February 21, 1994
While mineral water is the most commonly consumed drink among western Europeans, Johnnie Walker Black Label whisky and Heineken beer are the most popular or most recognizable alcoholic brands in the region, according to a survey commissioned by Time-Life International. The survey, "Time Drinks Survey 1994," measures consumption and purchasing habi...
February 21, 1994
PARIS-Europe's direct marketing industry is sailing through the current recession with an optimism that traditional ad agencies lost years ago. Direct marketers still have considerable legislative and procedural hurdles to clear before becoming a truly pan-European industry But the approximately 2,000 who attended the International Direct Marketin...
February 21, 1994
AmEx juggles direct assignments NEW YORK-American Express' Consumer Card Group reshuffled its direct marketing agency lineup following management changes that divide responsibilities along new lines. Wunderman Cato Johnson will handle all work for Members of Distinction, a new group of AmEx's biggest-spending, longest-tenured customers that inclu...
February 21, 1994
The unexpected runaway success of Germany's year-old newsweekly Focus is teaching European publishers a big lesson. With Focus, Munich's Burda publishing house has tapped into Europe's largest undiscovered market: readers aged 25-39 brought up on fast-paced TV who want snappy stories with lots of color and pictures. "Focus succeeded in finding an...
February 21, 1994
One: Depending on how the federal and state investigations turn out, the entire firm could yet be indicted. Two: For Prudential Securities, after agreeing to pay $330 million in civil penalties to allegedly defrauded investors, this is no time for high-gloss bombast designed to deflect the ugly reality. Three: But there's always gritty "straight...
February 21, 1994
What a difference a name makes. Do you have any doubt that Primerica, the financial services company, will do even better when it becomes Travelers? Or that new computer drawing software for children using the Crayola brand name will sell like hotcakes? But does anyone really think AT&T's NCR computer division will be enhanced when it's renamed A...
February 21, 1994
BRUSSELS-European Commissioners and media industry leaders from Europe, the U.S. and Asia/Pacific will gather here March 24-25 to discuss "Media in Europe Towards the Millennium." The conference is being organized by U.K. investment firm Media Ventures International, Belgian think tank Club de Bruxelles, the Denton international legal group and KP...
February 21, 1994
DAILIES Financial Times publishes two similar editorial editions-for the U.K. and international-and four advertising editions. Principal advertisers are financial and banking, automotive, international airline, computer/high-tech and regional economic development marketers. B&w...
February 21, 1994
The world's largest cosmetics company and Europe's leading marketer of blades and razors will engage in a corporate battle of the sexes when they both introduce mass market lines of men's toiletries in Europe this spring. L'Oreal, known for its strong franchise with women, is bringing out Start, its first mass marketed men's toiletry line. Gillett...
February 21, 1994
MEXICO CITY-At first glance, introducing a newspaper in a city where at least 25 dailies are on sale seems pure folly-even if it's the largest city in the world. But it made sense to Alejandro Junco de la Vega, the publisher of Reforma, which, only two months after its startup, boasted the fourth-highest number of ad pages for all major Mexico Cit...
February 21, 1994
MEXICO CITY-The emergence of a guerrilla movement in the southern state of Chiapas has rattled foreign marketers, but not enough to slow their investment plans for Mexico. The guerrillas' initial manifesto included a call for the repeal of the North American Free Trade Agreement, but that demand is secondary to concerns that deal more directly wit...
February 21, 1994
Motorola, whose complaints that its cellular phone business had been shut out in Japan ignited the recent U.S.-Japan trade flap, stands to gain from the dispute, several analysts say. "The likely outcome will be that the Japanese will agree [implicitly] to give Motorola 20% to 30% market share," said Herschel Shosteck, who follows international ce...
February 21, 1994
South Korea raises imported TV limits SEOUL-The South Korean government is raising the limits on foreign documentary, science and sports TV programming on cable channels from 30% to 50%. Local programming will be in short supply when 20 new cable channels start up next year. Telekom considers interactive pay TV BONN-Germany's state-owned phone com...
February 21, 1994
Norway is going to remain Europe's best-kept secret, regardless of the winter Olympics. Lillehammer and its home country in general are eschewing post-Olympic marketing plans. Neither are taking advantage of the rare media spotlight shining on the area where thousands of international winter sports fans are converging this month. While the Olympi...
February 21, 1994
When NBC takes its 1996 Summer Olympics sales pitch out on the street in the next few weeks, the ad packages will have a new component: interactivity. NBC will offer advertisers a variety of elements that could make the Atlanta Games one of the first mass-audience interactive TV advertising events. "Everybody is talking about spending billions ...
February 21, 1994
Westin Hotels & Resorts will refocus on the Western Hemisphere for growth under new owner Bernardo Dominguez. Mr. Dominguez, who last week announced a $708 million deal to buy the 52 U.S. and Mexican hotels from Aoki Corp., is expected to push further expansion of Westin into Mexico and Central and South America. Westin currently has six Mexican ...
February 21, 1994
Faced with a mid-March debut of the rival PowerPC computer chip, Intel Corp. on Feb. 22 launches its largest campaign ever, an estimated $15 million effort for the premium Pentium chip. The campaign, running through the second quarter, will be supported by in-store merchandising and retailer co-op ads, all intended to get people to seek a Pentium ...
February 21, 1994
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