Brand Strategy articles from April 2008

Brand Strategy archives from April 2008

LEADER: China shows cracks.
April 8, 2008... With the benefit of hindsight - always crystal clear - it shouldn't have needed a fortune teller to predict that 2008 was going to be a tricky year for Brand China. While the number eight is traditionally feted as lucky in some parts...

MARKETING: Visa Europe ad campaign.
April 8, 2008... Visa Europe has launched a new ad campaign featuring a 'naked' man carrying only a credit card in the first of a series of Saatchi & Saatchi-created TV slots claiming 'Life flows better with Visa'. It is the first major campaign from the...

MARKETING: Official airline of football leagues.
April 8, 2008... American Airlines has signed a deal with Major League Soccer in the US to become the official airline of its football leagues. The company will have on-site ads, TV ads and in-game sponsorship options as a result of the deal. Copyright:...

MARKETING: Mercedes marketing tie-up.
April 8, 2008... Car brand Mercedes has developed a marketing tie-up with New Line Cinema's Sex and the City film, due out in May. The brand provided its vehicles and recreated its sponsored New York Fashion Week for the movie. The marketing president of the...

MARKETING: Frito-Lay campaign.
April 8, 2008... Frito-Lay has partnered solely with youth channel MTV on a campaign to promote a new Doritos product. The companies have created a dating 'miniseries' called Spicy & Sweet; its microsite has already achieved more than 13 million views with an...

MARKETING: New Balance ad campaign.
April 8, 2008... Sports brand New Balance is launching an ad campaign in an effort to double its sales to $3bn (#1.5bn) by 2012. The company has been losing market share to rival Nike and sources claim it will triple its marketing budget this year. ...

MARKETING: Pan-European ad campaign.
April 8, 2008... Sports-shoe brand Converse has launched a pan-European ad campaign to celebrate its 100-year anniversary. Converse will also release a limited-edition boot decorated with sketches, lyrics and writing from late singer Kurt Cobain's diary. ...

MARKETING: Renault to pull ads.
April 8, 2008... Renault has been ordered by the Advertising Standards Authority to pull 'eco' ads for its Twingo Dynamique car, which show the vehicle with the words 'eco-nomical, eco-logical' written on leaves coming out of the exhaust. It was ruled that...

MARKETING: Pernod Ricard ad campaign.
April 8, 2008... Pernod Ricard has launched a #1.5m advertising campaign for Jameson, targeting 25-to-34-year-old men globally by highlighting the drink's credentials as a premium, contemporary spirit. Print ads will be supported by live music sponsorship....

MARKETING: McDonald's internal blog.
April 8, 2008... McDonald's has created an internal blog system - Channel M - to help its US and Canadian employees at nearly 15,000 locations to stay in touch. The two-way channel, which features English, French and Spanish, will also be used to convey...

MARKETING: Starbucks blog.
April 8, 2008... Starbucks is using a social network - My Starbucks Idea - to tap into consumer feedback. People can vote on others' tips for the business, which will receive 'points'. The company will also use a new blog, Ideas in Action, to keep people...

LAUNCHES/REBRANDS: Natural cola drink.
April 8, 2008... Red Bull is launching a 'natural' cola drink at the end of April. It will be marketed as a premium drink and is the firm's first move into the cola market. It follows the launch of Pepsi Raw, another cola drink made from 'natural'...

LAUNCHES/REBRANDS: HSBC credit card.
April 8, 2008... HSBC is launching a 'green' credit card with the charitable foundation headed by actor Leonardo DiCaprio. The card will initially be available in Hong Kong and will be rolled out to other regions if it is successful. Rival Virgin Money has...

LAUNCHES/REBRANDS: Mango launches at Selfridges.
April 8, 2008... Spanish fashion retailer Mango has launched its latest designer collaboration range, MNG by Osman Yousefzada, exclusively at UK department store Selfridges, ahead of a wider distribution in which the range of 10 dresses will be available at 200...

