Brand Strategy articles from July 2008

Brand Strategy archives from July 2008

LEADER: White lie or crime?
July 2, 2008... When is it okay to lie about something? Most of us have been known to tell the odd little untruth now and then to grease the social wheels of life. It's generally considered to be all right to stretch the truth a little if it avoids...

MARKETING: LG Electronics.
July 2, 2008... LG Electronics is set to increase its marketing investment by #75m throughout Europe in the second half of the year, following a major shift in global strategy. The boost comes as the company plans to change its international operations, which...

MARKETING: Sony Ericsson.
July 2, 2008... Sony Ericsson is launching a new $15m (#7.7m) advertising campaign with the Women's Tennis Association. The ads will appear in 75 countries in an effort to promote the season-long build-up to the year-end Sony Ericsson Championships. Sony...

MARKETING: Ikea/Universal Film Studios.
July 2, 2008... IKEA has teamed up with Universal Film Studios to sponsor the forthcoming summer release, Mamma Mia!, which incorporates the songs of Swedish pop band ABBA. In a first for the home-products retailer, IKEA will display in-store advertising for...

MARKETING: YouTube.(Brief article)
July 2, 2008... Professional content producers are now able to sell advertising on their YouTube channels. That includes the click-to-expand overlays that run across the bottom of videos and display units on the page that hosts the video player. The revenue is...

MARKETING: Burger King.
July 2, 2008... House actor Hugh Laurie has revealed the existence of the Burger King 'gold card', a perk which entitles him to free food at the burger chain. Celebrities who hold the card include George Lucas and Robert Downey Jr. The brand hand-picks the...

MARKETING: Wonderbra.(Brief article)
July 2, 2008... Wonderbra is holding a casting call for women in the UK with D to G cup breasts to find stars for a campaign that will advertise a new range from the brand. A viral teaser, created by Iris, invites women to become a Wonderbra model. ...

MARKETING: US Smokeless Tobacco.
July 2, 2008... US Smokeless Tobacco is testing Skoal Dry, a snus (tobacco pouch held in the mouth) version of its moist, fermented Skoal dipping tobacco, as taxes for cigarettes continue to rise, pushing the price of a packet up to $9 (#4.50). The new...

MARKETING: Converse.
July 2, 2008... All Star shoe maker Converse has released a 'genre-blending' song as part of its ongoing 100th birthday celebrations. The original track, My Drive Thru, features Pharrell Williams, Santogold and Julian Casablancas and will be digitally...

MARKETING: Stella Artois.
July 2, 2008... Stella Artois has become the official sponsor of the first commercial airship to offer flights over London for six weeks this summer. Consumers have the opportunity to try the unique flying experience, taking in key historical sites. ...

MARKETING: Heinz.
July 2, 2008... Heinz has dropped its Deli Mayo ad featuring two men kissing. The commercial, which aired in the UK for less than one week, was withdrawn following more than 200 complaints from members of the public. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd....

MARKETING: Visa.(Brief article)
July 2, 2008... Visa is using Facebook to promote its small business service in a $2m (#1m) campaign. Around 80,000 small businesses already have profile pages on the site. Visa will give $100 (#51) in advertising credits to the first 20,000 US business...

MARKETING: Walkers Crisps.
July 2, 2008... Walkers Crisps is working with celebrity chef Heston Blumental on what is described as a "healthy eating" initiative. The company will not reveal Blumenthal's role but says the partnership has existed for six months. Copyright: Centaur...

MARKETING: Enfatico.
July 2, 2008... WPP has announced the official name - Enfatico - for the global ad agency set up to service the $4.5bn (#2.28bn) Dell account. The new business aims to consolidate all Dell's work into one network from more than 800 worldwide agencies. ...

LAUNCHES/REBRANDS: ITV Worldwide.
July 2, 2008... ITV Worldwide is planning to launch a pan-regional Asian entertainment channel, which will show series such as The Jeremy Kyle Show and Airline. The company is also said to be rebranding its UKTV outlet broadcasting to the Middle East this...

LAUNCHES/REBRANDS: Speedo.
July 2, 2008... Swimwear brand Speedo is marking its 80th birthday with a one-off collection of swimwear, called 80:08. The range brings together a blend of retro prints and modern cuts. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and licensors

LAUNCHES/REBRANDS: Knickerbox.
July 2, 2008... Lingerie brand Knickerbox is rebranding itself, just as parent company Ann Summers completes a redesign of some of its retail outlets. The new look for Knickerbox includes a new logo, website and product range. Copyright: Centaur...

LAUNCHES/REBRANDS: Nokia.
July 2, 2008... Nokia is launching a series of 'ad labs' in London and Boston to train executives in mobile marketing and tap into the #1bn potential of the industry. The labs will work with Nokia's agency partners first to share knowledge across the ad...

