Brand Strategy articles from November 2003

Brand Strategy archives from November 2003

Rebrand with relevancy.(Leader)(Letter to the Editor)
November 1, 2003... As the managing director of the-field, a branding consultancy that has just completed the rebranding of Abbey Road Church in London, I read with interest your October story on branding and religion. I found the Alpha case study both...

Branding stereotypes.(Leader)(Letter to the Editor)
November 1, 2003... Judaism is a globally recognised brand, with high levels of awareness, rich brand heritage and a well established logo--the star of David. But scratch under the surface and a more complex picture emerges. It suffers from bad press through the...

Through a glass darkly.(Leader)
November 1, 2003... In 1899, Charles H Duell, the director of the US patent office bemoaned: "Everything that can be invented has been invented." It's a potent warning for observers jaded by the lack of innovation in today's marketplace. Sometimes it feels as it"...

Nokia.(Launches and rebrands)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Nokia has launched N-Gage, the world's first mobile wireless game deck with an accompanying worldwide advertising campaign. It appears in cinemas, television, press, internet and outdoor, reinforcing the message that players can challenge...

Microsoft and Orange are launching a Bluetooth enabled phone this month called the SPVe200 smartphone.(Launches and rebrands)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Microsoft and Orange are launching a Bluetooth enabled phone this month called the SPVe200 smartphone. The phone will feature Windows Mobile software, include a camera and will retail for less than 200 [pounds sterling]. It will be available to...

The Post Office and Bank of Ireland Group will launch Post Office branded financial products early next year through branches, the telephone and the internet.(Launches and rebrands)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... The Post Office and Bank of Ireland Group will launch Post Office branded financial products early next year through branches, the telephone and the internet. The venture will be owned equally by both parties with an initial term of 10 years....

Boots.(Launches and rebrands)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Boots will launch a range of vitamin strips which dissolve on the tongue next January, providing a quick and convenient way to absorb vitamins. The range includes Vitamin C strips and Re-energise Vitamin B strips and will be promoted instore.

Following Whitbread's trial repositioning of the Beefeater chain, eight additional restaurants will be overhauled following sales increases of 30% in modernised sites.(Launches and rebrands)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Following Whitbread's trial repositioning of the Beefeater chain, eight additional restaurants will be overhauled following sales increases of 30% in modernised sites. While the brand name has been retained, signage, decor, layout, food and...

McDonald.(Marketing)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... McDonald's offered UK customers a look behind the scenes last month with its two-week long 'Open Doors' programme. Customers over 14 years of age could take a guided tour around the restaurant where they were shown how food was prepared and...

Pepsico is creating a single UK brand team, bringing together the Tropicana, Walkers, Pepsi and Quaker brands.(Marketing)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Pepsico is creating a single UK brand team, bringing together the Tropicana, Walkers, Pepsi and Quaker brands. The restructure is being led by recently promoted UK Pepsico president, Martin Glenn. Walker's marketing VP Nell Campbell will become...

Wallace and Gromit (W&G) is the new face of Jacob's Crackers' 4m [pounds sterling] marketing campaign.(Marketing)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Wallace and Gromit (W&G) is the new face of Jacob's Crackers' 4m [pounds sterling] marketing campaign. Promoting all nine brands within the portfolio, the deal is a long-term partnership, planned to run beyond 2005 when a W&G film will be...

BSkyB has launched a 20m [pounds sterling] marketing campaign to drive growth in Sky+, the digital video recorder.(Marketing)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... BSkyB has launched a 20m [pounds sterling] marketing campaign to drive growth in Sky+, the digital video recorder. The campaign is BSkyB's biggest for several years and signals the first time the company has advertised outside its existing...

Bacardi rum will run the fourth instalment of its 10m [pounds sterling] Latin Quarter TV ad campaign from mid-November, featuring ex-footballer Vinnie Jones and Hollywood actress Claudia Aros.(Marketing)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Bacardi rum will run the fourth instalment of its 10m [pounds sterling] Latin Quarter TV ad campaign from mid-November, featuring ex-footballer Vinnie Jones and Hollywood actress Claudia Aros. The 'Quick Pour' ad will be broadcast on main...

