Brand Strategy articles from June 2004

Brand Strategy archives from June 2004

What people say about brand strategy.(brand strategy)(Saffron Brand Consultants)
June 1, 2004... "Brand Strategy is one of the relatively few brands or marketing publications that helps people to think." Wally Olins chairman--Saffron Brand Consultants "Brand Strategy is the ideal read for every thoughtful marketer because it...

Not waving but drowning.(Leader)
June 1, 2004... A lot of marketing is about telling things to customers. Telling them to buy your products or services, telling them your brand is shorthand to a certain lifestyle and telling them how your product will make them feel better. Sometimes brands...

Piaggio, the Italian scooter manufacturer, may double its output due to booming sales in China and India.(Zongshen Group, contract)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Finance Piaggio, the Italian scooter manufacturer, may double its output due to booming sales in China and India. A deal has been signed with Chinese motorcycle maker Zongshen Group to produce 300,000 bikes. Piaggio also intends to expand in...

China.(economic growth)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... China's economic growth has been faster than expected, with GDP up by 9.7% year on year for Q1. Foreign trade maintained high growth with export volume up by 34% and import volume up by 42%. China's advertising market grew 22% per year in the...

Wal-mart aims to expand outside the US, especially within Europe, according to Lee Scott, the retailer's chief executive.(Wal-Mart Stores Inc.)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Wal-mart aims to expand outside the US, especially within Europe, according to Lee Scott, the retailer's chief executive. Scott said Wal-mart would consider expansion via Asda, the British chain it bought five years ago. Asda has revealed that...

Unilever.(Unilever Group, profits and losses)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Unilever experienced disappointing sales in Q1 with net profit down 15% to 530m [euro] (354m [pounds sterling]). The company stated that it was not happy with its short-term sales performance. Unilever has also introduced its new corporate...

Omnicom has announced that net income for Q1 2004 increased 17% year on year to $135.6m (74.9m [pounds sterling]).(Finance)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Omnicom has announced that net income for Q1 2004 increased 17% year on year to $135.6m (74.9m [pounds sterling]). Worldwide revenue increased 15% to $2,231.4m (1,232m [pounds sterling]). Dentsu, Japan's largest advertising group has announced...

Google.(Finance)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Google has filed for an IPO with a portion of the shares being issued and sold by Google and a portion sold by certain stockholders of Google. It's estimated that $2.7bn (1.5bn [pounds sterling]) shares will be sold through public auction.

Global breweries, Anheuser-Busch and SABMiller are battling for a foothold in China through Harbin Brewery, producers of Hapi beer.(Finance)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Global breweries, Anheuser-Busch and SABMiller are battling for a foothold in China through Harbin Brewery, producers of Hapi beer. Anheuser-Busch has completed a purchase of 29% in the brewery while SABMiller has launched a cash offer of...

Launches and rebrands Nestle Rowntree is introducing KitKat Low Carb and Role Low Carb in the UK to attract the three million Brits currently following a low-carb lifestyle.(Finance)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Launches and rebrands Nestle Rowntree is introducing KitKat Low Carb and Role Low Carb in the UK to attract the three million Brits currently following a low-carb lifestyle. The chocolate will be available from mid July. Nestle Rowntree says...

Global Cross-Industry Forum 2 New York, USA.(Diary)(Calendar)
June 1, 2004... 27-29 June 2004 Will the ability to deliver insight and understanding be the key to sustainable and profitable growth in the future? Wil van den Berg, executive VP and CMO, Philips Consumer Electronics, Netherlands and Steve Hayden, vice...

The IDM/Marketing Society Symposium Millenium Conference Centre, London.(Diary)(Calendar)
June 1, 2004... 30 June 2004 Chaired by Hugh Burkitt, CEO of The Marketing Society and Simon Hall, chairman of the Institute of Direct Marketing, topics will include improving return on marketing investment and strengthening customer interactions....

Creativity 2004 London Art House London.(Diary)(Calendar)
June 1, 2004... 30 June--1 July 2004 Leading ad agencies, and key marketers including Selfridges' marketing director James Bidwell and Honda UK's Simon Thompson explain how to foster creativity in the corporate environment, ensuring long-term customer...

Procter & Gamble.(Appointments)(Chris de Lapuente)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Chris de Lapuente has been appointed president, global haircare at Procter & Gamble. De Lapuente is currently vice president and general manager, Procter & Gamble, UK & Ireland. He has been with the company since 1983.

Wilkinson Sword.(Appointments)(Colin Hutchison, Wilkinson Sword/Cricket Inc.)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Wilkinson Sword has announced Colin Hutchison as European vice president, overseeing brands including Quattro and Intuition. Hutchison was previously at United Biscuits where he held positions including sales director and MD of McVitie's UK &...

