Bank of Scotland has said it plans to 'refresh' its brand and drop the name Halifax from its Scottish branches. The Halifax name will continue to be used alongside Lloyds Banking Group's other brands in England. The Bank of Scotland logo has been retained, although its typeface has been brought into line with those preferred by the group.
Bank of Scotland has launched a major multimedia and in-branch campaign that aims to reassert its 'traditional' values. The campaign uses the strapline 'with you all the way' and pushes the bank’s relationship banking. It includes a TV ad, voiced by Scottish actor Dougray Scott, featuring a young couple getting married, buying a home and starting a family.
Todays News
Sunday, 31 January 2010
How much would you pay for Alpaca poo?
A good friend of mine's wife runs an Alpaca farm up North. I use to work with him and he was very vocal how alot of marketing is "hype" and "puff" which had a lot to do with the business we were both working for. He was convinced marketing has no secrets and anyone can do it.
They came up with the idea of collecting, drying and packaging Alpaca poo up as environmental logs for burning. Visitors can buy them for friends and relatives for the price of £5. It's not the price which gets me it's the the fact people pay that amount of money, he tells me he can't make enough Alpaca poo blocks and has been looking at how the process could be automated.
I say well done if you can package and sell shit for £5 there are alot of people with more money than sense perhaps! I've told him he has a great career ahead of him in banking in the city as they seem to follow similar principles , do they not?
They came up with the idea of collecting, drying and packaging Alpaca poo up as environmental logs for burning. Visitors can buy them for friends and relatives for the price of £5. It's not the price which gets me it's the the fact people pay that amount of money, he tells me he can't make enough Alpaca poo blocks and has been looking at how the process could be automated.
I say well done if you can package and sell shit for £5 there are alot of people with more money than sense perhaps! I've told him he has a great career ahead of him in banking in the city as they seem to follow similar principles , do they not?
Friday, 29 January 2010
What a Turkey
Read this all the way to the bottom and see what a Turkey Ashley Cole is ......
Chelsea's Ashley Cole has been banned from driving for four months after speeding at 104mph in a 50mph zone.The player, from Godalming, Surrey, was caught speeding in his Lamborghini on the A3 in Kingston, south-west London, just after midday on 17 November 2008.
Cole, who claimed he was being chased by paparazzi, was also fined £1,000 after being found guilty on 4 January.Escaping the paparazzi can not be a defence for speeding, the prosecution told Kingston Magistrates' Court.
The court heard that when stopped, Cole told police he was aware it was a 50mph zone and thought he was driving at 80mph but complained about a photographer following him.Cole's lawyer Katherine Hodson had argued the player had no case to answer and claimed the speed gun might not have been operating properly.
Chairwoman of the magistrates Patricia Baskerville said: "We have taken into account Mr Cole's clean licence - however this was an incident of excessive speed, over twice the speed limit on the road and these were exceptional circumstances which we need to mark."
Cole, who was not in court, was warned he faces prison if caught driving while banned.Ms Hodson said he was "regrettably" unable to attend as he was travelling in preparation for a game on Saturday.
Her attempt to get sentencing adjourned was rejected.A £15 victim surcharge and £300 costs were added by the panel to "reflect his income".
A request that Cole be allowed 21 days to pay was greeted with laughter by magistrates, who granted it nonetheless.
Cole is thought to earn a six-figure weekly salary.The player has immediately launched an appeal against the ban, which will be heard later.
Chelsea's Ashley Cole has been banned from driving for four months after speeding at 104mph in a 50mph zone.The player, from Godalming, Surrey, was caught speeding in his Lamborghini on the A3 in Kingston, south-west London, just after midday on 17 November 2008.
Cole, who claimed he was being chased by paparazzi, was also fined £1,000 after being found guilty on 4 January.Escaping the paparazzi can not be a defence for speeding, the prosecution told Kingston Magistrates' Court.
The court heard that when stopped, Cole told police he was aware it was a 50mph zone and thought he was driving at 80mph but complained about a photographer following him.Cole's lawyer Katherine Hodson had argued the player had no case to answer and claimed the speed gun might not have been operating properly.
Chairwoman of the magistrates Patricia Baskerville said: "We have taken into account Mr Cole's clean licence - however this was an incident of excessive speed, over twice the speed limit on the road and these were exceptional circumstances which we need to mark."
