Precision Marketing back issues from November 2007:
Capital One plots lobbying attack.
Nov 02, 2007 ... One of the UK's largest users of direct mail Capital One is set to wade into the debate surrounding the Government's Waste Strategy and the threat of direct mail opt-in, with plans to launch a major corporate affairs campaign to fight its corner. The financial services giant ...
Environment Agency to build digital roster.(Brief article)
Nov 02, 2007 ... The Environment Agency is seeking a roster of three agencies to handle its digital marketing account. The Government-backed body, dedicated to improving the environment in England and Wales, is looking to establish a roster of agencies over a four-year period to overhaul its ...
Buscombe: 'We have to be more confident'.(Baroness Peta Buscombe )(Brief article)
Nov 02, 2007 ... Advertising Association chief executive Baroness Peta Buscombe has conceded the direct marketing industry has been on the back foot for too long, but is now ready to fight off critics in Parliament with the new cross-industry initiative. In an exclusive interview with Precision ...
IN BRIEF: Sensory mailings from Royal Mail.(Brief article)
Nov 02, 2007 ... Royal Mail is bolstering its strategy to reverse the long-term decline of direct mail by signing a partnership with branding specialist Brand Sense to enable client marketers to incorporate the five senses - smell, taste, touch, sight and sound - into a mailpack. The concept is based ...
IN BRIEF: Redrow builds customer base.(Brief article)
Nov 02, 2007 ... UK property giant Redrow has launched a viral game to promote brand awareness and to build its customer database through a data capture drive. The game, developed by TBWA\Manchester's digital division Digerati\, challenges users to land a hot air balloon on a launch pad for the ...
IN BRIEF: 20:20 London tackle safe sex.(Brief article)
Nov 02, 2007 ... The Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) and the COI have appointed 20:20 London to create a digital campaign aimed at raising teenagers' awareness of safe sex. The online initiative will be an extension of the Want Respect? Use a Condom campaign that is already running ...
SMS growth continues as mobile market takes off.
Nov 02, 2007 ... SMS is still the dominant mobile marketing format for brand-owners, with the majority of mobile service providers (MSPs) reporting substantial year-on-year increases, according to the DMA (UK)'s first quarterly Mobile Marketing Insight study. The report, designed to track ...
Draftfcb hires ten as staff cull continues.
Nov 02, 2007 ... Draftfcb London is shaking up its creative team with the appointment of two creative directors, Graham Pugh and Alix Pennycuick, amid an internal restructure. The agency has also boosted its headcount by ten people, including business director David Balko, commercial partner ...
Partnership launches library book inserts.
Nov 02, 2007 ... Brand-owners are being offered the chance to place inserts in library books, as part of a marketing partnership which will also plough funds into the library network. Data and direct marketing specialist Howse Jackson Marketing has partnered with Brandspace CMS to launch the ...
Charities warned: 'Don't let stewardship wither on vine'.
Nov 02, 2007 ... The Institute of Fundraising is being urged to develop a code of practice for stewardship, or risk the new method 'withering on the vine'. The call is being led by relationship fundraising expert Gordon Michie, director of development at Relationship Market. Michie is ...
Volkswagen takes aim at golfers.
Nov 02, 2007 ... Volkswagen is gearing up to promote its latest Jetta model to golfers by positioning the car as an ideal golfing partner. A direct mail drive, created by Proximity London, aims to promote the compact saloon to golfers and enthusiasts through promotional incentives including a ...
RM promotes digital and mail.
Nov 02, 2007 ... Royal Mail is launching a business to business campaign to demonstrate the power of combining mailings and digital media, in an effort to breathe life into the direct mail market. The integrated campaign called "Meet Mr Complete" features direct mail and a microsite, both ...
IN BRIEF: Borders builds online presence.(Brief article)
Nov 02, 2007 ... Borders is creating local websites for its 70 retail stores to give customers a personalised online service. Store managers will be able to upload information about special events, instore offers, and book signings in an attempt to lure online customers ...
IN BRIEF: Bridgewater gets five years.(Sharon Bridgewater)(Brief article)
Nov 02, 2007 ... Former Hicklin Slade & Partners finance director Sharon Bridgewater, who defrauded the agency of #2m, has been sentenced to five years in prison. Bridgewater pleaded guilty to 16 charges of theft after being arrested in June 2005. Her actions were uncovered following a complaint during ...
