Brand Strategy articles from July 2007

Brand Strategy archives from July 2007

LEADER: The full measure.(Editorial)
July 9, 2007... Fred Reichheld, management guru at Bain and author of the seminal business book The Loyalty Effect, claims that he realised customer loyalty was in trouble when he went to an airport. As he was fast- tracked through immigration, he chatted with...

MARKETING: MTV realty show.
July 9, 2007... MTV Networks and Hewlett-Packard are creating user-generated content and interactive features for the newly-commissioned second series of their multi-platform reality show Meet or Delete. The programme follows students who choose a new band...

MARKETING: Zwinktopia deals.(Brief article)
July 9, 2007... Fashion-conscious virtual world Zwinktopia, launched earlier this year by IAC/InterActiveCorp, has signed deals with music stars including rapper 50 Cent, The Clash, Sex Pistols and Slipknot to sell goods from the site. There are...

MARKETING: Anchor Butter campaign.
July 9, 2007... Arla Foods-owned Anchor Butter has launched a #3m television advertising campaign across the UK highlighting its repositioning as a free-range product. The campaign uses images of people in buttercup fields to communicate its 'natural' status....

MARKETING: Red Bull 3D cinema ad.
July 9, 2007... Driving awareness for its first London air race, energy drink Red Bull has launched the UK's first ever 3D cinema advertisement. The #1.2m marketing campaign will also include 125,000-foot Red Bull Air Race logos visible on flight paths into...

MARKETING: Spice Girls reform.
July 9, 2007... The Spice Girls, the biggest-ever girl-band brand, have reformed for a world tour. The group sold 55 million records and had nine UK number ones with sponsorships ranging from Pepsi to Polaroid. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and...

MARKETING: Hotpoint in mainland Europe.(Brief article)
July 9, 2007... White-goods marque Indesit is launching its Hotpoint brand - formerly UK - into mainland Europe as part of a strategy to phase out its Ariston brand and streamline its portfolio. It claims that the strength of the Hotpoint brand makes it an...

MARKETING: Bain Training game.
July 9, 2007... Australian film star Nicole Kidman will star in ads for Nintendo's portable DS console. Focusing on the 'Brain Training' game, the company hopes to expand its current 10 million-strong European customer base for the game. Copyright:...

LAUNCHES/REBRANDS: Levi mobile phone.
July 9, 2007... Denim brand Levi's has launched a mobile phone as part of its accessories line combining fashion with technology. The steel mobile phone comes in metallic silver, black and brown copper and is available in selected stores throughout Europe from...

LAUNCHES/REBRANDS: Coca-Cola link up.
July 9, 2007... Coca-Cola is reportedly considering a link up with premium chocolate brand Godiva to launch a ready-to-drink hot chocolate product. The move has been predicted following a brand partnership between the drinks giant and the Campbell Soup Co....

LAUNCHES/REBRANDS: MySpace TV site.
July 9, 2007... MySpace has relaunched its video-sharing capabilities as MySpaceTV in a move that takes it head-to-head with YouTube and Google Video. The site aims to offer more professionally-created content than its rivals with competitions for...

LAUNCHES/REBRANDS: Chivas Regal TV channel.
July 9, 2007... Global whisky brand Chivas Regal and software giant Microsoft have partnered to launch an online broadband TV channel on the MSN website. This is the Life will feature original programming that aims to showcase the 'Chivas Life' - the brand's...

FINANCIAL: Fifa to pay Mastercard compensation.
July 9, 2007... Fifa is to pay Mastercard $90m (#45m) compensation after its rival Visa was selected as title sponsor for the 2010 and 2014 World Cup tournaments. A court in the US had previously ordered Fifa to continue to partner Mastercard until 2014 but...

FINANCIAL: Cadbury Schweppes news.
July 9, 2007... Cadbury Schweppes has announced that it will cut 15% of its workforce by 2011 and is likely to sell off its drinks business. The move comes after the company's salmonella scare allegedly cost it #30m in recall costs. The business employs...

FINANCIAL: China to foster trade relations with Africa.
July 9, 2007... China is attempting to foster trade relations with Africa by creating a $1bn (#500m) development fund. Supported by the China Development Bank, the fund will target farming and infrastructure; however, it also faces accusations of...

FINANCIAL: Nike profits rise.(Financial report)
July 9, 2007... Nike saw profits rise 32% from $333m (#167m) to $438m (#219m) in its last quarter despite sportswear retailers experiencing tough trading conditions. The company claims high brand recognition generated by the swoosh logo helped the company...

