Brand Strategy articles from March 2007

Brand Strategy archives from March 2007

LEADER: Power inversion.
March 12, 2007... A couple of weeks ago, I stood in London's Hard Rock Cafe and listened to a band called Kody strum and growl their way through their songs at a BMI/Billboard showcase. As I watched them perform, it occurred to me that this was the first time...

MARKETING: Kraft marketing plan.(Kraft Foods Inc.)(Brief article)
March 12, 2007... Kraft has revealed a new four-step marketing plan worth $400m (#203m) to turn around the business as it spins off from parent company Altria this month. It will focus on increasing research and development and aims to deliver four per cent...

MARKETING: Electrolux reality TV show.
March 12, 2007... Electrolux has created an internet-based 'reality TV' show, Kitchen Stage, based around a six-person Italian family from Sardinia, who will be filmed for 16 hours every day in their kitchen by three webcams. It hopes to align its brand with...

MARKETING: Market research.
March 12, 2007... Nokia is set to gain significant market share in China, while Sony Ericsson will do the same in India, according to research from Wolff Olins and Goldman Sachs. The study also found that eighty per cent of Chinese and Indian consumers plan to...

MARKETING: Toyota campaign.
March 12, 2007... Toyota has launched an extensive viral campaign for its Scion brand car. The initiative aims to create buzz for the launch of the new xB model and includes a site where consumers build 'points' for watching videos, emailing content to others...

MARKETING: Dell speculation.
March 12, 2007... There is speculation that computer brand Dell is considering a move into mobile phones following its appointment of former Motorola executive vice president Ron Garriques. Any mobile move would follow fellow computer brand Apple's launch of the...

MARKETING: Lamborghini placement deal.
March 12, 2007... Lamborghini has agreed a product placement deal to appear in the next Batman film, due out in 2008. The company says that the partnership aims to draw attention to its performance quality and boost sales in the US by 10% this year. ...

LAUNCHES AND REBRANDS: Chinese car brand in Europe.
March 12, 2007... Chinese government-owned car brand Landwind is launching its sports utility vehicles (SUVs) across Europe this summer. It is the latest in a series of Chinese automotive companies eyeing up the European car market. Copyright: Centaur...

LAUNCHES AND REBRANDS: Disney collaboration.(Fernando and Humberto Campana)(Brief article)
March 12, 2007... Disney has launched a creative collaboration with critically-acclaimed furniture designers Fernando and Humberto Campana. The designers' chair - created from plush Disney characters - will be on display at an art gallery in London as the...

LAUNCHES AND REBRANDS: Nabarro Nathanson rebranded.
March 12, 2007... Law firm Nabarro Nathanson has rebranded itself as 'Nabarro' and launched a press advertising campaign in an attempt to boost its image in the international professional services market. The new brand and strapline - 'Clarity Matters' -...

LAUNCHES AND REBRANDS: Unilever ready-meals push.
March 12, 2007... Unilever is driving its push into the chilled ready-meals market by using its famous ingredient brands as the inspiration for its ranges. New lines under the Knorr, Bertolli and Colman's brand names will launch later this year. Copyright:...

FINANCIAL: Airbus jobs.
March 12, 2007... Airbus has announced that it is cutting 10,000 jobs across Europe in the next four years. Most jobs will go in France and Germany, but there will also be layoffs in the UK and Spain. The company claims it is "not efficient enough" to compete...

FINANCIAL: Sportingbet loss.
March 12, 2007... Sportingbet has reported a loss of #1.1m to the end of January, down from a profit of #27m a year earlier. The drop was due to a #252m exceptional charge as the company pulled its US operations because of stringent gambling laws. The company...

FINANCIAL: Wal-Mart deal.(Trust-Mart)(Brief article)
March 12, 2007... Wal-Mart is aiming for a bigger stake in the world's most rapidly growing economy through a deal to buy 35% of the company that operates the Trust-Mart chain of hypermarkets in China. Trust-Mart, founded in 1996 by a Taiwanese entrepreneur,...

FINANCIAL: Strong performances.(Royal Bank of Scotland PLC financial news)(Financial report)(Brief article)
March 12, 2007... The Royal Bank of Scotland has reported pre-tax profit of #9.2bn for 2006, up 16% on last year. Its rival bank HBOS also reported a 19% rise in pre-tax profit to #5.71bn last month, following other strong performances for 2006 from Barclays,...

