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Netherlands 
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Hand-filtered
news from the Dutch online mainstream and trade press designed to give you topical insight
into Dutch advertising and marketing, life and lifestyles............. 21.12.05
Over the past couple of years in continental Europe, brewers have linked with makers of household appliances to develop and market products which allow beer drinkers to enjoy the taste of a glass of freshly-dispensed draught beer in the comfort of their own home. With some success, says the Dutch daily newspaper Algemeen Dagblad. Heineken, which linked with Krups, has sold more than 150,000 of its 'BeerTender' system, the paper says, while Philips has sold 30,000 of its PerfectDraft systems - developed in conjunction with InBev - since October alone, prompting it to call on supplies from abroad. Philips is now calling on consumers to return their empty vats to stores as soon as possible given that InBev is having difficulty in delivering full containers of its Jupiler and Dommelsch brands, due to the high demand. Heineken admits it has also had a similar problem. BeerTender's history goes back to 2002 when Philips and Hieneken first began to work together on a joint system, Algemeen Dagblad says. Philips later pulled out, cauasing Heineken to continue with Krups. Philips later teamed up with InBev. Heineken finds the Philips product far too similar to its own, Algemeen Dagblad says, and has sought to have sales if PerfectDraft forbidden by the courts. This was refused. It is not yet known whether Heineken will continue in its quest to get the Philips product taken off shelves. To read this story for yourself, in Dutch, click on the link below (left) to see it as published on the Algemeen Dagblad website. Alternatively, click on the link below (right) to visit the PerfectDraft website or here to visit BeerTender.
05.12.05
Albert Heijn, the Netherlands' leading supermarket retailer, has unveiled the first of what it is calling a 'new generation' of stores, with a format designed to appeal both to those looking for standard presentation of top brands and to other (or the same) shoppers looking for goods at low prices with minimal presentational frills. These, in the style of 'hard' discounters such as Aldi and Lidl, will be sold from boxes, as delivered from the factory, while recognised brands - or 'A-Marken', as they are known in Holland - will be allowed a place on the shelves. Four openings are expected to follow in 2006, says the news site AgriHolland Nieuws. The motive behind the new format, according to Albert Heijn, is the changing expectations of consumers who now demand a combination of convenience and inspiration, helpful staff and attractive prices. Around 35% of stock in traditional Albert Heijn outlets bears the company's own brand, AgriHolland Nieuws says, but this percentage is much higher in the new-format stores. One feature of the new range is a selection of 60 products - sold under the 'Kies & Kook' ('Choose and cook') brand, which promises shoppers that, by buying for of them, they can put together a meal in 15 minutes for just 8 euros. To read a longer version of this story for yourself, in Dutch, click on the link below (left) to see it as published on AgriHolland Nieuws. Alternatively, click on the link below (right) to open up a video sequence in Windows Media Player format that gives an overview of what the new format looks like and posted on the website of the Dutch business newspaper Zibb.
30.11.05
Got a friend that can't stop telling you all about this or that new product with great enthusiasm? Well, if so, it could be that he or she is a 'buzzer', at least in the Netherlands. The latest films, CDs, games, cosmetics... buzzers get them all for free, as long as they promise to go around telling the world about their plus points, says the magazine Trouw. 'Buzzing' is the idea of the Amsterdam-based firm Buzzer, founded by Willem Sodderland, and capitalises on the fact that the most effective form of promotion is often word of mouth. "People are tired of all the commercials", he tells Trouw, "you have to reach them in another way. We let consumers speak for themselves, effectively making them marketers". Three main reasons lie behind buzzers' motivation, according to Sodderland. Firstly, status (they get products before other people hear about them), influence (both on people and on manufacturers) and having a story to tell. "We offer manufacturers a group of discriminating consumers who are please to tell people how satisfied they are with their product", says Sodderland. "The manufacturer gets free advertising and both sides profit from the deal". The idea for Buzzer, Trouw says, stems back to 1998 when Sodderland was involved in an 'incubator' group helping small companies to get their ideas off the ground. He soon realised how important the first group of consumers were to the potential success of new brands whihc often did not have the funds to advertise. The idea gradually developed into a company set up by Willem Sodderland with Robert Cornelissen, one they claim is unique in Europe. To read more about 'buzzing', in Dutch, on the website of Trouw, click on the link below (left). Alternatively, to check out Buzzer for yourself, in Dutch, and even to register yourself with the firm click on the link below (right). Can't face it in Dutch? Click here to be taken to the English-language section of Buzzer's website
24.11.05
Dutch children's protection foundation Stichting De Kinderconsument has sent an open letter to the internet and mobile phone company Scarlet asking it to alter its current promotion, which offers a free child's mobile phone for every adult subscription taken out, writes the advertising magazine Adformatie. Displayed on posters across the nation, advertising for the promotion shows a woman and a young girl dressed in what the foundation describes as 'miniscule lingerie'. Despite its potential to offend and the number of complaints which it has prompted, Holland's self-regulatory vetting authority, Reclame Code Commissie, gave the campaign the green light, Adformatie says. Now Stichting de Kinderconsument has taken up those complaints and new ones it has received asking for the billboard and the website to be taken down. Basis for the complaint is that the young girl is shown as an exact copy (including lingerie and make-up) of an attractive young woman who is 'clearly sexually attractive and displayed in a seducive pose in lingerie that leaves nothing to the imagination'. Click on the link below (left) to read this story for yourself, in Dutch, on the Adformatie website. Alternatively, click on the link below (right) to visit Scarlet's website and make your own judgement on the promotional approach it is taking.
21.11.05
Soon to be launched in the UK but available now for over a year in Germany and the Netherlands, one of Coca Cola's latest new product introductions has caused severe discomfort at its major rival, Pepsico. The reason? Well, says the Dutch business news website Zibb, the fact that the product is called 'Ipsei' might have something to do with it. Pepsico, it says - and perhaps with some reason - feels that this name is uncomfortably close to that of its star soft drink, Pepsi. For its part, Coca Cola counters with the claim that the name is in fact derived from 'ipse', which is Latin for 'self', and continues to promote the product as having a surprising taste, unique design and being good for the body, given that it contains natural anti-oxidants which help to strengthen the body's defences. Bottled in the Netherlands by Vrumona, a subsidiary of Heineken, Ipsei will now be the subject of a judgement by the European Patent Office in the Dutch town of The Hague, says Zibb. Click on the link below (left) to read this story for yourself, in Dutch, on the Zibb.nl website. Alternatively, click on the link below (right) to go to the website set up for Ipsei in neighbouring Germany or here to see the product presented to the Dutch public.
27.09.05
The world of mobile phone tariffs, says the Dutch newspaper Algemeen Dagblad, is not always as clear as consumers would like and websites operated by third parties have sprung up making it easier for potential customers to compare rates and call plans. Such developments have clearly not gone unnoticed at the country's largest phone company, KPN, which has introduced a new mobile brand - its third - designed to capitalise on this need that consumers feel for simplification. Called Simyo.nl, the brand was designed based on the findings of research conducted by KPN marketing boss Marco Visser, Algemeen Dagblad says. "The survey showed us", Visser tells the paper, "that a large group, comprising millions of callers, did not want to take out a subscription with complicated options. Like Unilever and Heineken, we have made a brand with a target market in mind, in this case that of 'non-nonsense' people". Colleague Eric-Jan Doorensbosch adds that: "the brand is aimed at people who don't want bells and whistles when they call - they just want to call and send SMS messages for extremely attractive prices. These are the kinds of people who shop at Aldi or C1000, no-frills shops where you can save on cost". KPN is able to deliver Simyo.nl at low cost because all administration is handled over the internet, says Algemeen Dagblad. Customers paying 5 euros are sent a SIM card allowing them to send texts and make calls at fixed low prices (currently 18 cents per minute) on the handset of their choice. Click on the link below (left) to read this story for yourself, in Dutch, on the Algemeen Dagblad website. Alternatively, click on the link below (right) to the Simyo.nl site and explore the service (available only in the Netherlands) for yourself.
The ads will be assessed to determine whether they respect the company's advertising code for alcoholic drinks which, among other things, forbids ads being specifically targeted at those under the legal drinking age. The judging will be done by a commission independent of the advertising industry, with members drawn from the world's of business and education, Adformatie says. In addition to its conditions placed on TV and radio advertising, the code also forbids promotional messages for alcoholic drinks being transmitted via SMS, games or ringtones. All TV and radio ads will henceforth carry the slogan: 'Geniet, maar drink met mate' ('Enjoy, but drink in moderation'). Click on the link below (left) to read this story for yourself, in Dutch, on the Adformatie website. Alternatively, click on the link below (right) to visit Stiva.
While accepting that it is a form of bargaining, the trade association for small and medium-sized companies, MKB, is referring to the practice as 'blackmail', Zibb says. Spokesman Kees Verhoeven tells the paper that he is 'absolutely not charmed' by the practise, which is evident with growing frequency the more expensively an item is priced. One retailer spoken to says that clients are giving him the choice of selling at under his displayed price or not selling at all. Bicycles (this is Holland), TV and hi-fi systems are among the items most frequently involved. What these consumers are failing to understand, MKB says, is that there is a difference between an internet store and a 'normal' store. In the latter, more information and service is available. "I generally tell the customer that he is free to go and buy his bike somewjere else", says another shopkeeper spoken to by Zibb. "But I also tell him that he needn't bother coming to me for a change of tyres or a repair". Click on the link below (left) to read this story for yourself, in Dutch, on the Zibb website. Alternatively, click on the link below (right) to visit the MKB - not very interesting, but for the record.