LAUNCHES/REBRANDS: Madonna's new album.
April 8, 2008... Telecoms giant Vodafone has partnered with Warner Music to exclusively launch Madonna's new album, Hard Candy, on mobile. Starting on April 21, seven of the album's tracks will be released at a rate of one a day, counting down the week...

LAUNCHES/REBRANDS: Orange music download service.
April 8, 2008... Mobile brand Orange has finally launched its long-awaited, ad-supported music download service, offering users more than 500 tracks free or discounted, the cost of which is covered by brand advertisers including Paramount Pictures and Ford....

LAUNCHES/REBRANDS: BeautyBank plans.
April 8, 2008... BeautyBank has announced plans to launch the first beauty brand specifically created for television retail. The subsidiary of Estee Lauder has developed the brand exclusively for sale on shopping and lifestyle channel HSN and its website. It is...

FINANCIAL: Tata buys classic UK marques.
April 8, 2008... India's Tata Motors has bought the classic UK car marques Jaguar and Land Rover from Ford. Tata has around 20% of the Indian car market and is paying $2.3bn (#1.1bn) for the combined brands, while Ford will contribute around $600m (#300m) to...

FINANCIAL: Sainsbury's sales figures.
April 8, 2008... Supermarket Sainsbury's has reported a 4.1% rise in like-for-like sales excluding fuel in the 12 weeks to March 2008. The results, which beat analysts' forecasts of 3.7%, come at the end of a three-year revival programme that has boosted...

FINANCIAL: Bank of China profit.
April 8, 2008... The Bank of China has reported a 31% rise in net profit for 2007 to 56.3bn yuan (#4bn), despite exposure to the sub-prime mortgage crisis of around $5bn (#2.5bn). Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and licensors

FINANCIAL: AOL buys Bebo.
April 8, 2008... AOL has cemented its recent claims to be a content business, rather than solely an internet provider, by paying $850m (#425m) for youth- focused social networking site Bebo. The brand's rival, Myspace, was bought by News Corporation for $580m...

FINANCIAL: Motorola move.
April 8, 2008... Motorola has announced it will be split into two business units from 2009. One division will make mobile phones, while the other will handle other communications equipment. The move comes after the phones unit lost $1.2bn (#600m) in 2007 and...

NUMBERS: Conference Board.
April 8, 2008... US consumer confidence has fallen to a five-year low, according to the Conference Board report. Consumer confidence in the economy going forward is at its worst level for 34 years. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and licensors

APPOINTMENTS: Bauer Consumer Media.(appointment of Andria Vidler )(Brief article)
April 8, 2008... Andria Vidler has been promoted to the role of chief marketing officer for Bauer Consumer Media (BCM). She will be responsible for all BCM's brands - including titles Heat and Grazia - across magazines, radio and TV. Vidler joined BCM (then...

APPOINTMENTS: Thresher Group.
April 8, 2008... UK drinks retailer Thresher Group has announced the appointment of Vibha Hardaker as group marketing director. Hardaker joins the company from AS Watson, where she was head of brand and in-store communications across the Superdrug and Savers...

APPOINTMENTS: AOL Europe.
April 8, 2008... Jonathan Lister has taken up the position of senior vice president of operations for European business at AOL. Lister joined the firm in 2001 as director for interactive marketing for AOL Canada and became general manager there in 2006. He...

APPOINTMENTS: Molson Coors Brewing.
April 8, 2008... Molson Coors Brewing Company has announced that Dave Perkins has been appointed to the new position of president, global brand and market development. He has been promoted from the role of global chief commercial officer following the merger...

TRENDSPOTTER: For your eyes only.
April 8, 2008... Telecoms can be free: as long as you watch the ads. Jo Roberts reports In this expensive era, face-to-face chatting sometimes appears to be the only free mode of communication, but often even this will come with the cost of a cup of...

BRAND STUNT OF THE MONTH: A Pat on the back.
April 8, 2008... Bakery Irwin's went for a record on St Patrick's Day, writes Jo Roberts St Patrick's Day - the celebration of Ireland's patron saint - is normally ushered in with a pint of Guinness or two around the world. But this year, celebrations...