FINANCIAL: Nokia.
July 2, 2008... Nokia has bought British smartphone-software company Symbian and announced that its mobile phone software will be free of charge. The move comes as the Finnish manufacturer aims to take on Google's new Android smartphone and compete with...

FINANCIAL: Silverjet.
July 2, 2008... All-business-class airline Silverjet has failed to finalise terms of a potential rescue deal with investors, resulting in the loss of 420 jobs. The airline went into administration just 17 months after its launch. Copyright: Centaur...

FINANCIAL: Yahoo!/Google.
July 2, 2008... Yahoo! has agreed a deal with Google in which it will use the search engine giant's advertising technology. Under the agreement, Google ads will appear alongside some Yahoo! search results in the US and Canada. The move comes as Yahoo! walks...

FINANCIAL: Miller/Coors.
July 2, 2008... Miller and Coors have merged in the US, putting the rival brewers in a stronger position to compete with rival Anheuser-Busch, which controls nearly 50% of the US beer market. Anheuser-Busch is currently being courted by Belgium-based InBev....

NUMBERS: Top 100 US advertisers.(Brief article)
July 2, 2008... The top 100 US advertisers last year increased ad spending by just 1.7%, while measured media spending rose to 0.3% for major marketers - the most sluggish growth since the 2001 recession. Marketing services such as promotion and direct...

NUMBERS: The Internet.
July 2, 2008... The internet will overtake TV as the biggest advertising medium in Britain this year, with more than 19% of total ad spend, according to a new report from research firm Enders Analysis. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and licensors

APPOINTMENTS: Estee Lauder.
July 2, 2008... Jane Lauder has been made senior vice president, general manager of Origins at Estee Lauder. She will be responsible for growing the brand globally. Lauder has been senior vice president of global marketing for Clinique since July 2006, before...

APPOINTMENTS: Microsoft.
July 2, 2008... Microsoft has appointed Michael Delman as vice president of global marketing of its interactive entertainment business, focusing on the Xbox and Microsoft Game Studios divisions. He will start in August. He is currently vice president of global...

APPOINTMENTS: Halfords.
July 2, 2008... Halfords has announced that David Wild will become chief executive of the firm. Wild, who is currently senior vice-president for new business development at Wal-Mart US, will join the car accessories and bike retailer in August, following...

APPOINTMENTS: News Corporation.
July 2, 2008... News Corporation has announced senior appointments in its European television business. Marc Heller will become senior vice president of strategy and corporate development. Gary Davey rejoins News Corporation as chief operating officer. Both...

TRENDSPOTTER: Dig that 1940s chic.(Brief article)
July 2, 2008... Wartime thrift is all the rage once again, say Kay Milner and Liz Grierson Who would have thought we'd be welcoming back the wartime mentality in the fight to survive the credit crunch? While trying to save our cash, our behaviour is...

BRAND STUNT OF THE MONTH: Sleeping in the air.
July 2, 2008... A Tokyo hotel has a novel way to promote a restful sleep, says Jo Roberts One woman proved she can literally sleep anywhere last month. Window cleaner Aya Nakamura abseiled halfway down the Sony building in Tokyo in her pyjamas and...

OPINION: Openness means taking the rough with the smoothie.
July 2, 2008... Charlotte Rawlins of drinks brand Innocent says involving the consumer at every level of the operation is vital to build strong customer relationships Asking people what they think about our business has been at the heart of our...

OPINION: Using language young people understand.
July 2, 2008... Pamela Bower-Nye, global marketing director for attitudes to alcohol at Diageo, explains why it is no use lecturing about 'responsible drinking' What really matters to a 19-year-old? Any marketer knows their skill should be in making...

BRAND THERAPY - AVIVA: Union under a new flag.
July 2, 2008... The credit crunch is putting pressure on budgets and employee numbers around the world. Norwich Union (NU) is the latest brand to fall foul of these turbulent financial times as its owner, Aviva, scraps the brand name, along with around...

BIZARRE BEAUTY PRODUCTS: It's only natural.
July 2, 2008... With ingredients such as snake venom, many in the new wave of 'natural' anti-ageing products sound outlandish. But do they work - and do women have faith in them? Melinda Varley reports The cosmetics industry has relied more and more on...

PROFILE - KIP KNIGHT: Down to experience.
July 2, 2008... Kip Knight, vice president of marketing at auction brand eBay, tells Ruth Mortimer that positive customer experience is the bedrock on which a successful brand is built, online or offline Kip Knight, vice president of marketing for...

PROFILE - KIP KNIGHT: Keeping the promise to customers.(Interview)
July 2, 2008... Kip Knight explains to Ruth Mortimer how eBay has built up a relationship of trust with users, and how the economic downturn is good news for secondary market brands RM: Describe the eBay brand. KK: It's a gathering place. It started...

