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Week ending - Friday 05 April 2002 Supplied by http://www.brandrepublic.com This week's top stories: Proximity wins £2.5m RNLI awareness task Harrods hires Carlson to build CRM strategy Ascot hands Mercier Gray Jubilee task ISBA backs plan for new entrants in postal market Pepsi links with Britney film for on-pack promo News stories from the last 4 weeks Proximity wins £2.5m RNLI awareness task By Claire Billings - LONDON (Brand Republic) Proximity London has been handed the £2.5m marketing account for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution. The RNLI put the account up for review in January. It was previously held by Lion, formerly Burnett Associates, for seven years. Proximity, part of BBDO's Proximity Worldwide integrated marketing network, beat WWAV Rapp Collins and Bates 141 in a three-way creative pitch. Lion declined to repitch for the task. Proximity will develop above- and below-the-line campaigns aimed at raising awareness of the full scope of the RNLI's work as a voluntary organisation. Simon Hall, chief executive of Proximity London, said: "Learning more about the dynamic and varied work done by the RNLI has been a humbling experience. We have all been touched by the everyday stories of bravery, tenacity and seamanship and we look forward to making a contribution to this unique organisation." Proximity London was created in September 2001 out of the merger of BBDO-owned agencies BHWG Proximity, Clarke Hooper Proximity and Traffic Proximity. [back to top] Harrods hires Carlson to build CRM strategy By Mark Kleinman - LONDON (Marketing) Harrods has appointed Carlson Marketing Group to develop a relationship marketing strategy that could involve the launch of a comprehensive loyalty scheme for the world-famous department store. The Knightsbridge store, owned by Mohamed Al Fayed, wants to build closer relationships with customers who spend thousands of pounds each year in Harrods. Carlson’s work is likely to involve strategic development projects to assess the viability of a loyalty scheme as well as customer communications aimed at tailoring offers. Harrods is looking closely at introducing a loyalty mechanic linked to its account card that would entitle high-value customers to luxury gifts or exclusive offers provided by the store. The scheme would be one way of achieving Harrods’ objective of attracting younger, fashion-conscious consumers into the store at a time when its financial performance has been suffering. Harrods’ most recent results show that profits fell from £39m to around £20m on turnover of £436m in the year to January 2001.It is also facing stiffer competition from rivals such as Selfridges. The launch of the scheme will be overseen by Harrods marketing director Ronnie Helvey, who joined the company earlier this year from The Body Shop, where he was the top marketer. Helvey reports to Marty Wikstrom, Harrods’ first female managing director, who joined the group last year. Helvey replaced Kathy Valentine, who left in September last year after just seven months in the job. Harrods’ advertising account is handled by Leagas Delaney, through which it spent around £5m last year. Industry sources suggest it is likely to increase its marketing spend considerably as it attempts to fend off the threat from competitors. Carlson pitched against a number of agencies for the task, but refused to comment on the win. Harrods director of corporate affairs Peter Willasey was unavailable as Marketing went to press. [back to top] Ascot hands Mercier Gray Jubilee task By Mark Kleinman - LONDON (Marketing) Ascot Racecourse has handed Mercier Gray a brief to promote Royal Ascot 2002, leveraging the event’s celebration of the Queen’s Golden Jubilee. The campaign, which launches this week, will target 30-somethings looking for a sophisticated and memorable way to mark the Golden Jubilee. It will mark a shift away from the traditional focus on pomp and pageantry by positioning Royal Ascot as an inclusive event open to everyone, particularly younger consumers. Mercier Gray will create a fully integrated marketing push, including regional radio, direct mail, outdoor and press advertising. The activity will run until mid-May. Royal Ascot will this year take place over a five-day period, rather than four, for the first time since 1793, and wants to reinforce its positioning as a key event in the social calendar. The additional day will include a Royal Procession. “Royal Ascot virtually sells itself because of its popularity, so we have not tended to focus on it in our marketing,” Ascot marketing manager Jason Brautigam said. “What we are trying to do this year is balance the aspirational and the accessible to make the general public feel that the event is somewhere they want to go.” Ascot is the UK’s most popular racecourse, with more than 500,000 people attending the venue’s 25 race days last year. It accounts for more than 10% of UK race course attendances. Mercier Gray is also working on a summer season marketing strategy for Ascot. [back to top] ISBA backs plan for new entrants in postal market LONDON (Marketing) The Incorporated Society of British Advertisers (ISBA) is set to support the postal industry regulator’s plans to open the market to competition. ISBA will make a submission later this month supporting Postcomm’s timetable for allowing new entrants to the market, emphasising advertisers’ desire for an environment that will lead to better quality of service, innovation and cost efficiency. ISBA’s response was formulated by its Direct Marketing Action Group and other members. The proposals have generated opposition from trade unions at a time when Consignia is facing the prospect of up to 40,000 redundancies. [back to top] Pepsi links with Britney film for on-pack promo LONDON (Marketing) Pepsi is featuring Britney Spears in its latest European promotion to coincide with the pop star’s big-screen debut in the film Crossroads. The on-pack campaign offers more than one million CD-ROMs with tracks performed by the singer and behind-the-scenes interviews. The campaign comes at a critical time for Pepsi as it gears up for a World Cup battle with Coca-Cola. Both firms are using David Beckham in their marketing, and Pepsi hopes the campaign will ambush Coke’s official partnership with World Cup organiser FIFA. The promotion is the first work created by KLP Euro RSCG since it scooped the PepsiCo Beverages international business last August. [back to top] News stories from the last 4 weeks: |
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