Guinness.(Appointments)(Brian Duffy, Guinness America Inc.)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Brian Duffy, has been appointed Guinness global brand director, responsible for the growth and development of the brand worldwide. Previously MD of Diageo Ireland, Duffy will also become chairman of Diageo Ireland. Jon Potter, current Guinness...

Coca-Cola.(Appointments)(E. Neville Isdell)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Coca-Cola has named E. Neville Isdell chairman and chief executive to succeed Doug Daft. Isdell, an Irish citizen, joined Coca-Cola in 1966 and has held positions including president of the Greater Europe Group.

Oxfam has launched the world's first ever charity music download site, www.bignoisemusic.com.(Finance)(Oxfam GB)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Oxfam has launched the world's first ever charity music download site, www.bignoisemusic.com. The site, which gives 10% of its revenues to Oxfam, has been endorsed by the music industry. Coldplay and George Michael have provided exclusive...

HSBC has appointed WPP to handle its creative advertising.(Marketing)(Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Ltd., WPP Group PLC)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... HSBC has appointed WPP to handle its creative advertising, media and direct marketing services worldwide following a pitch with holding companies Omnicom (incumbent) and Interpublic, the first of its kind. J Walter

Thompson will be the lead agency.(Marketing)(Thompson Agency)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Thompson will be the lead agency. Other agencies involved include Red Cell and Landor. The account is rumoured to be worth $600m (331m [pounds sterling]).

The Australian Tourist Commission is investing AU$360m (141m [pounds sterling]) in marketing the country as part of its Brand Australia strategy.(Marketing)(Whybin TBWA)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... The Australian Tourist Commission is investing AU$360m (141m [pounds sterling]) in marketing the country as part of its Brand Australia strategy. The ads aim to extend the world's knowledge of Australia and attract more visitors. TV ads airing...

Chelsea Football Club is planning to leverage its position as a global football brand, following the appointment of marketing group TWI to handle its overseas TV and new media rights.(Marketing)(TWI Cable Inc.)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Chelsea Football Club is planning to leverage its position as a global football brand, following the appointment of marketing group TWI to handle its overseas TV and new media rights. TWI will license all non-UK rights in the form of Chelsea...

Renault has launched the first international advertising campaign for its Formula One team to run throughout the 2004 F1 season.(Marketing)(Regie Nationale des Usines Renault)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Renault has launched the first international advertising campaign for its Formula One team to run throughout the 2004 F1 season. TV and cinema ads featuring team drivers will air in Asia, South America and Europe as part of Renault's 'Feel It'...

The British are Europe's biggest snackers with habits bearing most resemblance to US consumers, according to research by Datamonitor.(Numbers)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... The British are Europe's biggest snackers with habits bearing most resemblance to US consumers, according to research by Datamonitor. On average each Briton eats 143 [pounds sterling] worth of snacks per year compared to 141.5 [pounds sterling]...

Food is our consuming passion: Gavin Mensah-Coker discovers how food brands can satiate the contradictory consumer.(Trendspotter)
June 1, 2004... Britons are increasingly indulging in contradictory behaviour with respect to their eating habits. Our love affair with food contrasts with the ill-health and unhappiness obesity can cause. Britons snack more than any other Europeans, spending...

The Squirt that had limited reach: Joanna Doonar looks at the grapefruit drink which hit sour grapes in the UK despite its success in America.(Squirt and Co. SquirtCo.)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Paula Yates may have held a can of Squirt, the citrus soft drink, in the original Band Aid video but this was the height of the brand's UK success, as the drink only lasted from 1982-1984. "People were trying to make it happen with...

The importance of being a listener: Alan Mitchell urges CEOs to listen to their customers.(Feargal Quinn, chief executive officers)
June 1, 2004... It was 1989 and Feargal Quinn, chief executive of the Dublin-based supermarket chain Superquinn, was sitting in one of his many customer listening panels (regular events where senior executives chat with customers face to face), when one...

Brand mot.(Levi Strauss & Co)
June 1, 2004... Back in the 80s if you wore Levi's 5015, you'd got it right. However the original jeans brand faced competition in the 1990s and Levi Strauss & Co. (LS&CO) lost its lead. Having recently expressed concern over the Levi's and Dockers brands in...

Fly me to the moon: ... so long as it doesn't cost me the earth. Morag Cuddeford Jones asks low-cost carriers worldwide if they can really maintain rock-bottom fares in the face of sky-high running costs.(News Analysis)
June 1, 2004... As OPEC raises the price of crude oil to record levels, motorists worldwide are groaning at the petrol pumps as fuel prices peak. But perhaps they should spare a thought for the real gas guzzlers in the airline industry. Far from immune to...

