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Archive for the ‘Branding’ Category
Monday, March 1st, 2010
According to the latest annual Business Superbrands Top 500 survey, Microsoft has risen three places in the rankings to take this year’s top spot, knocking I.T. rival Google down to number 5 in the process.
The survey, compiled by The Centre for Brand Analysis (TCBA), takes an initial list of 1,200 brands, of which 500 are shortlisted by a panel of 25 branding and marketing experts. More than 1,700 business professionals then rate each of the 500 shortlisted brands before results are combined and a final ranking is assigned.
Rolls-Royce maintained its second place ranking, and Blackberry (42nd place in 2009) and Virgin Atlantic were strong climbers to complete the top 5 Superbrands this year.
Hotel chain Premier Inn was the biggest grower overall, moving up from number 437 to 240. Insurance company Aviva also rose impressively, from 315 to 144.
The full Top Ten is shown below:
| 2010 |
2009 |
| Microsoft |
Google |
| Rolls-Royce Group |
Rolls-Royce Group |
| Blackberry |
Sony |
| Virgin Atlantic |
Microsoft |
| Google |
Nokia |
| London Stock Exchange |
GlaxoSmithKline |
| GlaxoSmithKline |
London Stock Exchange |
| British Airways |
Michelin |
| VISA |
BP |
| PricewaterhouseCoopers |
BUPA |
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Branding, Business, Corporate Positioning, Information Technology |
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Wednesday, February 3rd, 2010
Much has been written on the subject of brands – not least by B2B International! As we know, a brand is made up of many things – name, logo and values to name but a few. But can there be any doubt about the importance of a brand name? In a Thursday Night Insight article last year, Chrissie Douglas gave us some hints on selecting a brand name:
- Brand names should be simple so that they are easy to understand, pronounce and spell. Two words in the name should be considered the maximum.
- Brand names should be vivid in imagery so that the mnemonics present strong memory cues.
- Brand names should be familiar sounding so that much of the information to which the name relates is already stored in the mind.
- Brand names should be distinctive so that the word attracts attention and does not become confused with other brands.
So, what happens if you get it wrong?
According to research by YouGov/G2, Cillit Bang has been voted the UK’s most disliked brand name. Of the 2,000 British consumers surveyed, a quarter of women, a fifth of men and 27% of over-55s did not like the brand name. Yet, the cleaning brand, which was launched in 2005 by Reckitt Benckiser, is actually considered by its owner to be a “power brand” and its sales show it to be an extremely successful product. So, clearly, brand name is not everything.
Yet, of the top 10 most disliked brand names (shown below), four are new names for previously known brands, including 3 in the top 5:
- Cillit Bang
- Cif
- Starbucks
- Pasta Hut
- Snickers
- Veet
- Accenture
- Aldi
- Plenty
- Mates
Cif used to be known in the UK as Jif, Snickers was for many years called Marathon, and Veet previously went by the name Immac. This perhaps underlines the importance of getting the brand name right in the first place. Once people have started to associate certain values and attributes with a brand, any changes can lead to confusion or mistrust. Unless you recognise the importance of brands and adopt a well thought-out marketing and communications rebranding strategy, you could find yourself with a lot of brand rebuilding work to be done.
To find out more about branding, please refer to several of our white papers, including:
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Articles, Branding, Chrissie Douglas, Consumer Research, Corporate Identity, Customer Insight, Re-branding |
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Monday, February 1st, 2010
Colleagues in our Beijing, New York and Manchester offices have all been complaining about the cold weather of late. With much of the northern hemisphere suffering its severest winter for years, most of us are just trying to grin and bear it. Yet some savvy marketers are definitely making the most of the opportunities this bad weather presents. AdAge.com’s ‘Marketers Make Most of Falling Mercury’ article below tells us all about how some marketers are using the latest weather intelligence to feed into their marketing plans:
In Alabama, the night before the Crimson Tide took on the Texas Longhorns for the National Championship, it would normally have been tough to find chips and salsa, maybe beer. But, instead, Chris Hendrix, 27, found empty shelves where the bread should have been. Bottled water was also in limited supply, as panicky residents stocked up for a forecasted inch of snow.
Unusually icy temperatures are gripping most of the U.S. — according to Accuweather, this could be the coldest winter the country’s seen since 1985 — and that’s proving a boon for opportunistic marketers who target their media around the thermometer and have the wherewithal and ability to make their marketing more flexible and nimble.
Bad weather is, of course, relative: An inch of powder in Alabama may trigger mass panic and closures, while for Minnesotans it’s just another winter day. For marketers who understand these differences and capitalize on them, there’s money to be made.
“That’s where the marketing gold that needs to be mined is,” said Scott Bernhardt, chief operating officer at Planalytics, who said 40% of his clients are using weather intelligence to inform their marketing, up from 25% to 30% 18 months ago. “Marketing into a situation that’s favorable for your product [causes] the numbers to go off the chart.”
