Brand Strategy articles from February 2007

Brand Strategy archives from February 2007

LEADER: The real deal.(www.stardoll.com)
February 5, 2007... When I was a small girl, my friends and I owned Barbie dolls. Some of us even owned the slightly less glamorous British contemporary Sindy. We spent weekends buying miniature clothing for these dolls and dressing them up in various guises -...

News Round up - Marketing: Shirt sponsorship.(Real Madrid)(Brief article)
February 5, 2007... Football club Real Madrid claims it is about to sign the world's biggest shirt sponsorship deal. It will replace BenQ-Siemens, which filed for bankruptcy last September. The E100m (#65.5m) BenQ deal was due to last until 2010. Juventus...

News Round up - Marketing: Norway rules iTunes illegal.
February 5, 2007... Norway is the first European country to rule that Apple's iTunes service is illegal, due to its incompatibility with competitors' devices, thus breaking the country's consumer protection laws. Sweden and Finland back Norway's view but are...

News Round up - Marketing: Global marketing partnership.(MTV Networks Inc. and Body Shop Inc. enters marketing agreement)(Brief article)
February 5, 2007... MTV and The Body Shop have announced a global marketing partnership aiming to raise awareness and money for the fight against HIV and AIDS. The Spray To Change Attitudes campaign will be shown on TV and online while a special-edition fragrance,...

News Round up - Marketing: Network partner.
February 5, 2007... Mercedes-Benz is linking up with a TV programme on the Resort Sports Network which looks at multimillionaire homes. It joins car brands Jeep, Chevrolet, Subaru, Volkswagen and Nissan, which already use the network as a partner. ...

News Round up - Marketing: HP hoping to reach younger customers.(Hewlett-Packard Co.)(Brief article)
February 5, 2007... Hewlett-Packard is hoping to reach younger, tech-savvy customers with a pan-European viral media 'Tearunning' campaign. Designed to promote the HP AMD nx6325, it features a free-running expert going on an office- style tea run and it is part...

News Round up - Marketing: ntl Telewest rebrands.(Brief article)
February 5, 2007... UK media company ntl Telewest has rebranded as Virgin Media and launches in February 2007 with an advertising campaign fronted by actress Uma Thurman. The company will offer up Britain's first quadplay bundle of digital TV, broadband, mobile...

News Round up - Marketing: Carphone Warehouse sponsorship.
February 5, 2007... Telecoms retailer Carphone Warehouse has pulled its #3m sponsorship of Endemol and Channel 4's Big Brother programme, after accusations that the participants were engaging in racial bullying of another contestant, Bollywood star Shilpa...

News Round up - Launches and rebrands: Guess jewellery collection.
February 5, 2007... Fashion clothing and watch brand Guess is launching a jewellery collection and opening nine stores in 2007. It comes as part of a plan for the brand's global expansion and aims to boost its European profile. Copyright: Centaur...

News Round up - Launches and rebrands: Ford news.
February 5, 2007... Ford is launching a test 'green' hybrid vehicle called the Edge. But the company says it must still overcome technical and cost hurdles before it could be sold to the mass market. Ford is also launching a new in-car communications system to...

News Round up - Financial: Bumper quarter for sales.(Apple Inc.)(Financial report)(Brief article)
February 5, 2007... Apple has reported a bumper quarter for sales and profits driven by a strong increase in sales of iPods and Mac computers. Net income rose to $1 bn (#504m), almost doubling year on year. Sales rose 24% to $7.1 bn (#3.6 bn). The company sold...

News Round up - Financial: Decline in store sales.
February 5, 2007... Gap has reported a 8% year-on-year decline in store sales over the Christmas period. The company is reportedly considering a sale of the business or some of its divisions and chief executive Paul Pressler has resigned with a reported $14m...

News Round up - Financial: SAB Miller reports strong sales.(Financial report)(Brief article)
February 5, 2007... SAB Miller says it sold 10% more beer in the quarter to January after expanding in emerging markets such as China and India. The company, which brews Pilsner and Peroni, has also reported strong sales in Europe and South America, but North...

News Round up - Financial: Burberry sales rise.(Financial report)
February 5, 2007... Burberry's sales rose 22% to #206m in the three months to January as more shoppers bought accessories such as wallets, shoes and handbags. The luxury-goods maker has widened its range of accessories to fuel sales and speed up expansion of...

News Round up - Financial: Sony Ericsson profit.(Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB)(Financial report)(Brief article)
February 5, 2007... Sony Ericsson has revealed that profit tripled in the last quarter of 2006 to E447m (#293m) on sales of its handsets that double up as digital cameras and music players. The world's fourth-biggest mobile- phone maker generated more revenue in...

News Round up - Financial: M&S sales increase.
February 5, 2007... Marks & Spencer has reported a sixth straight quarterly sales increase thanks to gains in fashion. Sales at stores open at least a year rose 5.6% in the quarter to January as adverts featuring Twiggy and Shirley Bassey boosted clothing...