The larger chains in particular, Foodnieuws says - such as New York Pizza and Domino's Pizza - are competing both against each other and against national supermarket chains which have enlarged their range of frozen and takeaway pizzas. According to Philippe Vorst, director of New York Pizza, which has 72 franchised outlets, the 'war' risks getting out of hand, given the pressure it is putting on margins. Prices have fallen during the current wave of special offers from € 13 per pizza to € 5.99. Rival Domino's, which runs 63 outlets, is offerign to deliver pizzas to homes for € 7.99 with European head Laurincy Soul admitting that he is going for volume through attractive pricing. Even these prices, however, cannot compare with those offered by the country's supermarkets, with market leader offering its All American Pizza at just € 1.60 during a recent special offer. Click on the link below (left) to read this story for yourself, in Dutch, on the Foodnieuws website. Alternatively, click on the link below (right) to visit Domino's Dutch website.
Speaking at the 'Stimulans naar Balans' meeting in Utrcht, Hoogervorst said that he supermarkets could take a lead role compared to other marketers. "If we don't take action in time, teh food industry could end up in the same corner as the tobacco industry. That would be an undesirable situation". Hoogervorst also thinks that it would be better if no confectionery were displayed near Dutch supermarket checkouts. "I've heard that there are plans for 'sugar-free checkouts'", he said, "where people could settle their bill without their son or daughter putting sweets on the conveyor belt. I think a lot of consumers would agree with me on this". In a response to the Dutch news agency ANP, Klaas van den Doel, head of the retailers association CBL, says that this could be an option in the larger supermarkets. "But consumers naturally want to have freedom of choice over what they buy". Overweightedness is a growing problem in the Netherlands, says the trade journal Marketing Online, which carried this story, with around 40% of the Dutch currently overweight and 10% considered as obese. This figure could double in ten to fifteen years, it says, if current trends continue. To read this story for yourself, in Dutch, click on the link below (left) to visit Marketing Online. Alternatively, click on the link below (right) to visit the CBL website.
In what is set to turn the country's railways service, Nederlandse Spoorwegen (NS), into a 'Heineken-free' zone, arch rival Bavaria has reached an agreement with Servex - the company which operates catering, fast food and vending sites within NS premises - giving it exclusive shelf space in all outlets on the company's sites. Bavaria has plans to increase its market presence across the Netherlands, Zibb says, and wants to give consumers more opportunities to drink its beer and, indeed, drink more beer, with plans to increase sales on and around trains by 10%. To read this story for yourself, in Dutch, click on the link below (left) to see it on the Zibb.nl website. You probably know Heineken but may not be so familiar with Bavaria, so why not click on the link below (right) to visit the company's site.
In the first instance, the campaign will be aimed at a target audience agede around 70 years old, although the subject is of relevance to other age groups, Communicatie Online says. Should the campaign prove a success on a local level, it may eventually be rolled out nationwide. Topics covered include how to deal with depression and loneliness. A film has also been created on the subject, to be projected in various locations around Den Haag over the coming months. To read this story for yourself, in Dutch, click on the link below (left) to visit the Communicatie Online website. Alternatively, click on the link below (right) to visit the site developed by the campaign's backers and devoted to the initiative.
The decision was announced, says the trade magazine Adformatie, by Dutch secretary of state for education, culture and science, Medy van der Laan following a weekend meeting of the country's coalition parties. "The VVD (People's Party for Freedom and Democracy) wants to move towards a BBC model. I intend to work on the details over the coming weeks, but the outline of the model is there", she is quoted as saying. In the future, news and sport programmes will be carried on the mainstream NOS station, opinion forming programmes and those designed to foster societal debate will be consigned to themed public channels while education, art and culture will be accommodated within a yet-to-be-defined structure. The question, Adformatie says, is what van der Laan understands under the term 'amusement'. Popular shows such as Dit was het Nieuws, Kopspijkers (a satirical news programme which is among the most viewed in Holland) and Lingo (a word-based game show) appear to enjoy the benefit of her favour, the magazine says, while shows such as Love Letters (in which 3 competitors propose to their partners in a spectacular manner in an attempt to win a marriage ceremony performed at the end of the show) should be left to the commercial channels. A programme like 'Boer zoekt vrouw' ('A farmer seeks a wife'), however, seems to stand on the borderline. Currently aired on state station KRO, "it should, perhaps", she says, "stay on the public platform". To read this story for yourself, in Dutch, click on the link below (left) to go to the Adformatie website. Alternatively, to find out all about the farmers currently seeking wives on KRO, click on the link below (right) to visit the mini-site dedicated to the programme on the station's website.
29.03.05
A court in The Hague has ordered the Dutch Consumers Association, Consumentenbond, to issue a correction in relation to its reaction to the placing of a webcam in a supermarket in Alphen aan den Rijn, writes the Ditch advertising magazine Adformatie (click here to see that earlier story, from October last year, in which Unilever denied that it was behind the initiative). The webcam, Adformatie says, recorded the behaviour of clients and how they responded to promotional offers, with pictures being beamed back to manufacturers. Consumentenbond came out against the use of such cameras for commercial purposes, while accepting that they could be useful for security purposes. In articles appearing in its publications, however, it referred to the initiative with words such as 'gegluur' (Dutch speakers - please e-mail FEWL to explain why this is offensive). The shopkeeper in question felt that this constituted an attack on his good name and took recourse in the courts. Consumentenbond, on the other hand, says that "naturally, we aim to be responsible, but we also value the opportunity to speak as we find". It is, Adformatie says, considering taking the matter to a higher court. So far, no decision has been issued as to whether the placing of a webcam in a supermarket contravenes Dutch privacy laws. Click on the link below (left) to read this story for yourself, in Dutch, on the Adformatie website. Alternatively, click on the link below (right) to visit Consumentenbond (I know, it's all Dutch to you).
22.03.05
Supermarkets and manufacturers, says the Dutch online newsletter Agrifood, may be paying increasing attention to consumer needs and desires, but in doing so, they are losing track of the real picture. That, at least, is the opinion of Justien Marseille, a trend watcher who believes that the proliferation of product variants works against what people actually want and that clear choices and innovative products are what mothers looking to save time and money actually want. Since 1995, Agrifood says and Marseille believes, manufacturers have been principally targeting single- and dual-income households, resulting in a broad product offering with an elevated high-tech element. This, however, does not meet the needs of mothers, for example, who don't have the time or inclination to choose between the five different kinds of prepared sausage recently launched by retailer Albert Heijn. The extra choise, Marseille maintains, is a burden not a plus. Companies, she says, should look at what consumers really want - for example, offering the same variation but within one package. The best thing they could do is limit, rather than extend, consumer choice, she continues. Restaurants where the chef defines the menu, rather than the establishment trying to offer everything to everyone, are doing the right thing, she says. Subscription-based supermarket shopping is another suggested avenue for exploration. True, or just a sign of somebody growing old? Click on the link below (left) and decide for yourself after reading this story for yourself, in Dutch, on the Agrifood website. Alternatively, click on the link below (right) to visit the site of Kona/The Future Institute, where Justien Marseille is a director.
14.03.05
The Dutch minister for health, wellbeing and sport, Hans Hoogervorst, says he is open to the idea of placing a tax on certain snack foods as a way of attempting to tackle the country's growing obesity problem, reports the newspaper Algemeen Dagblad. The country's leading health authority, Raad voor de Volksgezondheid, has been increasingly issuing calls for action, Algemeen Dagblad says. Speaking this weekend on Dutch TV, Hoogervorst said that such a tax would be difficult to introduce, but that he did not rule it out. A spokesman for the health authority said he believes the so-called 'snack tax' would be much more effective than other initiatives currently underway, including those under the Postbus 51 public interest banner, and likens the levy to that currently placed on alcohol and tobacco products. Overweightedness, says Algemeen Dagblad, is a growing problem in the Netherlands, with 4 out of every ten Dutchmen estimated to be too fat. In addition, over the past twenty years, the proportion of children ajudged to be overweight has risen from four per cent to twelve per cent. Click on the link below (left) to read stories like this for yourself, in Dutch, on the Algemeen Dagblad website. Alternatively, click on the link below (right) to visit the Postbus 51 site.
11.11.04
The amount of money channeled into online advertising in the Netherlands rose by 62% during the third quarter of this year compared to the same period in 2003, according to figures released by the local chapter of the Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB). A total of 14.7 million euros was invested during the period, IAB says. Its figures are based on those reported to it by market-leading sites such as MSN, Adlink, IP, Netdirect and Adformatie, the advertising trade newsletter where this story comes from. According to the IAB,
expenditure during the first quarter amounted to 16 million euros, followd by 15.6 million
between April and June. Most money came from the telecoms and IT sectors (24%), followed
by media (18%), financial services (17%), catering/ tourism/ leisure (9%) and retail (7%). Click on the link below (left) to read this story for yourself, in Dutch, on the Adformatie website. Alternatively, click on the link below (right) to visit the site maintained in the Netherlands by the Internet Advertising Bureau.
04.11.04
Ajax, the Dutch football club that introduced Johann Cruyff to an international audience and - although currently only fifth in the table - many times national champion, has introduced its own brand of coffee, writes the Dutch food portal AgriHolland Nieuws. The 'Ajax Koffieselectie' is available in four variants and is produced by the coffee roasting company TikTak/Segafredo Zanetti. The product will at first be launched in supermarkets in and around Ajax' home city of Amsterdam, AgriHolland Nieuws says. If successful there, distirbution in other regions will be considered. According to the club, 'Ajax koffie' is for 'real Ajax fans who, by buying it, demonstrate their support for the club. TikTak/Segafredo Zanetti says it has no plans to launch other coffees bearing the brand name of other football teams. Other products and services marketed by Ajax to its fans include domestic energy and credit, in conjunction with the bank ABN AMRO. Click on the link below (left) to read this story for yourself, in Dutch, on the AgriHolland Nieuws website. Alternatively, click on the link below (right) to visit the page on the Ajax website where the club presents its new product.
