Media&Marketing:  Last week's statement from the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland (BCI) on the outcome from phase two of the development of the children's advertising code has received a mixed response from marketers.

One effect of the proposed code would be to ban the use of celebrities and programme characters from food advertising going to air. Immediately affected by such a ban would be Walkers, whose brand in the UK and Ireland has been built through celebrity endorsers such as Gary Lineker and Roy Keane.

One industry source said that the code would force advertising off BCI-licensed stations such as Network 2 and TV3, with advertisers shifting expenditure to the opt-out slots available on stations such as MTV and Nickelodeon.

Given the high production costs of television advertising, there will probably be a temptation to use the UK ad versions on such channels, adding a double blow to the Irish sector.

The advertising sector will be somewhat relieved that the BCI did not accede to demands to implement a blanket ban on advertising of food and drink to children.

However, the determination of a child to be any person under 18 years, albeit with a scale of indexation, could pose some programme scheduling issues for broadcasters. Shows with an audience of 51 per cent are more of under 18s will fall under the ambit of the new code.

The BCI has undertaken to have a review of the code one year after its launch this July.

Denny eyes Bloomsday

With the shamrock well and truly drowned, tourism chiefs will be turning their attention to the next festival offering a strong international visitor appeal.

Starting in April, the marketing opportunities presented by the centenary of Leopold Bloom's meanderings are being exploited to the full with more than 50 separate events scheduled around the big day on 16th June.

Denny has been confirmed as sponsor of a massive Bloomsday breakfast for 10,000 people to take place on Dublin's O'Connell Street on June 13th.

The financial expense of running festivals has led to an increased sophistication on the part of organisers in their approaches to potential sponsors. Marketing teams are more receptive to event sponsorship where there is a clear and measurable link to their objectives in terms of branding and sales.

Incidentally, on a recent visit to Edinburgh, I was struck by how the festivals "market" is seen as the key element in attracting visitors to the city, with significant investment being made to integrate all the city festivals through one marketing arm and internet portal.

The city also seems to be stealing a march on Dublin as a literary hotspot, with its current campaign for World Tourism Organisation designation as Europe's first literary heritage capital.

Surely we have something to say about that!

Tesco moves into media

Tesco UK has announced plans to develop an in-store TV network in 100 of its largest outlets by June, reaching more than four million shoppers weekly.

The move is further evidence of the expansion of what is termed ambient media - non-traditional media channels embracing such diverse vehicles as shopping trolleys, bus shelters and ATM confirmation slips.

With traditional advertising media audiences fragmenting, the appeal of reaching customers at the point of purchase is obvious.

A spokesperson for JC Decaux, who will handle media sales on behalf of Tesco, said they expect that the service could take up to 1 per cent of total TV advertising money when fully operational.

Advertisers will be able to specify which specific aisles they want their messages to appear on.

However, one Irish media buyer interviewed for this column was cautious about the medium's appeal and questioned whether the stressful and busy context of shopping would suit those advertisers who needed to build a brand message.

Nonetheless, trials in the UK and US have shown that, in the case of price-led promotions, the lift in sales was up to 25 per cent.

A spokesperson for Tesco Ireland said that they have no immediate plans to roll out the service to Irish stores

Brand explanation

UK branding consultancy, Interbrand, has reported a scientific explanation for the impact of brands.

Prof Read Montague of the Baylor College of Medicine, gave a taste of unnamed soda to his volunteers and found that most people preferred Pepsi, with a brain scan revealing a response rate that was five-times stronger than that for Coke.

When the experiment was repeated with volunteers being told the identity of the soda, there was almost universal preference for Coke.

It was found that different parts of the brain were agitated when the brands were revealed. Whilst this reversal of the Pepsi challenge findings has been demonstrated by experiments in Irish marketing classrooms, the research does point to brands having an impact that extends beyond that of recall and perception.

The implication for marketing science and practice are troubling and has led to the beginnings of a backlash against what is euphemistically termed neuromarketing.

Getting directly to the point

According to the recent Data Protection Amendment Act 2003 (section 2.8), direct marketers are obliged to notify prospects of their intention to communicate with them for the purposes of direct marketing and to inform them of the source of the data being used (i.e. where exactly they got their contact details from). The office of the data protection commissioner has adopted a practical interpretation of the new amendment since it came in to force a number of months ago.

Rather than having to notify people in advance, it is accepted that direct marketers can inform the person being contacted of where they acquired their contact details the first time they contact the person.

Welcoming the move for the direct marketing sector, Mr Peter Whelehan of Direct Marketing Campaign Management said it made sense and that recipients, whilst receiving just one communication, would have the reassurance of being informed of where their name was acquired.

Direct marketing awards

The Irish Direct Marketing Association, has launched the 15th Anniversary IDMA Awards 2004. Recognised as the biggest awards in the marketing industry, the competition attracts a huge number of entries each year.

The winners will be announced at a gala dinner hosted by Ray D'Arcy at the Burlington Hotel, Dublin on April 16th. Closing dates for entries is March 24th.

"The growth in the direct marketing industry has been phenomenal in recent years. The industry is valued at an estimated €550 million per year," said IDMA executive Mr Kieran Killeen. "We anticipate a further 50 per cent growth over the next three years. As other marketing sectors have seen budgets slashed and campaigns put on hold, direct marketing has continued to grow rapidly."

• Alex Gibson is a senior lecturer in marketing at the School of Hospitality Management and Tourism, DIT.