CASE STUDY - ECOVER: Squeaky green.
July 2, 2008... Ecover, the oldest 'green' cleaning brand, wants to move from niche to mainstream status, but it needs to address ongoing negative perceptions about its effectiveness. Maeve Hosea investigates High on a mountain plateau, a girl loaded up...

CASE STUDY - ECOVER: Ecover facts.
July 2, 2008... * Ecover was founded in 1980 by Frans Bogaert, who wanted to create a washing powder that didn't contain environmentally harmful phosphates. * A phosphate-free washing powder and dishwashing agent first came to market in 1984 and...

CONSUMER DOWNSIZING: Less spend, more thrift.
July 2, 2008... Spiralling fuel costs and the economic downturn are transforming consumer spending habits. Jo Roberts reports on the brands that represent the 'old economy' and those embracing the new Mr and Mrs Smith, doing their weekly shop at their...

The old economy: Airlines - rising fuel and falling demand.
July 2, 2008... Increasing energy costs are hitting the travel industry hard. Airlines with low margins are feeling the pinch. In recent months, several firms, including Hong Kong's Oasis, have been permanently grounded. While some are predicting the...

CONSUMER DOWNSIZING: What will the future hold for energy?(dialogue with Andrew Hill of Datamonitor PLC)(Brief article)
July 2, 2008... Will our washing machines be powered by electricity from offshore wind farms? Will nuclear energy give us the resources to heat our homes? Andrew Hill, director of energy markets at Datamonitor, gives us the lowdown on how our lives will be...

CONSUMER DOWNSIZING: The new economy: Alternative-fuel cars.
July 2, 2008... At the start of automotive history, electric vehicles were more common than petrol-powered cars. As auto engineering got more sophisticated, they faded away with the horse-drawn carriage. But now they are making a comeback with a bang. ...

BUILDING LOYALTY: Learn from the mob mentality.
July 2, 2008... Olly Raeburn discusses how a certain global brand has become so prolific - and what lessons can be learnt from its success in building unrivalled loyalty There is one global organisation that is a textbook example of how to build a brand...

MARKETING UNIVERSITY TOWNS: Rewards for town and gown.
July 2, 2008... University 'brands' have much to gain from the attractions of their local towns and cities - and vice versa. Robert Mighall explains the mutual advantages Just what is a university? Some might think of these institutions merely as...

EMPLOYER BRANDING: Show you really care to win staff.
July 2, 2008... Andrew Pinkess asks whether employer branding projects using corporate responsibility are really differentiated enough to attract high quality recruits Everyone knows employer branding is probably important but few marketers have an...

VISIONARY CEOs: Leader of the brand.(Company overview)
July 2, 2008... What do the world's top brands have in common? Visionary chief executives who can see the whole picture and the brand's future direction, says Martin Roll With more than 2.2 billion people, economies growing at a combined average of eight...

BOOK REVIEW: Not so momentous.(Book review)
July 2, 2008... The Momentum Effect By JC Larreche Wharton School Publishing #19.99 Nigel Salter, co-founder of brand agency Salter Baxter, finds The Momentum Effect by JC Larreche lacking in natural energy, despite some interesting research ...

BOOK REVIEW: Nigel Salter recommends.(Brief article)
July 2, 2008... The Long Tail By Chris Anderson Hyperion 2008 edition Pretty much the definitive view of the changes taking place in our economies and in marketing and strategy. If you don't understand what digital media are doing to business...

From the bookshelf of Tim Backshall.
July 2, 2008... Tim Backshall, managing director of brand programming specialist Integrity Now, Discover Your Strengths by Marcus Buckingham and Donald O'Clifton At the centre of every organisation are its people. Your brand can only deliver on...

AGEING POPULATIONS: Baby boomers and beyond.
July 2, 2008... The ageing of the US 'baby boomer' population is a demographic shift that demands attention. What are the implications of this transition on the financial conditions, lifestyles and spending patterns of this large and cumulatively wealthy...

IMPRINTING: Make a big impression on kids.
July 2, 2008... For almost all of us, there are experiences in our lives that bring about comforting associations. Many of these experiences - or behaviours - we learned when we were young, often without consciously realising that we were absorbing them into...

OLYMPIC SPONSORSHIP: Waste of Olympic gold?
July 2, 2008... As the world gears up for the Beijing Olympics' opening ceremony on 8 August 2008, sponsors are ramping up their marketing campaigns to get themselves noticed and reap the rewards of endorsing this global event. This summer's Games have...

OPINION: Get consumers comfortable to put them in the mood.
July 2, 2008... Jacqueline Gold, chief executive of adult retailer Ann Summers, explains why creating a multiple channel experience is the secret of good branding These days, consumers want more than simply to walk into a store and buy the item they're...