29.10.04
Advertising agencies in the Netherlands are having an increasingly tough time, according to one agency head spoken to by the local marketing website Marketeer. According to Jacques Kuyf, managing director of FHV BBDO, profit margins at the average agency sank to just 3.8% last year from fully 15.7% during 2002. This enormous decrease means that the market has 'shrunk' by 25% in the past two to three years, Marketeer says. According to Jacques Kuyf, the larger agencies have been better able to maintain their margins, reporting an average of around 12.7%. Nevertheless, the many limitations put on the advertising sector by the government continue to make agency life harder. "Just look at tobacco advertising", he says, which has had heavy restrictions placed on it. That costs us income". The low margins, Kuyf points out, are a problem given that service businesses need a margin of between 15% and 25% in order to be able to attract and keep good people. Click on the link below (left) to read a fuller version this story for yourself, in Dutch, on the Marketeer website. Alternatively, click on the link below (right) to visit FHV BBDO which handles advertising for, among others, Chrysler, Douwe Egberts and TPG Post.
28.10.04
Unilever's Dutch subsidiary Unox has issued a statement to clarify that the webcam placed in a C1000 supermarket in the town of Alphen aan den Rijn were not installed at its request. Unox was obliged to respond to the accusation on account of the fact that the camera was pointing directly at a shelf carrying the company's smoked ('rookworst') sausages. In fact, the camera was set up on the initiative of Gerard Rutte, a Dutch retail expert who has launched a web platform, allesoverfabrikanten.nl ('everything about manufacturers') designed to serve as a focal point for manufacturers, suppliers and supermarkets. Companies subscribing to the site can - among other things - keep an eye on what is happening in individual stores and observe consumer reactions to their products. Unilever is, indeed, a subscriber to the site, as are Heineken, Smiths crisps and Lever Fabergé Nederland. The fact that the camera was set up to point at its products is pure chance, Unox says, despite claims in the media to the contrary. In fact, its managers had not even looked at the images and, in any case, other forms of market research are preferable as they provide more information relating to the purchase decision. To read a fuller version this story for yourself, in Dutch, on the website of AgriHolland Nieuws, which published it, just click on the link below (left). Alternatively, click here to visit the 'allesoverfabrikanten' site or on the link below (right) to visit the Unox website.
20.10.04
Aldi, the German-based discount retailer of groceries and household goods, claims it sold out of 30,000 pieces of art stocked in its Dutch stores over the past two weeks. More commonly an environment for simply-branded, low-priced consumer staples, Aldi first branched out into art last year in a successful promotion run in its German stores, writes the online newspaper De Volksrant. Now, having extended the concept to neighbouring Holland, it is considering running the promotion in furthr countries. The works offered - all limited-edition pieces signed by the artist concerned - sold for €12.99. Aldi's aim in running the promotion (and apart from making money) is explained by a company spokesman as: "to make the work of young, independent artists accessible to a broader public. In addition to driving demand for contemporary art, the promotion has served to generate a significant amount of publicity for Aldi, which normally limits its own promotional efforts to product leaflets and newspaper advertising. Artists happy to see their pictures displayed alongside cat food and crisps included Robert Heykoop, Corinne Annelies and Thessa van der Voort, De Volkskrant says. Work ranged from realistic to abstract and the promotion sparked a lively aftermarket, with pictures bought at Aldi prices later being offered for sale - often on the same evening - for as much as €150. To read a fuller version this story for yourself, in Dutch on the Volksrant website, just click on the link below (left). Alternatively, to visit the Interview NSS site and read up about other recent studies conducted by the agency, just click on the link below (right).
21.10.04
Numico, the Dutch maker of baby food sold internationally under the Nutricia brand name, is coming under increasing pressure across Europe as supermarkets extend their own label reach into the category, writes the Dutch advertising magazine Adformatie. Baby food is a product category requiring a high degree of shopper trust and supermarkets have traditionally confined their offer to manufacturer brands from companies such as Nestlé and Danone. Now, however, Adformatie says, leading chains in Germany, France and the UK are stepping up their offer with cheaper products which are finding good consumer acceptance. In Nutricia's home market of the Netherlands, the competition could also be increasing soon, with Albert Heijn, the country's leading supermarket chain (700 outlets) confirming that it is considering offering own-label baby food. In France, Casino, Leader Price and Carrefour - who operate a total of over 1,800 outlets between them - have all introduced an own-label range while, in Germany, drug store chain Van Rosmann and the discounter Penny (2,400 stores) have done the same. In the UK, Boots has launched a rnge of vegetarian products, Adformatie says. Numico, which has shareholders to please, is particularly worried as these are its main export markets. Though margins, at 20%, are currently good, this has not escaped the attention of the supermarkets, who believe they can undercut Numico's prices and still make a good profit. Numico says that own-label currently only accounts for around one per cent of the market and that it doesn't fear the competition too much, as many of its products come with health claims based on patented processes and technology. Retail analysts IPLC, however, say that the company is in danger of ignoring reality. To read this story for yourself, in Dutch, on the Adformatie website, just click on the link below (left). Alternatively, to visit Nutricia website in the Netherlands, click on the link below (right).
20.10.04
Dutch discount drugstore chain Kruidvat has been ordered by an Amsterdam judge to stop altering the packaging of L'Oréal products stocked on its shelves, writes the online newspaper Zibb. The ruling is likely to lead to L'Oréal products disappearing from the retailer's shelves altogether. Kruidvat resorted to its practice of altering product codes on the items sold in order to conceal where it had sourced them from. In the Netherlands, L'Oréal only distributes its products through approved perfumeries and drugstores that meet certain quality criteria. Holes in its distribution system, however, meant that Kruidvat was able to obtain L'Oréal products on the open market and offer them in its stores. The retailer also resorted to the same practice for other luxury brands. Makers of these are now likely to seek similar rulings against Kruidvat and other drugstores acting in the same way. To read this story for yourself, in Dutch, on the Zibb website, click on the link below (left). Alternatively, to visit the Kruidvat website and decide for yourself whether this is an environment suited to 'luxury' products, simply click on the link below (right). For comparison, visit L'Oréal's Dutch website by clicking here.
20.10.04
Practically all (well, 96% of) young Dutch men and women are now online, reports the local adevrtising magazine Adformatie. Reporting on a study of the country's 15 to 24 year-olds conducted by the local research agency Interview NSS, Adformatie says that this figure - which corresponds to the pecentage of that age group which 'has access to the internet' - represents a rise of 9% over 2003.. a figure which, clearly, will not be repeated this year. According to Interview NSS, which spoke to 2,400 people in conducting its survey, not only do younger Dutchmen and women have greater access to the internet, they use it more often than other age groups, going online, on average on 5.5 days per week, compared to 4.4 days for the population as a whole. Average length of each online session, the researchers say, is 104 minutes. In all, 76% of the Dutch population says it has access to the internet. In addition to younger user gruops, interest is growing among older surfers. Whereas, in 2003, 49% of over 50s were online, today the figure is 52%. To read this story for yourself, in Dutch in the pages of Adformatie, click on the link below (left). Alternatively, to visit the Interview NSS site and read up about other recent studies conducted by the agency, just click on the link below (right).
12.10.04
Supermarket goods may have stable prices, but their contents are getting smaller and smaller. That, at least, is the finding coming out of a reader poll conducted by the Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf. Manufacturers, the paper says, recognise the fact that people are talking of 'content forgery', but counter with the claim that while the contents may be reduced, this should be balanced against improvements in quality. A spokesman for the Dutch consumer association, Consumentenbond, says that answer is surprising. "It's questionable whether consumers really benfit from these so-called quality improvements. It seems more like a way of concealing price rises". De Telegraaf included some examples of the practice in this Sunday's edition. Calvé salad dressing with herbs, for example, has shrunk from 400ml to 300ml, Grolsch beer in new packaging is being sold at 90% more than its predecessor and toilet rolls are getting thinner. The paper had asked its readers some weeks ago to send in examples of 'content forgery'. Many readers complained that manufacturers, upon launching new products, increased the content, only to cut it back once the item was established on the market. To read a fuller version of this story for yourself, in Dutch in the pages of the advertising magazine Adformatie, click on the link below (left). To visit the De Telegraaf website and read more stories like this, again in Dutch, just click on the link below (right).
11.10.04
Pharmaceutical companies Bayer, Pfizer and AstraZeneca are being accused over overstepping what is allowed within their own regulatory code to promote prescription drugs, writes the Dutch newspaper De Volkskrant. The original complaint, by local doctor Hans van der Linde of Capelle aan den Ijssel, has now been passed to a higher authority, the paper says. According to the accusations, AstraZeneca ran a symposium in March last year of which the subject was its cholesterol-lowering medication Crestor. Doctors were offered an inducement of 230 euros to attend, plus 27 cents per kilometer travelled. In addition, they were offered a dinner and the opportunity to attend the opera Aida. According to rules established by the pharmaceutical industry itself, participation allowances should total no more than 50 euros per year, with a maximum of 150 euros. Bayer is alleged to have promoted its Avelox drug, against infections of the airways, with payments of between 150 and 250 euros to doctors, De Volkskrant says. Pfizer was offering payments of 200 euros to doctors to attend a conference devoted to its new painkiller, Celebrex, plus travel costs. The stakes are high, De Volkskrant says: a potentially successful drug needs doctor endorsement. In 2003, on the other hand, Bayer's income from Avelox was just 190,000 euros. In an insert in medical magazines this week, doctors were invited to receive compensation of 10 euros, in the form of a voucher to spend on the online bookshop bol.nl, for viewing an online presentation relating to the drug. "We see it as another contact opportunity with doctors", a spokesman is quoted as saying. "Cheaper than medical visitors". To read a fuller version of this story for yourself, in Dutch and in the pages of De Volkskrant, click on the link below (left). To visit the site maintained by Bayer in the Netherlands, just click on the link below (right).