FINANCIAL: Danon and Wahaha counterclaims.
July 9, 2007... French drinks manufacturer, Danone and China's largest drinks producer, Wahaha, are litigating against each other over accusations of copying and repuational damage. Danone sells a number of products under the Wahaha brand, on condition that...

FINANCIAL: The AA and Saga to merge.
July 9, 2007... Motoring services organisation, The AA and Saga, a financial services and publishing company targeting the over 50s, look set to merge. Estimates put the worth of the respective companies at #3.35bn and #2.8bn. The AA was purchased two years...

FINANCIAL: Remy Cointreau loss.
July 9, 2007... Remy Cointreau, the premium French alcohol group, suffered a E23m (#15.5m) loss last year, compared to a E78m (#53m) profit the year before. While sales have actually risen by one per cent overall, with 28% growth in cognac and 19% in...

FINANCIAL: Hennes & Mauritz profits increase.
July 9, 2007... Hennes & Mauritz's profits increased 29% over the half year to May 2007, following a period of expansion that saw the brand open in four new countries and launch its upmarket extension, COS. Its sales increased by 15%. It has also announced...

NUMBERS: Affluent classes research.(Brief article)
July 9, 2007... India's affluent classes will overtake the combined population of the UK, Germany and France within five years, according to the latest research from international food and grocery expert IGD. It estimates that the middle and upper classes...

APPOINTMENTS: Burberry.
July 9, 2007... Luxury brand Burberry has named former Motorola marketer Leslie Dance as its head of global marketing. Dance's experience includes marketing strategy and operations, retail marketing and consumer communications. Copyright: Centaur...

APPOINTMENTS: Yahoo!
July 9, 2007... Yahoo! co-founder Jerry Yang is taking over the role as chief executive for the internet giant from Terry Semel, who stepped down in June. Yang formed the company in 1994 with Stanford classmate David Filo. Semel has assumed the role of...

APPOINTMENTS: Nickelodeon-MTVN Kids and Family Group.(Pam Kaufman )(Brief article)
July 9, 2007... Pam Kaufman has been named chief marketing officer for the Nickelodeon: MTVN Kids and Family Group. In her new role, Kaufman will oversee all marketing efforts for the many businesses of Nickelodeon, including television, digital and...

APPOINTMENTS: FIFA.
July 9, 2007... FIFA, the global football governing body, has appointed marketer Jerome Valcke, who was previously fired from the organisation in the wake of a sponsorship row, as its new general secretary. Valcke will replace Urs Linsi, who was FIFA's...

TRENDSPOTTER: Viewing vox pop.
July 9, 2007... Niku Banaie on why seeing is believing when it comes to product reviews When you are thinking of buying something, don't you wish you had someone who already has that item right there with you so you could ask his or her opinion? We all...

BRAND STUNT OF THE MONTH: Painting the town.
July 9, 2007... Ruth Mortimer on a masterful campaign for the National Gallery Technology company Hewlett-Packard and The National Gallery have teamed up to show full-size framed recreations of 30 of its paintings on the streets of London. The works of...

OPINION: Finding the spirit within.
July 9, 2007... Nick Blacknell, brand director of Beefeater Gin, argues that a marque's provenance is a vital differentiator in a crowded spirits market Some brands have no local provenance. They could come from New York, Paris or Madrid and you would...

OPINION: A design for life.
July 9, 2007... Hewlett-Packard's Dan Gates and Sam Lucente discuss the value of design and its ability to increase a product's appeal and capabilities Design is increasingly becoming a factor in the technology sector - it contributes to why people...

BRAND THERAPY - CADBURY: Cadbury's sugar low.
July 9, 2007... Cadbury Schweppes, the largest confectioner in the world, is cutting 15% of its staff. This move comes only months after the company claimed it was planning to invest in its operations to drive sales. Cadbury is also likely to sell off...

GLOBAL TRENDS WATCH: The next big thing.
July 9, 2007... Trendspotting has become big business for brands that want to stay ahead of the market. Polly Devaney discusses how companies can tap into key influencers and keep innovation at the top of the agenda If there's one skill that most business...

PROFILE - LAWRENCE HUNT: The sky's the limit.
July 9, 2007... Ruth Mortimer discusses the airline industry with Silverjet's ebullient chief executive officer, Lawrence Hunt, who doesn't have his head in the clouds when it comes to start-up businesses Lawrence Hunt, chief executive of Silverjet, the...

Q&A - LAWRENCE HUNT: Silverjet goes for gold.
July 9, 2007... Ruth Mortimer and Lawrence Hunt discuss what makes the Silverjet experience different to other airline services and how it offsets its carbon emissions RM: Why start your own airline? LH: I had travelled a lot with the companies I...