IN BRIEF: Merger creates new specialist.(The Good Agency)(Brief article)
Nov 02, 2007 ... Charity marketing specialist Cascaid has merged with ethical consumer marketing experts Ideas Eurobrand to form a new agency under the name The Good Agency. The aim of the new agency is to tap into the enormous rise of the ethical consumer market, valued at almost #30bn in the ...
IN BRIEF: Thomas backs data law overhaul.(Richard Thomas)(Brief article)
Nov 02, 2007 ... Information Commissioner Richard Thomas has backed Gordon Brown's review of information-sharing practices in the public and private sector. The Prime Minister has revealed the review as part of a range of measures designed to make the Government more open. Thomas will work ...
IN BRIEF: Former Tesco chief joins discounter.(Brief article)
Nov 02, 2007 ... Ex-Tesco Direct chief executive Steve Robinson has joined discount online fashion retailer M and M Direct following the completion of its buyout by private equity firm TA Associates. TA Associates now has a majority investment in M and M Direct, which was previously owned jointly by its ...
IN BRIEF: OS hunts agencies for #7m account.(Ordnance Survey Ireland)(Brief article)
Nov 02, 2007 ... Ordnance Survey, Great Britain's national mapping agency, is seeking to appoint a raft of agencies to its #7m marketing account in a bid to boost its brand. The mapmaker is seeking agencies to handle its marketing communications, database activity and online marketing, as well as brand ...
DIGITAL: Greenbee ramps up John Lewis presence.
Nov 02, 2007 ... Greenbee.com, the direct services arm of the John Lewis Partnership, is launching a major instore marketing campaign to drive traffic to the leisure and financial services company. It will be the first work carried out by Partners Andrews Aldridge since it was appointed in ...
DIGITAL: Poppy campaign in digital first.(The Royal British Legion)(Brief article)
Nov 02, 2007 ... The Royal British Legion is embarking on a digital campaign to allow big businesses to pledge their support for the Poppy Appeal by including a 'PoppE' at the bottom of company emails. Described as the first 'digital poppy campaign', the email signature will say the sender is ...
DIGITAL: Waking up to the digital revolution.
Nov 02, 2007 ... The digital world is the world we live in - it is no longer the alien planet we used to view it as, where we didn't know the language or culture. Our lives are involved with all means of digital communication - radio, television and of course the Internet. We wake up to digital, we eat ...
Government moots Internet police force.
Nov 02, 2007 ... The Government is considering setting up a new national police unit to tackle online crime, just two years after the National High Tech Crime Unit (NHTCU) was disbanded. The move has come as part of the Government's response to the House of Lords Science & Technology ...
UCAS revamps online application service.
Nov 02, 2007 ... Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) is developing its electronic application service for the 2008/2009 academic year by employing Capscan's Matchcode Webnet technology. It is aiming to reduce the amount of undelivered mail to UK applicants by improving the ...
Brands offered local market data on Web.
Nov 02, 2007 ... Brand owners will be able to profile their customers, and analyse local markets online, following the launch of Experian's Demographics Online service. The scheme draws on the company's comprehensive data resources, including customer and market demographics, economic ...
Recognition is key to email deliverability.
Nov 02, 2007 ... Much has been said recently about email volumes surpassing direct mail and the significance that such statistics hold. But volume is not necessarily a true measurement of success. Leaving aside the "more targeted direct mail approach resulting in falling volumes" argument, it is time for ...
ANALYSIS: The line between commerce and charity.
Nov 02, 2007 ... Should charities really be borrowing marketing ideas from the commercial sector? The practice has been going on - with some success - for years, but is it time for a rethink? After years of being told to borrow ideas from the commercial sector - with everyone from online porn ...
ANALYSIS: Fickle supermarket customers like to shop around.
Nov 02, 2007 ... With concern increasing over the dominance of big name supermarkets, a new report has found that consumers prefer to shop around rather than commit to just one brand As the Competition Commission publishes its initial report into the dominance of supermarket chains, a new ...
ANALYSIS: Customer relationship management set to grow.
