El tradicional modelo de comunicación de marketing se ha visto superado por la irrupción de Internet y su consolidación como canal preferido por las personas que tarde o temprano formarán la comunidad más que audiencia de cada marca. Ellos son los que mandan

Tenemos que reconocerlo, las  marcas están fuera de control. Aquí y ahora quien las posee y determina su valor y significado final con los que optan por ella (constituencies). A nosotros nos queda la importante tarea de influir en su comportamiento para lograr que el significado de la marca responda a los objetivos estratégicos de nuestras empresas.

Sin estrategia la Marca navega a la deriva. Aviso a Directores Generales

This is why we can’t have essential things:  “Water is the lifeblood of all living things, without it there would be no life on Earth.  Water is the matrix of life, binding us to all living things and the Earth.  Water is Ed Hardy Water.”

Sure we know Billy Mays, Anthony Sullivan, and the ShamWow Guy because their job is for us to remember them, trust them, and as a result buy their amazingly life changing products. But what about the actors who have repeating roles on commercials?

In the past we had some memorable endorsers, such as Donavan Freberg – the Encyclopedia Britannica Kid, but now there seems to be a new and growing multitude of these single product (or company) pitchmen.

Starting in 2001 we were introduced to Paul Marcarelli – the Verizon guy who brought us the “Can you hear me know” phrase. They’ve even gone so far as to bring the “network” to an actual customer (or so it seems). Some people claim the phrase is more popular than the service.

We had the GEICO Caveman ads, which have aired for GEICO Insurance since 2004. The ad series has produced 19 commercials to date, had a short-lived TV spin-off, and has also had viral videos, websites, and a short film made with the characters.

2006 brought us the “Get a Mac” commercials with John Hodgman as a PC and Jason Long as a Mac. The American version of this ad runs in Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, while other spin-offs are shown with different actors in Britain and Japan, according to wikipedia. The number of TV and web based ads for this campaign is nearing 70 for the US and Canada alone.

In 2008 we were introduced to Flo, the friendly & helping Progressive Insurance cashier played by Stephanie Courtney. The actress, already known by some for her work with The Groundlings, has an ever-growing fan base.

So who will be the next great ad age celebrity? Time can only tell, but for now we have some strong competitors.

Pravins wrapping and dressings - logo integration

After an initial rebranding and repositioning audit of Pravins, part of its implementation was, of course, packaging. 

Examining the presentation of the pieces of jewellery in the box, the dressing of the ring box, the process of wrapping and bagging it, to give a continuous branded feel in the new more feminine tone of voice. These were the final pieces, produced with Keenpac http://www.keenpac.com/

Details that I found made the difference were;  the stuffed box lids, adding a tactility to the box and a soft curve to the top, this alongside a matt laminated paper outer gave the really clean edges the client liked. The complimentary caramel colour was used to highlight smaller manufacturing details, the ribbon edging the box interior matches the dress ribbon that is used to secure the paper, which, incidentally has tiny spot UV shiny logos on just to give a finishing shimmer to the unwrapping process.

The logo became the focal point for touch and feel, whenever it appears, it has contrasting texture or applied in a way that stands out on the material its placed on; embosses, debosses, thermo, UV, ink on nubuck.

All in all, really pleasing result – especially as this was my first formal packaging brief and part of a brand I’ve been responsible for developing since 2005.

Bags and boxes for the revived Pravins range of packaging

Hola tots;

No puc negar-ho, m’agraden molt els taglines.

Crec que una marca comunica molt més amb una bon tagline (o lema), ja que ens aproximem més i millor a la promesa de la marca.

Sovint, amb un simbol, una tipografia o un nom, no n’hi ha prou per transmetre la identitat de una empresa. Els missatge verbal es molt important. Inclús amb la saturació de simbols i icones (quadrats, discos, franges, etc.), que estem vivint en els darrers temps en quant a identitat visual, una de les maneres de diferenciarse de forma rellevant es mitjançant l’aportació de la identitat verbal.

En la nostre feina pensem molt més amb la comunicació gràfica o visual, i descuidem la verbal. En la meva opinió, un bon tagline fa augmentar el valor de la marca.

Adjunto exemple.

Que en penseu…el tagline suma o resta?

Could it be? Becca is on her way to the mac triage. Will her beloved iphone survive the accident, get a screen replacement or will they pull the cord?

hi: glad it wasn’t my phone
lo: i don’t believe she has insurance

On a business trip to LA last year, I found myself in the unusual state of having some free time. I sat down at an outdoor table at a pub on the 3rd Street Promenade in Santa Monica. As I sipped my beer, I noticed a group of 10 teenagers hanging out on the street. They walked up and down the block aimlessly – each kid being very careful not to get separated from the group. They looked like a school of fish.

All the while, each kid was frantically texting. Soon enough, kids started coming out of the woodwork, one after another, joining the school of fish. Before I knew it, there were over 30 of these “Millennials” shifting about, dominating the sidewalk.

