Brand Strategy articles from November 2007

Brand Strategy archives from November 2007

LEADER: Art attack.(vandalism in ancient age)
November 5, 2007... Some pieces of art are venerated for all time. One of my favourite places to visit is the British Museum, where you can marvel at a human- headed, massive-winged lion from the ancient site of Nimrud. On the bottom of the statue, there is some...

MARKETING: Themed meals.
November 5, 2007... McDonald's is producing a new set of themed meals to promote DreamWorks' Bee Movie. The promotion aims to highlight environmental issues with tips and messages about being green and features input from non-profit organisation Conservation...

MARKETING: MySpace gaming platform.(Brief article)
November 5, 2007... MySpace has announced it is launching a casual gaming platform in early 2008 as part of a tie-up with Oberon Media. The social network's customers will be able to place games on their pages and play with other users. People will also be able...

MARKETING: LVMH in China.
November 5, 2007... LVMH chairman Bernard Arnault has stated that China is likely to be the most important market for the portfolio business within 25 years. It staged a $10m (#5m) promotional show on the Great Wall last month for its Fendi marque and took a...

MARKETING: Packaging survey.(Marks and Spencer PLC is environment friendly)(Brief article)
November 5, 2007... Marks & Spencer has been named as one of the UK's least environmentally friendly companies when it comes to packaging, according to a survey from the UK's Local Government Association (LGA). The LGA claims that only 60% of the company's...

MARKETING: PepsiCo signs Tiger Woods.
November 5, 2007... PepsiCo has signed golfer Tiger Woods to be the face of its Gatorade energy drink. It is Woods' first drinks deal and is due to last five years from March 2008. Financial details of the Gatorade Tiger deal were not disclosed, but it was...

MARKETING: Diageo partnership with US rapper.
November 5, 2007... Diageo has launched a partnership with US rapper and entrepreneur 'Diddy' Combs, to market the drinks company's US vodka brand Ciroc. The deal entails a 50/50 profit split and could be worth more than $100m (#50m) for Combs while boosting...

MARKETING: Eastman Kodak will no longer sponsor Olympics.
November 5, 2007... Kodak has announced that it will no longer be the official imaging sponsor of the Olympics after Beijing 2008. The company has reportedly amassed nearly $3.2bn (#1.6bn) in restructuring charges and accumulated $2.1bn (#1.1bn) in net losses...

MARKETING: Holiday Inn global rebrand.
November 5, 2007... InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has launched a $1bn (#500m) global rebrand of Holiday Inn, including the first major logo change in more than 50 years. The majority of the relaunch expenditure will be carried by the hotel owners and...

MARKETING: LG digital initiative.
November 5, 2007... LG Electronics has launched a digital initiative with five pan-European microsites to offer customers detailed product information and technical specifications on its new range of Design Art televisions. There will also be marketing using...

MARKETING: New mobile phone service.
November 5, 2007... Carphone Warehouse is launching a new mobile phone service - Talkmobile - which will run through Vodafone's network. It will run alongside the retailer's existing offers, Fresh and TalkTalk Mobile, which operate through T-Mobile's network....

MARKETING: eBay launches microfinance brand.
November 5, 2007... Auction website eBay has launched a microfinance brand called MicroPlace. It hopes to alleviate poverty by acting as a broker between investors and microfinance organisations to offer small loans to entrepreneurs in developing nations. ...

MARKETING: New business model.
November 5, 2007... The Virgin group has launched Virgin Money USA, intended to make loans easier. A new business model enables family members or friends to lend money to one another at agreed rates of interest on commercial terms. Financial Copyright:...

FINANCIAL: Nike to acquire Umbro.
November 5, 2007... Sportswear giant Nike is to acquire UK-based football brand Umbro in a $582m (#285m) deal. Despite its high-profile presence in all soccer events as a major team kit supplier, Umbro has experienced lower than expected sales, partly due to...

FINANCIAL: Bank of America restructures.
November 5, 2007... Bank of America is cutting 3,000 jobs as it restructures its investment bank division following a 93% fall in income at the unit. The brand blamed its situation on turmoil in the financial markets and reported overall profits of $3.7bn...

FINANCIAL: Microsoft takes stake in Facebook.
November 5, 2007... Microsoft has paid $240m (#120m) for a 1.6% stake in Facebook that values the hugely popular social networking site at around $15bn. The social networking site allegedly turned down an offer from rival Google and a $1bn (#500m) takeover bid...

FINANCIAL: Nintendo doubles its profit.
November 5, 2007... High sales of the Wii console - 7.3 million units - have helped Nintendo to double its profit in the six months to the end of September. The Japanese company made a net profit of Y132.4bn (#506m) up from Y54.4bn a year earlier. It also won...

FINANCIAL: Amazon sales up.(Amazon.com Inc.)(Financial report)(Brief article)
November 5, 2007... Online bookseller Amazon posted significant third-quarter sales, up 41% to $3.26bn (#1.13bn) in September, due in part to the success of the final Harry Potter book, Deathly Hallows. Amazon's wider portfolio of products also contributed to...