07.10.04
Sanoma Men's Magazines, the Dutch publisher, is testing a local-language version of the news weekly Newsweek, writes the local advertising industry magazine Adformatie. The first edition of 'Newsweek Nederland', which has been produced under licence from the American publishers of Newsweek, Newsweek Inc., is currently being distributed free, Adformatie says, and is designed to compete with the weekly published by Elsevier. Other Newsweek licences have been handed out in countries such as Russia and Poland. To read a fuller version of this story for yourself, in Dutch and in the pages of Adformatie, click on the link below (left). To visit the Sanoma website, just click on the link below (right).
04.10.04
Given the reputation Amsterdam - capital city of the Netherlands - enjoys as a haven for drugs and sex, two commodities which have well-known, potentially long-lasting consequences, some people might question the wisdom of a campaign that has been reported this week in the Dutch advertising magazine Adformatie. London, Adformatie says, is currently being 'painted orange' by a massive campaign promoting short trips to the Netherlands. And the slogan? "Holland stays with you long after you've left". The campaign, Adformatie says, was developed by the London-based bureau of tourism and congresses operated by the Dutch government, NBTC. According to research they have conducted, the Netherlands is seen by Britons as a destination well suited to short vacations. In addition, it says, the British find the Dutch easy-going. NBTC director Hans van Driem tells the magazine that this is one of three, large-scale campaigns the bureau has developed. The focus is on major cities such as (yes) Amsterdam, Rotterdam, the Hague, Eindhoven and Maastricht. According to the NBTC, qualities, features and personalities it hopes will be associated with each town include gastronomy (Maastricht), Van Gogh (Amsterdam), the painter Vermeer (the Hague), design (Rotterdam) and 'contemporary' (Eindhoven). The campaign comes at a time when - independently - Amsterdam is gearing up for a similar campaign to that run by New York, to boost the image of the city among inhabitants and visitors alike (click here to see a story about that on From Europe With Love). But the question remains.. that slogan? Click on the link below (left) to read a fuller version of this story for yourself, in Dutch, on the website of Adformatie. Alternatively, click on the link below (right) to be taken to the website developed by the government to promote all things Dutch, holland.com.
Campaigns devised by the Dutch government to promote various foodstuffs are 'too dry and boring'. That's according to Hans Dagevos, a sociologist from the agricultural economics instutite, LEI, who has written a report on the subject. According to Dagevos, advertising - in particular on TV - "should play on people's feelings more in order to compete with hamburger advertising, that does appeal to people. The mistake that government bodies make in their spots, says Dagevos, is to stick too close to "facts and rationality". Confectionery manufacturers and hamburger chains, he continues, make more use of emotions to present their products to the public. Messages such as telling consumers that they have a 'right to pleasure' are better received than warnings against overweightedness. Dagevos believes that images should be put at the centre of campaigns. Brands have a certain image, he says, that doesn't always correspond to reality. For example, cigaretts have been associated for decades with youth, health and sporty people. To read a fuller version of this story for yourself, in Dutch and in the pages of the advertising magazine Adformatie, click on the link below (left). To visit the website of IPM KidWise and read up on this and other research services provided by the company - again in Dutch - just click on the link below (right). Alternatively, right-click here to download and view (again in Dutch) a PDF report of the research.
01.10.04
Philips may be spending €80 million on a new global advertising campaign to introduce its new 'sense and simplicity' positioning, says the newspaper Het Parool (see right, or click here for more information on that). But while that may have been meticulously planned, the company was much slow offer the mark when it came to registering the new slogan as local web addresses. Should Philips now want to set up national domains using 'sense and simplicity' as their address, it will have to deal with a few keen opportunists who were quick to register the name as soon as it was announced. Michael van der Lingen, for example, who lives in Rotterdam, registered www.senseandsimplicity.nl, which could have served as the named for a Dutch site for Philips, directly upon hearing of the new strategy. Van der Lingen has placed single-page rebuke of Philips at the address, poking fun at them for not having the forethought to register the name. In addition to the '.nl' domain, he also snapped up '.de' and '.info', among others. While Philips itself maintains that it communicates through its '.com' address and is not overly bothered about local extensions, that has not stopped others from moving fast to snap up 'sense and simplicity' domains in other countries. Frido Knoester of Rutten registered '.biz', '.us' and '.net', among others, the paper says, while Jules Ruit of Eindhoven opted to register the '.org' variant. He did it, he tells the paper, "as a joke. I live so close to Philips I know how they go about these things. And as I thought, they hadn't registered anything. To read more stories like this for yourself, in Dutch, just click on the link below (left) to visit the website of Het Parool. To visit the site set up by Michael van der Lingen, click here. Alternatively, to visit the official Philips sense and simplicity address, click on the link below (right).
01.10.04
Ola. the Unilever-owned ice cream brand, is running advertising in the Netherlands with lines such as 'Iedereen die 'm eet wordt onverstaanbaar' ('Anyone who eats one becomes irresistible') and 'Het kan u seksleven positied beinvoloeden' ('It can positively influence your sex life'). The ads are designed to support sales of the company's Cornetto Love Potion cornets, but numerous consumers have been complaining, says the Dutch online newspaper Zibb, because, although they have eaten one of the ice creams, they have noticed no effect. Elsewhere in the campaign is the promise that Love Potion offers 'guaranteed success in the game of scoring and chatting up'. That, however, may not be the case, according to letters arriving at the company since the campaign first aired. One person wrote in, Ola tells Zibb, saying that he had eaten one of the ices one week earlier 'but still didn't have a girlfriend' and therefore wanted to lodge a claim based on the 'guarantee' that comes with Love Potion. Another correspondent confessed to having spent 100 euros on Cornettos 'but was beginning to wonder about your claim that they would improve by lifestyle'. Pure PR from Ola, it's true, but an amusing story nevertheless. To read more on this story for yourself, in Dutch and in the pages of Zibb, just click on the link below (left). Alternatively, to explore the world of Ola online, in Dutch, just click on the link below (right).
27.09.04
Practically all Dutch children aged between 10 and 14 years old own a mobile phone, according to research released this week by IPM KidWise, and one in three can barely imagine their life without it. The study, conducted by IPM for Orange, shows that, for this group, SMS messaging has taken over from traditional voice calls as the principal means of communication. The firm spoke to 400 young people during August to compile its research, says the online marketing magazine, Marketing Online. "Up till now, we have always addressed the adult market", Bruno Michieli, head of acquisition marketing at Orange tells the magazine. "This study shows us that we should also address children. Just like adults, they want to learn about how to get the most out of their phones". Among the most important results coming out of the survey, IPM KidWise found that 98% of 14 year-olds said they owned a mobile phone, with the number of 10 year-olds daying they had one reported as 79%. Around half (49%) use their handset mostly for sending SMS messages, followed by telephone calls (35%) and game playing (25%). For this age group, therefore, these new functions have replaced the traditional application associated with a telephone.. To read a much fuller version of this story for yourself, in Dutch in the pages of Marketing Online, click on the link below (left). To visit the website of IPM KidWise and read up on this and other research services provided by the company - again in Dutch - just click on the link below (right). Alternatively, right-click here to download and view (again in Dutch) a PDF report of the research.
24.09.04
Tchibo, the German coffee maker, has extended its retail concept to the Netherlands, writes the Dutch newspaper Zibb, opening its first outlet this week, in Eindhoven. While company's such as Starbuck's and Costa Coffee centre their offer on the range of coffee and other snacks available in their cafés, Tchibo's novel approach combines the company's core product - coffee - with a weekly selection of non-food special offers that can include anything from bicycles to bread-bins. Tchibo already has operations in Switzerland, Austria, the UK and a number of countries in eastern Europe, Zibb says. Its initial plans in the Netherlands extend to 5 stores, with further openings planned in Ede, Apeldoorn and Arnhem. Eventually, a spokesman tells the paper, Tchibo plans to achieve the same level of coverage as it enjoys in its home country. The weekly special offers are far more than a gimmick, providing as much as half of Tchibo's turnover. The company hopes its approach will help it to erode the prominent position of existing Dutch coffee manufacturers such as Douwe Egberts and Van Nelle. To read more on this story for yourself, in Dutch and in the pages of Zibb, just click on the link below (left). Alternatively, to find out more about the world of Tchibo for yourself, just click on the link below (right).
20.09.04
The fierce price war underway among Dutch supermarket retailers became even more intense this week with market leader Albert Heijn's announcement that its was cutting the prices on around 1,000 everyday items, writes the Dutch industry newsletter Marketing Online. Products included in Albert Heijn's latest round of cuts include orange juice, apple sauce, crisps, detergent, nappies and toothpaste, Marketing Online says, with the amount of the decrease ranging from 5% to 25%. Laurus, the second-largest player in the industry, took AH's action as an attempt to 'smoke out' its Super de Boer format, which announced similar cuts recently on own-label brands sold through its 400 stores. This, says Marketing Online, is the third round in the 'war' that commenced in October of last year, when Albert Heijn announced initial price reductions on 1,200 products in order to rid itself of its reputation as an expensive store. Despite the obvious financial implications of lower costs, the company says it is satisfied with its success rate, having attracted 200,000 shoppers back to its stores. Also this week, Albert Heijn announced that it was embarking on a new strategy, aimed principally at middle-class consumers, to position itself as a 'super service brand'. This will include a new generation of AH 'Excellentmerken', the company's top-of-the-range own label brand used on products such as truffle-flavoured olive oil and luxury pizzas. Click on the link below (left) to read a longer version of this story for yourself, in Dutch, in the pages of Marketing Online. Alternatively, click on the link below (right) to go to the Laurus website
07.09.04
Albert Heijn, the leading Dutch supermarket operator, is interested in increasing the number of outlets it operates on company premises and in universities, writes the newspaper Dagblad de Limburger. The company has given concrete form to its ambition by the opening, yesterday, of a new outlet on the campus of the technical university of Eindhoven, the paper says. Its strategy is to open new stores with a limited range of goods in locations offering high footfall, for which Heijn's "To Go" format is ideally suited. Snacks, drinks and ready-to-cook meals are the principal items stocked. Albert Heijn already operates 25 such outlets on stations operated by the national railway service, NS, on high streets or in hospitals. "We are seriously considering expanding further into universities and company premises", a spokesman tells the newspaper. "Anywhere that people want to eat quickly is potentially interesting for us". Click on the link below (left) to go to the website of Dagblad de Limburger, where you can read this story for yourself, in Dutch. Click on the link below (right) to go to the Albert Heijn website where, at the time of writing, Persil detergent is on special offer and younger shoppers can colour in a picture of the Albert Heijn hamsters to win a prize. Or, perhaps, you?