I don’t remember hanging out in such large groups or inviting that many people to hang out on the sidewalk with me. I just did everything with the same motley, 4-man crew that I still hang out with today.

The next generation of activists, donors, volunteers, and nonprofit entrepreneurs in our country are growing up in a high-touch, ultra personal, socially sensitive, movement culture. Having had wireless connectivity since birth, Millennials are accustomed to spreading ideas quickly and involving as many peers as possible…even if the idea is just “lets go to the movies.” For this generation, Social Movement Marketing will be the norm, and nonprofits need to prepare.

Though it’s popular to lament this generation’s prospects for leadership or to lambaste them for having short attention spans and for having been raised with an “everyone wins” mentality, I think they actually represent a bright future in many ways.

They are the most diverse generation and the most culturally aware. They are the most creative, entrepreneurial generation yet – 8% of them are already making money on the Internet. They are multi-tasking machines who do more in a day than previous generations used to do in a week. William Strauss and Neil Howe call them “the next Great Generation.”

Perhaps even more encouraging is Millennials’ insistence on meaningful work. The importance of money in work has been rated lower by this generation than by any previous. Not surprisingly, they show very little loyalty to their employers as they have no patience for jobs with no social significance. Accordingly, they also show very little loyalty to brands. In fact, the only thing Millennials seem to be loyal to is people.

They see brands less as products and more as a culture of people. The line between consumer and employee is blurring as everyone is just grouped into one dynamic brand culture. This is good news for non-profits since they’re more about people than products by definition. Nonprofits that learn to build culture and create brands that employees and volunteers buy-into and promote will be the marketing gurus of the next generation.

The best way to sell culture is to get your employees and volunteers to start running their traps. They’re not just people working for the organization, they are the culture of your movement so get them to start blogging, Tweeting, and everything else. NPR requires all editorial staff to attend multimedia and social networking training and encourages them to speak up on the Internet as much as possible. How many people in your organization are blogging about your cause?

To get a head-start on building your internal culture check out BRANDEMiX.

Phone interviews can be tough!

With the lack of visual communication, you must be able to rely on auditory feedback and be disciplined enough to keep focus.

Preparation

There are two main types of phone interviews – expected and unexpected. In order to be prepared for the unexpected phone call, make sure you have access to proper materials near your phone or desk. Keep a file of “employer research” near by along with a fresh copy of your resume. Your resume will allow you to easily answer questions about your past experiences. Company research can help you quickly come up with a few questions for your interviewer. Having access to a notepad and a pen is probably a good bet as well.
For expected interviews, make sure you have a space set aside that is free of distractions. Keep a glass of water nearby in case you need to clear your throat. Remember, phone interviews are just as much of an interview as a traditional meeting.

Tips

Know your comfort zone.

Some people perform best in a quiet room, while others prefer to pace around. If sitting still is your style, a room free of distractions is best. If you are the type of person that likes to walk-and-talk, consider determining a predefined route. This will help ensure that there are no outside noises or unexpected distractions like sirens. Make sure it is a leisurely walk so you can maintain calm breathing patterns.
Smile.

Negativity or a uneasy attitude can easily show itself over a phone call. Before the interview, consider spending a few minutes listening to your favorite song or watching a funny video on YouTube. Make sure you are in a good mood.
Disable call waiting.

If for some reason you are not able to disable call waiting, absolutely ignore it if someone calls.
Listen.

Without the visual communication of an in-person interview, it can be tough to know when to stop talking. If your nerves are high and your blood is flowing, you can easily make the mistake of saying too much. Make sure to speak slowly and articulately. When you have answered the question, allow for that possibly uncomfortable moment of silence. This will let the interviewer know that you are through, and then they will proceed. Listen and wait for them to finish with their next question, and then proceed. Consider taking notes on the key aspects of each question.

Do’s and Don’ts

Do give accurate and detailed contact information in your cover letter so your interviewers can easily connect with you.

• When in job-hunting mode, don’t have a disproportionately silly or long greeting on your answering machine or voicemail.
• Do ensure that household members understand the importance of phone messages in your job search.
• Do practice, if possible. Have a friend call you to do a mock phone interview so you get the feel of being interviewed over the phone. Practice makes perfect. As with all interviews, practicing before hand helps you prepare for common interview questions. Remember to “play in practice as you will in the game.” It will make a huge difference.
• If you cannot devote enough time to a phone interview, do suggest a specific alternate time to the recruiter. It’s often best to be the one who calls back so you can be mentally prepared.
• Do consider using a phone interview log.
• Do consider keeping some notecards or an outline in front of you to remind yourself of key points you want to cover with the interviewer. You don’t want your responses to sound scripted, but you don’t want to fumble for important points either.
• Do ensure that you can hear and are being clearly heard. If you are taking the call on a cell phone, make sure there is no wind in your vicinity. Wind noise will prevent you from hearing the questions and make it harder for them to hear your answers. No speaker phone.
• Do consider standing when being interviewed on the phone. Some experts say you’ll sound more professional than if you’re slouching in an easy chair. Stretching out your torso will allow you to have the full strength of your lungs. You will be able to speak more clearly and powerfully.
• Do enforce a dress code. Believe it or not, properly dressing in at least a business casual attire will make a big difference in your ability to focus on the interview. Wearing the right clothes and taking a serious approach to the call will help you maintain a professional attitude regardless of your surroundings.
• Do create a strong finish to your phone interview with thoughtful questions.
• Make sure to ask for your interviewers name. Follow up with a thank you note.
• Don’t panic if you have special needs. If you are hearing-impaired, for example, phone interviews are still possible.
• Don’t snuffle, sneeze or cough. If you can’t avoid these behaviors, say “excuse me.”