FINANCIAL: Coca-Cola income.
March 12, 2007... Coca-Cola's fourth quarter operating income decreased four per cent although its full-year income rose by four per cent. Volume sales also rose by four per cent over 2006. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and licensors

FINANCIAL: Aston Martin sale.
March 12, 2007... Luxury car marque Aston Martin is reportedly being sold by its owner Ford Motor Company. A sale, which could be agreed shortly, will come more than five months after the US car group first talked of plans to sell the business. ...

FINANCIAL: Taj Hotels expansion programme.
March 12, 2007... Leading Indian hospitality brand Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces - part of the Tata Group - is embarking on a $1.5bn (#763bn) international expansion programme, with the aim of opening new hotels around the US, Europe and Asia. ...

FINANCIAL: Flybe results.
March 12, 2007... Flybe, the privately-owned airline, reported sharp pre-tax losses of #12.2m in the 12 months to the end of March last year. The company attributed the results to rapid expansion of its route network, write- downs for its oldest aircraft and a...

FINANCIAL: Aviva boost.
March 12, 2007... Insurance provider Aviva has reported a 12% rise in its annual operating profit to #3.25bn. The acquisition of American group AmerUs for #1.7bn in November also helped boost international sales for the Europe-based company. Copyright:...

NUMBERS: Luxury brands survey.
March 12, 2007... Luxury brands should consider using viral techniques as their main consumers come from the most affluent industries, according to a survey from online service BoreMe. The financial services, manufacturing, oil and legal industries are...

Trendspotter: A senior moment.
March 12, 2007... Martin Farrington on why some brands aren't treating the greys with kid gloves While many of those marketing to the over-50s, or so-called 'grey' market, are keen to point out the vibrant, active aspects of their customers' lives, other...

Brand Stunt of the Month: Cartoon capers.(Cartoon Network)(Brief article)
March 12, 2007... Morag Cuddeford Jones finds guerrilla marketing can mean war It was supposed to be an irreverent stunt to ensure buzz got around for Cartoon Network's new young adult animation Aqua Teen Hunger Force. Signs featuring characters from the...

Opinion Frederic Josenhans: In search of the comfort zone.
March 12, 2007... The changing pace of global life is affecting every industry on earth. Cultural trends and new technologies are altering how people shop, spend time and entertain themselves. Brands must adapt to these new realities and find a way to make...

Opinion Tom Dixon: Define your attitude and find your muse.
March 12, 2007... The internet, foreign competition and globalisation have ensured that the furniture and home furnishings market is now becoming an increasingly dynamic sector. It is no longer a dreamy backwater. The challenge for Habitat moving forward is...

BERNARD MATTHEWS: Is the brand a turkey now?
March 12, 2007... Turkey supplier Bernard Matthews has reported a 40% drop in sales since its farm revealed it was at the centre of a bird flu outbreak in the UK at the beginning of February. The firm's eponymous owner, Bernard Matthews, has said he is sorry...

GLOBAL TRENDS WATCH - CHINESE YOUTH: Wiring china's youth.
March 12, 2007... Miriam Rayman looks at why the digital arena is so vital for youth marketing in modern China. Brands need to log on to communicate and sustain this demanding, sophisticated audience "The Chinese are used to noise," justifies Jason Jiang,...

PROFILE: Chris Anderson on smashing hits.
March 12, 2007... Ruth Mortimer meets Chris Anderson, the man who has been causing a stir since the publication of his book The Long Tail which explains why hit products are no longer the future for brands Chris Anderson walks towards me and it is as if...

PROFILE: The joy of the jukebox.(dialogue with Chris Anderson)(Interview)
March 12, 2007... Ruth Mortimer persuades digital guru Chris Anderson to sit down and discuss what the new media age means for brands and marketing RM: You've talked a lot about the importance of word-of-mouth for brands to promote themselves in future. How...

PROFILE: What is the 'long tail'?
March 12, 2007... The 'long tail' is a description of a changing consumer culture. It means that lots of products that have low demand or sales volumes can collectively make up a market share that rivals or exceeds the relatively small number of bestsellers...

CASE STUDY - AT&T WILLIAMS F1: Let's be frank.
March 12, 2007... Williams is considered one of the top three Formula One racing team brands. Yet in 2006, it experienced its worst ever season. Morag Cuddeford Jones asks if 2007 will see it back in pole position The excitement in the taxi is palpable...

2007 WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM: Shifting sands.
March 12, 2007... Maeve Hosea meets international business leaders to discuss ethical marketing and trade among other critical issues surrounding the global branding industry at the 2007 World Economic Forum Professors, politicians, world business leaders...