Nov 02, 2007 ... The doom mongers in the customer relationship market were wrong. New research shows a healthy sector which is set to double in value by 2012 Not that long ago, commentators were predicting the demise of CRM, as brand owners baulked at the huge cost of installing systems which ...
OPINION: Marketing response is a two-way street.(Column)
Nov 02, 2007 ... I spoke to Blue Sheep managing director Richard Lee last week who was bemoaning the obsession with response rates at the expense of a more rounded return on investment (ROI) driven measure. I wondered whether our pre-disposition for acquisition campaigns encourages the ...
LETTER: DMA 'bullets' are crucial to industry development.(Letter to the editor)
Nov 02, 2007 ... The DMA (UK) 'bullets' as a way of defending the industry are crucial in demonstrating the value of the direct mail industry and it's vital that we continue our investment in research to continue to illustrate our point ('Buscombe: No all out attack' PM October 19). However, ...
LETTER: Group signifies major progress.(Letter to the editor)
Nov 02, 2007 ... The cross-industry group led by the Advertising Association (PM 19 October) could represent a significant advancement in the battle against the negative perception of direct marketing. It's about time we took a united stance to promote the industry in a cohesive voice, ...
LETTER: Correct metrics are key to quality.(Letter to the editor)
Nov 02, 2007 ... As David Reed says in his conclusion to 'Setting a standard' (PM, October 5), "data quality metrics must be of the right quality" - and I agree with this wholeheartedly. One of direct marketing's greatest strengths is accountability and measurability, and yet all too often we ...
VIEWPOINT: Looking outside of the box for prospects.
Nov 02, 2007 ... Companies often use outdated tools for segmentation, therefore limiting their pool of prospects. Many need to widen their horizons to find the 'ideal customer' I would not be going too far to say that companies can often become constrained by their view of just who makes their ...
LEADER: The offer they couldn't refuse.
Nov 02, 2007 ... Much like the heads of the five families in Mario Puzo's The Godfather, there has always been an uneasy truce between the bosses of the UK's marketing trade bodies, with each protective of their turf. So, getting them to sit round the table without bloodshed was never going to be easy ....
PROFILE: Baroness rides into battle.
Nov 02, 2007 ... Baroness Peta Buscombe Given the industry's image, fighting direct marketing's corner has never been easy. Will the Advertising Association boss - who has strong links with Parliament - fare better? It's fair to say that direct marketing - and direct mail in ...
CONSUMER INSIGHT: Brands cash in on ethnically diverse Britain.
Nov 02, 2007 ... As ethnic diversity continues to flourish in the UK, any number of brands from supermarkets to banks have recognised a lucrative new market opening up and are keen to capitalise on it Trend 25 of nVision's Trendexpress is 'The Sound of the Multicultural Pound', which highlights ...
Creative Critique: 02.11.07.(Visit Wales contracted with Partners Andrews Aldridge)(O2 Limited contracted with Archibald Ingall Stretton)(BL PLC. Land Rover contracted with Craik Jones Watson Mitchell Voelkel)
Nov 02, 2007; ... Simon Kershaw, executive creative director, TDA What does autumn mean to you? Footie? Freshers' Week? Funghi, the harvesting of? Well, for agencies, it is the start of the new awards season. Certainly that is at the back of my mind as the leaves turn and these four pieces drop ...
DATA ANALYTICS: Educate to accumulate.
Nov 02, 2007 ... Data analytics is on the rise. But is it genuinely understood in the market or are clients confused about where the benefits really lie? David Reed Unless you have been living in a cave, you will have heard a lot about data analytics over the last few years. From ...
INTERACTIVE MARKETING: Rip it up and start again.
Nov 02, 2007 ... Tracking visitors and customers is a growing discipline in digital marketing. Yet the majority of website owners are failing to put the data garnered to good use David Reed Every day I go to Tesco.com, click through to the wine section and then select 'champagne' ....
LIST/INSERT FILE: Company offers corporate buyers.
Nov 02, 2007 ... The National Pen Corporation is unveiling its file of buyers through Intermedia Global. The company offers a wide range of personalised corporate gifts through mail order across 20 European countries. The buyers on the list work in a wide range of sectors, including ...