Check these seven wonders of a world-class cover letter; make your resume stand out simply by writing a one-page cover letter that features these seven recommendations:

1. Three paragraphs on a single page: Introduction words, your skills and qualifications, and a request for an interview.

2. Three or four well-written sentences in each paragraph. Easy on the eyes.

3. Plenty of ‘white space’ around your writing so the cover letter is easy to read and comprehend. Set up generous margins and double space between paragraphs.

4. Bullets and numbered lists when appropriate. This helps the reader scan quickly.

5. Bold-faced type to emphasize certain points.

6. Correct spelling, usage, and punctuation for a professional appearance.

7. Accurate name, contact info, and signature.

In summary: Write a cover letter that makes your point about the job you want, states your qualifications concisely, and asks for the opportunity to meet in person. Then double check for the ’seven wonders’ listed above before sending it off to the hiring manager.

With all these points in place, the employer will not have to ‘wonder’ what you’re all about. It will be clear from your cover letter that you’re a person of integrity and dependability–one he or she will want to contact.

If you incorporate the seven recommendations for a world-class cover letter into your writing, your cover letter may be the one that attracts the hiring manager’s attention enough to single you out for that important call for an interview–and ultimately for the job itself!

Seems that you can’t pick up a newspaper without reading something about Twitter. Over the past year the service seems to have sprung from nowhere to become a dominant force in social media. But does it really have value or is it just the latest time waster to appear on the Internet? Let’s explore…

Since the earliest human communities were formed individuals have had an inner need to connect with one another. In the past we gathered around the fire and shared traditions, more recently families gathered in the parlor to entertain one another with music, board games and the like. These experiences were fleeting, lasting only as long as we all were physically together. Today however, electronic media allows us to be connected with each other 24/7…this is where Twitter comes in.

For those not familiar with the service, Twitter is an extension of instant messaging software that allows users to connect to and follow one another in real time. Unlike traditional IM software, Twitter users can broadcast to and follow thousands of individuals simultaneously using their computer or cell phone. The service is simple, fast and free and numerous third party applications are now available to facilitate “tweeting” on computers and smart phones. The system can spread the word so quickly that the People’s Republic of China recently blocked the service to prevent the spread of messages commemorating the 20th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square protests.

So how is Twitter of value? There’s no one simple answer to this question, it depends on who you are or what you’re trying to accomplish.  Among the many uses a few include:

• Individuals keeping in touch with their circle of friends.
• Celebrities broadcasting their activities/news to the fan base
• Activists coordinating demonstrations/protests.
• Emergency services departments communicating with each other or with local residents
• Brands interacting with their consumers.

This list isn’t even the tip of the iceberg, Twitter has literally thousands of uses but we can break these down into two generic categories, non-commercial and commercial applications.

Non-commercial applications, like staying in touch with a group of friends, are social in nature . The time spent on these interactions is solely for personal satisfaction so it’s up to whether the individual finds this pastime enjoyable. In February 2009 over 6 million individual users visited the site 55 million times, a precise breakdown of usage statistics is not available but it’s safe to assume that a large number were there simply for the fun of it.

On a more serious level, Twitter has become a primary conduit of news and information for Iranians and those following the post-election turmoil in that country – reminiscent of Interfax during the waning days of the Soviet Union. It’s been so effective that Iranian authorities have attempted to block nation-wide access to the service, with limited success to date. Time will tell what ultimately happens in that beleaguered country but recent events have clearly made the service a player in world politics.

The potential commercial applications of the service are what marketers have been tweeting about lately. Twitter is a powerful tool to engage and monitor what your customers are saying online in real time. Ford recently used the site to deflect criticism when it filed suit against a popular web site that was selling unauthorized Ford decals. After receiving angry messages from fans of the site, the company used Twitter to explain it’s position and was able to defuse the issue.

Ford made effective use of Twitter by joining the conversation and using the platform to explain it’s position. This bears repeating since it’s the antithesis of traditional “push-style” marketing communications. They did not attempt to control the message and as a result their response was accepted and it enhanced the standing of their brand. As they continue to respectfully engage their consumers, with over 8,000 current followers on the corporate site alone you can be sure that some of them will seriously consider a Ford for their next auto purchase.