News Round up - Financial: HMV announces first-half loss.(Financial report)
February 5, 2007... HMV has announced a first-half loss after cutting prices of CDs and DVDs to compete with the supermarkets and online rivals. The net loss was #26m after a year-earlier profit of #100,000. The group, which also owns Waterstone's bookshops, saw a...

News Round up - Financial: Strongest European sales in 15 years.(McDonald's Corp.)(Financial report)(Brief article)
February 5, 2007... McDonald's has reported its strongest European sales in 15 years, with profits doubling in the last three months of 2006, compared to the same period in 2005. Profits reached $1.2bn (#609m), up from $608.5bn (#304m). Analysts attribute the...

News Round up - Numbers: Most innovative nation.
February 5, 2007... The US is the world's most innovative nation, according to the Global Innovation Index for World Business by INSEAD. It was followed by Germany, the UK, Japan and France. Emerging economies India, China and Russia were ranked as 23rd, 29th...

APPOINTMENTS: Unilever.
February 5, 2007... Unilever has brought in Michael Treschow, chairman of Swedish companies Ericsson and Electrolux, to replace Antony Burgmans as chairman of the Anglo-Dutch conglomerate in May. Treschow is the first outsider to fill the position at Unilever....

APPOINTMENTS: Beam Global Spirits & Wine.
February 5, 2007... Beam Global Spirits & Wine has named former Wrigley executive Rory Finlay as chief marketing officer. In this role Finlay will oversee global marketing strategies for the company's portfolio of spirits which include Jim Beam, Canadian Club,...

APPOINTMENTS: Porsche Cars North America.(David Pryor promoted as vice president of marketing)(Brief article)
February 5, 2007... Porsche Cars North America has promoted David Pryor to the position of vice president of marketing. In his new position, he will be responsible for all aspects of Porsche's marketing strategy and advertising in North America. He was formerly a...

APPOINTMENTS: Bebo.(Joanna Shields appointed)(Brief article)
February 5, 2007... Social networking site Bebo has appointed Joanna Shields as president, international to focus on expanding international business. Shields was formerly managing director of strategic partnerships for Google EMEA. The service is the third...

Trendspotter: Cash for content.(tapping consumer potential)
February 5, 2007... Reinier Evers heralds the arrival of Generation C(ash) Consumer-generated content has been around for several years. But now the savvy users who help to build brands are expecting payment for their services. They see themselves as...

Brand Stunt of the Month: Bloggers' bonanza.
February 5, 2007... Claudine Baker reports on Microsoft's stunt with 'no strings attached' Microsoft has dished out some sweeteners ahead of the launch of its Windows Vista programme by sending out what it has described as free 'review computers' to a...

OPINION: Feeling good about yourself.(Firefly Tonics)
February 5, 2007... Harry Briggs and Marcus Waley-Cohen, founders of drinks company Firefly, argue that the new luxury trend is about treating yourself and other people well You can't miss the media hype around the virtues of being ethical. Global warming...

OPINION: Coke in the community.(Coca-Cola Co.'s marketing strategies)
February 5, 2007... Tim Kopp, vice president of interactive marketing at Coca-Cola, urges brands to engage consumers in a world where on- and offline is blending There are three key forces operating at the moment in the marketing world - changes in media,...

BRAND BECKHAM: Bigger bucks for Beckham?
February 5, 2007... In the last few months, David Beckham has lost his captaincy of the English team and his European playing career has drawn to a close. As a brand aiming for global celebrity, he has announced a move to the bright lights of California, Major...

FREECYCLE: Stig of the dump.
February 5, 2007... Freecycle appeals to the consumer in all of us but also does its bit towards reducing landfill and combatting global warming. Maeve Hosea discusses how the brand can build on its ethical enterprise John is after decor and a fridge for his...

PROFILE - MATTHEW WELCH: Welch on wooing.(chief marketing officer of internet dating service Match.com)(Biography)
February 5, 2007... Maeve Hosea fixes a date with Match.com's chief marketing officer, Matt Welch, and discusses what romance means to him and how he enjoys facilitating life-changing relationships for others In London, I sit at one side of a wide...

Q&A - MATTHEW WELCH: The man who plays Cupid.
February 5, 2007... Maeve Hosea asks Matthew Welch why he loves the matchmaking business and how it is possible to market an intangible product or service such as online dating MH: What sets Match.com apart from other brands in the dating sector? MW:...

CASE STUDY - AMERICAN EXPRESS: Card of conscience.
February 5, 2007... American Express has shifted from the elitist, members-only branding of the 1980s and recently taken on a more altruistic role with the launch of the RED card. Ruth Mortimer discusses its strategy Supermodel Gisele Bundchen rests her...

REGULATION: Legislating for success.
February 5, 2007... As the debate surrounding health and obesity continues apace and the marketing environment becomes increasingly regulated, Claudine Baker asks if it can be used as a creative spur for innovative branding 'Ai Wo Zhonghua' - 'Love the...