LIST/INSERT FILE: Interior designers put on market.
Nov 02, 2007 ... CMP Information, provider of bespoke magazines and events, is releasing its Interiors Database for rental through Wyvern Direct Response. The 72,000-strong file consists of key attendees to soft furnishing, lighting, interior design and furniture events and subscribers to ...
LIST/INSERT FILE: Buyers look after health and fitness.
Nov 02, 2007 ... DRTV company Best Direct has updated its database, which is available for rental through Listlab. The company provides a file of TV buyers who purchase a wide range of products to improve their health, well-being and general way of life. In the UK, Best Direct operates two 24 ...
LIST/INSERT FILE: Cat lovers respond to charity mailings.
Nov 02, 2007 ... Mail order website The Cat Gallery is releasing its file of buyers and enquirers for rental through McCarthy O'Connor List Outsourcing. The company sells a wide range of cat branded products, including kitchen and homewares, gifts, collectables, stationery and toys. The file ...
LIST/INSERT FILE: Clarks overhauls young mothers file.
Nov 02, 2007 ... Clarks First Shoes has updated its database and relaunched with Prospect Swetenhams. The file consists of highly responsive young families, predominantly mid to upmarket females, aged 25-35, purchasing their child's first pair of shoes, who attach a great deal of importance ...
MOVING PEOPLE: Bisset appointed as new insight director.
Nov 02, 2007 ... Field marketing company CPM UK has appointed Stephen Bisset to the newly created board level position of insight director. Bisset has over 20 years' experience across a range of industries including retail, FMCG and financial channels. Most recently he was a director at EHS Brann, working ...
MOVING PEOPLE: Mardev takes on new account manager.(Lee Atkinson)(Brief article)
Nov 02, 2007 ... Business information provider Mardev has hired Lee Atkinson as key account manager. He joins the company from business intelligence company Cognos, where he held a senior business development role. Commenting on his new appointment, Atkinson says: "It's all about hard work and team work, ...
MOVING PEOPLE: Blackler joins former creative director at Lavish.
Nov 02, 2007 ... David Blackler, former co-owner of integrated agency Brewer Blackler, has been appointed chairman of the entertainment brand development specialists Lavish Productions. The move sees him reunited with his former creative director Marc Todd. Commenting on his new appointment, Blackler ...
MOVING PEOPLE: JDA Group makes three appointments.(appointments of Natasha Zelem, Eoin Kenneally, Emily Rose)(Brief article)
Nov 02, 2007 ... Leeds-based marketing agency The JDA Group has expanded its team with the appointment of three new staff. Natasha Zelem joins JDA's interactive division as a senior account manager, having worked previously for ITV, Barclaycard and the BBC. At JDA she will be managing websites and ...
Nice Work: Roger Williams.(Right Media Inc.)(Interview)(Brief article)
Nov 02, 2007 ... Roger Williams International marketing director Right Media Responsibilities I'm responsible for building a global brand and challenging the digital market to look at new ways of buying and selling online media. Job Perks: For the first time ...
IoF chief lambasts 'lemming' charity marketing bosses.
Nov 16, 2007 ... Charities have been accused of being 'lemmings' when it comes to adopting marketing strategies, with too few organisations willing to take risks, according to the head of the Institute of Fundraising (IoF). Chair Joe Saxton has blamed copycat tactics for an over-saturation ...
BSkyB accused of CRM ignorance.
Nov 16, 2007 ... The company facing a #709m compensation bill for allegedly bungling the installation of BSkyB's #48m CRM system has accused the media giant of not knowing what it wanted the scheme to do. The case, being heard in the High Court this week, centres on the implementation of the ...
Norwich Union hands brief to Craik Jones.
Nov 16, 2007 ... Aviva-owned insurance brand Norwich Union is understood to have appointed Craik Jones Watson Mitchell Voelkel as its lead agency for its direct marketing account across its entire insurance portfolio, worth in excess of #15m. The UK's biggest insurer is also is in the final ...
IN BRIEF: Brands sign up for green card.(Brief article)
Nov 16, 2007 ... CarbonCred is launching the UK's first 'green' loyalty card to encourage consumers to cut their own personal CO2 emissions. Boots, Marks & Spencer, Argos, John Lewis and Tesco are among the big brand names that are supporting the online virtual card that allows consumers to redeem ...