Diary.
November 1, 2003... Advertising and Marketing Law Update Grosvenor House Hotel, London 19 November 2003 Advertising is subject to increasingly formal regulations. Those who fall foul run the risk of injunctions and substantial cost. Ad specialist...

Goodyear Dunlop UK.(Appointments)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Goodyear UK has created the new position of UK marketing director and appointed Nissan UK's former marketing director, Neil Burrows, The role covers both Goodyear and Dunlop tyre brands and the Hi-Q vehicle and tyre network.

Electronic Arts (EA).(Appointments)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Electronic Arts (EA) has appointed Jan Bolz to the new position of VP sales and marketing. He occupied the same role at former employers, BMG Records. Reporting to senior VP and MD EA Europe, Gerhard Florin, he will be responsible for expanding...

SABMiller.(Appointments)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Charlie Hiscocks, a former director at marketing consultancy Added Value, is to join brewer SABMiller as group brand communications director. Responsible for the process and output of brand communications across the group, Hiscocks will report...

Procter & Gamble.(Appointments)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Giuseppe Casareto, Procter & Gamble's marketing director for commercial products group, Western Europe, is to succeed Mark Brickhill as marketing director for UK fabric care. He will report directly to UK & Ireland VP and general manager, Chris...

Kimberly-Clark is launching its biggest-ever marketing campaign for Huggies Beginners and Freedom nappy ranges following an upgrade of the products.(Marketing)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Kimberly-Clark is launching its biggest-ever marketing campaign for Huggies Beginners and Freedom nappy ranges following an upgrade of the products. The 10m [pounds sterling]campaign will include TV, public relations and point-of-purchase...

Wm Morrison Supermarkets is launching an advertising campaign around its 'More reasons to shop at Morrisons' strapline.(Marketing)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Wm Morrison Supermarkets is launching an advertising campaign around its 'More reasons to shop at Morrisons' strapline. The campaign will be led by TV and will extend across radio, press, outdoor, and point of sale material in all 123 stores....

Smirnoff Experience has partnered with ITV and Flawless Media in the production of a TV docu-series, The Joy of Decks.(Marketing)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Smirnoff Experience has partnered with ITV and Flawless Media in the production of a TV docu-series, The Joy of Decks. The six-part advertiser funded series will air on ITV 1 and 2 this Autumn showing underground DJs establishing mentor...

Air France and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines have merged, signing an agreement which makes them Europe's leading airline group.(International)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Air France and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines have merged, signing an agreement which makes them Europe's leading airline group. The group, Air France-KLM, said the deal will capitalise on both brands and is expected to create value for shareholders....

T-Mobile will be a main sponsor of the UEFA 2004 European Football Championship.(International)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... T-Mobile will be a main sponsor of the UEFA 2004 European Football Championship in Portugal next Summer, offering exclusive services and content to its customers in five European markets.

Burberry.(International)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Burberry will open its first Russian store in Moscow early next year; this will be followed in April with the opening of a second store in Tokyo. The company has also announced its first half trading results; total revenues have increased by...

Sainsbury.(Finance)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Sainsbury's Latest figures show a decline in like-for-like sales of-0.2% for the 16 weeks to 11 October 2003. Poor performance has been blamed on the disruptions of a business transformation programme which includes new IT infrastructure. Sales...

Advertising holding company WPP's third quarter revenues have climbed to over 1bn [pounds sterling], following its acquisition of UK rival Cordiant.(Finance)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Advertising holding company WPP's third quarter revenues have climbed to over 1bn [pounds sterling], following its acquisition of UK rival Cordiant. WPP's chief executive Martin Sorrell said advertising and media investment management was the...