REGULATION: Case study - Hongtashan and Hongta Group.
February 5, 2007... Hongtashan is China's best-selling cigarette brand, established in 1959 and produced by Hongta Group, China's largest tobacco maker. It takes its name from the location of its main production facility, Hongtashan Hill ('Red Pagoda Hill') in...

REGULATION: Top tips for regulatory developments in 2007.
February 5, 2007... Nutrition and health claims on food Europe is strengthening and harmonising the rules around food nutritional and health claims. The new rules will apply to packaging and advertising. As of autumn 2007, it could be that food manufacturers...

SEMIOTICS: Falling in love with ourselves.(understanding brand narcissism )
February 5, 2007... Greg Rowland argues that brands need to take back power from self- obsessed, narcissistic consumers before their equities become eroded Here's a puzzle for you. What theme connects binge drinkers, drug addicts, road rage, obese people, Big...

MARKETING MANAGEMENT: Home truths and flaws.
February 5, 2007... Sally Bibb debates with Wharton Emeritus professor Russ Ackoff, about the truths of working life that marketers often choose to ignore How many meetings have you been to where you sit thinking 'this will never work', 'customers are never...

DESIGN: Global grand designs.
February 5, 2007... Piers Guilar provides a light-hearted account of the themes discussed at the recent International Design Partnership global network event In the 1993 film Demolition Man, John Spartan (Sylvester Stallone) wakes up into a very different...

CONSUMER CHOICE: Going from push to pull.
February 5, 2007... David Williams argues that in this era of permission-based marketing, consumer brand directors must learn from their business-to-business colleagues Imagine opening your newspaper or logging onto your internet-enabled phone and seeing...

GENERATION Y RESEARCH: What makes 'y' tick.(capturing echo boomers' market)
February 5, 2007... Crispin Reed breaks down the generation Y demographic and explains how brands can capture and inspire the seven typical archetypes of this segment A great deal has been written about 'generation Y' since the term was first coined in 1993...

BOOK REVIEW: A fruitful enterprise.(Book review)
February 5, 2007... Juicing the Orange: How to Turn Creativity into a Powerful Business Advantage y Pat Fallon and Fred Senn Published by Harvard Business School Press #15.99 Kevin Keohane, head of engagement consulting at brand consultancy Enterprise IG...

From the bookshelf of...Cameron Day.(You Can't Take It With You)(Brief article)(Book review)
February 5, 2007... Cameron Day, new business director at RPM You Can't Take It With You by Jane Tomlinson Published by Simon & Schuster Ltd, #16.99 At some point in our lives, we - or someone we love - will be affected by a form of cancer. It's...

Brand Stats: February 2007.(Brief article)(Statistical data)
February 5, 2007... Market focus Cola across Europe Overall cola consumption across four European countries - France, Germany the UK and Spain - has seen a steady increase from 104 million drinkers (54% of the respondents) in 2000 to 118 million today (60%)....

RUSSIAN REPUTATION: Russian roulette.
February 5, 2007... A senior panel of business people and brand experts discuss the challenges of growing brands in Russia's rapidly evolving economy. Are Western perceptions holding back business opportunities? Brand Strategy: What are the major challenges...

CASE STUDY - BALTIKA: Baltika beer comes in from the cold.
February 5, 2007... Home-grown beer brand Baltika is under pressure as a plethora of alternatives come to market. Teimur Akhundov explains why Russia's rapidly evolving consumer trends mean that success isn't a given Baltika beer is post-Perestroika Russia's...

Brand strategy - Russian reality.
February 5, 2007... Clive Woodger refutes some Western perceptions of Russia and describes the local consumer mindset. How can brands fulfil their potential in this tarnished yet flourishing commercial environment? If branding is about image and reputation,...

CASE STUDY - TELECOMMUNICATIONS: Ringing changes for Russian telecoms.(Interview)
February 5, 2007... Morag Cuddeford Jones talks to Dmitri Krylov, Sistema's deputy chief executive, marketing, about the developing Russian telecoms market and how the brand is exploring Western technology and practice MCJ: Sistema is the corporate umbrella...

CASE STUDY - TELECOMMUNICATIONS: Sistema facts.(Company overview)(Brief article)
February 5, 2007... Founded in 1993, Sistema is the largest consumer services private sector company in Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States with more than 60 million customers. Sistema's main business areas: * Telecommunications (MTS, Sky...

MARKETING MESSAGES: Locating the big Russian soul.
February 5, 2007... Aaron Shields discovers the Russians' flamboyant nature is largely misunderstood, and even patronised, by marketers in the West. Western brands, particularly FMCGs, should take heed Growing up in Canada, I had the impression that Russians...

ALCOHOLIC DRINKS MARKET: A national palliative.
February 5, 2007... Anne Nugent explains that while Russians remain attached to their water of life, Western brands are also proving an irresistible draw for the growing number of middle-class consumers Russians drink vodka like water. Which is just as well,...