07.09.04
It may be home to such famous brewers as Heineken and Grolsch but, as the information portal AgriHolland Nieuws reports, beer consumption fell once again in the Netherlands last year. Per head of the population, AgriHolland says, the Dutch drank 78.7 lites of beer during 2003, compared to 79.9 litres during 2002. Beer drinkers, it appears, have been losing the habit since the begin of the 1990s. In that year, for example, consumption stood at an annual rate of 90 litres per person, fully 13% more than the figure for 2003. Are the Dutch drinking less? Probably not. Consumption of wine has risen over the same period from 14.5 litres per person to 19.6 litres, says AgriHolland Nieuws, an increase of 35% in thirteen years. On the other hand, consumption of spirits (such as whisky and rum) has fallen 25% to 1.3 litres. If the Dutch aren't drinking it themselves, though, it seems others are, with exports rising to a record level of 14.3 million hectolitres during 2003. Chief export market, according to AgriHolland, is the USA. To see this article for yourself, in Dutch, on the pages of AgriHolland Nieuws, just click on the link below (left). Click on the link below (right) to visit the site of Grolsch, one of the leading Dutch export beers, or here, to visit Heineken - with which you are undoubtedly familiar - in its home country (just answer 'ja' when asked if you are 18 years of age or older, in both cases).
In other countries, beer companies may see it as one of their last remaining opportunities to associate their product with the sporting public. Increasingly, high-tech brands are also looking to it as a way of gaining valuable exposure. But in the Netherlands, says the local newspaper Dagblad de Limburger, it is financial services companies which are investing increasing sums in sports sponsorship. ABN Amro has just confirmed its shirt sponsorship deal with Ajax until 2011, while the Dutch bank Fortis will be displaying its name across Europe during the coming season courtesy of a deal with rival club Feyenoord. The Fortis marketing team must have jumped in the air when the presenter of Studio Sport asked himself aloud whether Ruud Gullit, trainer of Feyenoord, had dog poo on his shoe, the paper says. The reference was to the TV ad which has been on Dutch TV screens regularly since the beginning of July. Sponsorship may be all about awareness, but such extra mentions are certainly welcome. For the first time this year, Fortis' name will be visible on the shirts of Feyenoord players, Dagblad de Limburger says, taking over from an insurance company, Stad Rotterdam Verzekeringen, also part of Fortis. "The Fortis name is better suited to Feyenoord's international reach", says company spokesman Hendrik Jan Eijpe. "Stad Rotterdam means nothing abroad. In addition, Fortis is from Rotterdam and, in the TV ad, we play a little on position relative to Ajax", traditionally the most prominent Dutch football team internationally. But it is ABN Amro which is leading the way. Just yesterday, the company prolonged its relationship with Ajax to include the 2010-2011 season, at a cost of 7 million euros annually and continuing a relationship that has existed since 1989. "Whether nationally or internationally, Ajax is seen as a club with ambition", company spokesman Jan Peter Schmittmann tells Degblad de Limburger. "The sponsorship deal makes an important contribution to our brand. We attribute a lot of value to the continual media and public attention that Ajax attracts". Banks and other financial institutions, the paper says, invest around 60 million euros each year in sports sponsorships, both at levels of national prominence, such as the Ajax deal, and down to the level of local sports clubs. That's a significant proportion of the 750 million to 800 million euros the activity attracts annually. In addition to ABN Amro and Fortis, Rabobank invests around 20 million euros per year, the most of any company and principally in cycle racing, hockey and equestrian sports. ABN, which alongside Ajax, also sponsors the Rotterdam tennis tournament and sailing events, is next. ING spends 'just' eight million euros, mainly on marathons and, via its Nationale Nederlanden division, on the Dutch national football team. Fortis' expenditure amounts to around 7 million euros, Dagblad de Limburger says, on football, the Dutch Open golf tournament and the Rotterdam marathon. And that's not to mention Univé, Levob and Aegon. Frank van den Wall Bake, described by Dagblad de Limburger as the Dutch marketing guru, says the financial companies' interest in sport is logical. "It's difficult to differentiate financial products. There is little difference between them and they are not very sexy. As a financial institution, you try to form other associations to make your name stick with consumers. Sport is perfect for that. That way, you get to reach 70% of the Dutch public". His opinion of Fortis' tie-up with Feyenoord is similarly positive. "The company is showing people its commitment to football. That way you play with people's emotions. When somebody sticks a brochure in front of you, you're going to choose the one you're closer to. A Feyenoord fan will pick Fortis, a fan of the national team will opt for Nationale Nederlanden." Not that there aren't risks, the paper believes. If Feyenoord play badly this year, then that could reflect badly on Fortis. And if Ajax supporters misbehave, ABN Amro cannot detach itself completely. "Yes, you take that risk into account", says Hendrik Jan Eijpe of Fortis. "On the other hand, if they play well, the Fortis name will appear frequently on TV. We took a good look before associating ourselves with this sport. We will never, for example, get involved in Formula 1". It's difficult to tell what influence good or bad performance of a team can have on the sponsor, the paper says. "There are too many factors involved", agrees Van den Wall Bake. But what can't be doubted is that such deals serve to raise awareness. "Awareness of the Rabobank name goes up during the cycle-racing season", he says. "Whether the bank is less popular as a result of the poor performance of the team in the Tour de France isn't clear. But if it happens again next year, you can be sure that the sponsor will be having a word with the team leader". To see the full version of this article for yourself, in Dutch, on the pages of Dagblad de Limburger, click on the link below (left). Click on the link below (right) to visit the site of Fortis and specifically to the page where it talks about its sponsorship activities and its support for Feyenoord. Click here to visit the website of Feyenoord football club itself and whose last result, at the time of writing, was a thumping 4-0 away win at Willem II. Fortis will be happy.
C&A may have experienced varying fortunes internationally - it famously withdrew from the British market - but in countries such as the Netherlands and Germany, it is a retail reference point. Currently, says the newspaper Nederlands Dagblad, it is trialling a new concept with the focus purely on younger consumers. The clothing chain is currently operating a so-called 'Kids Store' in the town of Venray, Nederlands Dagblad says, with the idea, if successful, of rolling out the concept across the nation. "I can see the potential for between 10 and 15 new stores", Bart Brenninkmeijer, company spokesman and the latest representative of the dynasty that founded the company and who has held the top spot for the past two years, tells the paper. Brenninkmeijer refused to put a timescale on the chain's development. Kids Stores, Nederlands Dagblad says, are a proven success in Germany, where C&A plans to extend the initiative to about 50 outlets, of a total planned expansion of 80 stores. With 260 outlets in all, Germany is by far the most important market in the Brenninkmeijer clothing empire. In the Netherlands, however, C&A is expanding rapidly, with a soon-to-be-achieved total of 108 shops, up from 84. Most of the new openings will be replacements for Marca stores, which C&A initially introduced to compete with the clothing hypermarkets but which Brenninkmeijer now concedes is a formula that "isn't profitable". To see the full version of this article for yourself, in Dutch, in the pages of Nederland Dagblad, simply click on the link below (left). Click on the link below (right) to visit C&A's Dutch website where, at the time of writing, they are currently featuring the chain's spring/summer 2004 collection which, one might suggest, is a little off the pace of what is necessary in fashion.
The amount of time Dutch people spend watching TV continues to increase, writes the local advertising magazine Adformatie. During 2004, viewers have been watching an average of 195 minutes per day, it says, an increase of eight minutes compared to 2003. According to the annual 'Televisierapport' produced by the industry association Spot, the extra viewing time can be put down to a number of successful Dutch productions and to sports events, such as the Euro 2004 football championships. The proportion of advertising time watched has remained stable, at 7% to 8%, meaning that the total time watching ads has also increased, from 15 minutes to 16 per day. Spot director Paul van Niekerk points out that although viewers are watching more ads, this means that they are less exposed to other media as a result of their extended viewing time and therefore that the amount of advertising being 'consumed' has not increased. Van Niekerk uses his observation to suggest that viewers are not turned off television by too much advertising pressure, adding that the amount of airtime devoted to advertising in the Netherlands more or less matches international average levels. To see the full version of this article for yourself, in Dutch, please click on the link below (left). Click on the link below (right) to visit the site of Spot which, again in Dutch, has plenty of views about local viewing habits which advertisers may find useful.
TV company Endemol has raised concern with its plans for unconventional new show formats such as 'Sperm Race' and 'Make me a mum', in which it is proposed that men would compete for the chance to make a woman pregnant. So strong have the protests been that a number of bodies, among them the Dutch church, have asked whether it may be possible to prevent Endemol going ahead by invoking the country's law on the use of embryoes or media law (click here to see an earlier story about this on this page). Bad news for them this week, then, as the secretary of state for Media, Medy Van der Laan, said that the country's media maw did not allow such formats to be stopped. Van der Laan told the government chamber that she agreed with the description of such shows as being 'tasteless', 'worthless' and 'disgusting', but did not have the powers to act further. "Complying with norms and values, and in this case with ethical principles, forms part of the responsibility of media companies", she tells the Dutch advertising magazine Adformatie. Endemol developed 'Sperm Race' for the German market, Adformatie says, while 'Make me a mum' has been offered to broadcasters in the UK and the USA, although negotiations are not yet underway. According to a spokeswoman for the company, that can be put down to the slack holiday period. To see the full version of this article for yourself, in Dutch, click on the link below (left) to see it in the pages of Adformatie. Click on the link below (right) to visit Endemol's Dutch website or here to visit the English-language, international version where you can read Endemol's own July press release about these forthcoming 'must-watch' programmes.