Ford’s brand building is valuable but difficult to quantify since results may not be seen for months or years. If direct response is your thing then Twitter can do that too. Promotions, events, specials, etc can be tweeted in real time to customers who have already expressed an interest in doing business with you. So, whether you’re Six Flags distributing coupons for the upcoming weekend or The Cupcake Stop tweeting the location of your van to hungry New Yorkers, creative use of Twitter can lift business immediately. That’s direct response on steroids!

Back to the original question, to twitter or not to twit? If your goal is to enhance your image and engage in a creative dialog  then go for it and be prepared to share,  learn and respond. But, if you’re merely looking for another channel to broadcast to the masses or control/regulate the dialog then don’t be a twit…nobody is going to pay attention.

1.According to David Aaker, Brand equity is set of assets.

a.Principle assets

• Brand loyalty
• Brand awareness
• Perceived quality
• Brand association

b.Supplementary assets

• Other propriety brand assets

2. Each brand equity asset creates value in a variety of very different ways. To make an information decision, one should be very sure about which way to be utilized as each one has its own pros and cons.

3. Brand equity creates value for both the customer as well as the firm. Thus, Shopper Stop needs to consider its image among not only the consumers who enjoys the buying experience, but also the manufacturers and/or retailers of cloth and other accessories that supply the material.

4. Weather assets or liabilities, they must be first linked to either name of symbols of the brand then only they may be further linked to brand equity.

5. Weather it is asset or liability, list the remain same. If it is an asset, it adds to the value and if it is a liability, it erodes the value of the brand. So, basically list is the same, weather it is beneficial or not will be decided whether it should be considered as an asset or a liability.

Brand equity creates value to customer by enhancing efficient information processing and shopping, building confidence in decision making, reinforcing buying, and contributing to self-esteem. Brand equity create value to firms by increasing marketing efficiency and effectiveness, building brand loyalty, improving profit margins, gaining leverage over retailers, and achieving distinctiveness over the competition.

Brand equity offers certain strategic benefits to companies. It is important for adding line extension. When a product category has entered the decline stage of the product lifecycle, strong brand equity can help a brand survive longer than its competitors.

Likewise, in periods of economic downturns, brand equity provides a platform that keeps the brand afloat at a profit long after competing products without strong brand identification begin to flounder. The power of brand equity is especially important in international marketing.

Global brand have international presence and visibility, and this “equity” makes it easier for them to expand.

Basic Principles of Branding and Brand Equity

Branding is all about creating differences. The brand equity concept stresses the importance of role of the brand in marketing strategies. It can also provide new insights into changing market environment.

1. Differences in outcomes arise from the ‘added value’ endowed to a product as a result of past marketing activity for the brand.

2. This value can be created for a brand in many different ways.

3. Brand equity provides a common denominator for interpreting marketing strategies and assessing the value of a brand.

4. There are many different ways in which the value of a brand can be manifested or exploited to benefit the firm.

]]> http://blog.wbf.com/2009/07/09/burdened-printers-make-list-of-10-most-bankruptcy-prone-industries/ Thu, 09 Jul 2009 14:03:10 +0000 JP http://blog.wbf.com/2009/07/09/burdened-printers-make-list-of-10-most-bankruptcy-prone-industries/

The good news, if it is good news, is that the printing industry is at the bottom of the list, but it’s dodgy company to be in: the 10 types of private businesses that are most likely to file for bankruptcy in the coming months.

The list was compiled by Sageworks, a research firm that specializes in the financial analysis of privately-held companies. It’s based on the average debt-to-equity ratio in each industry over the last 12 months. According to Sageworks, a high debt-to-equity ratio generally means that a company has been aggressive in using debt to finance growth. The table below indicates that for every $1 of company value in the printing industry, there is $3.02 in debt.

More

Por Leilane Sacerdote

Segunda Parte da série Branding…

06-LEI DA CREDENCIAÇÃO
O ingrediente crucial para o sucesso de qualquer marca deve assentar na sua autenticidade. Os clientes são desconfiados. Eles tendem a desacreditar todos os atributos dos produtos. De qualquer forma deve sempre haver um atributo que se sobrepõe a qualquer outro da marca. É o mais verdadeiro. É o atributo que confere autenticidade. As credenciais são os elementos colaterais que garantem a performance das marcas. Quando se possuiu as credenciais corretas, todos os prospects de uma marca tendem a acreditar em tudo o que uma marca diz. Liderança é a forma mais direta e precisa para se estabelecer as credenciais de uma marca. Quando não se possuiu uma marca líder, a melhor estratégia é criar uma nova categoria na qual se pode reclamar liderança. Existem também benefícios a longo prazo a retirar da liderança. Um estudo datado de 1923 sobre 25 categorias de produtos demonstra que 20 das 25 marcas analisadas ainda são líderes de mercado hoje em dia. Em 75 anos, apenas 5 marcas perderam a posição de líderes. Este é o poder das credenciais.

