Choclairs sold to Neilson
Warner-Lambert Canada has sold its Choclairs chocolate bar brand to Neilson Cadbury, a division of Toronto-based William Neilson.
Robert Clouston, president of Warner-Lambert, says the sale reflects the company’s decision to commit its resources ‘to our flagship confectionery brands.’
Warner-Lambert’s core brands include Trident, Clorets, Halls and Dentyne, which it handles under its Adams Brands division.
Warner launched Choclairs in 1990 through its Dalin Chocolate division.
Earlier this year, the company sold its other chocolate brands, including Junior Mints, to Chicago-based Tootsie Roll Industries.
Volkswagen changes path
In a sudden change of direction, Volkswagen Canada will spend as much as 10% of its 1994 marketing budget on promotions and event marketing, according to a senior company executive.
During recent years, the car company targetted only a minimal portion of its marketing budget towards promotions and event marketing.
And then, says Andrew Bergstrom, Volkswagen’s team leader of image and marketing, the programs were run on an ‘ad hoc basis.’
According to Bergstrom, Volkswagen has appointed several members of its marketing staff to head up the new marketing efforts, which will be integrated into the automaker’s corporate and brand image campaigns.
DDB Needham, Volkswagen’s ad agency, has also assigned several employees to handle the program from its end of the business.
Volkswagen’s 1994 fiscal year begins Jan. 1.
Laurentian becomes Boreal
Laurentian General Insurance has changed its name to Boreal Assurances in Quebec and Boreal Insurance in English Canada.
In b.c., where the company was previously known as Laurentian Pacific, the new name will be Boreal Pacific.
The name change follows the Montreal-based company’s recent divestment from its former parent, The Laurentian Group.
Geyser Branding Consultants of Montreal handled the name change. Grapheme Communication Design, a sister firm of Geyser, created a new logo and visual identity.
Granada opens new site
Granada Canada has opened a new store in Saint John, n.b., marking only its second location in Atlantic Canada.
The Toronto-based appliance company, which has 40 stores across Canada, also has a store in Halifax.
Sundial enters into venture with Club Z
Sundial Homes and Zellers’ Club Z program have joined forces to offer first-time home buyers Club Z points. The Toronto-based residential builder has linked up with Zellers to offer one million Club Z points each for the purchase of one of 100 homes in two of its Toronto area residential developments. In addition, people visiting two of Sundial’s sales offices can win one of five prizes of one million Club Z points. The $200,000 traffic-building program will be advertised in The Toronto Star and The Toronto Sun, by direct mail and through Club Z signs on model homes.
McGraw-Hill goes legal
Publisher McGraw-Hill Ryerson is jumping into the legal publishing field with both feet. It has just launched a $500,000 campaign to introduce CanCite, The Canadian Citations System, a legal research product available in print or on-line through QL Systems Quicklaw service. The advance system of citations research took a 50-member team of lawyers and researchers five years to compile.
The campaign, being handled by Campbell & Michener of Toronto, will address a variety of target audiences with exhibits, direct mail, telemarketing and legal media advertising.
Pizza Nova eyes Chinese market
Pizza Nova, a leading Toronto pizza franchise, will start targetting Toronto’s Chinese community in the new year. A special ‘Chinese Menu’ has been created, consisting of a large pizza, Caesar salad and three Cokes (the number ‘3’ is a lucky one in Chinese culture). The package has been named using a Chinese idiom which translates, literally, as ‘the three special items which come right to your door.’
The menu and accompanying radio campaign, which will air on the Canadian Chinese Broadcasting Corporation, were created in conjunction with Justin Poy Media. If the results are positive, Pizza Nova will continue to actively target the Chinese community using radio, tv and print.