Earlier this year, around 30 special-interest groups clubbed together to encourage their members to buy more organic products. With, it appears, little success, says the Dutch food industry information site, AgriHolland According to a study by the country's Society for Nature and the Environment ('Stichting Natuur en Milieu'), which was behind the 'Nederland gaat biologisch' ('Netherlands goes organic') inititative, sales of such products have barely grown in supermarkets, which have been involved in a fierce proce war for a number of months which would not have favoured sales of organic produce, which is generally higher priced. Despite the support of high profile organisations such as Greenpeace, with a total of 6 million members, AgriHolland says, the campaign was unable to produce more than a 6% rise in sales through specialist natural food outlets. The 'Netherlands goes organic' drive officially comes to an end this autumn, when the Foundation will turn its attention to a new campaign to encourage people to 'adopt an apple tree', AgriHolland says. For €29.50 per year, subscribers to the campaign will enjoy the right to 'harvest' organic apples from a specific tree. To see the fuller version of this article for yourself, in Dutch, click on the link below (left) to be taken to the AgriHolland website. Click on the link below (right) to visit the site of the Society for Nature and the Environment (SNM) or here to go directly to the page where the Society promotes its 'go organic' campaign..
The internet, says the online business magazine Tijd, has plenty to offer in the way it can enhance our experience and knowledge. An excellent example of this is the recently-launched Dutch website Reclamearsenaal, a site devoted to advertising produced in the Netherlands and so complete that it can actually be regarded as a museum.
The site (which, naturally, uses the Dutch language throughout) is so designed as to offer a path through advertising over the ages, offering a virtual journey from 1870 to the present day. There is also a section with information and suggestions for further reading in matters connected to advertising and brands, not to mention the opportunity to take part in advertising-related online games. Just like in a real museum, Tijd says, exhibitions will be organised from time to time. The current one is dedicated to outdoor advertising. This is an ambitious project, with 26 subsites, which has been put together by the ex-minister for culture, Hedy d'Ancona. To visit the Reclamearsenaal 'museum' for yourself, click on the link below (left). Click on the link below (right) to visit the site of Tijd, where we read this story.
Holland's national healthcare body, NIGZ, is running a national campaign to heighten awareness among students of the importance of not consuming too much alcohol, says the online marketing journal Communicatie. The campaign, which involves the placing of posters in 34 Dutch towns, is designed to coincide with the start of the new academic year, which has already started in some instutions.
It uses the rather direct approach of confronting students with the statement 'Ik ben zat.. en wie ben jij?' ('Im pissed.. how are you?') to make them think about their own behaviour in relation to alcoholic drinks. This is the sixth year, Communicatie says, that the NIGZ has considered the problem so potentially significant as to run a promotional campaign. Central to this year's push is a quiz in which students can win a prize of €1,000 by answering alcohol-related questions. In addition, the campaign has been equipped with its own website. Click on the link below (left) to read a fuller version of this story for yourself, in Dutch, as reported by Communicatie. Click on the link below (right) to visit the campaign's website or here to go directly to the quiz (which, of course, is also in Dutch).
11.08.04
Pfizer, the pharmaceutical company, is running a campaign in the Netherlands warning men 'not to swallow just anything' ('Slik niet zomaar alles'), says the Dutch advertising magazine Adformatie. The campaign has been prompted, Adformatie says, by the growing number of imitations of Viagra, which Pfizer markets as a remedy for male erectile dysfunction. Folders in pharmacists, it says, will warn men that the use of illegal remedies can be dangerous for their health. The amount of illegal trade, Pfizer says, is considerable, with pills of all shapes and colours freely available in 'smartshops' (stores selling herbal or 'smart' drugs), saunas and trendy discotheques. Many of the pills available increasingly resemble the Pfizer product. Click on the link below (left) to read this story for yourself, in Dutch, as reported by Adformatie. Click on the link below (right) to read a description of 'smartshops', head shops, grow shops and other, possibly illicit, delights of the Dutch capital on the UK site Amsterdam Coffeeshop Directory..
02.08.04
The Dutch government should be in a position later this year to alert all the country's inhabitants in the event of a disaster by calling them on their mobile phone, according to a report by the national news agency ANP, picked up by the Dutch marketing magazine, Communicatie. The country's ministry of interior affairs is the most likely user, Communicatie says, of the new system of 'cell broadcast' due to be ordered next month in a decision being led by the ministry for economic affairs, which is currently also sounding out other government bodies. Cell broadcast, Communicatie says, allows for a single text message to be sent out to every mobile phone within a given area. The difference between it and SMS messaging is that in the latter case, each message is sent individually, while cell broadcast messages go out all at once. The system is also suitable for commercial use, Communicatie notes. Given that government use would only account for 40% of capacity, the remainder could be sold on to commercial companies, with mobile phone owners choosing whether to opt in to the service. Click on the link below (left) to read this story for yourself, in Dutch, as reported by Communicatie. Click on the link below (right) to visit the website of the Dutch ministry of economic affairs (can't think why you'd like to, still.. click here if you'd like to visit its English-language version.).
02.08.04
Advertising spending on Dutch television rose by 2.9% in the first 6 months of 2004, writes the local marketing magazine Marketing Online. On the basis of the growth registered over the period, SPOT, which represents the country's TV operators, expects full year spending to top 750 million euros. The largest single contributing factor to the increase, Marketing Online says, was the broadcast of the European football championships from Portugal. Although these were principally in June, SPOT expects spending during the second half of the year to be buoyed by factors such as the Olympic Games. To see what else Marketing Online reports about the SPOT's figures, click on the link below (left) to see the story on the magazine's website. Click on the link below (right) to go to the site of SPOT.
02.08.04
Are the Dutch about to become shabbier? We'll see, but the question arises in the light of research results released by the forward-looking local research agency, Trendbox. According to Trendbox, consumers will be looking to make savings in areas such as cars and furniture as they normally do, but increasingly also in areas such as looking good and clothing. The fashion industry, says the Dutch marketing magazine Marketing Online, should be worried. Dutch consumers are increasingly price-conscious, Trendbox says. In its research this year, the company found that 54% of over 16 year-olds look first of all at the price of an item. When similar research was conducted in the year 2000, Trendbox says, that figure was just 46%.. Even 16 to 24 year-olds, usually the least proce-conscious age group, are adopting the same behaviour, it appears. Also in 2002, 70% of the Dutch told Trendbox they were willing to pay a higher price for outstanding quality. This year's survey found the figure had fallen to 63.5%. And the fashion industry, it says, is the principal victim, with Ditch shoppers spending ever less on clothing. In 1999, 15.8% of those spoken to said they spent 'a lot' on clothing for themselves, but the current figure is less than 12%. To see what else Marketing Online reports about the Trendbox research, click on the link below (left) to see the story on the magazine's website. Click on the link below (right) to go to the site of Trendbox itself, which is generally busy in researching this type of material as part of its Life & Living series, for which it speaks to 6,000 respondents in four waves per year. Some of the Trendbox website is also available in English.. to visit that part directly, just click here.
31.07.04
Amsterdam, capital city of the Netherlands, is to launch a new campaign to promote itself, writes the Dutch advertising and marketing magazine Adformatie. The campaign, Adformatie says, will run under the title 'I AMsterdam' and has been though up by local ad agency KesselsKramer, among whose other clients are Diesel, the jeans brand. Frits Huffnagel, responsible for the campaign at the city's authorities, Amsterdam Partners, says that it is a "strong international concept that serves as a logo and slogan combined." Amsterdam Partners' remit involves making the city attractive to tourists, inhabitants and companies alike, Adformatie says. Previous attempts to 'sell' it have included the use of the slogan 'Amsterdam heeft het' ('Amsterdam's got it) in the 1980s. Clearly, 'I AMsterdam' offers more opportunity internationally. Huffnagel says the campaign is set to launch in September. The logo is still under development, but a clue to its design lies in the fact that Huffnagel freely admits to having been inspired by the 'I love New York' campaign that began in the 1970s and still resonates today. The slogan 'I AMsterdam' will appear on all letters, posters and informational materials issued by the city's authorities, says Adformatie. Click on the link below (left) to read this story for yourself, in Dutch, as reported by Adformatie. Click on the link below (right) to visit the site of Amsterdam Partners which, conveniently, is in English and contains plenty of information about Dutch capital city.
28.07.04
The Dutch Christian Democrat party, CDA, is examining whether it is possible to stop the producer of television programming, Endemol, from exporting formats such as 'Sperm Race' and 'Make me a mum', writes the Dutch advertising magazine Adformatie. In 'Sperm Race', Adformatie says, it is a question of finding which man has the best sperm. In 'Make me a mum', the top prize consists of making a woman pregnant. This, however, has not pleased local politicians, who are even asking themselves whether such programmes, should they air in the Netherlands, may contravene the country's embryo law, which forbids the commercial use of sperm or embryoes. Not that these programmes are yet on air, Adformatie says. 'Sperm Race' is marked down for possible broadcast in Germany, while Endemol is said to be negotiating with various channels in the USA and the UK about 'Make me a mum'. "These are programme ideas", says a spokesman from Endemol Holdings. "It's not even certain that they will make it on to the screen." Click on the link below (left) to read this story for yourself, in Dutch, as reported by Adformatie. Click on the link below (right) to visit the website of Endemol and, specifically, the page that details many of the formats the company has already developed for Dutch TV. Alternatively, click here to go directly to the page on Endemol's own global website on which it details these controversial new shows and the progress it is making in selling them.