07-LEI DA QUALIDADE
A qualidade é importante, mas as marcas não dependem apenas da qualidade.

Qualidade, ou a percepção da qualidade, é um fator residente na mente do consumidor. Se se pretende construir uma marca forte, tem de se construir uma percepção da qualidade igualmente forte. A melhor forma de o fazer é seguindo as leis do Branding. Por exemplo, a lei da contracção. O que é que acontece quando se limite o “focus”? Passa-se de generalista a especialista. E um especialista é normalmente entendido como um profissional que sabe mais e passível de apresentar uma melhor qualidade nos seus produtos do que um generalista.

08-LEI DA CATEGORIA
Uma marca líder deve promover a categoria onde está inserida, não a marca.

De acordo com a lei da contração, uma marca fica mais forte quando limita o seu “focus”. O que é que acontece quando se limita o “focus” de tal forma que passa a não existir qualquer mercado para a marca? Esta é, potencialmente, a situação ideal para qualquer marca. Assim criou-se a oportunidade de se criar uma nova categoria de mercado.

Para se construir uma marca numa categoria não existente deverão ser feitas 2 coisas ao mesmo tempo:

- Lançar uma marca de tal forma que seja percepcionada como a primeira, como a líder, a pioneira, a original. Invariavelmente, uma destas palavras deverão ser utilizadas como claim da marca
- Promover uma nova categoria

Esta é a forma de se construir uma marca. Limitar o “focus” a uma fatia de mercado e depois fazer com que o nome da marca seja identificado como o nome da categoria criada, ao mesmo tempo que se expande a categoria, promovendo os seus benefícios, não os benefícios da marca.
O que é que acontece quando aparece a concorrência, situação sempre inevitável? A maior parte dos líderes de categoria anseiam por mudar para um modo de construção de uma marca. É um erro. Os líderes devem continuar a promover a sua categoria, por forma a aumentar o tamanho da própria categoria em vez de se preocuparem em aumentar apenas o tamanho da fatia que lhes dizem respeito.

09-LEI DO NOME
A longo prazo uma marca não é mais do que um nome.

A decisão mais importante que se deverá  tomar na área do Branding é dar um nome a um produto ou a um serviço.
Não se deve confundir as características que tornam um marca bem sucedida a curto prazo com as características que tornam uma marca bem sucedida a longo prazo. A curto prazo uma marca necessita de apenas uma idéia ou conceito para sobreviver. Necessita ser o líder numa nova categoria. Necessita de conquistar uma palavra na mente dos consumidores.

No entanto, os marketeers frequentemente negligenciam a importância do nome – “O que realmente interessa é um produto em si mesmo e os benefícios que o produto possa trazer aos consumidores”.

Um produto mau é visto como o alerta vermelho no marketing. Aparece sempre como desculpa para justificar a ausência de estratégias de Branding da maior parte das empresas. Os conglomerados de produtos dominam a Ásia. Virtualmente todas as grandes empresas da Ásia usam uma “megabrand”, uma “masterbrand” ou uma estratégia diluída em várias linhas de produtos.

O que é um Mitsubishi? 16 das 100 maiores empresas Japonesas comercializam produtos e serviços com o nome Mitsubishi. Tudo desde automóveis, passando por semi-condutores até electrónica de consumo. E ainda equipamento espacial e sistema de transportes!
Se comparar-mos o Japão com os Estados Unidos, as 100 maiores empresas do último atingiram vendas no último ano na ordem dos 2,8 triliões de doláres. Também as 100 maiores empresas do Japão facturaram o mesmo valor aproximado. A verdadeira diferença está na margem de lucro. As 100 maiores dos Estados Unidos apresentaram uma margem de lucro correspondente a uma média de 6,3% contra as vendas. As 100 maiores Japonesas tiveram apenas uma margem de lucro média na ordem dos 1,1% contra as vendas.

Por toda a Ásia são verificados os mesmos padrões. Linhas extensas de vários produtos estão a destruir as marcas (quando se expande, o poder de uma marca é reduzido. Quando se contrai potencia-se uma marca).

10-LEI DA EXTENSÃO
Não é necessário ir até à Ásia para se encontrar exemplos flagrantes de produtos que derivam de linhas de produção. Uma das razões pelas quais 90% de todas as novas marcas serem derivadas de linhas de produção já existentes é devido a decisões de gestão tomadas no lado errado da batuta de medição. Apenas mede um sucesso da extensão. Nunca mede a eventual erosão do “core” da marca.

E não é apena erosão, é  também as oportunidades perdidas. As grandes e poderosas marcas deviam ter quotas de mercado na ordem dos 50%, como a Coca-Cola, a Heinz, a Pop-Tarts, a Jell-O e a Gerber’s. Mas é difícil encontrar mais além de um punhado de grandes marcas. A maior parte delas morreram devido à sua extensão de linhas de produtos.