Cole, who was not in court, was warned he faces prison if caught driving while banned.Ms Hodson said he was "regrettably" unable to attend as he was travelling in preparation for a game on Saturday.
Her attempt to get sentencing adjourned was rejected.A £15 victim surcharge and £300 costs were added by the panel to "reflect his income".
A request that Cole be allowed 21 days to pay was greeted with laughter by magistrates, who granted it nonetheless.
Cole is thought to earn a six-figure weekly salary.The player has immediately launched an appeal against the ban, which will be heard later.
Idiots with Savings today
That's right , give me 15 mins to look like a idiot and I'll bank with you forever!!! - read on
Barclays is to reportedly spend £150,000 on 'X Factor'-style talent contests across the UK aimed at improving public trust. The bank has appointed Mischief PR to help it launch six new or refurbished branches.
What savings , I must be in the minority.
ING Direct research has found that average savings increased by £40 in 2009 to £2,205 as people reduced their unsecured debts and paid off larger amounts on their mortgage. Chief executive, Johan de Wit, said 'Britons spent much of last year cutting down on debt and getting their finances in order, and now it appears that they are looking to rebuild their savings'
Barclays is to reportedly spend £150,000 on 'X Factor'-style talent contests across the UK aimed at improving public trust. The bank has appointed Mischief PR to help it launch six new or refurbished branches.
What savings , I must be in the minority.
ING Direct research has found that average savings increased by £40 in 2009 to £2,205 as people reduced their unsecured debts and paid off larger amounts on their mortgage. Chief executive, Johan de Wit, said 'Britons spent much of last year cutting down on debt and getting their finances in order, and now it appears that they are looking to rebuild their savings'
Thursday, 28 January 2010
Dust off the pitching sheets
LONDON - HTC, the Taiwanese smartphone manufacturer, is seeking an agency to handle its pan-European integrated advertising account.
Pitches are being held this week for the business, which sees the brand turning to a more localised marketing strategy following global activity last year.
Pitches are being held this week for the business, which sees the brand turning to a more localised marketing strategy following global activity last year.
Security,What Security
Don't you just love it when academics tell business that their security systems are pants, why not employ the academics in the first place to help build the security systems.........
Cambridge University academics have labelled the 3-D Secure protocol, adopted by banks and card schemes via 'Verified by Visa' and 'MasterCard SecureCode', as 'a textbook example of how not to design an authentication protocol'. In a paper submitted to the Financial Cryptography Conference in Tenerife, the researchers said the system has 'lousy technology' and presents 'significant vulnerabilities'
Cambridge University academics have labelled the 3-D Secure protocol, adopted by banks and card schemes via 'Verified by Visa' and 'MasterCard SecureCode', as 'a textbook example of how not to design an authentication protocol'. In a paper submitted to the Financial Cryptography Conference in Tenerife, the researchers said the system has 'lousy technology' and presents 'significant vulnerabilities'
Friday, 22 January 2010
LONDON - The full impact of the downturn has emerged with official IPA figures showing that the number of employees in the UK ad industry declined by 7.4% to 18,635 in 2009, the largest fall since 1993.
The IPA's Census also shows 15.9% of agencies indicated that they introduced short-time working and 18.7% had allowed staff to take sabbaticals or unpaid leave, in a bid to cushion the impact.The use of freelancers at agencies fell by 27% to 886 from 1,210 in 2008 and first-year trainees accounted for just 1.3% of the employee base compared with 3.9% in 2008.
Reflecting the decline in levels of graduate recruitment, the number of employees aged 25 and under declined by 22.7%, the largest reduction of any age group.The Census also revealed that 45.2% of agency employees were aged under 30, while 37% were between 31 and 40, 12.7% were aged 41 and 50 and 5.2% over 50.
The average age of employees in all member agencies was 33.7 years old, compared with 33.3 in 2008. The overall gender profile split remains around 50/50, with an estimated 52.3% of the employed base being male and 47.7% female.However, at the broader agency management level, 79% of individuals in these positions were male and just 21% female.