FINANCIAL: GSK restructuring costs.
November 5, 2007... GlaxosmithKline announced it will write down #1.5bn in restructuring costs as its quarterly profits fell to #1.9bn, following disappointing sales of diabetes treatment Avandia. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and licensors

FINANCIAL: Apple net income.
November 5, 2007... Despite its high price tag, the popularity of Apple's iPhone has significantly boosted the company's end-of-year net income, up 76% to $3.49bn (#1.25bn). The company sold more than a million handsets in the US in 80 days. Despite technical...

FINANCIAL: Lower-than-expected quarterly growth.
November 5, 2007... Sony has reported lower-than-expected quarterly growth; net income rose to Y73.7bn (#323m). Losses from the games unit widened after Playstation 3 sales trailed behind the Nintendo Wii console. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and...

FINANCIAL: Yahoo! revenues rise.
November 5, 2007... Yahoo's third-quarter revenues rose by 12% to $1.77m (#806,600), with a gross profit of just over $1m (#500,000), despite recent warnings from the financial community over its performance. Numbers Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd....

NUMBERS: Value of brands in sport.
November 5, 2007... The European sports sponsorship industry is worth #6.7bn annually, according to International Market Reports. The value of brands in sport has grown by 37% since 2000, with football accounting for #1.8bn alone. Copyright: Centaur...

APPOINTMENTS: Ford Motor Company.
November 5, 2007... Struggling US car manufacturer, Ford Motor Company, has appointed Toyota's Jim Farley as group vice president of marketing and communications. His remit will be to develop a single, global brand for Ford. He was formerly US general manager of...

APPOINTMENTS: Electrolux Major Appliances.
November 5, 2007... Hoover Candy's former strategic marketing director, Steve Holton, has been appointed by Electrolux Major Appliances to the newly created post of product and brand director. He will be responsible for day-to-day marketing activities as well...

APPOINTMENTS: Coors Brewers.
November 5, 2007... Coors has appointed brewing veteran, Mark Hunter, as chief executive of its UK business. Hunter joins from Molson Canada, part of the Coors group, and prior to that was marketing director of Bass Beer in the UK. Copyright: Centaur...

APPOINTMENTS: Birds Eye.
November 5, 2007... Frozen-food brand, Birds Eye, has appointed former Heinz marketer Ben Pearman, as marketing director replacing Andy Beattie, who joined the company from its former owner, Unilever, in 2006. Pearman is in charge of all UK marketing activity,...

TRENDSPOTTER: Super-synthetic.(use of synthetic materials in manufacturing process)
November 5, 2007... Gwyneth Holland discovers that plastic is fantastic Fashion has long been urged towards being more ethical and organic, and it seems that the sector's sustainable future could lie with synthetic materials, rather than natural ones. A...

TRENDSPOTTER: Ads on the fly.(Brief article)
November 5, 2007... Morag Cuddeford Jones finds a new idea taking off Air travel can be tedious. Once you've read the safety card, in-flight magazine and watched the tepid rom-com movie, what else is there to do? Well, you could try looking out of the...

OPINION: To thine own self be true.
November 5, 2007... Jonathan Stallick, co-founder of the organic skincare brand Barefoot Botanicals, begs brands to look outside their own industries for inspiration You can learn lessons from brands that may not be in your line of business but face many of...

OPINION: Branding with remote control.
November 5, 2007... Jayne O'Brien, chief marketing officer at workplace brand Regus and former global brand chief at British Airways says employers should be more flexible It's vital for brands to attract the best talent. The most qualified employees are...

ERICSSON: Hanging on the telephone.
November 5, 2007... The world's biggest mobile telecoms equipment manufacturer has thrown its credibility into doubt by issuing a profits warning only weeks after a bullish investor presentation. Swedish equipment maker Ericsson, historically ranking among...

PERSONAL BRANDING: It's all about me.
November 5, 2007... The rapid rise of social network sites, blogs and image consultants suggests that the personal brand is no longer the preserve of the celebrity. Polly Devaney discusses the art of self promotion Just a few years ago, people scoffed at the...

PROFILE - CONCETTA LANCIAUX: Simply the best.(working strategy)(LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton S.A.)(Occupation overview)(Viewpoint essay)
November 5, 2007... Ruth Mortimer meets Concetta Lanciaux, former executive vice president of synergies, LVMH, and discovers her strategy for work and life where only first-rate people and quality products really count Concetta Lanciaux is a lover of luxury....

Q&A - CONCETTA LANCIAUX: Branding in the lap of luxury.
November 5, 2007... Ruth Mortimer asks Concetta Lanciaux how the mass premium market has changed purchasing habits and production processes - how has this affected the traditional, heritage luxury brand? RM: What are the biggest trends in the luxury market at...