A court battle between Adidas-Salomon and Fitnessworld over the similarity of Fitnessworld's double-stripe motif to Adidas' three stripes ruled that although there was no trademark infringement this was a problem if the similarity confuses the public.(Finance)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... A court battle between Adidas-Salomon and Fitnessworld over the similarity of Fitnessworld's double-stripe motif to Adidas' three stripes ruled that although there was no trademark infringement this was a problem if the similarity confuses the...

Arla Foods has merged with Express Dairies, creating a leading UK dairy supplier to major supermarkets and other outlets.(Finance)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Arla Foods has merged with Express Dairies, creating a leading UK dairy supplier to major supermarkets and other outlets. Combined revenue will be approximately 1.4bn [pounds sterling] a year.

Nestle is to focus on higher-margin nutritional products to improve sales and profits growth in developed markets.(Finance)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Nestle is to focus on higher-margin nutritional products to improve sales and profits growth in developed markets. The nutritional division accounts for 6% of group sales but 20% of R&D. The push is said to reflect changing economics.

Manchester United has announced a 22% rise in profit before tax to 39.3m [pounds sterling], with group turnover up by 18% to 173m [pounds sterling] for the year to 31 July 2003.(Finance)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Manchester United has announced a 22% rise in profit before tax to 39.3m [pounds sterling], with group turnover up by 18% to 173m [pounds sterling] for the year to 31 July 2003. Leeds United, however, has announced a pre-tax loss of 49.5m...

IPA's Q3 2003 Bellwether Report.(Finance)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Marketing budgets were revised downwards for the fifth consecutive quarter, according to the IPA's Q.3 2003 Bellwether Report. But while media ad budgets were down, internet, sales promotion and DM were all revised upwards and the report...

Coffee retailer Tchibo has won the battle for Beiersdorf, the maker of Nivea skin-care cream, ensuring that the company stays in German hands.(Finance)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Coffee retailer Tchibo has won the battle for Beiersdorf, the maker of Nivea skin-care cream, ensuring that the company stays in German hands. Tchibo already owned 30.3% of Beiersdorf and beat Procter & Gamble, which also reported an interest.

Hyperconvenient foods or hyperbolic marketing? The knife and fork are obsolete. Can brands make food on the go a fun experience, ask Callum Lumsden and Rebekka Bay.(Trendspotter)
November 1, 2003... Technology lets us live a nomadic lifestyle aided by laptops, mobiles, PDAs and email. People have less and less time to eat and to survive the pace consumers look for the most convenient and time-saving products on the market. Faster than...

If I could get my hands on London Underground ... I'd make sure its customers went down the Tube, says Nick Smith, marketing director of British Gas.(In an Ideal World)
November 1, 2003... If there ever was an iconic brand, it's London's underground transport system--the Tube. From the red circle and blue bar logo to its out-of-scale map, it isn't London's transport, it's London. But for a brand with so much brand equity, it...

Sept 2003: presswatch top 10 brands in terms of positive coverage.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... 1 Tesco 2 Morrison (Wm) Supermarket 3 Taylor Wodrow 4 Alizyme 5 LogicaCMG 6 Woolworths 7 Britannia BS 8 Hornby 9 Aston Martin 10 Fidelity

How this Texan got itself in a sticky situation: Morag Cuddeford Jones looks at the demise of the Texan and discovers the miners' strike scuppered more than Margaret Thatcher.(That Was The Brand That Was)
November 1, 2003... Nestle's Texan bar was a mother's nightmare. Aside from the teeth decaying properties of chocolate, toffee and nougat, it was so difficult to chew that there was a very real possibility you'd lose your teeth then and there, simply trying to...

St Mungo's makes an exhibition of itself.(Brand Stunt Of The Month)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... London homeless charity, St Mungo's, capitalised on the Autumn Ideal Home exhibition last month by placing a cardboard sofa opposite the national event at Earl's Court, London. Entitled 'Not the Ideal Home Exhibition' the initiative,...