Creature comfort
Take, for example, Campbell Soup. In addition to the company’s considerable national media advertising, the brand monitors weather patterns in 30 second-tier markets like St. Louis, Des Moines and Tampa, ramping up local radio support when an area gets particularly cold, wet or snowy.
The brand team conducts weekly meetings with media buyers to review a 30-city “misery index” that Campbell has built using an algorithm that incorporates temperature fluctuations within a given day, the year-ago difference, the week-ago difference and extra credit for snow or “nasty” rain. When an area becomes miserable, it gets a positive ranking on the index (negative ratings ironically connote a relatively happy area).
John Faulkner, director-brand communications at Campbell Soup Co., said that when an area becomes about 5% miserable, Campbell will cue up chicken-soup radio ads from BBDO, New York, that typically last three to five days. Its current campaign, which underscores the 32 feet of noodles in every can, ties in neatly with freezing conditions. Mr. Faulkner would not comment on how sales have fared since the company put the “misery” index in place, but it’s clearly worked: Not only has Campbell kept the program going, it’s added a flu-tracking system as well.
Not all advertisers are set up to take advantage of events like the weather because of institutional and technological barriers — in fact, only 40% of Planalytics clients tie that information to marketing. But over the past year there’s been a focus on becoming more nimble — not just in reacting to weather conditions or news events, but also to economic changes and consumer behavior changes.
“A booming economy hides a lot of mistakes,” Mr. Bernhardt said. “People were living in the past and thinking in old ways. Now you have to do things better, smarter.”
Boots made for selling
Zappos, for example, is doing its best to grab the attention of shoppers who may be looking for cold-weather apparel and footwear. Aaron Magness, head of business development and brand marketing, said that the company has adjusted its web presence to capitalize on the wintry conditions. “We planned on having more of a fashion story on our homepage and e-mail blast, but we’re adjusting it to keep winter products top of mind,” he said. Zappos’ homepage now features models wearing coats and the headline “Cold Weather Outfits Are Hot!”
As marketers take advantage of the cold front sweeping the nation, they turn to media that can be swiftly adjusted such as spot radio, e-mail marketing and search advertising. Dan Schock, a retail industry director at Google, said that, for companies looking to buy against newly popular search terms such as “hot chocolate,” “weather forecast” or “long underwear,” his team can launch new search campaigns in just a few hours.
In the days before Christmas, for example, Google worked with several advertisers to geo-target the Northeast and adjust creative to capitalize on the impending blizzard by encouraging consumers to shop from home.
Weather-triggered campaigns are a specialty of the Weather Channel, of course. The cable network is working with advertisers including General Motors, The Home Depot and Nationwide Insurance to do just that, and it has benefited from bigger ratings as chilled consumers stay inside and keep an eye on the forecasts. According to a spokesman, viewership was up 24% in the first five days of the year, compared with the same period a year ago. And on Jan. 7, Weather.com experienced what was likely its biggest page-view day ever, with 82.5 million views. Ironically, it was tough to get those statistics from Weather Channel last week, as its executives were stuck at home due to icy, snowy conditions in its headquarters city of Atlanta.
While some advertisers moved to crank up their buys due to cold, the marketer of Snuggie went in the opposite direction. The mercury plunge caused a run on retail that resulted in an “extreme shortage” for the blanket-with-arms, precipitating Anne Flynn, VP-marketing at Allstar Marketing Group, to halt the brand’s marketing. That notwithstanding, the cold weather is generating plenty of free publicity, be it from local newscasts or appearances of college-themed Snuggies at Bowl Games. “It’s a nice problem to have,” she said, “but when people want their Snuggies, they want them now.” The company is ramping up production.
Slight relief
Snuggie’s not the only brand benefiting. In Palm Beach County, Fla., space heaters were selling out last week, and snow blowers were out of stock in Kansas City, according to local news reports. Planalytics reported that demand for electric blankets jumped 13% in December, ice-melting products were up 12% and thermals rose by 9%.
Classic Ugg boots that retail between $140 and $180 have been moving briskly. “We are hearing good reports from our retailers all over the country, as consumers are shopping with Christmas cash and gift cards,” said Ed Goins, VP-sales at Ugg Australia. “It’s safe to say that the cold weather is certainly not hurting our business and is most likely enhancing it.”
Indeed, cold temperatures appear be helping consumers forget about the recession, at least temporarily. According to Google, searches for “snow boots” began outperforming searches for “cheap boots” in the past few weeks, the first time that’s happened in almost a year.
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Branding, Marketing, Marketing Strategy, Promotion, Retail, Sales |
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Monday, January 25th, 2010
Your employees are one of your company’s greatest assets. What they say about your company, how they act in the workplace, and how happy they are in their roles all impact on your brand, your image, your levels of service and ultimately your customers’ satisfaction. B2B Marketing recently published an article entitled BRANDING: Motivating employees to be your ‘brand carriers’. The article, which is shown below, makes interesting reading.
Many B2B companies have gone through mergers and takeovers, with the associated churn in staff, sense of insecurity, loss of implicit knowledge and know-how… So, more than ever, B2B companies need to re-address the way they interact with their employees. Positive interaction, fostering brand engagement, can have a massively beneficial impact on your company – and your bottom line.