LAWRENCE HUNT: Silverjet facts.
July 9, 2007... * Silverjet has two main competitors, MAXjet and Eos, both of which are based in the US. However, both British Airways and Virgin Atlantic have announced that they will start business-only flights in future. * Silverjet currently flies...

CASE STUDY - EMIRATES: Long-haul strategy.(Company overview)(Case study)
July 9, 2007... Maeve Hosea looks at how Emirates airline has capitalised on its extravagant global sponsorship campaigns and how the brand hopes to take advantage of its Dubai base where East meets West The Middle Eastern airline Emirates seems to enjoy a...

NEW ENTREPRENEURS: Please mind the generation gap.
July 9, 2007... You used to know you were getting old when policemen started looking younger. Now it's chief executives. Morag Cuddeford Jones investigates the rise of the new power business generation The chief executive in a pinstripe suit, reclining...

NEW ENTREPRENEURS: Generation definitions.
July 9, 2007... While these definitions generally apply to consumers in all developed countries, they have largely been based within North American social parameters. Baby Boomers Born between 1946 and 1964, there are around 75 million boomers in the...

NEW ENTREPRENEURS - Case study: College Wikis.(Case study)
July 9, 2007... When you see online user-generated encyclopaedia Wikipedia and college students in the same sentence, you automatically think of fast facts cribbed for essays, many of dubious origin and accuracy. But a former management consultant has hit...

CONSUMER PROFILING: The consumer chameleon.
July 9, 2007... Ron Rentel introduces the C-Type construct and warns marketers not to pigeonhole consumers but instead learn from their complicated lifestyles In today's world, there is no single mass audience which shares common goals, values and...

NARCISSISTIC CULTURE: Me, myself and I.
July 9, 2007... Simon Crompton outlines the influences that are creating a consumer culture where self-promotion is celebrated and shyness is shunned Star Listings International can offer you immortality. For just #25, you can have a star named after you...

DIGITAL ADVERTISING: How digital advertising got closer.
July 9, 2007... Paul Springer describes how the digital medium is closing in on consumers through entertainment, online virals and interactive advertising The 'niche reach' of online marketing has had a profound impact on advertising, but not in the way...

EMOTIONAL EVALUATIONS: Measuring emotional equity.
July 9, 2007... To gain equity and loyalty, brands must harness and measure the emotional responses they create in customers says Steven Walden At first sight, creating a positive emotional buzz around your brand seems like a no-brainer. From Nike to...

STORE STRATEGY: Retailers in need of therapy.
July 9, 2007... Branding the store environment is crucial in the frenetic-paced world of retail. Ko Floor says window dressing is everything when creating emotional appeal The retail industry is in a state of flux. Store lifespans are getting shorter...

INTERNAL BRANDING: Branding from the inside out.
July 9, 2007... Professor Nader Tavassoli describes initiatives that will help employees understand the company strategy and deliver the brand promise to customers In too many organisations, branding remains an externally facing communications exercise....

CELEBRITY ENDORSEMENT: Come to your senses.
July 9, 2007... Simon Harrop says advertising should look towards extra sensory strategies before signing up celebrities to create short-term campaigns Celebrity endorsement is big business. Top stars - and even minor ones - receive truckloads of cash to...

REVERSE ADVERTISING: Discretion goes a long way.
July 9, 2007... Martin Percy says discretion is the better part of advertising and gives marketers pointers on reverse branding - the antidote to product placement Brands are being forced to look into new areas for marketing opportunities as the value of...

BOOK REVIEW: What's in store.
July 9, 2007... Private Label Strategy: How to Meet the Store Brand Challenge By Nirmalya Kumar, Jan-Benedict E.M. Steenkamp Published by Harvard Business School Press, #19.99 Laura Haynes, director of brand consultancy Appetite takes a bite out...

NEW ENTREPRENEURS: Three from me - Laura Haynes.
July 9, 2007... A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future By Daniel Pink Berkley Publishing Group The right side of the brain is allegedly more creative while the left side of the brain is analytical. This book races through...

From the bookshelf of Lisa Desforges.
July 9, 2007... Lisa Desforges, head of words at brand design agency Pearlfisher Cloud Atlas By David Mitchell All too often, writing for brands is a simple exercise in ventriloquism. Good writers can quickly turn their hand to your 'unique' tone...

TELECOMS BRANDING: Telecoms need to raise the game.
July 9, 2007... Telecommunications is a high-technology industry. We use complex mobile handsets and technologies deployed in networks which resemble acronym soup - UMTS, ADSL, W-CDMS and IMS. If you work in the industry you get used to how the sector...