Brand Strategy articles from October 2005

Brand Strategy archives from October 2005

LEADER: Lateral thinking.(Edward de Bono, creative guru )(Editorial)
October 10, 2005... "What you cannot avoid, welcome," says an old Chinese proverb. It feels like an appropriate sentiment for the rest of the world's dealings with China. Although many in the West are anxious about China's starry and swift economic ascent,...

NEWS ROUND UP: Sony to reduce costs.
October 10, 2005... Sony will cut 10,000 jobs worldwide by March 2008 and plans to reduce costs by Yen200bn (#1bn) following structural reforms. The number of business categories and products will be reduced and the electronics division re-organised, with...

NEWS ROUND UP: Aegis offer.
October 10, 2005... The Aegis Group, which owns Carat media agency, has been approached by Publicis with a possible offer valuing the company at #1.6bn (140p per share). Talks are in the preliminary stages, but following the announcement, Vincent Bollore,...

NEWS ROUND UP: Tesco profits rise.(Brief Article)
October 10, 2005... Tesco's pre-tax profits topped #900m for the first half of the year, a rise of 18.7%. Worldwide sales were up 14.1% to #18.8bn, while UK sales reached #14.6bn, an increase of 11.1%. International sales were significant in Tesco's growth;...

NEWS ROUND UP: Ebay purchase.
October 10, 2005... Ebay will acquire Skype Technologies, the global leader in internet voice communications, for $2.6bn (#1.5bn). The purchase is expected to boost the Ebay and Paypal franchises and will enable Ebay buyers and sellers to discuss potential...

NEWS ROUND UP: Alliance to develop hybrid driving system.(Brief Article)
October 10, 2005... BMW, DaimlerChrysler and General Motors have formed an alliance to develop a hybrid driving system that can be adapted for different vehicles. The system will focus on reducing fuel consumption while ensuring product performance. Ford plans to...

NEWS ROUND UP: Sustainable Development coffee brand.
October 10, 2005... Launches and rebrands Kraft Foods has launched Kenco Sustainable Development in the UK, a coffee brand certified by the Rainforest Alliance. It plans similar products in Europe, launching in Sweden under its Gevalia brand. The certified coffee...

NEWS ROUND UP: Nano complaints.(Brief Article)
October 10, 2005... Apple has introduced the Ipod Nano worldwide, a smaller Ipod model with all the features of the original product. However, Apple has received numerous complaints about the Nano's faulty screen and has offered replacements. Working with...

NEWS ROUND UP: Designer bikes.(Brief Article)
October 10, 2005... Designer Paul Smith has partnered with Triumph Motorcycles on a range of bikes, clothing and accessories. The Triumph by Paul Smith clothing and accessories range has launched worldwide, and includes t-shirts, bags and jeans. A total of 100...

NEWS ROUND UP: Energy drink launch.
October 10, 2005... Coca-Cola GB has added Sprite 3G, an energy drink, to its Sprite portfolio. Advertising will support the launch. If successful, the brand may be rolled out to other territories. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and licensors

NEWS ROUND UP: I-mode launched in the UK.(Brief Article)
October 10, 2005... I-mode, the world's most widely used mobile internet service, has been launched in the UK by O2. Launch advertising is rumoured to have cost #8.5m. Brands including Egg, Financial Times, FHM and Sega have developed I-mode sites. Japanese...

NEWS ROUND UP: Clothing retailers cancel campaigns.
October 10, 2005... Clothing retailers H&M and Burberry have cancelled advertising campaigns featuring Kate Moss after the model allegedly took cocaine. Chanel will not extend Moss's contract when it expires this month. Coty's Rimmel London is reviewing its...

NEWS ROUND UP: Hilton sponsors Team McLaren Mercedes.(Brief Article)
October 10, 2005... Hilton International is sponsoring Team McLaren Mercedes at the Formula One World Championship, and has launched Hilton Racing, a complimentary membership card for customers, giving them discounts and merchandise. Hilton International is...

NEWS ROUND UP: Wall Street Journal campaign.
October 10, 2005... The Wall Street Journal has rolled out a multimillion-dollar marketing and advertising campaign to support the launch of a redesigned, compact version of its international editions. WPP's Berlin Cameron/Red Cell created the global multimedia...

