Brand Strategy articles from September 2005

Brand Strategy archives from September 2005

LEADER: Year of the shower.(Martin Sorrell of WPP Group PLC on advertising markets)
September 8, 2005... Sir Martin Sorrell usually talks about world issues and events using a bath analogy. He famously identified the advertising recession as "bath shaped" - a long flat period before the climb out. He then pronounced that 2005 is the year of the...

Reebok acquisition.
September 8, 2005... Adidas-Salomon has bought Reebok; the E3.1bn (#2.1bn) acquisition will create a E9bn (#6.1) global sports brand. The deal will expand Adidas' global reach, bolstering its presence in athletic footwear, clothing and sporting goods. Reebok...

Mattel announces loss.
September 8, 2005... Mattel has announced a loss of $94m (#52.2m) for Q2 2005. Worldwide sales rose by 10% to $886.8m (#492.2m), with increases for most brands except Barbie, where sales fell 4%. Last year's Q2 profits were $23.5m (#13.1m)

Nestle's profits up.
September 8, 2005... Nestle's profits are up 32.4%, to CHF3.7bn (#1.6bn), for the first half of 2005. Growth was particularly strong in drinks, petcare and pharmaceuticals. Food sales increased by 7.2% in the Americas and 1.5% in Europe. Copyright: Centaur...

Atkins Nutritionals files for bankruptcy protection.
September 8, 2005... Atkins Nutritionals has filed for bankruptcy protection and plans to position itself more broadly for consumers who are concerned about health and wellbeing. Atkins aims to drive profits within its core nutrition bar and shake ranges. ...

Kao buys Molton Brown.
September 8, 2005... Japan's Kao Corporation has bought Molton Brown, the luxury cosmetics and toiletries brand, for #170m. Molton Brown products sell in more than 70 countries worldwide. Kao hopes the buy will increase its influence in Europe and the Americas....

China Mobile's half-year profits for 2005.
September 8, 2005... China Mobile's half-year profits for 2005 increased 28% to Yen24bn (#1.65bn) from Yen18.83bn (#1.29bn) the previous year. The company is the world's largest mobile phone business, with 363 million users. Copyright: Centaur Communications...

Sony Europe launch Walkman Bean.
September 8, 2005... Sony Europe has launched Walkman Bean, an MP3 player which will compete with Apple's Ipod Shuffle. Features include a pop-up USB jack for downloading music. Sony has also launched Connect, a European music download service. Copyright:...

Wanadoo will be rebranded as Orange.
September 8, 2005... Wanadoo, along with other France Telecom brands, will be rebranded as Orange over the next 18 months. France Telecom will unite all mobile, broadband and multipompany name. (See sportswear brands' equity, p44.) Copyright: Centaur...

Procter and Gamble launch Boss Skin.
September 8, 2005... Procter & Gamble has launched Boss Skin, a global skincare extension to its Boss fragrance range. TV advertising, by Grey Paris, will run in Europe from September. The brand identity was created by Webb Scarlett deVlam. Copyright:...

Lycra now a hairspray ingredient.
September 8, 2005... Lycra is now a hairspray ingredient, following a deal with Henkel, which owns Schwarzkopf. Five hairstyling products containing Lycra have been launched in Europe. Lycra, owned by Invista, is used in clothing and has recently been added to...

Calvin Klein introducing Euphoria fragrance range.
September 8, 2005... Calvin Klein is introducing the Euphoria fragrance range this month, its first new global brand in three years. Advertising was created by CRK. Coty's acquisition of Unilever Cosmetics International, which previously owned Calvin Klein, was...

Nokia undergoes global brand revitalisation.
September 8, 2005... Nokia will undergo a global brand revitalisation, changing its brand identity for the first time in 15 years. Font and typography changes will be rolled out worldwide to provide more consistency. Nokia also plans to broaden its sponsorship...

Electronic Arts sign Wayne Rooney.
September 8, 2005... Electronic Arts (EA) has signed footballer Wayne Rooney as a global ambassador for EA Sports' Fifa 06; Ronaldinho has renewed his deal with the global Fifa series. Both will appear on product merchandising and advertising. Copyright:...

School vending policy.
September 8, 2005... Pepsi and Coca-Cola are supporting the American Beverage Association's school vending policy, which acts on parents' concerns about children's health. The policy restricts soft drink sales to high school pupils. Copyright: Centaur...

Coca-Cola top 100 global brands.
September 8, 2005... Coca-Cola has again topped Interbrand's top 100 global brands ranking, with a brand value of $67.5bn (#37.5bn). Highest climbers include Ebay, HSBC, Samsung and Apple. Sony, Morgan Stanley, Volkswagen and HP dropped most in value. ...

