Brand Strategy articles from June 2007

Brand Strategy archives from June 2007

LEADER: China in my hand.
June 12, 2007... Outside a farm-like building, a Chinese couple make their way to their local market in a rickshaw drawn by 'Mr Wu 25', a life-size 'talking' metallic robot. This bizarre sight is not part of a science-fiction tale; it's just real life in...

MARKETING: HSBC donation.
June 12, 2007... Banking giant HSBC is backing an initiative to tackle climate change with a $100m (#50m) donation. The fund, managed by HSBC, will help charities and environmental groups to research some of the global causes and effects of climate change....

MARKETING: Former director sentenced to death.
June 12, 2007... The former director of China's food and drug safety agency has been sentenced to death after pleading guilty to corruption and accepting bribes. The sentence was passed as the state becomes increasingly concerned about product scandals....

MARKETING: Masterfoods u-turn.
June 12, 2007... Masterfoods has made a u-turn over its decision to use animal products in brands including Mars, Twix and Snickers. The company will continue to use non-animal rennet after it was criticised by the Vegetarian Society and bombarded with more...

MARKETING: Burt's Bees marketing push.
June 12, 2007... Cosmetics brand Burt's Bees has started a marketing push behind its definition of 'natural', after its research showed that 97% of women think that the term should be regulated. The company is proposing that only personal-care goods with at...

MARKETING: Bud.tv may fade away.
June 12, 2007... Anheuser-Busch's heavily-marketed Bud.tv branded content scheme may "fade away this year" according to the company's CEO. The online channel, which reportedly had a $30m (#15m) budget, saw visitors drop by 40% from February to March,...

MARKETING: P&G green drive.
June 12, 2007... Procter & Gamble is halving the size of all liquid detergent containers in a 'green' drive. The new formulae are intended to allow consumers to wash the same amount of clothes with half the detergent, sold in containers half the current size...

LAUNCHES/REBRANDS: Faberge brand to be reinvented.(Brief article)
June 12, 2007... The Faberge brand is to be reinvented as a luxury goods group, following its acquisition by PallinghurstResources from personal care giant Unilever. Faberge wants initially to become the world's top supplier of branded gemstones, after which it...

LAUNCHES/REBRANDS: Computer shaped like a coffee table.
June 12, 2007... Microsoft has unveiled a new touch-operated computer shaped like a coffee table. The new product, Surface, has no traditional mouse or keyboard and interacts with mobile phones placed upon it. It will sell for between $5,000 and $10,000...

LAUNCHES/REBRANDS: Philips joint venture.
June 12, 2007... Dutch electricals giant Philips is to enter the jewellery business in a joint venture with crystal fashion producer Swarovski. It will start selling a range of wearable memory sticks, including a USB storage device in a heart-shaped pendant....

LAUNCHES/REBRANDS: National Geographic store.
June 12, 2007... International magazine National Geographic is to open its first store, a three-storey site, in London this autumn as part of its global retail ambitions. It is expected to be the first of up to 10 stores in European and Far Eastern cities....

LAUNCHES/REBRANDS: Branded music download.
June 12, 2007... Record label EMI is partnering with global marques including Adidas and Visa to launch a series of branded music download stores. EMI's music catalogue of 20,000 tracks will be available for brands to sell online. Adidas will launch an...

LAUNCHES/REBRANDS: Amazon music store.
June 12, 2007... Online retail giant Amazon will open a digital music download store later this year offering tracks from more than 12,000 record labels. The songs will be free from copyright protection technology and the service will compete with Apple's...

LAUNCHES/REBRANDS: Personal video recorder.
June 12, 2007... Digital television service Freeview has launched its own personal video recorder to rival services such as Sky+ service and TiVo. The launch will be supported by an ad campaign across online lifestyle websites. Copyright: Centaur...

LAUNCHES/REBRANDS: PepsiCo in China.
June 12, 2007... PepsiCo has launched its first soy drink in China with a marketing campaign fronted by Taiwanese pop singer Luo Zhi Xiang. The company plans to launch a number of new products to capitalise on the populous Chinese market. Copyright:...

LAUNCHES/REBRANDS: Tango marketing campaign.
June 12, 2007... Britvic is revamping its Tango brand, with the launch of a #2m marketing campaign aimed at highlighting the drink's new 'healthier' image. The drinks company is removing all artificial flavours and colours from Tango. Copyright: Centaur...

LAUNCHES/REBRANDS: Nokia launch.
June 12, 2007... Nokia is supporting the launch of its N95 phone in China by sponsoring former racecar driver Peter Schindler's 20,000km tour through the country in his car 'Miss Daisy', which he will document using a mobile blog. Schindler's...

LAUNCHES/REBRANDS: Motorola's new handset.
June 12, 2007... Motorola's new MOTO Z8 handset will come with pre-loaded Hollywood blockbusters as well as BSkyB content, podcasts and games. It is launched as Motorola aims to shed an extra 4,000 jobs this year on top of the 3,500 planned. Copyright:...