CASE STUDY - VISA: Financial frontiers.(company is upgrading credit card making payments via mobile)(Case study)
November 5, 2007... Will the jangle of loose change really be a thing of the past? Ruth Mortimer looks at how Visa's new contactless payment system could make the humble wallet history for everyday transactions Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps walks jauntily...

DISPOSABLE CULTURE: Throwaway comments.(Company overview)
November 5, 2007... Cheap production costs and fast fashion are creating a disposable culture but what are the long-term costs to our environment? Morag Cuddeford Jones asks how we can reduce our consumption Arguably, the world's first disposable consumer...

DISPOSABLE CULTURE: The EC directive on WEEE.
November 5, 2007... The EC directive on waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) The WEEE directive aims to minimise the impact of electrical and electronic goods on the environment by increasing re-use and recycling and reducing the amount of WEEE...

DISPOSABLE CULTURE: Case study: Primark.(Case study)
November 5, 2007... "It makes me angry that people believe Primark is disposable fashion." So states the company's spokeswoman, Helen Penney who believes that just because the chain sells clothing at a comparatively low price, you shouldn't assume that it's also...

DISPOSABLE CULTURE: Case study: Slowear.(fast change in clothing industry)(Case study)
November 5, 2007... First there was fast food, then there came fast fashion - both providing instant gratification at throwaway prices. Then came the backlash. For foodies, it was the slow food movement - a reaction against burgers and pizzas that filled an...

SOCIAL RITUALS: The rite stuff.
November 5, 2007... Olly Raeburn, managing director of Liquid Communications, takes a look at the marketing opportunities presented by ritualistic behaviour Leveraging our love of ritual has proved a highly successful marketing approach since early times;...

CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE: Customer experience pathway.
November 5, 2007... Gurval Caer suggests brand owners think like their customers and enter a 'secret world' of experiences rather than wrangling over results So much of the way companies currently address customers and build brands is driven by numbers. In...

SOCIAL NETWORKS: Friends in high places.
November 5, 2007... Verity Evans points out there is no such thing as British reserve when it comes to social network sites, so how can brands benefit from this exhibitionism? Social networks are changing the way we interact. Should they change the way...

PRODUCT DESIGN: Designing the bottom line.
November 5, 2007... IBM's Thomas Watson Jr once said: "Good design is good business". David Stonehouse asks how you quantify the return on investment in product design The importance of product design for generating brand equity is well known; it clearly...

BOOK REVIEW: Digital harmony.(Book review)
November 5, 2007... Macky Drese, managing partner, marketing & events, Stream\ Worldwide finds Net, Blogs and Rock 'n' Roll a smash hit for anyone interested in the science of digital discovery Net, Blogs and Rock 'n' Roll By David Jennings ...

From the bookshelf of John Griffith.(The Life of Kingsley Amis)(Brief article)(Book review)
November 5, 2007... John Griffith, business development director at UffindellWest The Life of Kingsley Amis By Zachary Leader The Amis name is synonymous with quality creative writing. Kingsley was not only a brilliant writer but a man with a big...

CONSUMER TRUST: Word of mouth rules.
November 5, 2007... Despite an ever-expanding array of advertising platforms and sources, consumers around the world still place their highest levels of trust in other consumers, according to our global research findings. In fact, 78% of global consumers say...

Brand Stats: November.(potato chips high demand)(Brief article)
November 5, 2007... Market focus Potato snacks Potato snacks - including crisps - are considerably more popular in Britain than in France, Germany, and Spain. More than 85% of British adults (aged 15+) eat potato snacks, representing almost one third of the...

CASE STUDY - CONCHA Y TORO: Hearing it through the grape vine.(Case study)
November 5, 2007... Christian Lopez, managing director of Concha y Toro, UK, tells Maeve Hosea how the brand is lubricating a mass market while trying to stay true to its core values of quality and innovation MH: First, can you explain Concha y Toro's brand...

ARGENTINIAN BEEF: Beefing up the brand.
November 5, 2007... Argentinian beef has been a premium product in European butchers and restaurants for decades. Maeve Hosea grills industry executives and asks how the quality can be maintained as demand grows Sitting comfortably on designer cow-hide...

LATIN-AMERICAN CONSUMERS: The road to Eldorado.
November 5, 2007... Monica Magana explains the Latin American attraction to brands which makes the region an attractive global expansion target - brand owners should not pass up the opportunities available Villa Daslu is one of Latin America's most exclusive...

BRANDING IN LATIN AMERICA: Mas y mejor for latino brands.
November 5, 2007... Branding in Latin America is becoming more important in a number of increasingly competitive markets despite the lack of business investment. David Clifton discusses the advances made so far When you think about Latin America, what comes to...

LATIN-AMERICAN KIDS: We're not kidding.(sell goods according to demand)
November 5, 2007... Wander Meijer and Julieta Dejean analyse socio-demographic and cultural changes in Latin America today which indicate that Latino kids are becoming more informed and sophisticated consumers "When I was little, there was no way I could...