2007 WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM: Case study - Hewlett-Packard EMEA.
March 12, 2007... Maeve Hosea asks Anette Nachbar, director of corporate communications for HP EMEA, to speak about the strategic issues that she has seen thrown up at The World Economic Forum Thinking about a general pattern of slowing population growth...

2007 WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM: Web 2.0: The reaction from Davos.(Brief article)
March 12, 2007... As people choose to share their lives with as wide an audience as possible, there was discussion at Davos about the 'Web 2.0' generation of technologies that are transforming the media industry. There was a special focus on social networking...

BRAND LEADERS: Top trumps among brand CEOs.
March 12, 2007... David Hensley analyses the chief executives that make great brand leaders and asks why marketers and CEOs disagree with each other's choices Everyone loves Steve Jobs. The charismatic Apple chief executive and consumer electronics...

AURAL ADVERTISING: Sound - the uncharted territory.
March 12, 2007... Julian Treasure at The Sound Agency reminds marketers not to forget the power of aural stimulation. But companies still aren't hearing the message All brands are making sound; most just aren't controlling it. Conscious, intentional,...

AURAL ADVERTISING: Sonic logos.
March 12, 2007... We encounter thousands of logos every day, but almost all of them are visual. For the next few years, sonic logos will always be worth considering simply because they are rare and can act as differentiators. But there's more to them than...

SIMPLE STRATEGY: Best to keep it simple.
March 12, 2007... Allen Adamson, managing director of Landor Associates, New York, explains why successful brands resist the urge to overcomplicate When I was growing up, I bought my jeans at Gap. Back then, Gap was jeans. Even after all these years, it's...

PRICING: Why give it away?
March 12, 2007... Jonathan Cahill argues that price cuts are the enemy of successful marketing campaigns by looking at the winners of the Advertising Effectiveness Awards Price cuts are, in many respects, the antithesis of marketing. They demonstrate a lack...

BOOK REVIEW: A practical aide memoir.(Book review)
March 12, 2007... Brand Vision: How to energize your team to drive business growth By David Taylor Published by John Wiley & Sons Limited, 2006, priced #24.99 Peter Mills, client partner at The Team, says that there are no revolutionary tactics laid...

BOOK REVIEW: Three from me Peter Mills also recommends.(Living the brand: how to transform every member or your organization into a brand champion )(The Big Idea )(The Wisdom of Crowds )(Book review)(Brief review)
March 12, 2007... Living the brand: how to transform every member or your organization into a brand champion by Nicholas Ind Kogan Page, 2001 Despite David Taylor's knocking of Ind's eloquent and confident publication, I would still reach for his...

From the bookshelf of...Tony Effik.(The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen)(Book review)(Brief review)
March 12, 2007... Tony Effik, vice president, planning at Modem Media The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen The Corrections is not a new book, but in my view, it was the last great attempt to tackle a subject that stretches back from time immemorial:...

CONSUMER/BRAND RELATIONSHIP: In the company of wolves.
March 12, 2007... Here's a scenario. You arrange an evening at a restaurant with a group of 10 friends. One of them stands you up and a couple pitch up more than half an hour late. You've been looking forward to some stimulating conversation, but instead you...

CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR: I don't like it but I don't know why.
March 12, 2007... There are few marketers or researchers who have not experienced the situation where a market or a brand behaves in a manner we cannot decipher. Why do people complain about their bank but not move their accounts? Why do people continue to buy...

CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR: Case study - Deregulation of fixed-line phones.
March 12, 2007... Deregulation of the fixed-line telecommunications environment occurred in Australia approximately 15 years ago. Since that time, a significant number of competitors have entered the market and spent hundreds of millions of dollars on...

INTERNAL BRANDING: Taking pride in your work.
March 12, 2007... People instinctively understand the importance of emotions in decision making. We have all made purchases which make no sense logically and are related to a deeper visceral process that we just can't explain sensibly. So it will come as no...

GLOBAL TRUST INDEX: Building the brands we love.
March 12, 2007... The deadline for this article was Valentine's Day - and that set me thinking about the idea of 'love'. In the 1990s, brand managers were told that customers should be 'surprised and delighted' by the brand experience - not just 'satisfied'....

Brand Stats: March 2007.
March 12, 2007... Market focus Perfume Perfumes are commonly used across four European countries - Spain, Germany, the UK and France - appealing to 92% of women aged over 15 years old. Amongst the heaviest users, Spanish women are 47% more likely than...