Sponsorship agreements worldwide.
September 8, 2005... The value of sponsorship agreements worldwide grew $4.8bn (#2.7bn) in the first half of 2005, from $3.3bn (#1.8bn) for the same period in 2004, according to The World Sponsorship Monitor. The 2005 global total should significantly exceed to...

Glenfiddich - Appointment.(Steven Sturgeon)(Brief Article)
September 8, 2005... Steven Sturgeon has been appointed global brand director for whisky brand Glenfiddich, which is owned by William Grant and Sons. Sturgeon moves from Diageo where he was Guinness' brand director, having held the positions of brand building...

Intercontinental Hotels & Resorts - Appointment.
September 8, 2005... Jenifer Zeigler will become senior vice president, global brand management at Intercontinental Hotels & Resorts, leading the development of brand strategy and marketing. Zeigler moves from the Intercontinental Groups' Holiday Inn Express brand...

Visa - Appointment.
September 8, 2005... Adrian Martorana has joined Visa as head of marketing strategy and communications for Central and Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa, ahead of the company's rebrand. Martorana was previously regional marketing director EMEA at Citibank. ...

The Economist - Appointment.
September 8, 2005... The Economist has hired Susan Clark as global marketing director, responsible for developing the brand through advertising and PR. Clark joins from Le Meridien Hotels & Resorts, where she was senior vice president, marketing and sales. (See The...

Brand-new website: http://www.brandstrategy.co.uk.
September 8, 2005... Brand Strategy has launched its own dedicated website. This will initially give general information about the magazine and offer subscribers access to current and past editions (going back to 1995). Extra features will soon be added, both for...

TRENDSPOTTER: Family spies.
September 8, 2005... Andy Davidson explains how parents are becoming surveillance experts by using new technology Modern parents lavish time and attention on their children. Family sizes are getting smaller, meaning more money is spent on fewer kids. The...

BRAND STUNT OF THE MONTH: One-chick ponies.
September 8, 2005... Ruth Mortimer reports on how My Little Pony is taking female artists along for a ride It seems that little girls never really grow up. Toy company Hasbro has commissioned nearly 40 female artists to create custom My Little Pony models...

BRAND MOT: Atari.
September 8, 2005... In the 1980s, everyone knew Atari. Today, its primary function as a games publisher is less well-known. This could be one reason for a loss of $32.8m (#18.2m) for the quarter ending 30 June, which compares with a profit of $12.1m (#6.6m) for...

FOCUS - AUSTRALIA: Online beer firm gets straight to the pint.
September 8, 2005... When three IT workers set about launching their own brewery, they turned to the web and called on their potential customers for creative input. Ruth Mortimer investigates Beer makes you lazy - unless you are a member of Brewtopia, the...

OPINION: Indian lessons to take away.
September 8, 2005... Piyush Pandey explains what Indian advertising can teach the world and how companies can tailor advertising to the Indian market Indian advertising is known for its creativity and there's a lot of simplicity in our work. India has a very...

OPINION: The name of the advergame.
September 8, 2005... Christopher di Cesare explains why companies from all industries should be interested in gaming as a marketing medium In this fragmented media environment, you can no longer trick consumers into considering your message. They can skip the...

PROFILE - SIR MARTIN SORRELL: The persistence of the ad man.
September 8, 2005... Persistence is WPP chief executive Sir Martin Sorrell's favourite concept at the moment, and, as he recalls building the company up from scratch, Elen Lewis can see why It took a while for him to warm up, but now, at the end of the...

Q&A: Something to look forward to.
September 8, 2005... Sir Martin Sorrell tells Elen Lewis he's optimistic about 2008 and that no self-respecting multinational will miss out on the branding opportunities of the Beijing Olympics EL: You've talked about the importance of clients focusing on...

JOHNNIE WALKER: Walking the wiser walk.(Interview)
September 8, 2005... Elen Lewis interviews Ben Anderson, Johnnie Walker's global brand director, to discover how the spirits brand has fuelled growth with a global strategy about personal progress You know a brand has made it when it is name-checked in popular...

LATIN AMERICA: A dash of Latino passion.
September 8, 2005... The aspirational Latin American lifestyle has propelled a surprising number of brands to global success. Ruth Mortimer looks at how brands are developing, both at home and abroad The people of Brazil have a famous saying: "It is the...