21.07.04
Dutch managers are increasingly expected to remain on call, even when they are on holiday, reports the newsletter zibb.nl. Citing the latest findings of a report produced by Ernst & Young as part of its ICT barometer, zibb says that one-quarter of predominantly board level executives are obliged to remain available whether on holiday or not. Government managers and those in not-for-profit organisations are those who enjoy the most freedom, say Ernst & Young. Click on the link below (left) to read this story for yourself, in Dutch, as reported by zibb.nl. Click on the link below (right) to visit the website of Ernst & Young Nederlands, which comes in Dutch and English versions, or here to go straight to the report on E&Y's own site of this story.
19.07.04
Performance at Dutch advertising agencies fell drastically last year, according to a report released by the agency trade association, VEA. Operating margin fell, on average, by 75%, VEA says, declining from 15.7% in 2002 to 3.8% in 2003. In 2001, an average level of 19.4% had been reported, compared to an international norm of 20%, says the online marketing magazine, Marketing Online. The larger agencies, with income of over 9 million euros, returned the best margin figures, Marketing Online says, reporting an average margin of 12.4%. Smaller agencies, on the other hand, with incomes below 2.25 million euros, reported a negative average margin. At 9.6%, the performance of medium-sized agencies was between the two poles, says the VEA. At least 13 agencies were loss-making during 2003, with a large number of others in danger of going the same way. The figures are taken from the VEA's annual review. The authors of this year's report express serious concerns about the future of the industry, given the negative developments of the past 3 years. Agencies, it seems, have been unable to adequately adjust their costs to falling incomes or develop new sources of income to compensate for the losses. In addition, they are having to deal with an increasing number of legal limitations as to what they can say in adverrtising and falling customer loyalty. Click on the link below (left) to read this story for yourself, in Dutch, as reported by Marketing Online. Click on the link below (right) to visit the site of the VEA and find out more about the Dutch advertising agency scene.
Sales and penetration of own label goods in Europe continue to advance steadily. Part of this growth in the Netherlands is currently driven by retailers hoping that they can use house-brand goods to escape the price war currently ravaging the supermarket sector. But that, says the grocery business magazien Levensmiddelkrant, is something of an illusion, with consumers in an ever better position to compare different private label brands. The opinions voiced in Levensmiddelkrant are those of Rien Wesseling, researcher at the Dutch-based Private Label Manufacturers Association (PLMA). According to the 2004 PLMA yearbook, the market share of own label brands in the Netherlands reached 19.7% in value terms last year and 21.3% in volume terms. The levels may appear high, Levensmiddelkrant says, but they remain below those observed in the UK (38%), Belgium (28%) and Germany (26.7%). Whether private label penetration grows in the Netherlands depends on a number of factors, believes PLMA head Brian Sharoff. In principle, any product category is suitable for the development of own label brands, but the question remains of what retailers hope to achieve with their strategy, what manufacturer brands - known in Holland as "A brands" - will do to protect their position and how well industry and retailers can work together. Sharoff asserts that house brands are increasingly being used as vehicles for innovation and are no longer mere copies of 'A brands'. Most pre-prepared meals, for example, sell under supermarkets' own brands. Logical, adds Wesseling, given that the major manufacturers are focused on producing brands which are suitable for marketing globally, thus leading plenty of toom for innovation on a local scale. Click on the link below (left) to read this story for yourself, in Dutch, as reported by Levensmiddelkrant. Click on the link below (right) to page on the website of the leading Dutch supermarket chain, Albert Heijn, on which it shocases its own label range and explains why they are such good products.
14.07.04
Drivers who are shown TV advertising graphically depicting the potentially-serious consequences of driving too fast are then likely to go out and, well, drive too fast, says the Dutch newspaper Algemeen Dagblad. The claim is based on research conduicted by the Dutch foundation for scientific research into road safety, SWOV. Shocking pictures shown on TV appear, it says, to produce the opposite effect from that intended. The SWOV showed 81 motorists a bloody TV spot originally aired in Australia and had them fill in a questionnaire on the basis of their impressions before and after screening. Men, particularly, seemed little affected by the ad, SWOV says, reporting themselves as marginally less likely to respect the speed limit after viewing and playing down the message transmitted. Women, on the other hand (and as one might have imagined), took more notice of the advertising. Click on the link below (left) to read more of this story, in Dutch, in the pages of Algemeen Dagblad. Click on the link below (right) to visit the website of the 'Stichting Weetenschapelijk Onderzoek Verkeersveiligheid' (SWOV), which you can also explore in English.
14.07.04
Embroiled in a fierce price war, Dutch supermarkets are seeking to pull in customers with prices that, in certain instances, are below what it costs them to buy the product, says the online newsletter zibb.nl. The "war" appears to be reaching a state of armed stalemate, zibb says, with prices stabilising at extremely low levels. According to Abel Slippens, director of supermarket chain Sligro, out of 5,000 lines, 150 will typically currently be on shelves at below cost price. The same products, however, may account for up to 30% of total turnover. Brands currently affected include Nutricia baby food, Heineken beer and Pampers nappies (diapers). To keep their heads above water, zibb says, retailers are having to cut deep into their own costs. Retail auditor AC Nielsen estimates that price-cutting cost the retail trade 250 million euros in sales during 2003. Click on the link below (left) to read more of this story, in Dutch, in the pages of zibb.nl, a Dutch online newsletter. Click on the link below (right) to visit the website of Albert Heijn, Holland's leading supermarket chain.
After ruling over the town centre for many years, department stores, says the Dutch news agency ANP, may finally be seeing their era come to an end. People are still visiting stores such as Marks & Spencer and KarstadtQuelle in significant numbers. The only problem is that they just don't seem to be buying as much, with consumers preferring to shop at smaller, specialist stores like those run by Nike and Hilfiger. The departments stores' biggest problem, according to research conducted by CapGemini, is that twenty years ago, people would visit larger stores to find clothing they just couldn't find anywhere else. Since then, chains such as Zara and H&M have grown up that are fresher and make department stores feel stuffy in comparison. "Customers change", B. Keizer of CapGemini tells ANP. "When they shop, they also want a certain amount of emotion and they just don't find that at departments stores. You see more and more brands such as Nike, Orange and Hilfiger setting up their own stores. Up till now, these outlets have only served to support the brand, but in the future they are also going to be profit centres where customer get an injection of brand experience." This trend, CapGemini tells ANP, is the biggest threat facing department stores. According to Keizer, the larger companies will only be able to survive by clearly differentiating themselves. "Hema is a good example", he says. "Shoppers arriving there know what they are getting. Not a lot of brands, but a clear price positioning. They stand out clearly from the competition." Click on the link below (left) to read more of this development, in Dutch, in the pages of the Dutch advertising magazine, Adformatie. Click on the link below (right) to visit the site of Hema (where "altijd jezelf" means "be yourself, always"), and decide for yourself.
The Dutch health care inspectorate, IGZ, is not happy with the way the pharmaceutical industry is going about respecting rules on the advertising of medicinal products, writes the local ad industry newsletter Adformatie. According to the Inspectorate, the self-regulatory regime in place is ineffective, very passive, insufficiently transparent and not always reliable. A letter sent by health minister Hans Hoogervorst to the country's parliament outlines concerns caused during 4 recent inspection visits to the self-regulatory body, CGR. Heavy criticism, for example, is aimed at a recent case involving AstraZeneca. Following a complaint from a doctor, the CGR ruled that AstraZeneca had acted in contravention of its guidelines by paying 230 euros to doctors to attend a promotional meeting for one of its products. The contravention, however, was not considered serious enough to merit further sanction, Adformatie says. Click on the link below (left) to read more on this story, in Dutch, in the pages of Adformatie. Click on the link below (right) to visit the Dutch site of AstraZeneca.
Leading Dutch supermarket chain Albert Heijn has moved on to the next stage of its repositioning as a price-competitive retailer, writes the Dutch advertising magazine Adformatie. This time, however, it's not about lowering prices, more about telling people that that's what you're doing. The company has unveiled what it calls "de Habbekratskrant" (literally, "newspaper full of things you can buy for next to nothing"). Speaking in the Dutch business newspaper Het Financieele Dagblad, Albert Heijn's chairman Dick Boer said that the bargain-sheet would be distributed to 5 million Dutch households over the next week. In it, the company will showcase products available to buy in its shops for less than 2 euros under the Euroshopper brand name, Albert Heijn's dedicated discount label. The leaflets, Boer says, are not a sign that Albert Heijn is happy with the current price conditions in the market, and in the context of which his company remains among the more expensive retailers. "Research shows us that perceptions of us as being price competitive are weakening. So there's still work to be done. We want to surprise people." According to Boer, Albert Heijn's repositioning exercise, started in October last year, still has two years to run." Click on the link below (left) to read more on this story, in Dutch, in the pages of Adformatie. Click on the link below (right) to visit the page of the Albert Heijn site which shows what this week's special offers are. When we visited, Page plus toilet paper was on offer for just €4.99, instead of the usual €8.67. Bargain or what?
Back in March, Heineken, known worldwide for its lager-style beer, announced it was linking with Krups - known, among other things, for its home appliances, such as coffee machines - in a fresh approach at the beer-drinking market, writes the Dutch advertising magazine, Adformatie. Dutch drinkers are now able to buy a system jointly developed by the two companies, which allows them to enjoy fresh draught beer in the comfort of their own homes. Called BeerTender, the system is being trialled in the Netherlands before possibly being rolled out in other countries. If first results are to be continued, and if Krups and Heineken can keep up with demand, those countries shouldn't have to wait too long.Heineken announced this week that it expected to have soon sold half a million vats of BeerTender. In addition, it said, sister products Amstel and Brand would be made available in BeerTender format before the end of the year. During a meeting with journalists, says the Dutch online newsletter zibb.nl, Heneieken director Erik Korthals Altes, said that approximately 300,000 vats were currently in circulation and that sales are running at around 15,000 units per week. And this despute the fact that BeerTender is not yet available through the country's leading supermarket chain, Albert Heijn (AH), zibb says. When the system was launched, tales were conducted with AH but the retailer declined the opportunity to stock the product. Given the limited production availability, it will now have to be patient. Proof, nevertheless, that it is still possible to achieve a successful new product introduction without depending on being listed by a major retailer. Click on the link below (left) to read more on this development, in English, elsewhere in the pages of From Europe With Love. Click on the link below (right) to read this story in Dutch, on the site of zibb.nl.