A questão é transparente. É a diferença entre construir grandes marcas e marcas sem expressão. A maior parte dos gestores questionam-se até onde querem estender as suas marcas e gastam muito dinheiro em estudos de mercado para a avaliar esse cenário.
Muitos fabricantes constituem-se como os seus próprios inimigos. O que é que as extensões de linhas de produtos como as Lights, Healthy, fat-free nos dizem? Dizem-nos que os produtos normais não são adequados ao consumo.

Se o mercado está a fugir a uma empresa, deve-se lançar uma segunda marca. Se não houver possibilidades para tal, então deve-se ficar onde se está e deve-se continuar a construir a marca.

Continua…

Hace tiempo que el debate ya ha terminado. El viejo marketing no sirve de nada. Estamos en la época del nuevo marketing y esto quiere decir comunicar, cooperar, conversar y compartir, pero además creando valor. La gente dentro de esta “economía de la atención” sólo muestra interes ante aquello que le aporte algo nuevo o diferente. Puede ser una historia, un contenido, una experiencia o un servicio.

Desde luego hay marcas que lo tienen más fácil y otras más dificiles. Pero, como he dicho antes, se trata de crear valor. Y para crear valor hay muchos recursos.

Ciertas marcas lo pueden hacer introduciendo el marketing en el desarrollo de sus productos y otras con contenido. Esta es la parte “fácil”.

Pero, y esas marcas, cuyo contenido o no existe o no va a ser notorio, las hay incluso que su producto es poco dado a las innovaciones. En ese momento es cuando entran las experiencias o servicios, yo el otro día lo definí a lo bruto “service marketing” (en realidad se llama service design)

Todo se basa en tres palancas: El contenido (no lo pienses como una historia sino como algo que cambia) , la utilidad (dando un servicio), y el “movimiento” fan (la gente no quieren ser amigos de las marcas).

Y esto se hace escuchando o colaborando, que no preguntando ya que la gente no sabe lo que quiere, suele estar contento con lo que tiene.

Parece difícil y lo es. Pero las oportunidades son muy grandes. Y sino que se lo digan a una pequeña panadería del centro de Londres, AlbionCaff. Con la ayuda de Poke London crearon un aparato que sirve, usando su cuenta de twitter (@AlbionsOven), para contar a sus clientes cuando están listas las nuevas hornadas de sus diferentes productos, y así siempre poder tomarlos recién hechos.

Y como dicen en la presentación, que me ha encantado la frase/concepto, el marketing moderno es hacer la vida de la gente mejor.

its fun to find your stuff linked to other sites, still nicer if I understood!    www.woopie.jp

Inspirado no sucesso da série de TV “Ugly Betty” (Betty a Feia), a Coca-Cola do Reino Unido lançará uma garrafa especial desenhada pela famosa estilista de “Sex and the City”, Patricia Field.

A “The Betty Bottle” é uma proposta da Diet Coke para que as mulheres possam criar sua própria interpretação da vida moderna. E para isso, ela vem acompanhada de alguns “acessórios” que são pequenos adesivos, permitindo  personalizar a sua  garrafa colocando um toque especial nela.

This was originally posted on June 1st at my original Blog space. It was somehow lost in the shuffle. It was a valuable one so here it is again.

Authenticity in a brand is ESSENTIAL. Clients and consumers are media savvy. Long gone are the days where people take your word for it and they google, search, and investigate companies they do business with.

My sample case study this week is the Alberta re-branding campaign.
GOAL: The province has been trying to change it’s oil sands image, and attract visitors to its beautiful tourist spots.

The Rollout: Early last month the new re-branded Alberta image was unveiled along with its $4 million dollar price tag for the rebrand package. (total cost is $25 million over a 3 year implementation)

An open looking script wordmark “Alberta” was created, and a new tag line “Freedom to Create. Spirit to Achieve.” The logo was fairly well received, but the rather bland and universal tag line and promotional videos began some negative reviews.

The Authenticity Catalyst: A headline appeared on May 1st in a UK paper reading: “Canada found out for scenery theft: A province with no coastline borrows North Sea to promote lakes.” The short version: The marketing campaign features a beautiful picture of the England’s rather famous Northumberland coast superimposed with the new Alberta Logo and tag line. Media reps tried to tell people that it wasn’t meant to represent Alberta itself, but the image was meant to convey the mood and tone of what they are trying to do. Oh dear.

People are not blind, nor are they ignorant. Responses like that treat the audience as such and only fuels the fire. The fact that a boater looking for good spots to go in Alberta after seeing the ad, is in fact the person who discovered it, makes the point that is was misleading.

Fallout: Whether misdirection or misrepresentation, this brand is no longer viewed as authentic. It was inevitable that the other messages would then be scrutinized. Online people have been talking about the lack of ethnicity in the campaign, the fluffy content, the price tag, and now the environmental issues are coming up to the forefront. This last one is the whole reason the re-branding was done.