In terms of ethnicity, 8.9% of agency staff were from a non-white background, up from 8.4% in 2008 and 6.1% in 2007
The IPA's Census also shows 15.9% of agencies indicated that they introduced short-time working and 18.7% had allowed staff to take sabbaticals or unpaid leave, in a bid to cushion the impact.The use of freelancers at agencies fell by 27% to 886 from 1,210 in 2008 and first-year trainees accounted for just 1.3% of the employee base compared with 3.9% in 2008.
Reflecting the decline in levels of graduate recruitment, the number of employees aged 25 and under declined by 22.7%, the largest reduction of any age group.The Census also revealed that 45.2% of agency employees were aged under 30, while 37% were between 31 and 40, 12.7% were aged 41 and 50 and 5.2% over 50.
The average age of employees in all member agencies was 33.7 years old, compared with 33.3 in 2008. The overall gender profile split remains around 50/50, with an estimated 52.3% of the employed base being male and 47.7% female.However, at the broader agency management level, 79% of individuals in these positions were male and just 21% female.
In terms of ethnicity, 8.9% of agency staff were from a non-white background, up from 8.4% in 2008 and 6.1% in 2007
Where's all this money going to..........
National Fraud Authority has calculated that fraud costs the UK economy more than £30bn a year, or £621 for every adult in the country. The agency found that nearly £18bn of fraud was committed in the public sector and more than £9bn was lost in the private sector, with £3.8bn lost by financial services firms, including £1bn in mortgage fraud and more than £2bn in insurance fraud
National Fraud Authority has calculated that fraud costs the UK economy more than £30bn a year, or £621 for every adult in the country. The agency found that nearly £18bn of fraud was committed in the public sector and more than £9bn was lost in the private sector, with £3.8bn lost by financial services firms, including £1bn in mortgage fraud and more than £2bn in insurance fraud
Thursday, 21 January 2010
News
The Co Op
The Co-operative Group has appointed TBWA Manchester as its lead agency of a 14-strong roster, following an extensive agency review.
The roster mostly consists of regional agencies located in the North West, where The Co-op is based.
The agencies were selected based on a competitive pitch and their ethical credentials were taken into account. The roster will come into effect on 1 February.
The news follows the announcement that The Co-op is paring back its Group marketing function.
It also said that the restructure would mean a shift in emphasis away from brand marketing campaigns to more operational and commercial activity within each of the Co-op’s major businesses.
Last year, the Co-op, which has interests in food, funerals, travel, pharmacy, motors, financial services and legal services, launched “Good for Everyone” a £10m brand campaign, created by McCann Erickson, featuring Bob Dylan’s iconic song Blowin’ in the Wind.
Director of marketing Patrick Allen said: ” We are a major business based in the North west and as such I believe wherever possible we should support local companies.
“We have reduced the number of agencies being used across the Group which will have a positive impact on both brand consistency, service levels and costs.”
TBWA has worked with The Co-op since being appointed in 2008. The other agencies on the creative roster are Refinery, Delineo, Dinosaur and GHMC (Bristol).
Its direct marketing roster includes TDA LLP (Cheltenham) and Refinery.
The Chase will look after the Co-op’s brand identity and digital work will be handled by Amaze and Rapp (Edinburgh).
The Group’s artwork and production will be handled by APS, Papyrus, Fresh Create, Artwork Express.
The new roster follows a review launched last year across all its creative agencies.
The Co-operative Group has appointed TBWA Manchester as its lead agency of a 14-strong roster, following an extensive agency review.
The roster mostly consists of regional agencies located in the North West, where The Co-op is based.
The agencies were selected based on a competitive pitch and their ethical credentials were taken into account. The roster will come into effect on 1 February.
The news follows the announcement that The Co-op is paring back its Group marketing function.
It also said that the restructure would mean a shift in emphasis away from brand marketing campaigns to more operational and commercial activity within each of the Co-op’s major businesses.
Last year, the Co-op, which has interests in food, funerals, travel, pharmacy, motors, financial services and legal services, launched “Good for Everyone” a £10m brand campaign, created by McCann Erickson, featuring Bob Dylan’s iconic song Blowin’ in the Wind.
Director of marketing Patrick Allen said: ” We are a major business based in the North west and as such I believe wherever possible we should support local companies.
“We have reduced the number of agencies being used across the Group which will have a positive impact on both brand consistency, service levels and costs.”
TBWA has worked with The Co-op since being appointed in 2008. The other agencies on the creative roster are Refinery, Delineo, Dinosaur and GHMC (Bristol).