Food fashions come and go, but snacking just gains in popularity, according to a recent article pubilshed on the specialist website, Marketing Online. The average Dutchman (or woman) eats approximately 4.7 times per day, with 43% of all "meals" consisting of snacks, says Marketing Online, basing itself on a recent report by the market researchers, Datamonitor. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are increasingly being by-passed in favour of snacks, Datamonitor found. It is estimated that, by the year 2008, the Dutch will be spending 3bn euros on snacks, an increase of 16% over 2003. With the increase in consumption comes an increase in demand for healthy, "guilt-free" snacks, Datamonitor says. This can have a significant determining impact on the individual snack product chosen. Marketers, it says, should take care to position their brands for specific snack moments. Snacks that improve performance or present themselves as "healthy" are possible best suited for breakfast time, Datamonitor believes. As the day grows longer, people tend to feel more frustrated and prefer snacks that console or indulge them. The emotional role of snacks, says Datamonitor, should not be underestimated. The use of "experience marketing", where the consumer can "feel" the product, will therefore have an increasingly important role to play in building emotional bonds. Click on the link below (left) to read the rest of this article, in Dutch, on the website of Adformatie, Marketing Online. Click on the link below (right) to see a selection of snacks made by the Dutch company De Vries, and including such specialities as sambaballetje, gehaktstaaf and Crocky Burger!
McDonald's has failed in its bid to prevent the registration in the Netherlands of the brand name "McSmart", writes the Dutch advertising and marketing magazine Adformatie. The decision, by a Utrecht court, means that the fast food company is likely to lose its grip entirely on the "Mc" prefix as an exclusive brand property, Adformatie says. McDonald's had claimed that the public were likely to believe that goods labelled McSmart - used on food and supplements sold in health food shops - formed part of its product range. According to the trade mark court, however, such an association is unlikely in the public's mind. There are many brands, it said, which have the letters "Mc" as part of their name and these are not automatically associated with McDonald's by the public. According to the trademark specialist agency ShieldMark, there are currently 1,340 registrations incorporating the letters "Mc", 128 of which correspond to McDonald's. An additional consideration for the judges was that the current McSmart product line is some way removed from the world of fast food, Adformatie says. Click on the link below (left) to read this article on the website of Adformatie, the Dutch advertising and marketing trade magazine. Click on the link below (right) to visit the website of the McSmart and decide for yourself if it looks anything like McDonald's (it doesn't). Click here for further confirmation, by visiting the website of McDonald's Nederland.
Almost two-thirds of supermarkets visited by the Dutch alcoholism prevention authority, Stichting Alcoholpreventie (STAP) are failing to comply with strict point-of-sale legislation obliging them to place reminders around the store of the age limits for purchasing so-called 'alcopops' (mixes of alcohol with soft drinks, known in Holland as "mixdrankjes"). According to STAP, the situation is worse than last year, when a previous study was conducted. Supermarkets are required to show information about age limits at the checkout, entrance and on the shelves. The C1000 chain, STAP says, is the most compliant with the regulations, although only six of the fourteen outlets visited were fully meeting their obligations. Smaller shops scored wirst in STAP's survey. Click on the link below (left) to read this article on the website of Adformatie, the Dutch advertising and marketing trade magazine. Click on the link below (right) to visit the website of the C1000 supermarket chain.
As society becomes increasingly marketing- conscious, just about everything, it appears, can be described as a brand.. products, people and, of course, football teams. But while there can be little doubt that internationally-known clubs such as Real Madrid and Manchester United merit the name, how many Dutch clubs can rightfully be described as brands. Well, the answer is "two", according to staff at the Erasmus University in Rotterdam. Branding, concludes Alexander M. de Bruin, is still in its early days in Dutch football. And if they do consider it, most see it as a way of boosting income, rather than a way of strengthening their equity with the public. The only two clubs to have gone beyond this are Ajax and Feyenoord, de Bruin says in his study "The Branding of Football Clubs." Teams with a strong brand have a better chance of survival, de Bruin believes. "That's why ABN Amro invests more in sponsorship with Ajax than Philips does with PSV", comments Frank van den Wall Bake, a sports marketer. According to Alexander de Brion, most clubs derive their identity from their origins. NAC is from the region of west Brabant, PSV from east Brabant, Heerenveen from Friesland and TC Twente from Tukkers, he says. Ajax and Feyenoord, on the other hand, have projection country-wide, which introduces additional elements into their brand character. Click on the link below (left) to visit the site of the advertising magazine Adformatie, where we read this article and where you can read it too, should you wish, in Dutch. Click on the link below (right) to visit the website of Erasmus University (which is pretty dull and not necessarily recommended). Click here to visit the website of the Ajax football club, or here to visit the site of Feyenoord, and decide for yourself which has the better brand.
07.05.04
Rebecca Loos, the Dutch diplomat's daughter who recently achieved world fame on the back of an alleged affair with the footballer, David Beckham, has signed a contract with the Dutch broadcaster, SBS6, writes the newspaper Algemeen Dagblad. Two weeks from now, on Monday, she will take over presentation duties on the entertainment programme, Shownieuws, the newspaper says. SBS6 has so far not commented on how much Loos - who is reported to have earned over €1 million for her disclosures relating to Beckham - will be paid for her six appearances, saying only that: "it's not what's been printed elsewhere in the press". For all those either in Holland or elsewhere but with Dutch satellite or cable TV, Loos makes her debut at 7.30pm on Monday. Following a two-week test period, neither party rules out extending the experiment. Click on the link below (left) to visit the site of Algemeen Dagblad, the newspaper where we read this article. Click on the link below (right) to visit the world of SBS6, as reported by the Textilia website.
05.05.04
Mexx is the leading fashion brand in the Netherlands, according to a survey published by the Dutch clothing trade journal, Textilia. After Mexx comes Esprit, with the lingerie brand Ten Cate placed third. The survey's findings are based on the number of outlets operated by each brand. Mexx currently has 2,005 stores, Textilia says, while Esprit has 1,995 and Ten Cate 1,472. The Dutch like their underwear to be fashionable, it seems, as Triumph and Sloggy both rate in the top 10. Others appearing in the ranking include jeans brand Cars, Bram's Paris, Serres and Schiesser. Click on the link below (left) to read more about this story, in Dutch, in the pages of the advertising magazine, Adformatie. Click on the link below (right) to visit the world of Dutch fashion, as reported by the Textilia website.
03.05.04
Albert Heijn, the supermarket chain, is ceasing its collaboration with Esso, writes the Dutch magazine, Marketing Online. The companies have agreed to phase out the eleven outlets currently operating on a test basis "by mutual consent". The test, whereby Albert Heijn-branded outlets were built into Esso service stations, has lasted about a year. Results, however, failed to match expectations and the shops will disappear before the end of this year. It's not the first time, says Marketing Online, that Albert Heijn has failed to make a success of working together with a major service station operator. At the beginning of the year 2000, the magazine says, the company teamed up with Shell in a similar venture. That, too, was ended "by mutual consent". Other Dutch supermarket chains to have tested collaboration with oil companies include Schuitema and Laurus. Again, both deals ended in a decision to go separate ways, as revenues failed to meet targets. Click on the link below (left) to read this story for yourself, in Dutch, on the website of Marketing Online. Click on the link below (right) to visit the website of Albert Heijn (AH), where, at the time of writing, this week's special offers include Pepsi, Hoegaarden beer and minced beef, down from €6.35 to €3.29 per kilo.
04.05.04
Journalists are too easily manipulated by big business and public relations companies, according to two professores from the University of Amsterdam. Despite the great freedom enjoyed by the Dutch press, say Frank van Vree and Mirjam Prenger, both business and the government influence output on a daily basis. The accusation comes in a book published by the two academics, called Schuivende Grenzen (Shifting Borders), in which van Vree and Prenger assert that, according to research conducted in other countries, as much as 80% of business news and 40% to 50% of business news is the result of press releases and other pubilc relations interventions. Although they have conducted no similar research in the Netherlands, van Vree and Prenger assert that: "there's no reason to believe that it should be any different here." Click on the link below (left) to visit the newspaper that gave us this story, de Volkskrant. Click on the link below (right) to visit the official Amsterdam website, just in case this article got you thinking about the city.
27.04.04
Heineken, known worldwide for its lager-style beer, is linking with Krups - known, among other things, for its home appliances, such as coffee machines - in a fresh approach at the beer-drinking market, writes the Dutch advertising magazine, Adformatie. From March 1st, Dutch drinkers will be able to buy a system jointly developed by the two companies, which allows them to enjoy fresh draught beer in the comfort of their own homes. Called BeerTender, the system is being trialled in the Netherlands before being rolled out in other countries in the coming months.Heineken is the principal driver behind the concept, Adformatie says, having so far invested seven years effort in perfecting the method, which involves dispensing beer from 4-litre barrels with an in-built pressure system. The barrels can be bought at supermarkets and off-licences and will cost, in the first instance, €4.49 (rising to €4.99 after an introductory period). The equipment is priced at €249, rising to €279 after the launch. To read more (in Dutch) about this system, which effectively turns every man (or woman) into his/her own barman, in his/her very own lounge, click on the link below (left) to visit the website specially set up to showcase BeerTender. Click on the link below (right) to send an e-mail to From Europe With Love, for example, to ask for more help in understanding what it is and how it works.
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