It’s a big problem. They’ve committed $25 million dollars to a marketing campaign only to have it hobbled at the gate by a bad image decision. Handled properly they can recover in time, but the big question in everyone’s mind is: With all of Alberta’s beautiful geography and scenic spots, why not have been authentic from the start and avoided all of this?

1.     Take ownership of your “brand” and create a specific plan to make it real.

2.     Determine what makes you stand out and how you can utilize resources to share your brand.

3.     Use an entrepreneurial approach by creating a marketing and promotions plan with measurable goals.

4.     Find  mentors who will inspire you and hold you accountable.

5.     Zero in on your passion by expanding your skill set and collaborating with other people.

6.     Listen, learn and pass on information that has relevance to your audience.

7.     Create and promote content that showcases your inner author.

8.     Build and save a valuable body of work for your portfolio.

9.     Lay your foundation for success by networking and helping your connections.

10.  Volunteer to expand your skills, opportunities and presence in your community.

…  in the next generation of marketing textbooks, anyway:

Sons of Maxwell on being “serviced” by United Airlines. (Read the details of the episode in the sidebar on the right, or here.)

Up for under two days as I write this, and  already seen by well over 250,000 (growing rapidly), with a solid five-star rating…

Which is more than we can say for United.

Just a(nother) a reminder to those marketers aggressively  promising service they’re not prepared to deliver that the implicit protections of the “old” broadcast communications world are gone; the web will out their failures, and fast.  So more money invested in empty messaging– however elegant, as in United’s animated spots– is worse than wasted:  it concretely confirms consumers’ suspicions of hypocrisy.

Increasingly, when it comes to advertising in all its forms, you can (still) run, but you cannot hide.

I like to help people. Generally speaking.

So I note that some search engine cleverly delivered someone to this blog four times with the phrase:

“can you patent brand image”

I find this slightly confusing as I’m reasonably sure that I’ve never discussed patents on this blog. However, in response:

No, you can’t.

Patents are used to protect inventions, ie. product design. FYI, they usually need to take an ‘inventive step’ to solve a problem. ‘Inventive step’ means ‘not obvious’. (read: at discretion of the judge) Once you’ve patented an invention you can take claims against people trying to register similar ideas.

What you probably want is a trademark.

This allows you to protect phrases, made-up words, images…basically all of your branding. Other people can register similar trademarks, as long as it won’t be deceptive.

Assuming you find me again, hope that helps. Of course, this is ridiculously simplified and you should look for your country’s IP authority website at the very least.

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by Tony Fannin, president, BE Branded

What does your brand do for your customers? That’s the real question. Now, I’m not talking about specs or a description of what it literally does. What I want to know is what does it do for your customers. A brand done right creates a mindset in your company and in your customers. They almost become human in representation in customers minds. It’s possible to get your brand verb down to just one word. For example, Harley Davidson rebels, Nike wins, Intel innovates, and Apple creates. These brand qualities are what their customers identify with and want to make their own.

Brands are active. They just don’t sit around. Even bad ones are active. They just do harm as long as they go unchecked. A great brand does something for the customer in a real, authentic way. There was a research project by Duke University that was published in the Journal of Consumer Research in 2008. It set out to see if it could measure what a brand does for consumers. Could Apple really make you feel more creative? They compared Apple to IBM as a controlled test pairs. Subjects were presented with a split screen. What they saw was a flash of a logo for a half of a second. Half of the test group was repeatedly shown the Apple logo, the other half, the IBM logo. Afterward, the subjects were given a creative challenge. It was to come up with as many uses for a brick that didn’t pertain to making a building. Independent researchers were to judge the answers based on how creative they were. The results: The group that had been exposed to the Apple logo came up with 30% more uses for a brick that the group shown only the IBM logo. The independent judges also rated the Apple group more unique and creative than the other. The same test was done with Disney and E! (Disney’s brand represented honesty) The group was asked to answer true or false on a battery of questions. The same results: Those shown only the Disney logo overwhelmingly answered their questions with more honesty than the group shown only E! logo.

So what does this prove? It does support that brands DO inspire or create certain kinds of feelings and emotions in consumers. Branding is that simple and that hard. Don’t let anyone kid you, if done right, branding is hard. If they tell you it’s easy, either they don’t know what they’re talking about or they are much smarter than I am. Just like in martial arts, if some one tells me they can get a black belt from any style in less than 3.5 to 4 years, it’s not worth much. They would be better off going to the local martial arts supply store and buy their black belt for $5. It’s cheaper and the results are the same. The same is true about branding. Branding is not a program, it’s not about money, but it’s about a state of mind.

www.bebranded.net
317-797-7226

“Whosoever desires constant success must change his conduct with the times.”