Are brands a force for good? John Noble stands up for brands and argues that the anti-brand lobby has missed the point.(Opinion)
June 1, 2004... A lack of understanding about the role of brands is widespread. Critics such as Naomi Klein argue that brands are immoral and exploitative. However, the anti-brand lobby has missed the point: brands make a considerable contribution to...

The halcyon days of fizzy pop: PepsiCo UK president Martin Glenn muses over the changes in the soft drinks industry and convenience culture as a whole.(Opinion)
June 1, 2004... The soft drinks market has changed immeasurably over the 20 years since my first marketing job at Schweppes in 1983. I remember the soft drinks market then as a more gentle place to operate in than it is today. Carbonated soft drinks were sexy....

Fleet: Ford's new transit van man: Peter Fleet, the man appointed to drive growth of Ford's commercial vehicles across Europe, talks to Elen Lewis about his commitment to the brand and his powers of persuasion.(Profile)
June 1, 2004... Peter Fleet strikes an imposing figure. Dressed in a black pinstripe suit, more akin to a Conservative MP than a car marketer based in Ford's Leyland factory. he looms above me like a skyscraper. All that's missing is a bowler hat. ...

Becoming a part of the product plan: Elen Lewis talks to Peter Fleet, director of commercial vehicles sales, service and distribution for Ford Europe about the correlation between developing the Ford brand and maintaining sales growth.(Q&A)(Interview)
June 1, 2004... EL: How has the car industry changed since you joined Ford in 1989? PF: Over the last 15 years, the number of bad products and dodgy brands has shrunk considerably. You will hear people say that there are no bad cars now. Skoda is a good...

A fresh start for Auntie: as the shockwaves of the Hutton report subside, Elen Lewis talks to BBC's marketing director Andy Duncan about the broadcaster's revised mission statement and plans for the future.(BBC)(BBC Worldwide Americas Inc.)(Company Profile)
June 1, 2004... Auntie is subdued. After being told off by Hutton about the David Kelly affair; and then being left by Gavyn and Greg, she has battled through a difficult few months. Except Auntie isn't a relation of mine but a nickname given to the...

Design for self diagnosis: Joanna Doonar investigates how the healthcare industry is moving its branding ever closer to the FMCG world as consumers become more savvy about OTC products and self treatment.(Consumer Healthcare)
June 1, 2004... Just the idea of healthcare marketing conjures up images of long lists of regulations, each country specific. However, slashing through the paperwork, it's clear that in at least one respect, consumer healthcare is no different from other...

Lemsip goes undiluted: Alex Pitt, category manager at Reckitt Benckiser tells Joanna Doonar how the medicinal lemon drink brand has extended to 16 products without damaging its core product.(Consumer Healthcare Case Study)
June 1, 2004... In the 70s Lemsip was a 'hug in a mug'. In the 80s consumers watched an armchair become more comfortable when somebody drank the cold remedy, but by the mid-90s Lemsip took a tougher stance, telling consumers that life doesn't stop just because...

Brand's bedfellow: Jeff Smith and Kristiane Hansted Blomqvist explain how the human resources department could become branding's new best friend.(Brand Papers)
June 1, 2004... Increasingly, companies are realising that if they are to align their business and brand strategies, the brand can no longer be operated solely by the marketing department. This has led to a heightened focus on getting employees to live the...

Finding your voice: words of wisdom for external and internal communications: Neil Taylor offers five tips on how to express your brand in more than plain English.(Brand Papers)
June 1, 2004... Hello. Or maybe I should say 'hi' (I might sound friendlier. What do you think?). If I was looking to really set myself apart from the other erudite contributors to Brand Strategy I might even chance a 'yo'. Words are back. Think how much...

Korea is here: Peter Phillips discovers how the cub of the tiger economy has found its voice and begun to roar. Brands from Korea are driving loyalty among consumers.(Brand Papers)
June 1, 2004... Just a couple of years ago, the cover of a UK car magazine warned us about a new threat to the European car industry by announcing the arrival of the latest Hyundai onto continental shores with the headline 'Watch out. Here come the Koreans'....

Nurturing creativity: Laura Haynes, director of Appetite reads Creativity Inc and is struck by the book's attempt to move on from theory into useful working practices, accepting that creativity is not always in tune with company goals and efficiency.
June 1, 2004... Creativity, Inc. by Jeff Mauzy and Richard Harriman, published by HBS Press, price 15.50 [pounds sterling] Most companies when asked, will place creativity or innovation at the top of their list of key corporate values. In my experience,...

