Briefs

Computing and accounts staff now have higher salaries than those in

sales and marketing, according to the 1999 Sales and Marketing Rpounds

WARDS survey. The results, published by The Rpounds WARD Group, were

obtained from a survey of members of The Chartered Institute of

Marketing (CIM). According to the survey, lower level marketing managers

are paid up to pounds 3700 less than computing staff, and pounds 2300

less than their equivalents in the accounts department.

Guinness is set to take its place in the Millennium Dome. The brand’s

advertisement called ’Surfer’, created by Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO and

featuring black and white film of surfers and waves turning into horses,

has been chosen as a Millennium Product by the Design Council.

The NSPCC’s Full Stop campaign continues with an online auction on

September 12, supported by campaign backer Microsoft and hosted by

online auction company QXL. Hundreds of lots, including a trip to the

Tunisian location of the latest Star Wars film, are up for auction with

proceeds to the charity. The lots can be viewed on

www.msn.nspcc.co.uk.

The European Commission has agreed to provide 80% funding for a

call-centre training project. Organised by the Direct Marketing

Association and the Federation of European Direct Marketing, it aims to

set call-centre qualifications and training standards.

b2, Barclays’ direct financial services company, will launch a new TV

and national press campaign in October through WCRS. Targeting London

and the South-East, it aims to raise awareness of investment

products.

HMV is to launch an in-store magazine, HMV Choice, on September 16. The

magazine will be produced in conjunction with Origin Publishing and will

cover all genres of music.

PricewaterhouseCoopers has appointed branding consultancy Interbrand

Newell and Sorrell to develop a new name for its law firms and legal

practices, as part of its aim to build a global law brand. The legal

network operates in 40 countries under 20 different names.

The firms claim a new name will provide a common identity which will

help them consolidate and build on their position in the international

marketplace.

Mercedes-Benz is promoting its Signature Used Cars brand with a press

campaign through Maher Bird Associates. The national and car press ads

aim to change people’s perceptions of Mercedes as an expensive brand by

emphasising the value for money of the Signature offer.

AOL Europe has created a new unified advertising and e-commerce division

to co-ordinate advertising and e-commerce sales across the company’s

multiple online brands in Europe. The launch of AOL Europe Interactive

Marketing Group (IMG) is the latest step in the development of AOL

Europe’s multiple-brands strategy.

Sheaffer, the pen manufacturer, is launching a lifestyle magazine,

Sphere, produced by the London Illustrated News Group. The magazine,

which will be global, will contain features on subjects such as travel

and entertainment.

Sphere is targeted at cosmopolitan professionals and will be available

on Sheaffer counters or sent out as direct mail by Interfocus.

Jim Campbell, former marketing director at Land Rover, has joined

Wunderman Cato Johnson (WCJ) as international business director in

charge of its Jaguar business. WCJ runs database management and

telemarketing for the car brand on a global basis.

The Western Australian Tourism Commission is putting supermodel Elle

Macpherson back on UK TV screens in a bid to capitalise on the success

of its previous campaign. The pounds 550,000 ’holidays of an entirely

different nature’ campaign will begin on September 5, when Elle will be

shown relaxing on Western Australia’s Cable Beach. The ad will appear

across ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5 and Sky Travel for three weeks, and

will be supported by a price-driven print campaign in the national

press.

Morgan Stanley Dean Witter appointed WWAV Rapp Collins North to handle

the direct marketing for its new credit card, not WWAV’s London agency

as reported in last week’s Marketing.

This article was first published on Marketing