OPINION: Online life is just like the real thing.
April 8, 2008... Robin Harper, vice president of marketing and community development at Linden Lab, creator of Second Life, says don't be scared of virtual worlds You have to follow certain rules when marketing to customers, whether it is in the real...

OPINION: Growing a brand without diluting it.
April 8, 2008... Sean Harrington, managing director at Elemis, argues that understanding customer needs must be at the heart of strategy to find new business It's important to see customers as individuals, rather than parts of a faceless mass-market...

BRAND THERAPY - JD WEATHERSPOON: A healthier atmosphere.
April 8, 2008... Pub brand JD Wetherspoon, a staple of many high streets in the UK, reported a 13% drop in profits in the six months to the end of January this year. The 29-year-old chain saw its pre-tax profits drop to just #28.5m. The group saw growing...

GLOBAL TRENDS WATCH - ONLINE DATING: The big match.
April 8, 2008... New online dating sites are overcoming the stigma of seeking love on the internet by adopting ideas from more general social networking sites, such as Facebook. Ruth Mortimer reports A few years ago, if you wanted to meet a nice girl or...

PROFILE - NICOLETTA GELLI: Immaculate perception.(Walt Disney Co. Walt Disney Studios)(Occupation overview)
April 8, 2008... Nicoletta Gelli, vice president of brand marketing, Disney Channels EMEA, has an affinity for detail that makes her ideal for taking a perfectionist brand into Europe. Ruth Mortimer talks to her Nicoletta Gelli, vice president of brand...

PROFILE - NICOLETTA GELLI: Breaking the cultural barriers.
April 8, 2008... Nicoletta Gelli explains to Ruth Mortimer how Disney has successfully given its brands local appeal and scored huge successes in cultures very different from America RM: How is the Disney Channel's brand managed? How much strategy comes...

CASE STUDY - PAYPAL: Plug and pay.
April 8, 2008... Online financial transaction service PayPal has grown from being a smart way to pay on eBay to a thriving global brand, but organised crime is still a threat to consumer trust. Jo Roberts reports Many people know the joy of sitting at home,...

REVISITING STRATEGIES: Once more with feeling.(Company overview)
April 8, 2008... Many brands are trying to revive their old magic by bringing back successful slogans, icons and even senior executives from the past. But it's not always a foolproof solution, writes Jo Roberts It's not often that one can (or should) draw...

REVISITING STRATEGIES: CASE STUDY - Green & Black's.(Green & Black's Ltd.)(Case study)
April 8, 2008... Green & Black's organic chocolate is going global. The UK organic brand has set its sights on bringing its cocoa-intensive taste to international consumers. But rather than looking for new blood to take the brand forward, it asked Mark...

REVISITING STRATEGIES: CASE STUDY - Tizer.
April 8, 2008... Sometimes it pays to go back to your roots. Tizer, AG Barr's carbonated drink, has returned to its beginnings to find a recipe that suits modern consumers. The brand is appealing to health-conscious palates by ditching artificial...

REVISITING STRATEGIES: Brands that have brought back marketing icons.
April 8, 2008... Sugar Puffs The Honey Monster is the furry figurehead of breakfast cereal Sugar Puffs. Although the brand icon has never left the front of packets of the cereal, he has been away from the television for many years. A new #3.2m ($1.7m)...

SOCIAL PURPOSE VEHICLES: Get into a smart vehicle.
April 8, 2008... Special purpose vehicles are a new strategy for brand and business management. Stuart Whitwell explains how they can smarten up your operation The myth of marketing as a subset of general business management needs to be exorcised....

IN-GAME ADVERTISING: Win a high score with gamers.
April 8, 2008... As games take a central place in the living room, Ed Bartlett says brands cannot ignore the opportunities to sell themselves in a virtual environment Since Sony launched its first PlayStation console in 1995, videogaming has enjoyed a...