FINANCIAL: DaimlerChrysler sells stake in Chrysler Group.
June 12, 2007... DaimlerChrysler is selling a controlling interest in its struggling Chrysler Group to private equity group Cerberus Capital Management of New York for $7.4bn (#3.7bn). Chief marketer George Murphy has resigned. Copyright: Centaur...

FINANCIAL: Vodafone profits dip.
June 12, 2007... Vodafone's annual profits have dipped. Preliminary results show the group's 2007 pre-tax profits are down to #8.75bn from #8.8bn last year. The company announced plans to sell its own branded phones in emerging markets like India. ...

FINANCIAL: Britvic acquisition.
June 12, 2007... UK drinks company, Britvic, has acquired the soft drinks arm of Ireland's C&C for #169m. The acquisition includes Ireland's leading mineral water brand, Ballygowan. Britvic's profits before tax rose to #48.2m in the six months to April. ...

NUMBERS: Biggest-earning brands in football.
June 12, 2007... The Premier League football clubs are the biggest-earning brands in football, according to Deloitte. The top 20 Premier League clubs generate around #1.4bn in turnover, with Italy's Serie A at #1bn and Germany's Bundesliga and Spain's La Liga...

APPOINTMENTS: Ferrari.
June 12, 2007... Ferrari is set to launch a new global brand department with former Red Bull marketing chief Dany Bahar taking the reins. The new section will operate alongside the racing team and road-car division. The move follows Formula One teams Williams...

APPOINTMENTS: Orange.
June 12, 2007... Orange has appointed former Unilever marketer Jonathan Morley as group vice-president of brands. Morley will be responsible for internal management and promotion of the brand strategy. He replaces Niall O'Keefe, who left the telecoms company...

APPOINTMENTS: German Wings.
June 12, 2007... Low-cost airline German Wings has appointed Stefan Betz as country manager, Western Europe. He takes responsibility for all marketing and sales activity. The company, which rivals Easyjet and Ryanair, hopes to carry eight million passengers...

APPOINTMENTS: CA.
June 12, 2007... Microsoft UK chief marketing officer Nick Barley has been poached by US technology business, CA, to be vice-president for marketing for Europe, Africa and the Middle East. He will be responsible for all direct and indirect marketing in the...

TRENDSPOTTER: Uber-sexual man.
June 12, 2007... Don Hedley on the emergence of a new man where metro meets macho Traditional male stereotypes of macho man and his metrosexual opposite still don't fit the realities of the male in a modern world. So we have identified a new type:...

BRAND STUNT OF THE MONTH: Pastures green.
June 12, 2007... Morag Cuddeford Jones on the village people who are transforming London London - often referred to as a concrete jungle and the Big Smoke - is everything you would expect a large city to be. The agency responsible for promoting it as a...

OPINION: If your name's not down, you're not coming in.(Viewpoint essay)
June 12, 2007... Dan Baxter, general manager at music label and club brand Hed Kandi warns marketers not to make partnership deals too easily; the right fit is vital We like to think of ourselves as a lifestyle brand. Some people might see us as a music...

OPINION: Just (get them to) do it for the good of mankind.
June 12, 2007... Bobby Shriver, chief executive of (PRODUCT) RED, explains why the charity sector needs to exploit resources to really make the most of the donated dollar "You guys need to be more like Nike." That's what I was told when I first proposed...

BRAND THERAPY - BP: Beyond the pipedream.
June 12, 2007... Since its 'Beyond Petroleum' relaunch in 2000, BP (once known as British Petroleum) has positioned itself as a forward-looking player, concerned about alternative energies and the environment. These values have been severely challenged in...

TICKETING MARKET: Time out for the tout.
June 12, 2007... The secondary ticketing market has in the past been dominated by illegal touts and extortionate prices. Polly Devaney discusses the rise of the Viagogo brand which puts the consumer back in charge The internet often gets a bad rap. Like a...

PROFILE - LUCAS COVERS: The art of engineering.(of Philips Consumer Electronics Co.)(Interview)
June 12, 2007... Ruth Mortimer meets Lucas Covers, chief marketing officer for electronics brand Philips, who initially wanted to be a painter but is now a distinguished jack-of-all-trades in business There can't be many people in the world who can make...

Q&A - LUCAS COVERS: Sparky branding stays ahead.
June 12, 2007... Ruth Mortimer asks Lucas Covers how the Philips brand adapts to the needs of a global market and how it differentiates itself from its many competitors in consumer electronics RM: How would you describe the Philips brand? LC: Today, I...

CASE STUDY - HEINZ: Heinz has the bottle.(marketing of Heinz Ketchup bottle )
June 12, 2007... Heinz products have emotional pull with consumers worldwide but the brand cannot rest on its laurels. Maeve Hosea discusses how Heinz can stay relevant and keep its place on the dinner table On tables in every country in the world, the...

