In-depth features, interviews and insights into marketing’s biggest issues.
For years House of Fraser (HoF) has suffered an identity crisis on the high street, but the retailer hopes it has found the answer with a move upmarket. John King, the newly appointed chief executive, last week unveiled plans to make HoF the UK equivalent of upscale US department store group Nordstrom and has launched […]
Children’s clothing company No Added Sugar has been ordered to stop distributing its latest catalogue because it contains images of children in sexually suggestive poses. The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has upheld complaints about three images featured in the catalogue. It says they are offensive and has told the company not to use them again. […]
The Engine Group’s sales promotion arm, Woo, has won the 2m integrated advertising account for lager brand Castlemaine XXXX following its split with Bartle Bogle Hegarty (BBH) last year.
Publicis, the UK’s fourth-biggest advertising agency, has suffered a triple blow in recent months with the losses of the Asda, Post Office and MFI accounts. These three losses – with a combined spend of some £90m – wipe out nearly one-third of the agency’s £283m billings and threaten to catapult it from the list of […]
TV advertising has hit record viewing levels, confounding predictions that the medium is doomed, according to television marketing body Thinkbox. TV ads are viewed about 2 billion times each day in the UK, which is an all-time high. A Thinkbox spokeswoman says: “We are watching more commercial television advertising than ever before.” The body says […]
Williams F1 has updated its race team’s identity with a logo and trackside branding. The designs have been created by brand consultancy UffindellWest, brought in to rejuvenate the brand in time for the Australian Grand Prix in March. Sponsors include Royal Bank of Scotland, Lenovo, AT&T, Allianz and Reuters. The drivers are Nico Rosberg and […]
Ambient Media, a new agency providing a central buying point for non-traditional out-of-home media, has launched in the UK with clients Lastminute.com and Thomson Travel. The company provides a one-stop shop for big brand owners looking to use media such as sky writing, helicopter ads, coffee cup and pizza box advertising. Managing director Craig Ciurlionis […]
Mini drivers in the US are being greeted by name when they pass digital posters (MW last week) in the latest example of “proximity marketing”. However, the campaign has reignited the debate about the intrusive nature of hi-tech interactive marketing. Drivers have to register for the Mini campaign, giving their consent. When they sign up, […]
Mass-market frontrunner Ford and GM are being hemmed in by, on the one side, quality budget brands, and on the other, more attainable high-end marques. Rescue plans are in place, but is that enough to stop the US giants going the way of the British badges? Robert Lester reports.
Despite its global dominance and financial clout, US banking behemoth Citigroup has so far failed to achieve a high level of consumer awareness in the UK. Will its purchase of the Egg brand enable it to become a credible player in British high streets? By Catherine Turner.
Point-of-purchse ads have traditionally been associated with packaged goods, but services such as banks and estate agents are following suit in the battle for customers. By Martin Croft.
Search marketing is about more than just pay-per-click, it can be used to provide valuable insights into customers’ perceptions of a business, and can help develop a brand identity. By Martin Croft.
Opodo, the pan-European online travel company, is to slash dozens of jobs as it decentralises its operation. But the brand’s values and marketing strategy have come under intense scruitiny as it struggles to keep its position in a market now dominated by big players. By Robert Lester.
The value of a good marketing database is incalculable, but organisations must think hard about who should pay for it, and about whether to outsource or keep operations in house. By David Reed.
Thanks to the Net, disgruntled consumers have many forums on which to vent their spleens about unsatisfactory products. However, these also provide opportunities for researchers. By Alicia Clegg.