Brand mot.
November 1, 2003... The Number, better known as 118 118, had a head start in the directory enquiries race. Its advertising launched months before its 19 other competitors. When it opened in August, awareness was high. However, the service didn't match. Low paid...

The war of the razor blades: Joanna Doonar investigates the possible outcome of the Gillette/Wilkinson Sword court cases.(News Analysis)
November 1, 2003... Gillette and Wilkinson Sword are at each others throats. Both companies are taking each other to court in the US. While Gillette fried a patent infringement suit against Energizer Holdings (the parent company of Wilkinson Sword, called Schick...

What doesn't kill you might even make you stronger: as the latest legislation against tobacco promotion comes into force, Morag Cuddeford Jones investigates why one cigarette brand isn't just complying, but agreeing wholeheartedly with the lobbyists.(News Analysis)(Industry Overview)
November 1, 2003... Tobacco brands are raising their game in a bid to find new ways of communicating with consumers, now that yet more legislation is restricting marketing opportunities. A European directive (see box) in force since 30 September this year bans...

Reputation marketing: Rod Aldridge reflects on a year of intense media scrutiny and concludes that reputation really does matter.(Opinion)
November 1, 2003... Reputation should be on every boardroom agenda. Everyone knows that a good reputation is the key to a successful business. Yet all too often business is so focused on growth, it forgets to invest in protecting its good name. It is said that...

Treatment for a charity case: Wally Olins urges charity brands to consolidate and build on commercial learnings to provide effective help to those in need.(Opinion)
November 1, 2003... The charity sector has taken on a new lease of life. Many charities such as Amnesty International, Christian Aid, Red Cross, Greenpeace, and the World Wildlife Foundation (WWF), have professionalised themselves, becoming world class brands with...

Brand surgery with Abbey's Doctor Porter: Morag Cuddeford Jones talks to Angus Porter, former managing director of BT Retail and customer director of the newly rebranded Abbey bank, and discovers that this jack of all trades is brand master of more than one.(Angus Porter)
November 1, 2003... Dr Angus Porter, to call him by his full title, would have given his school careers adviser a heart attack if he'd told them what his planned job path would be. In a 20-year period, he has crammed in a wide variety of professions. These include...

Widening portals and pipes: Alastair Ray investigates the challenges that lie ahead for Yahoo, a nine year-old digital brand which has survived the dotcom boom and bust, but remains under pressure to build its brand and business.(Yahoo)
November 1, 2003... There are very few digital brands which remain in the public's consciousness following the dotcom boom. Yahoo, the web search to email business, is one of them. As a brand which is just nine years old, it has certainly made an impact despite...

Where have all the ideas gone? In times of economic uncertainty companies are less likely to invest in innovation. Elen Lewis investigates the damage to long-term growth and discovers that involving consumers in the R&D process could reduce risks.(Innovation)
November 1, 2003... In a focus group many years ago a consumer said he would like a computer that looked nice in the home. The resulting laughter from the marketers on the other side of the two-way mirror was so loud it could be heard by the group. The principle...

Actimel leads the culture club: Joanna Doonar examines the success of Actimel, Danone's probiotic dairy drink which grew by 160% in its first three years, and considers whether there is room for more competitors in the functional foods market.(Case study: innovation)
November 1, 2003... A few years ago talk of 'friendly bacteria' would have baffled most UK consumers, but the arrival of probiotic dairy drinks at the end of the 1990s means the phrase is now part of everyday language for the health aware shopper. According...

Breaking the Abbey habit: at its launch, new-look bank Abbey--formerly Abbey National--claimed it was "undertaking a radical transformation". Angus Porter, Abbey's customer director tells Morag Cuddeford Jones why the company had no choice but to reinvent itself.(Special report: financial services)
November 1, 2003... Q: What evidence was there that customers wanted this change? We did a lot of talking to customers. Not structured focus groups, just asking them about their bank. They don't talk about percentage rates and things that banks talk about,...