… Niccolo Machiavelli

The Cult

My wife’s friend, New York based designer Joe Macal, told her that this summer in the Hamptons the wine selection on the party circuit is no longer the envy of the wine cognoscenti. The cult wines have been locked in the basement wine cellars of the McMansions, and the famous hosts just don’t think ostentatious displays of conspicuous consumption are cool in this economy. Or so opined a vintner friend over Racer 5‘s in Healdsburg last week . I’m guessing there has been a sort of a reverse Veblen good effect going on here. Well, no doubt the tide is out. Wall Street has sneezed, and it’s looking less like a cold and more like the financial flu. The question being asked in the hills and knolls of wine country is ‘are we in a luxury goods recess, or has long-term consumer, even the most affluent consumer, behavior been modified?’ The luxury category segment of the American wine business known as the cult wine market has been on an unprecedented run since 1990. While the term is new the concept isn’t. There have always been wines, as long as wines have been produced and sold, that commanded more attention and higher prices. Although we look at absolute pricing as an identifier of value, pricing is relative to the times, and through the inverted kink in the demand/pricing graph made famous by the late Dr Paul Samuelson in ‘Economics,’ and codified by John Forbes Nash in ‘Equlibrium,’ we’ve come to understand that the stratospheric pricing of cult wines infers on the host and guest the psycho-social attributes, as described by Berkeley’s Erving Goffman, of being accepted as members of the club. However, just ask Silas Lapham, membership in the club may not be long term.

The Call

Ringgggg, ringggggg, ringggggg. Sitting bolt up-right in my desk chair, looking past the glare of the iMac screen in the darkened room, I couldn’t believe that at 5 AM my iPhone was vibrating off the edge of my desk. Quickly shaking my head back-and-forth to loose the remnants of the mind numbing long night’s work of pushing out pricing structures for a client’s new label project, I answered my phone without first checking the caller-ID. At the sound of the click the sonorous voice at the other end of the connection jump started the conversation. “Hi, sorry to call you so early, but did you read today’s Wall Street Journal article on the luxury wine market? Well, it struck home. My sales, for the first time in 15 years aren’t so great, and well, I’d like to toss around a few ideas.”

“Not a problem, I’ve been up working on a project, but no, haven’t read any papers this morning. Ah, excuse me. Who is this?”

“I’m that small cult winery, ha, that you pitched last year about this time and I told you I didn’t need any help. But I just got off the phone with a management contact at my Boston asset management firm and, well, I need it now.” “I’ve replanted about half of my vineyard, changing the potential final blend, and the grapes are in 4th leaf. I could bottle the young juice in my primary brand, but the overall quality would be diminished. And if there was ever a time to push the quality envelop, it’s now.” “I’m thinking about introducing another label, in a more popular tier, something that could be sold in other environments, other channels. I’ve always been at the luxury end of the market, but I do buy other wines all the time, and think it would be great to get this new wine in more hands.” “So, how do I do this?”

The Plan

Yes, it is possible for a luxury brand to execute a lower priced, more egalitarian brand strategy effectively. A clear focus is needed and a tier specific brand plan is necessary. There are key questions that need to be asked and answered.

1. Theme – name, appearance, label, packaging
2. Personality – place, product, pricing, promotion
3. Tactical Plan – what, when, where, how, how much
4. Reputation Engineering – the PR initiative
5. Sales Effort – DTC, DTT, existing distributors?

A great team is in place, and to dislocate them for a new project just wouldn’t make any sense. They are part of the positive story for your existing brands and lend credence to the new project. You’re current cult and luxury portfolio is based on Napa Valley mountain grown Bordeaux proprietary reds. Protect the image of the existing luxury/cult brands by reducing production by further defining selection and maintaining real rarity. Use the traditional Bordelais classified growth second label model. Think Forts de Latour from Chateau Latour, Pavillion Rouge from Chateau Margaux, or Le Petite Cheval from Chateau Cheval Blanc. Share the story of replanting with new clones and the early quality displayed by the young vines, while refining the cult winemaking process. Increase exposure and the positive press and/or wine blog buzz opportunities by providing value and access to wines which were formerly unavailable in the broad market from your winery. In a market in which Michelin star chef Daniel Boulud has decided to focus more on value with DBGB Kitchen & Bar, the idea of a cult brand providing a more value centric model is not only timely, but most likely necessary given the reality of today’s world financial markets.

The Wrap

Creating any new brand in a rapidly consolidating and saturated broad market is not without risk. Manage your risk by utilizing research to target the best potential accounts. Work with key lighthouse accounts, both on and off-premises in limited geographic markets, who will provide support through newsletter, blog and/or web endorsements, while avoiding brand image diminishing discounting. Be sharp in your pricing to not only maximize profit but to achieve planned depletion velocity and consumer pick-up and repurchase. Your value proposition is leveraged on your existing reputation, built through hard work and a fidelity to your singular vision over the last 15-20 years. Don’t engage in any activity that will diminish the new brand or your existing brands. And, really only do this if you are totally committed to success, and not just as a short term liquidity fix.