Its direct marketing roster includes TDA LLP (Cheltenham) and Refinery.
The Chase will look after the Co-op’s brand identity and digital work will be handled by Amaze and Rapp (Edinburgh).
The Group’s artwork and production will be handled by APS, Papyrus, Fresh Create, Artwork Express.
The new roster follows a review launched last year across all its creative agencies.
Partner Sallie launches a PR agency with a difference today. Called BeyondPR, it’s focus is helping companies use PR as part of their marketing mix. “In our experience PR can be an afterthought or not fully understood how it can support a marketing campaign, we help you plan and deliver effective PR” For more information call Sallie on 07970 937331
This is one hell of a fine for a company......
Standard Life has received a £2.45m fine from the FSA after it was adjudged to have distributed 'misleading marketing material' relating to its Pension Sterling Fund. According to the regulator, the failure to ensure 'proper systems and controls over the fund' had led to unexpected losses for customers. The insurer said it had apologised to those affected, and had 'co-operated fully with the investigation'.
This is one hell of a fine for a company......
Standard Life has received a £2.45m fine from the FSA after it was adjudged to have distributed 'misleading marketing material' relating to its Pension Sterling Fund. According to the regulator, the failure to ensure 'proper systems and controls over the fund' had led to unexpected losses for customers. The insurer said it had apologised to those affected, and had 'co-operated fully with the investigation'.
Tuesday, 19 January 2010
"high returns"
Great example of someone in charge deciding they want to support a team with his marketing budget but not being able to measure the value ...........
Northern Rock has agreed a renewed sponsorship deal with Newcastle United FC that will see it pay £10m should the club be promoted to the Premier League for the duration of the four-year contract, which begins this summer, or £1.5m if it remains in the Championship. Despite being unable to stipulate any benefits the sponsorship of Newcastle has delivered since it began in 2004, chief executive, Gary Hoffman, defended the deal as 'an important community link' which delivers a 'high return'.
Great piece of research on why consumers open their direct mail is well worth a look...
http://www.marketingweek.co.uk/mind-the-gap/3008552.article
Northern Rock has agreed a renewed sponsorship deal with Newcastle United FC that will see it pay £10m should the club be promoted to the Premier League for the duration of the four-year contract, which begins this summer, or £1.5m if it remains in the Championship. Despite being unable to stipulate any benefits the sponsorship of Newcastle has delivered since it began in 2004, chief executive, Gary Hoffman, defended the deal as 'an important community link' which delivers a 'high return'.
Great piece of research on why consumers open their direct mail is well worth a look...
http://www.marketingweek.co.uk/mind-the-gap/3008552.article
Sunday, 17 January 2010
Here some news which I thought interesting in the current climate -
Spareroom.co.uk has reported that number of households looking to take in a lodger rose by 27%, from 1,955 to 2,487, during the first two weeks of 2010. A total of 65% of respondents in a survey by the website said they were overstretched financially and that the cost of Christmas had forced them to take action
The next we'll see are divorces going up perhaps!
Spareroom.co.uk has reported that number of households looking to take in a lodger rose by 27%, from 1,955 to 2,487, during the first two weeks of 2010. A total of 65% of respondents in a survey by the website said they were overstretched financially and that the cost of Christmas had forced them to take action
The next we'll see are divorces going up perhaps!
Thursday, 14 January 2010
Marketing News
Barclaycard is to launch a new advertising campaign promoting its contactless credit card on Friday 22 January 2010, with the ad first appearing on YouTube and the card provider's Facebook page before its first TV appearance on Saturday 24 January. The ad, a sequel to 2009's successful waterslide campaign, was filmed in New York and Hollywood and features a rollercoaster cart and 40ft of track combined with CGI to create a rollercoaster weaving in and out of the city's skyscrapers. - Weeeeeeeeeee
GoCompare.com's most recent ad campaign has been voted the UK's most irritating in Marketing Magazine's annual poll of the worst-offending campaigns. The poll, conducted by TNS Research International, found that 56% of respondents cited the ads, which feature the fictional opera singer, Gio Compario. Confused.com and Webuyanycar.com also made it into the top 10. - What about the Meerkats?
Check this out for how to deal with customers - http://www.27bslash6.com/p2p.html
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)