3 weeks ago
“Hello Kitty: A cool cat turns 35”
(article via latimes.com, and link to the animated design history promo)
A glimpse into the awe-inspiring (but completely unpredictable) power of licensed character merchandising.
via karenh
4 weeks ago
Protecting the Brand of a Living Legend
Great article from Time on the complexities of managing the brand assets of a public figure - Nelson Mandela.
1 month ago
The 2010 Calendar from Lavazza has been launched.
As ever, it features a visual style that can only be described as bonkers: The lurid colours and plastic textures feel out of step with the functional reality of the Lavazza brand for Italians - and convey a hyper-artificiality that undermines the perceived quality of the product for the rest of us.
Having said that, it does succeed in capturing attention - and ensures Lavazza stands apart from the more widely-used coffee messages like “authenticity” and “ethical”. For an established brand like this, is that enough?
1 month ago
Absolut launch a “no label” bottle as part of a campaign to support the Lesbian / Gay / Bisexual / Transgender community. An interesting idea that shows the power of bottle shape to convey a brand.
The reality of the product is a little let down by the version actually in stores - which features a mandatory label showing alcohol content and other legally required content. Presumably we’re meant to take the label off and display it “naked” when we get home.
via stepa
1 month ago
1 month ago
In an earlier post, we wondered how brands would deal with the growing tsunami towards private label alternatives: Well, Kellogg’s has an interesting idea.
If you can believe this tweet, they’re going to laser-etch individual Corn Flakes with their signature brand identity.
If it’s a real initiative (and you never can tell) it’s certainly innovative: But I don’t think it will create extra leverage to lure back “strayed” customers who have been increasingly choosing private label alternatives.
Kellogg’s have always been strong on the message that “they don’t make cereals for anybody else” - so consumers who bought private label cereals were making an informed choice as to the relative quality and taste of the competition. They had already made a conscious decision to sacrifice the warm fuzzies associated with the Kellogg’s brand . Given that, they won’t stare at their “Korn Flakes” in shock when they notice the absence of a laser-etched Kelloggs logo on each flake.
To be fair to Kellogg’s, their brand glue is pretty sticky to start with: Particularly for families with brand-aware kids (ie - all of them), they’re a tough one to substitute. But it raises a good question: What else could they do to remind lapsed customers of the Kellogg’s experience?
2 months ago
Creativity in Changing Times «
Our tips on how branding & design can help businesses during the recession. We originally published this at the peak of last autumn’s mayhem - and the advice holds even more value one year on.
2 months ago
Friday fun post: A mash-up of 2 iconic brands shows power of classic pack designs- via gconnect
via gconnect
2 months ago
Growth in Private Label: Reaction or Revolution?
A recent tweet from @wiredresearch caught my eye:
“Top-selling private label grocery products in ’08: Milk, baked
goods, canned veggies, cheese, and eggs. 3/5 of milk sold is store
brand.”
Although the figures only dealt with the US, the high proportion of private label milk sales was familiar from my observations as an Irish shopper - and from our work with The National Dairy Council.
As I started to think about what this shopping list of products meant for brand loyalty, another tweet arrived on the same topic by @brandweekdotcom:
- Private labels saw twice the growth as branded items in 2008.
At that point, I started to dig: I learned from @wiredresearch that their figures were sourced from a report by the Private Label Manufacturers of America. The PLMA website is a treasure trove of similar data, including this fact:
The PLMA site also contains an ‘09 research report on consumer attitudes to private label, which states:
- 77% of consumers agreed that private label goods were “as good, if not better than” the equivalent branded products.
What does this mean for brands? Are we seeing a signficant evolution in brand-driven consumer behaviour, or simply a reactionary shift to lower-priced alternatives?
Are these “staple” goods the first sacrifice of a slimmed-down grocery budget - so that shoppers can still buy their favourite brands? Or are they the thin end of the wedge for habitual brand substitution?
It’s a fact that shoppers have less money to spend, and so are making more careful choices. But are we also seeing the natural consequence of many brands choosing to cut back on marketing and advertising?
As many brands take a tactical route to shore up declining sales, consumers will have an increasingly jaundiced view on the value and relevance of the premium they pay for branded goods. How long will you pay a discounted price for a favoured brand before you question the worth of the brand in the first place?
What can brands do in the face of this change?
Firstly, they need to re-engage with their customers, even with a constrained budget: From Twitter to tastings, brands must get out there and remind customers of the promises that private label alternatives won’t deliver.
Secondly, if tactical actions are required, aim to add value rather than reducing price.
Finally, if price-cuts are deemed essential, they should be communicated in a way that supports and extends the brand personality - not as a fire-sale.
2 months ago
How do you define "Brand"? «
Believable, Relevant, Adaptable, Numerically-based & Differentiated.
Via @fastcompany
(Click on the title to read the full article. When you read it, you’ll see that the author really means “measurable” when he says “numerically-based” - but that would have thrown off the elegantly crafted acronym…)