NEWS ROUND UP: Intercontinental campaign.
October 10, 2005... Intercontinental Hotels & Resorts will launch a global advertising campaign using the tagline 'Do you live an Intercontinental life?'. A television ad, filmed in Sydney, will be shown on CNN International and on airlines. Press advertising...

McDonald's - Appointment.
October 10, 2005... Mary Dillon has been appointed executive vice president and global chief marketing officer at McDonald's, replacing Larry Light who retires in December. Dillon was the president of Pepsico's Quaker Foods, which largely focuses on healthier...

Ford Motor Company - Appointment.
October 10, 2005... Hans-Olov Olsson has become chief marketing officer of the Ford Motor Company, moving from Volvo Cars where he was president. Olsson worked for Volvo for 39 years, where he became non-executive chairman of Volvo Cars. (See Volvo Cars case...

Wal-mart Stores - Appointments.(of Stephen Quinn )(Brief Article)
October 10, 2005... Wal-mart Stores has appointed Stephen Quinn as senior vice president of marketing. He was previously chief marketing officer at Frito-Lay. Frito-Lay has appointed Lora DeVuono as group vice president, brand marketing and advertising, and...

Standard Chartered Bank - Appointment.
October 10, 2005... Aidan Lisser has joined Standard Chartered bank as head of group brand development. Lisser joins from Unilever, where he was senior vice president, household care category. Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and licensors

TRENDSPOTTER: Wolves in sheep's clothing.(Brief Article)
October 10, 2005... Dawn Coulter says alpha males are repackaging themselves - but don't be fooled In the old days, alpha males were easy to spot. They were self-made men, shouting their orders belligerently from the corner office. But now the trend for...

BRAND STUNT OF THE MONTH: The parent trap.(Virgin Mobile USA L.L.C. implements new techniques to trap customers)(Brief Article)
October 10, 2005... Virgin Mobile USA has taken pester power to a new level. Ruth Mortimer reports Pester power is alive and well in the US. Telecoms brand Virgin Mobile has created an interactive 'Parental Enlightenment' campaign for young consumers to...

BRAND MOT: Kingfisher.
October 10, 2005... Kingfisher, the world's third largest home improvement retail group and owner of DIY brands B&Q, Screwfix, Brico Depot and Castorama, has announced a 22.8% drop in profits for the first half of 2005. Profits fell from #367.3m last year to...

FOCUS - UK: Road-testing a new car insurance brand.
October 10, 2005... An insurance company is following the trend for personalisation by using new technology to create a tailored product. Ruth Mortimer asks if the idea has mileage Albert Einstein once said: "I believe in standardising automobiles, not human...

OPINION: Yugoslavian dreaming.
October 10, 2005... Dave Sibley and Dean Possenniskie discuss the challenges of expanding your international brand into the former Yugoslavia What does the Adriatic region mean to you? It might bring up images of recent conflicts or ancient cultures. But...

OPINION: Design of the times.(mobile phones changing with times)
October 10, 2005... Frank Nuovo explains how mobile phones will continue evolving to become far more than communications devices From cars to televisions, it usually takes the masses 10 years to understand any new product's functionality. For mobile, that...

PROFILE - THUY TRANTHI: Thinking Pink with Thuy Tranthi.(Thomas Pink president)
October 10, 2005... Luxury clothing retailer Thomas Pink is making it big across the pond. Ruth Mortimer meets US president Thuy Tranthi, who is as international as the brand she represents Thuy Tranthi, US president of luxury clothes brand Thomas Pink, is...

Q&A: Made to measure strategies.
October 10, 2005... Thuy Tranthi talks to Ruth Mortimer about Thomas Pink's marketing methods, its expansion plans and having Oprah Winfrey as an unofficial brand ambassador RM: Is the Thomas Pink brand given the same positioning all over the world? ...

VOLVO: Breaking out of the box.
October 10, 2005... Tim Ellis, global advertising director at Volvo Cars, tells Joanna Doonar how the brand lost its boxy image and shifted up a gear to overhaul its product and communications The days of the crash test dummy ads are over. Volvo's...