CASE STUDY - NATURA: Going back to Natura.
September 8, 2005... With the opening of its new store in Paris, Brazilian cosmetics brand Natura aims to bring its social and eco-friendly values to the global market. Ruth Mortimer reports They say that beauty is only skin deep. But the process of being...

BRAND PAPERS: Holmes' place.
September 8, 2005... David Cowan reveals why the approach of fiction's greatest sleuth Sherlock Holmes is needed to link marketing to profit and market share There's an increasing need for marketing to become more effective and also to prove its...

BRAND PAPERS: In from the cold.
September 8, 2005... Alison Kerr describes how Siberia Airlines broke out from a state airline to become a modern brand looking to extend into nightclubs Visit any airport in Russia and most of the aircraft look the same. The only difference is the name of the...

BRAND PAPERS: Shopping tactics.
September 8, 2005... Mark Staton advises retailers to keep an eye on the latest trends that influence shopping habits if they want to stay relevant to modern shoppers Retailers have traditionally held the power to create and manipulate the shopping...

BOOKS: Spinning around.
September 8, 2005... Simon Milton, founder and managing director of Pulse Brands, has moved on from the world of public relations and found Talespin a breath of fresh air, but a little naive in its outlook Talespin: public relations disasters by Gerry...

FROM THE BOOKSHELF OF: Anthony Tasgal, founder, POV.
September 8, 2005... Creation by Steve Grand As a former classicist, I came to science late, but in the process of catching up realised there's a lot more to it than the neuro-debate. Steve Grand is a programmer and scientist who famously produced the...

RESEARCH: Global travel and tourism.
September 8, 2005... Following three years of uncertainty, 2004 was a pivotal year in the recovery of the global travel and tourism industry, according to Euromonitor Research. Global arrivals showed strong growth, up 10% on the previous year to 770 million,...

Corporate social responsibility and its impact on corporate reputation.
September 8, 2005... Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is becoming one of the most important challenges for organisations, with company reputations increasingly related to social, environmental and ethical performance. Since 1999, society's expectations for...

RESEARCH: Passionate sports fans.
September 8, 2005... The factors that motivate a fan to follow football are different to those that motivate a rugby fan, according to Octagon's Passion Driver research. Marketers need to consider the emotions inherent in being a fan. Programming needs to be...

BRAND STATS: Market focus - Crisps and savoury snacks.
September 8, 2005... Crisp and savoury snack consumption varies across Europe, with 90% of adults eating them in Britain but only 64% in Germany. Across the UK, Germany, France and Spain, there are around nine million heavy savoury snack eaters. The market...

B2B MARKETING: The face behind the name.
September 8, 2005... Business-to-business (B2B) marketing has always been a poor Cinders, left behind while everyone else goes to the branding ball. Business-to- consumer (B2C) marketing tends to hog all the glamour, while B2B marketing languishes at the bottom...

B2B MARKETING: Reaching out to the B2B world.
September 8, 2005... We meet with a panel of branding experts from the B2B sector to discuss the issues facing B2B marketers and what can be learned from their counterparts in the consumer world Brand Strategy: Has business-to-business (B2B) marketing risen...

B2B MARKETING: Campaigning for two.
September 8, 2005... The Economist's 'white out of red' poster advertising has come of age. Jacqui Kean explains how the 18-year-old campaign appeals to both B2B and B2C customers Over the past 18 years, The Economist weekly newspaper has boosted its...

B2B MARKETING: Netting b2b customers.
September 8, 2005... IT spending among European SMEs is booming. Daniel Gates explains how IT vendor HP has used the internet to market its products in the competitive B2B environment The internet has become a critical communications channel for HP's B2B...

B2B MARKETING: All aboard for success.
September 8, 2005... Employee engagement affects your brand's perception. Ian Ryder explains how companies can motivate staff to ensure their organisation stands out Is there any difference between B2B and any other market concerning the importance of...

B2B MARKETING: Mind your language.
September 8, 2005... John Simmons explains why B2B brands must look beyond the visual language of logos, colours and graphics, and consider tone of voice in their branding too "Hwaet!", as the Beowulf poet wrote. It was the first word of one of the earliest...

B2B MARKETING: The land of the B2B.
September 8, 2005... Forrester Research has conducted wide-ranging surveys on B2B marketing in the US. Elana Anderson reports on the challenges and how they can be overcome B2B marketers struggle to reach decision-makers and measure effectiveness. They are...

B2B MARKETING: Once more with feeling.
September 8, 2005... Most marketing nowadays contains an element of emotion. Roger Banks explains the importance of connecting with customers' feelings when building B2B relationships Companies in the service industries are increasingly communicating brand...