PPP restructures after losing top executives

Marketing Week

Private Patients Plan, the UK’s third largest health insurance company, has centralised its marketing department following the departure of several senior marketing executives. It is understood that the old structure, where each separate division had its own marketing department, has been replaced with a central marketing department. The group is thought to be searching for […]

Murdoch had a vision of booty

Marketing Week

It isn’t “ludicrous”, it isn’t “natural injustice” that Rupert Murdoch should own a larger percentage of satellite television than other newspaper publishers can own in terrestrial TV (Leader, MW December 1 1994). Such huffing and puffing is good lobbying fodder for our competitors but holds no intellectual water, as those working on the issues (rather […]

Four pitch for VW sales promotion

Marketing Week

Volkswagen has received pitches for a multimillion-pound sales promotion drive to exploit the car company’s sponsorship of this summer’s Rolling Stones tour. Four agencies – IMP, Interfocus, CBH & Partners and incumbent Barraclough Hall Woolston Grey – pitched last week for the UK business. The account underlines the increasing emphasis on direct marketing and sales […]

Penguin cuts a fine figure at 60

Marketing Week

The article about Penguin’s 60th anniversary (MW January 6) reported accurately on many of the promotion and publicity activities we will be undertaking to celebrate this year, but fared less well in its reporting of Penguin’s financial situation. The implication of the quoted figures is that, to use your reporter’s phrase, “investment in Penguin is […]

Curtis Hoy picks up Two Way TV launch task

Marketing Week

Two Way TV has appointed promotions specialist Curtis Hoy to work on the consumer launch of the interactive TV system now scheduled for June. “Curtis Hoy’s brief is to devise activities including a roadshow and joint promotions with Radio Rentals and Granada to boost sales,” Two Way TV sales and marketing head Peter Cowie says. […]

Can Saatchi go the distance?

Marketing Week

Having lost the opening rounds in the Saatchi versus Saatchi battle there is reason to believe that Saatchi & Saatchi plc is recovering its position. It could be argued that after losing a dozen staff, clients worth about ú85m announcing reviews and experiencing a share price collapse, the situation could only get better for Charles […]

ASA ad code gets mixed reception

Marketing Week

The Advertising Standards Authority says that the new combined advertising and sales promotion code is an attempt to head off restrictive legislation from Brussels and Whitehall. John Hooper, chairman of the CAP, says: “We know that there are those in Brussels and Strasbourg who would rather legislate than self-regulate, we in Britain must demonstrate that […]

Wallace Arnold md quits after 3 months

Marketing Week

Simon Mallalieu, the former sales and marketing director of Lyons Cakes who left to become managing director of holiday firm Wallace Arnold, has left the post after three months. Mallalieu, who also headed sales and marketing for Wallace Arnold, was appointed following a major restructure last summer after the company’s first half losses increased to […]

Leaf unveils low-calorie countline

Marketing Week

Slimmers can buy the first guilt-free, low-calorie indulgence chocolate bar, Lo Gold, this week, according to manufacturers Leaf UK. Leaf says it is the first confectionery of its type to be aimed at the mainstream chocolate countline market. The caramel and chocolate flavour truffle sweet has only 129 calories in each 35g bar. Leaf says […]

No Title

Marketing Week

Only weeks after the launch of Mastercard’s TV branding campaign, rival Visa has begun a four-week burst pushing its own debit card. The TV ads, which have been created by Saatchi & Saatchi, use word games to illustrate the voice-over. The picture, above, illustrates `a count’. The ads are the first since last year’s Denis […]

The turning tides at Saatchi group

Marketing Week

Last week we asked, is Saatchi & Saatchi cracking up? In this week’s switchback instalment of the fairground saga, we might just as well ask the question of Saatchi the brothers as Saatchi plc.

The observer to rethink format

Marketing Week

The Observer looks set for yet another relaunch when a new editor replaces Jonathan Fenby, who resigned last week. The Sunday paper is looking to reverse its news-based strategy by raising the profile of its features, interviews and themed sections, which have failed to convince enough readers to buy the newspaper, say sources at the […]

Bubble bursts for Persil Power

Marketing Week

Now that Lever is to launch a “competitor” to Persil Power, in New Generation Persil, it will be a matter of time before the brand is killed off altogether. The decision to announce the launch of New Generation Persil last week was made to coincide with the launch of rival Ariel Future, Procter & Gamble’s […]

AN EXTENDED INVITATION

Marketing Week

In the lean Nineties, the emphasis of corporate entertainment is shifting. The traditional boundaries between corporate hospitality and sales incentives are coming down, to form hybrid entertainment packages. These changes could spell lots mor