Scaling the debt mountain: research from The Henley Centre, exclusive to Brand Strategy, reveals that ineffective personal finance management is a global malaise. Chairman Martin Hayward examines the cultural differences responsible.(Special report: financial services)(Industry Overview)
November 1, 2003... In the West, we used to talk about third world debt in a benificent, 'there but for the grace of God go I' manner. We, the affluent developed countries, had so much cash sloshing around, we could even spare a bob or two. But increasingly it's...

The right kit for the game: Adrian Day outlines five key design steps for brands that want to join the mass market premium league. Brand owners must make bold decisions and meaningful changes.(Brand Papers)
November 1, 2003... The nirvana of FMCG branding arrives when a brand attains a 'premiership' position ill all the brand league tables. Classic, enduring brands such as Guinness, Heinz, Kellogg's and Cadbury's have been best sellers in their sectors for decades,...

It's the way you say it: John Simmons defends the power of language, arguing that a picture doesn't always tell a thousand words but that words and images should be used creatively together.(Brand Papers)
November 1, 2003... Language is at the heart of any culture, any system of belief. There's really no need to ask, Monty-Python-like, "What did the Romans do for you?". They wrote it down, and it was the Latin language that carried the Roman brand to all parts of...

Let me entertain you: Ian Buxton examines brand experience centres that have failed and argues that place, brand passion and the visitor experience are critical factors in creating an enduring brand centre.(Brand Papers)
November 1, 2003... Not every dotcom company survived the great shake-out--but we still use the internet. Likewise, not every brand homeplace is going to transform its owner's prospects but that doesn't mean the experience space isn't an invaluable communication...

Brands pulling rank: Peter Fisk argues that brand valuation is less about league tables, and more about how effectively you nurture, exploit and use the brand to drive future cash flows.(Brand Papers)
November 1, 2003... Coca-Cola, Tesco, Levi's and Nike are just some of the names that are routinely described as 'great brands', yet I am always intrigued to find out the reasons why people feel that certain companies merit this description. Invariably...

Brands that name-drop: Ravinder Chahil advises traders to think twice before referring to another brand's registered trademark--as illustrated by the court case between Gillette Company and LA-Laboratories.(Brand Papers)
November 1, 2003... It used to be common to see the words 'compatible with IBM' when buying computer products. In this way the purchaser knew that the software they were purchasing would work on their computer. This kind of use of a registered trademark is...

CEOs watch their reputation.(Trends)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Only 19% of chief executive officers worldwide believe new corporate governance standards will lead to more ethical behaviour by companies, according to the Corporate Reputation Watch Survey conducted by ORC International. Most leaders think...

Brits drink their money away.(Trends)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Brits spend half of their leisure money on drinking in the pub, equalling 17.4bn [pounds sterling] in 2002, according to Mintel report, The Leisure Business. The figure is double that spent on entertainment outside the home such as going to the...

Mobile users are starting to hang up.(Trends)(statistics show that some consumers are willing to switch companies)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Over one in ten mobile owners are likely to change network in the following year according to Continental Research's Autumn 2003 Mobile Report. The most likely group to switch are young users aged 15-24, who are also the heaviest users, with...

'Tis the season (for marketers) to be jolly.(Research)
November 1, 2003... The Christmas season is sales season, according to Unwrapping Christmas, a survey by media agency, Mindshare. A third of predominantly non-food sales take place in the last quarter of the year with nearly half of those taking place in December....

Complicated lives.(Research)
November 1, 2003... Consumers' lives are becoming more complex, complicating marketing, according to research presented at this year's Marketing Forum. Media fragmentation, increasing short-termism and accountability also complicate the discipline. Research...

The customer conundrum: real profitable growth is often generated by those companies who focus on their least valuable customers.
November 1, 2003... The late professor Peter Doyle once summed up the role of marketing as "a management process which seeks to maximise returns to shareholders by developing and implementing strategies to build relationships of trust with high value customers and...