A branding hypothesis: Jim Carroll, deputy chairman of BBH London, says readers shouldn't be put off by The Philosophy of Branding's title, as it is not an inpenetrable read but a refreshing foray out of the closed world of marketing.
June 1, 2004... The Philosophy of Branding, by Thom Braun, published by Kogan Page, price 9.99 [pounds sterling] You may approach this book with a certain amount of curiosity and scepticism. 'Great Philosophers Think Brands' announces the sub-title. And...

International executives and their media.(Research)(international media)
June 1, 2004... International media has, in the past, been well served by a range of quantitative research that provides useful data on international media consumption. However, there has been little research to date that understands the value that brands have...

Advertising through word of mouth.(Research)
June 1, 2004... Word of mouth is more significant today than it used to be. In a recent Medialab study 76% of consumers said a friend's recommendation would make them 'more comfortable' with a product or service. This finding updated a Royal Mail study from...

Nation brands.(Research)
June 1, 2004... While nations are clearly not brands in the same sense as Kellogg's cornflakes, they are brands in the way that Barclays Bank, Aeroflot, and Wal-Mart are brands. The values are linked with the brands these countries export. Russian soul...

Big spenders: furniture retailers.(Brand Stats)(Brief Article)(Illustration)
June 1, 2004... UK top advertisers, April 2004 New position (previous month) Brand Spend 1 (2) DFS Furniture 5,026,629 [pounds sterling] 2 (12) B&Q 4,967,019 [pounds...

FMCG bestsellers: toothbrushes.(Brand Stats)(Brief Article)(Illustration)
June 1, 2004... Toothbrushes, UK, year ending 25 April 2004 Rank Brand Company 1 Oral B Braun 2 Colgate Colgate Palmolive 3 Reach Johnson & Johnson 4 Crest Procter & Gamble 5 ...

Market focus: Yoghurt.(Brand Stats)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... The French are one of Europe's top yoghurt buyers, eaten by 94%, compared to Britain where consumption is comparatively low with less than three-quarters of the adult population claiming to eat yoghurt. Almost nine out of 10 Spanish people eat...

Binding revelations.(Foreword)(customer insight)
June 1, 2004... In commercial terms, the age-old adage of "know thine enemy" is most recently translated as "know thy customer" and consumer insight is the latest buzz-phrase in the branding community. But the concept's not new. At the height of the CRM...

A new look at insight: a panel of marketing and research experts talk to Brand Strategy about how to find true insight, and why the results can either boost or break down a brand's path to growth.(Forum)
June 1, 2004... Morag Cuddeford Jones: Where does insight come from? Roisin Donnelly: Today the need for insight is coming from everywhere. Anyone can have an idea but it comes from spending quality time with the consumer and understanding their whole...

Drilling down into data: professor Richard Scase explains that companies are so obsessed with day to day minutiae and outdated consumer cliches that it prevents them seeing the bigger picture.(Consumer Insight)
June 1, 2004... Companies are too close to consumer data. This statement may be anathema to the many marketers who rely on acquiring as much and as varied information about their customers as possible, but it is the reason why many brands are struggling. Take...

Segmenting opportunity: Dave Singleton and Sergio Zyman argue that a close scrutiny of consumer behaviour doesn't produce a true picture of the market. Why not research your opportunities instead?(Consumer Insight)
June 1, 2004... When people ask me to give them an example of effective marketing, I tell them 'New York City hot dog vendors'. Why, because those guys use marketing to sell stuff(or, they go home each day with nothing to show for it). And believe it or not,...

Integrated path to growth: Stephen Donaldson illustrates how creating an ongoing study of the drivers behind consumers' behaviour can spark relevant strategies, and even fix otherwise costly mistakes.(Consumer Insight)
June 1, 2004... Growth is the driver of today's business. To achieve it, the roles of brands are changing. The focus is now on doing more things under one bigger brand that has greater meaning for the consumer. To strengthen the core proposition, many major...

It's all in the technique: juggling the marketing mix is commonplace for brand directors. Robin Birn suggests managing the research mix is equally valuable, while specialists outline the pros and cons.(Consumer Insight)
June 1, 2004... Market research is an eclectic discipline. It draws its techniques from other areas--statistics, economics, business management, marketing, psychology, anthropology and sociology. No single approach is suitable for all products and a technique...

The 15 global hot buttons: Gilbert Lee and Nic Hall pinpoint 15 basic consumer needs which can be applied in both a global and local context, and demonstrate their usefulness in the complex Chinese market.(Consumer Insight)
June 1, 2004... In a post-Freudian world, sub-conscious human needs are believed to be more powerful motivations for people's consumption experiences, purchase decisions and brand choices. Human needs include security, self-respect and enjoyment....