- Boost the role of employees in brand communications
B2B companies’ employees are one of their most powerful assets and need to be recognised as such in any brand communications programme. Including an ‘employee engagement programme’ as a part of your brand plan is a good start. The role of the employee in branding the company is critical – whether it be sales, customer services, or technical support, all have direct customer interface. In effect, they are the brand.
- Understand the networks that employees use
Customers and suppliers form relatively small, interlinked professional worlds. Many of them know each other, often from previous employment positions. Markets talk, so it’s time to start listening to what your employees are saying about the company – document both the good and the not so good.
- Get top management buy-in
Bottom-up employee engagement initiatives only work if they are joined up with company strategy and senior management. Before spending masses on large-scale employee engagement surveys, give management a ‘weather check’ on the mood of the company, and pinpoint areas that need addressing.
- Avoid stale jargon – be honest
Whatever communication tools are used to engage employees – surveys, newsletters, web-casts, intranets, away-days with specialist consultants – it’s crucial that senior management avoid soundbites that sound like lipservice.
- Address disconnects between company behaviour and communication
Successfully communicating in today’s Web 2.0 world means addressing inherent distrust and cynicism. Honesty and transparency are important: how a company behaves rather than what it says sends out the strongest signal. If your company really is driven first and foremost by shareholder value, then admit that.
- Reward honesty in feedback
Many corporations tend not to interpret negative feedback in the right way, taking it as a way to sideline people who dare speak their minds. This needs to be addressed, otherwise potentially timid employees will be too frightened to voice their opinions.
- Use social media for employee engagement
Companies need to go beyond traditional one-way communication vehicles and embrace the world of modern, democratic and conversational-driven media. The industry networks that exist offline – industry events, forums, trade-fairs – are being complemented by these increasingly popular social media channels.
- Consider hiring employee engagement professionals
Corporations can get involved with their employees by hiring community engagement professionals, whose job it is to listen and engage within industry forums, read blogs, pick up where the company image is, and re-engage with individuals directly or with influential members of the group in question, to identify problem areas, address them and ensure that change wishes are followed up.
- Define the experience you wish the customer to have
In a world where product differentiation is increasingly difficult to achieve and maintain, aspects of service and experience branding – employee branding in this instance – are becoming ever more critical in making a difference. When the technical director or buyer of a client company is asked on a forum, or at an industry trade fair, by a previous colleague or acquaintance, “What are those people at Corporate X like to do business with?” you want them to give a positive picture.
- Boost word-of-mouth
What employees say about their company to friends is likely to carry huge weight – more weight indeed than an ad in a traditional B2B industry magazine or a new corporate brochure. If employee views are valued, companies can genuinely create enthusiasm that will spread through the organisation, impacting positively on a range of areas leading to enhanced customer satisfaction.
So maybe it’s time to switch the focus from the voice of the shareholder or the customer to the voice of the employee – the employee as brand ambassador.
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Branding, Corporate Identity, Employee Satisfaction, Employment, Human Resources, Management |
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Tuesday, January 19th, 2010
A new academic study claims the average American consumes 34 gigabytes and 100,000 words of information every day. That’s not just a phenomenal amount of information to take in. It’s also estimated to be well over three times the daily amount that we consumed back in 1980.
The ‘How Much Information?‘ study, published by the University of California, San Diego, looks at media consumption today in the United States. Television is still the dominant information source, taking up 41% of the total time spent consuming media, followed by the internet, which takes 16% of total time. Other mediums covered by the study include cinema visits and computer games, talking on cell phones and listening to the radio, among others…
It’s perhaps difficult for us to really grasp the sheer scale of the amount of information we’re talking about here, but few of us would argue that we are not exposed to hundreds, if not thousands, of advertising, marketing, promotional and sales messages on a daily basis. But what does this mean for all those marketers who are competing to get their own messages across?
Well, there are many implications, but one of the most important would be that it underlines the absolute need to have a strong, clear and consistent brand. Mixed messages will not help you stand out; at best they will cause confusion and at worst they will be overlooked altogether. A strong brand will help to ensure that your customers know exactly what you offer, realize exactly what you stand for, and understand exactly what they can expect from you. The key then, of course, is to make sure the offering itself does not disappoint them, which is a whole new challenge!
Another important point to make can be nicely summarized by the famous John Wanamaker quotation: Half the money I spend on advertising is wasted; the trouble is, I don’t know which half. Advertising is a tricky business, and is undoubtedly made harder today by the fact that so many other messages are competing for our prospective customers’ attention. The key with any form of advertising or direct mail campaign is to test, test and test again. Make sure you are researching the audience’s reaction to your campaign before the concept is fully developed and again before it is launched. Then you must monitor the campaign once it has gone live, and continue to track its effectiveness over time. We may not be able to reduce the amount of other information we are competing with, but there are certainly things we can do to help us stand out from the crowd.
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Advertising Research, Branding, Marketing, Promotion, Sales |
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