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Week ending - Friday 08 March 2002 Supplied by http://www.brandrepublic.com This week's top stories: Irish Post Office faces legal challenge to political postmark ads Vodafone hunts global relationship marketer MG Rover backs TF launch with mailing Amnesty UK hires Whitewater in DM redesign project Wilkinson Sword selects FFwd for Jubilee campaign News stories from the last 4 weeks Irish Post Office faces legal challenge to political postmark ads By Claire Billings - LONDON (Brand Republic) Ireland's national mail distributor An Post could face legal action after allowing republican political party Fianna Fail to advertise on all the country's mail for the next 10 weeks. The Irish Chartered Institute of Arbitrators is considering legal action against An Post after it agreed to let Fianna Fail promote itself through postmark advertising across Ireland. The decision is particularly controversial because it means that post with a Fianna Fail stamp on it would reach areas such as Northern Ireland, where the republican party is not very popular, especially among unionists. This could be disastrous for businesses based in the Republic of Ireland that want to market themselves in Northern Ireland. Roy Sherlock, chairman of the institute, called An Post's move "damaging to organisations such as the institute, which relied on their reputations of impartiality". He said the institute had received calls from people who genuinely thought it was promoting Fianna Fail. He said: "Arbitrators not only have to be impartial but have to be seen to be impartial and we can not have the perception that we're promoting anything, let alone a political party." An Post defended its move saying that postmark advertising was used "all over the world". A spokesman said: "We are a commercial company and we have made a commercial decision that we're going to use it in this particular way and we're satisfied this is the way to go." Other political parties are also opposed to the deal. Emmet Stagg, Labour's spokesman on public enterprise, said the arrangement should end. He said: "Whatever argument there may be for An Post using space on envelopes to advertise charities or other non-controversial bodies, there is no case for using post to promote a particular party." [back to top] Vodafone hunts global relationship marketer By Mark Kleinman - LONDON (Marketing) Vodafone is seeking its first global relationship marketing chief in a bid to improve the targeting of its international customer communications. The world’s leading mobile phone brand, which last week announced that it had signed up its 100-millionth customer, is hunting an experienced direct marketer to drive forward its DM activity across all direct channels. Former Tesco targeted marketing director and BSkyB customer marketing director Grant Harrison has been covering a European customer marketing role for Vodafone on an interim basis. It is not known if Harrison is in line for the global job. Vodafone, whose marketing is headed by global brand chief David Haines, is likely to appoint someone in the next two months. The company refused to comment on speculation that it could lead to a global review of its DM activity, which in the UK is handled by a roster of agencies including Harrison Troughton Wunderman. The mobile phone giant, which also leads the UK market with almost 13 million subscribers, wants to improve the value of its customers by tailoring services to them more effectively. This will be undertaken by a consistent approach to DM communications using direct mail, the internet and mobiles. According to industry figures, Orange has more active users than Vodafone, but fewer overall subscribers. The UK market’s other operators are Virgin Mobile, BT Cellnet, which will be known as O2 from next month, and One 2 One, to be rebadged as T-Mobile later this year. Mobile phone industry analysts believe Vodafone is particularly well-placed to take advantage of its customer base because of the quality of data it has on its subscribers. As the number of new users dwindles, the networks are in a race to find the most profitable customers. The company is building its brand globally through ad campaigns created by Wieden & Kennedy Amsterdam. It also sponsors Manchester United and backs the Ferrari Formula One team in a £35m-a-year deal. [back to top] MG Rover backs TF launch with mailing By Mark Kleinman - LONDON (Marketing) MG Rover is backing the launch of its latest sports car with a major direct marketing campaign aimed at reversing last year’s slide in sales. MG’s TF two-seater sports car replaces the MGF, the UK’s best-selling roadster since its launch in 1995. It competes with Toyota’s MR2 and the Mazda MX5, and is being launched with a lower price than the former car, with models available from £15,750. The launch DM focuses on the theme of ‘No Regrets’, highlighting missed opportunities such as not making it to the 1985 Live Aid concert, not staying in touch with a teenage sweetheart and not seeing enough of the world. The mailing, which targets 100,000 existing and prospective MG Rover drivers, ends by telling recipients to ensure that the MG TF is not one of life’s missed opportunities. Consumers are invited to take a test drive and are offered the chance to win a Sony home entertainment system in return for providing information about themselves. The launch work, through MG’s DM agency of record, LIDA, will come at a crucial time for the UK car manufacturer, which endured a difficult time in 2001 following its sale by BMW to the Phoenix Consortium in 2000. The company’s sales were down by 6000 last year to 97,000 vehicles. This month, MG also launches a DM campaign for its saloons range. The work, also by LIDA, invites drivers to ‘pick a road’ on which to drive an MG saloon, however challenging they might be. The creative features a road map of the UK and suggests a number of roads on which the cars will perform well. It underpins MG’s brand proposition to act as an ‘antidote to an anodyne world’. Both campaigns are being overseen by Rover UK marketing director Steve Robertson. Rover’s brand advertising is handled by LIDA’s sister agency M&C Saatchi. [back to top] Amnesty UK hires Whitewater in DM redesign project LONDON (Marketing) Amnesty International UK has hired Whitewater to redesign its DM packs and drive recruitment volume. Existing packs, designed by Joshua & Lion, portray household objects as instruments of torture. Amnesty supporter recruitment manager Joel Voysey said that while it was happy with the old packs a change is needed. “The packs worked particularly well for recruitment, but we are looking to retire them and bring on a replacement,”said Voysey. Voysey added that the agency would be responsible for recruiting members and encouraging them to pay by direct debit. [back to top] Wilkinson Sword selects FFwd for Jubilee campaign LONDON (Marketing) Royal warrant holder Wilkinson Sword is to celebrate the Queen’s Golden Jubilee year with the launch of a commemorative Golden Jubilee sword. The company, known for its range of razor products, has appointed direct marketing agency FFwd to raise awareness of the sword, which it expects to prove popular among collectors. FFwd, part of the Hawkeye group of agencies, will develop an integrated campaign, including direct mail and press advertising in national and specialist titles. It will also handle the launch of a web site for the Golden Jubilee Sword. Wilkinson has held the Royal Warrant of the British Sovereign since 1804. [back to top] News stories from the last 4 weeks:
01 March 2002
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