FUNCTIONAL FOODS: A healthy dose of food.
October 10, 2005... Being 'real' isn't good enough for food and drinks brands any more. Ruth Mortimer asks if consumer desire for healthiness is fortifying a global market of modified products Imagine a chocolate bar that is actually good for you. It's so...

CASE STUDY: Oatly.(Ceba Foods AB presents nutritional oats)
October 10, 2005... Ceba Foods is sowing its wild oats all over the world. The Swedish company's flagship brand, Oatly, already appears in 18 countries globally and it predicts more than 30% growth this year. Its dairy- substitute products are made from oats and...

CASE STUDY: Tropicana.(PepsiCo Inc. presents health juice )
October 10, 2005... It's hard to think of anything healthier than pure fruit juice. But drinks brand Pepsico is aiming to improve upon nature. It has added a fortified range called 'Essentials' to its global Tropicana juice brand, which claims to offer...

BRAND PAPERS: Shanghai surprise.
October 10, 2005... Nick Barham has only been in China for a week, but he has already had time to debunk some of the myths about working in the country We've all heard the hype about China: how it's going to shake up the 21st century and upset Western...

BRAND PAPERS: How to be brand-led.
October 10, 2005... Marketing teams need to ensure the brand drives the whole business, not just the advertising. But how do you do it? David Taylor explains Sony's plan to spend #100m trying to advertise itself out of the doldrums (its consumer electronics...

BRAND PAPERS: Branding nations.(Germany, Sweden, United States)
October 10, 2005... Simon Anholt introduces a nation brands index, which suggests that a positive nation brand can act like a national insurance policy Countries have always been brands, in the truest sense of the word. Their ability to compete against each...

BRAND PAPERS: Money matters.
October 10, 2005... Terry Tyrrell explains why financial services branding must step up a gear and use the tribal potential of money to engage customers When the French and Dutch voted no to the European Constitution and the whole European project looked as...

BRAND PAPERS: No logo, no future.
October 10, 2005... Fiona Gilmore and Rebecca Rumens reveal the real challenge in unbinding Africa. To break out of its poverty cycle, branding cannot wait In July 2005, G8 leaders from the world's richest nations agreed to an historic accord cancelling at...

BRAND PAPERS: The next big thing.
October 10, 2005... David Jago takes a whirlwind tour to describe an evening in the life of the average consumer, using innovative products from around the world It's late afternoon and you're preparing for a big night on the town. Naturally, you're getting...

From the bookshelf of: Russ Lidstone, head of planning, JWT London.(Brief Article)
October 10, 2005... Heartland by Marc C Scott Having spent the summer holiday re-reading a selection of Roald Dahl's finest to my children, I believe that the best stimulation for thinking about brands is as likely to come from Fantastic Mr Fox as it is...

BOOKS: Three blueprints for building buzz.
October 10, 2005... The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell (2000) 1. The law of the few: Influence the influencers, market with opinion leaders (not at them) and watch the opinion-following majority follow. 2. The stickiness factor: Tweak and test your...

BRAND PAPERS: Swedish message.
October 10, 2005... Sean Pillot de Chenecey outlines this summer's trends from Stockholm, one of the world's most creative capitals It's the PR/guerrilla/online comms sectors where the real creative energy is to be found, and where regional creativity is...

BRAND STATS: Market focus - Fruit and vegetable drinks.
October 10, 2005... Britain lags behind Germany, France and Spain in fruit and vegetable drink consumption. Approximately 59% of Britons drink juices compared to three-quarters of the French. They are also less likely to have these soft drinks daily, compared...

RESEARCH: GETTING INTO THE NERVE CENTRE.
October 10, 2005... In recent years, marketing has faced some complex challenges. Greater amounts of media, delivered through increasing numbers of channels, have created a perception that consumers are overloaded with media messages on a daily basis and are...

RESEARCH: RUSSIA: A NEW REVOLUTION IN BRANDING.
October 10, 2005... Russia represents a mix of Eastern and Western cultures. It is geographically the largest country on earth and its population is growing fast, with 13 cities with more than one million people and another three with more than 800,000. The...