IN BRIEF: Britannia seeks direct agency.(Brief article)
Nov 16, 2007 ... Britannia Building Society is seeking an agency to handle its direct marketing account, through the AAR. The UK's second largest building society - based in Leek - previously worked with Carlson Marketing, but recently took its direct marketing business in-house. Last month Britannia ...
IN BRIEF: Budget Insurance hires HBOS chief.(appointment of Peter Thompson at Budget Insurance Services)(Brief article)
Nov 16, 2007 ... BGL Group affinity insurance arm Junction has lured former HBOS managing director of partnerships Peter Thompson to succeed md Phil Zeidler. He will start in January. Matthew Donaldson, group director at BGL Group, formerly Budget Insurance, says: "Junction has played a significant role in ...
Cold prospecting slumps as consumers warm to email.
Nov 16, 2007 ... The majority of consumers do not want to receive direct marketing from brands with which they have no relationship, according to exclusive research carried out for Precision Marketing, which is a major blow for cold prospecting. The third CCBfastmap/PM MarketingGAP tracking ...
TMW 'records 696% operating profit rise'.(Tullo Marshall Warren)(Brief article)(Company rankings)
Nov 16, 2007 ... Tullo Marshall Warren has topped a survey of the best performing agencies, having achieved a growth in operating profit of 696 per cent, according to the 'Financial Performance of Marketing Services Companies' survey, conducted by Willott Kingston Smith. The study, in its 17th ...
One NorthEast hunts shop for #7.5m brief.(Brief article)
Nov 16, 2007 ... One NorthEast, the Regional Development Agency (RDA) covering North East England, is seeking an agency to handle a #7.5m integrated account for its tourism marketing activity. The appointed agency will be tasked with boosting North East England's visitor spend, as well as ...
Christian Aid shake-up to hit #100m fundraising goal.
Nov 16, 2007 ... Jenny Hoffbrand Christian Aid is embarking on a major overhaul of its marketing strategy in an attempt to boost its annual income. The development charity has appointed specialist agency Cascaid to create the strategy with recruitment and committed giving at its core ....
Blitz exposes Zimbabwean crisis.(EHS Brann Cirencester)(Practical Action )(Brief article)
Nov 16, 2007; ... Gemma Hummerston International charity Practical Action is launching a hard-hitting direct marketing campaign to expose the plight of children and families in Zimbabwe. The mailpack, created by EHS Brann Cirencester, will be sent to 53,000 of the charity's UK ...
Pru in hunt for top marketer.(Prudential Financial Services Corp.)(Brief article)
Nov 16, 2007 ... Financial services group Prudential is seeking a head of customer management and mature life and pensions as part of plans to ramp up its direct marketing activity. The role has been created to boost Prudential's ability to retain and cross sell to existing customers and will ...
IN BRIEF: Martin takes top Acxiom role.(appointment of Nick Martin )(Brief article)
Nov 16, 2007 ... Mardev managing director Nick Martin is quitting after 14 years to take up the role of UK Information products country leader at Acxiom. Mardev sales director Zina Manda and senior vice president Karie Burt will share Martin's responsibilities from the beginning of January 2008. ...
IN BRIEF: LV= appoints distribution head.(Brief article)
Nov 16, 2007 ... LV=, the former Liverpool Victoria Friendly Society, has appointed Heidi Welch to head up direct marketing for its life and pensions business. Welch will take responsibility for all life direct marketing, direct response activity, strategy and business development. She was ...
IN BRIEF: SMEs in Alliance & Leicester plans.(Brief article)
Nov 16, 2007 ... Alliance & Leicester Commercial Bank is launching an aggressive campaign to poach SME customers from the big four banks. The campaign, created by TDA, will be targeted at businesses with a turnover of less than #1m through a range of media including press adverts, direct mail and online ...
Centaur unveils Data Summit 2008 event.
Nov 16, 2007 ... Centaur Media plc is launching a major event to bring together key budget-holding decision-makers in the data industry to engage with leading speakers and suppliers. The Data Summit 2008 is being backed by Precision Marketing and sister title Data Strategy. Nearly ...