CASE STUDY - HEINZ: Heinz facts.(company profile)(Company overview)
June 12, 2007... * Heinz was founded in 1869 by Henry J. Heinz with a driving concept of quality. Heinz believed: "To do a common thing uncommonly well brings success." * The first product was grated horseradish and was packaged in a clear glass bottle...

CASE STUDY - HEINZ: Heinz Baked Beans.(ad campaign)
June 12, 2007... The Heinz brand might have one overarching vision, but it does differentiate itself on a local level. Each region has a slightly different take on the brand's personality. In the UK, for example, the brand is wrapped up in people's minds with...

POLITICAL BRANDING: Casting the deciding vote.
June 12, 2007... Trust, loyalty and value are essential components of a successful brand. They are equally desirable in a politician. Morag Cuddeford Jones checks out the branding manifesto Forget Kate Moss' clothing or reusable grocery bags, this...

POLITICAL BRANDING: Case study - Gore blimey.
June 12, 2007... There is a certain irony that during the elections for the US presidential candidates, one of the country's best-known politicians isn't even in the running. His favourite way to introduce himself is: "Hi. I'm Al Gore. I used to be the next...

POLITICAL BRANDING: Case study - Twittering the talk.
June 12, 2007... 'Twittering' is not an overly positive term in everyday English useage. Loosely, its definition is to speak in a nervous, rushed, tremulous manner. It is the very anthithesis of the gravitas one would expect from a candidate for the second...

HIGH PERFORMANCE MARKETING: Methods that make money.
June 12, 2007... Professor Robert Shaw discusses the practices of high-performing organisations that help grow marketing's financial contribution Marketing's financial contribution has always posed questions. How many times have you heard: "Half my...

MUSIC MARKETPLACE: Brands as music moguls.
June 12, 2007... Richard Kirstein, managing director of Leap Music, looks at the recent signing of Paul McCartney to Starbucks and says brands are the new hitmakers There aren't many brand marketers who can boast that Sir Paul McCartney made a surprise...

BOOK REVIEW: Sound and vision.(Sound Business )(Book review)
June 12, 2007... Sound Business By Julian Treasure Published by Management Books 2000 Ltd #19.99 Dan Jackson, founder of consultancy Sonicbrand and author of Sonic Branding listens to the messages in Julian Treasure's Sound Business and says it...

From the bookshelf of...Jonathan Gabay.(Brief article)(Column)
June 12, 2007... Jonathan Gabay, founder, Brand Forensics The Blank Notebook I was a weird kid. I used to hang around bookshops like WH Smith or Foyles. I felt comforted by the notion that each cover cosseted a universe of insights. Each book yearned...

BRAND LOYALTY: Brands need to get emotional.
June 12, 2007... Emotional brand loyalty is the ultimate achievement for marketers building brands. Consumers who are emotionally bonded to your brand are much more likely to stay loyal, repeat purchase or cross-purchase, happily recommend the brand to others...

BRANDED FOOD MARKET: The taste of the food market.
June 12, 2007... The UK food market is known for unspectacular growth. But now companies are tapping into branding to gain an edge over competitors in this crowded sector. Brands are increasingly developing human personality traits to help them stand out...

Brand Stats: June 2007.(Brief article)(Statistical data)
June 12, 2007... Market focus Vodka consumption Britain now accounts for 50% of the vodka consumed across the four European countries that also include Germany (29%), France (18%), and Spain (four per cent). One in four British adults drinks vodka, and...

BRANDING IN CHINA: China goes ker-ching!(Company overview)
June 12, 2007... China's rapidly growing economy means that this vast country is no longer just the factory for the West. Brand Strategy discusses the future of business in the region with a panel of experts Brand Strategy: Why is China such an alluring...

BRANDING IN CHINA: Shanghai tang brings chichi shops from china.
June 12, 2007... Shanghai Tang is a pioneering emporium of premium products from China. Ruth Mortimer discusses the brand's global strategy with executive chairman Raphael le Masne de Chermont The words 'luxury' and 'China' do not traditionally crop up...

BRANDING IN CHINA: Building a successful relationship with China.
June 12, 2007... Michael Dunn advises business-to-business brands to do their homework before entering the Chinese market. Are strategic partnerships the way to drive customer loyalty? To many businesses encountering slowing growth in mature markets, the...

BRANDING IN CHINA: Marque in the making.
June 12, 2007... Dr Ying Fan looks at the challenges facing Chinese companies keen to expand into the global market. How can quality marques shake off the negative country-of-origin effect and emerge as serious brands? Chinese companies used to be the...

BRANDING IN CHINA: Luxury looks East.
June 12, 2007... Sandy Chen and Ashok Sethi look at the burgeoning luxury market in China. What are the aspirations of the new middle-class consumer and how can luxury goods marketers make the most of the upturn? Traditionally, you might not associate...

BRANDING IN CHINA: Tips for marketers.(Brief article)
June 12, 2007... Looking ahead at the luxury goods industry in China, some key strategic elements are recommended for marketers to embrace consumers, motivate demand and make the most of the country's opportunities. 1) The appeal of the luxury goods...