for media planning, and Barracuda Digital for search engine optimisation. The […]
M&C Saatchi has been appointed by PC World to handle a 4m advertising push for Philips, Advent and EI System computer products.
Vexed Digital has been appointed as the lead digital agency for cancer care group Maggie’s Centres. It won the business after a nine-way pitch against undisclosed agencies. Maggie’s Centres, which offers help to people with cancer, wants to create a website that will take on the role of an online centre. Vexed has been briefed […]