IN-GAME ADVERTISING: Futurecasting.
April 8, 2008... How will current technologies, media spending trends and consumer habits and attitudes shape the in-game media landscape in the next few years and beyond? Play and buy One of the most applicable extensions of in-game advertising - and...

RUSSIAN BANKS: Banking with the bear.
April 8, 2008... Can Russia's bank brands forget the past without losing consumer trust? Clive Woodger reports on home-grown methods to build financial brands the Russian way Russia is still seen by many as the 'Wild East', which is not helped by its...

MOVING BEYOND SMS: Moving beyond the SMS.
April 8, 2008... How can brands use new mobile technologies and get consumers wanting more? Paran Johar discusses the key to successful integrated mobile marketing Mobile is absolutely everywhere. The proliferation of mobile usage, beyond voice calls and...

BOOK REVIEW: Rich pickings.(Book review)
April 8, 2008... The Middle Class Millionaire: the Rise of the New Rich and How They are Changing America By Russ Alan Prince and Lewis Schiff Published by Currency $23.95 (#12.16) Nick Murray, head of planning at Euro RSCG KLP, is entertained -...

BOOK REVIEW: Three from me - Nick Murray.(Book review)
April 8, 2008... Blink By Malcolm Gladwell Penguin 2006 Gladwell aims to convince readers that their snap judgements and first impressions can be understood. He shows us that we have reactions to people's appearance that trigger a powerful set of...

From the bookshelf of Chris North.(Book review)
April 8, 2008... Chris North, chairman of agency FHD The Rules of The Game By Andrew Gordon I first read The Rules of the Game about five years ago. It's about the Battle of Jutland in 1916, during the First World War. The book goes through the...

CONSUMER CONFIDENCE SURVEY: A question of confidence.
April 8, 2008... Consumer confidence has dropped among UK consumers to a 13-year low as fears grow about a global recession. People appear to be generally gloomy about the outlook ahead, although they are not yet overly concerned about their own personal...

Brand Stats: April.
April 8, 2008... Market focus Convenience meals Consumption of convenience meals in Britain, France, Germany and Spain has increased steadily over the past five years. In Germany, the proportion of adults aged over 15 who eat them has risen from 43%...

FASHION AND BRANDING: Riding the trend tiger.
April 8, 2008... Should brands seek tie-ins with fashion labels to boost their profiles, especially with young people, or is the risk of damaging the marque too high? Industry players discuss their insights with Brand Strategy BS: Why build relationships...

RETAILER CASE STUDY: Open to ideas.
April 8, 2008... Mass-market stores intimidate customers, claims retail brand Opening Ceremony. It wants to make shopping an entertaining hobby while showcasing young design talent. Maeve Hosea reports Fashion labels often claim to be cutting-edge and...

COUTURE COLLABORATIONS: Hitting the street.
April 8, 2008... Taking couture labels to the high street is tricky. It can open up a lucrative new market - or kill a brand. Maeve Hosea asks the experts which collaborations they think have succeeded or failed High fashion turning up on the high street...

FASHION TRENDS: Can't fight the feeling.
April 8, 2008... Patrick Syms considers how brands in every sector can learn to behave like fashion marques by focusing on emotion, rather than functionality The combined effect of increased affluence, overabundance in many markets and widespread price...

IMAGE COMMUNICATION: Shift from pouts to smiles.
April 8, 2008... Fashion brands that take themselves too seriously risk losing favour as consumers warm up to labels that can laugh at themselves, says Moa Hellstrom People are now bored by perfection without character and fashion labels with an...

UK CLOTHING RETAIL: Rulers of the high street.
April 8, 2008... For millions of European consumers, fashion is about fun and having a good time. A massive E311.6 billion (#244.4 billion), including sales tax, was spent on clothing in 2006 across 19 European countries, including the 16 Western European...

STATISTICS: The style counsel.
April 8, 2008... What are the most important consumer trends that are set to influence the fashion world in 2009 and 2010? Style-Vision looks into the future Trend 1: male territory While traditional gender correctness is still dictating many men's...