BrandStand

August 30, 2010 | Jeff Cohn

Brand Strategy as an economic driver of business success

Tesla. Pinkberry. Rue LaLa. Forever 21.

What do a fully electric powered car, a healthy yogurt, an online retailer and a thriving brick and mortar retail chain all have in common? They are all building strong brands and surviving (thriving?) in an otherwise dismal economic environment.

And they are not alone. Despite the horrors presented on the evening news and 24/7 cable news cycle, we see new successful business concepts and growing enterprises on the local, regional and national levels. Housing starts may be down, but America’s business environment moves forward each and every day thanks to these entrepreneurial organizations. And it’s true for businesses selling goods and services from $2 to $125,000.

One of the key things I see in these companies is a strong understanding of their target market and an investment in a strong brand strategy. Take Pinkberry for instance. There are many new frozen yogurt concepts popping up all around the country. But the customers are lining up at Pinkberry. That brand, through store design, PR and other visibility, has established itself as the premiere purveyor of healthy frozen yogurt. The hour wait you see at many of their stores is proof positive of the value of a great brand.

Forever 21 is continuing to grow and prosper in part because they are very clear for whom they exist. Their target market loves the way they stay in touch with style, affordable pricing and great looking shopping environments. No wonder the company is becoming a department store anchor in many successful malls around the U.S.

And then there’s Tesla, a fully electric sports car being made in Silicon Valley. If you’re going to sell a $125,000 car to mainstream America, you’d best have a solid brand strategy. Tesla does just that! From showrooms that are called “galleries” to concierge level service anywhere in the U.S. to the value of a green or sustainable brand, Tesla is building brand credibility with its customers and target markets as well as the media.

The lessons here apply to any company, striving to survive in these economic times. Small or large. Business-to-business or business-to-consumer. Investing in a strong and well developed brand strategy is one important component to business success.

Now that I have that off my chest, I wonder how long the line is at Pinkberry today?

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August 24, 2010 | Cindy Jennings

CleanTech Launch: Marketing Plan Required

Robert Hockaday, eQSolaris CEO

I spent an amazing afternoon yesterday coaching some really bright people with innovative, technically advanced products and services at the Rocky Mountain CleanTech Open (CTO) on their marketing efforts. The purpose of the afternoon was to help them outline strategies and tactics on how to get their products and services in the hands of those companies that will either invest in, buy products from or partner with the company. The CTO had prepared the finalists with tools to outline their positioning statements, unique value proposition and target markets, but they needed to outline how they would get the attention of their target audiences.

Here are some questions to answer when outlining your cleantech marketing plan:

• How will you establish credibility in the field when you’re a start-up entity, especially when you may not have a commercial product yet?

• What information and key messages will my target audience need and when?

• What means of communication will my target audience respond to?

• How will you show your competitive advantage, your unique distinction in the marketplace that’s meaningful to your potential customer/partners/investor?

Answering these questions will get a start-up well on their way to developing marketing strategies and tactics that make up their overall marketing plan.

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July 19, 2010 | Lisa Wieting

Old Spice “Swan Dives” into a Game- Changing Social Media Campaign

The Google CFO referenced Old Spice’s viral marketing campaign in an earnings call, stating “It just gives you a glimpse of where the world is going.”

So true, Patrick Pichette, but I think it’s even more than that. The Old Spice YouTube Tweetathon altered the social media landscape in one day.

1. Corporate Libertarianism

Kudos to Procter & Gamble for trusting its team to attempt this epic experiment with little to no supervision. ReadWriteWeb wrote a great post about how the videos are being made. The company has entrusted a team of social media guys, marketers, scriptwriters, creative and tech support to create 87 short videos in 11 hours…7 minutes per video. This leaves VERY little time for an approval process. Social media is about real time, and Procter & Gamble gets it.

Side note: It’s incredible that all of these people could work together so efficiently and effectively. Walls between departments are falling fast, and lines are being blurred. To create a successful social media campaign, you need the skills of creative, PR, marketing, copywriters, tech and social media professionals to get the job done. I for one am psyched about this collaborative philosophy.

2. “What’s Next?” Has Been Answered…for Now

Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, foursquare…these applications have established themselves as the giants. For the past six months, it seems that everyone has been regifting these concepts. Social media began to blend into the humdrum of everyday marketing until July 15. The Old Spice campaign took what was available and reinvented how these applications could be used together. What’s next? Looking at what’s available and pushing the limits of its capabilities. This will dictate future applications.

3. Human Nature Explored

Social media has made the idea of “15 minutes of fame” possible…except now it’s 15 seconds of fame. It has made the distance between celebrity and civilian shorter. Old Spice capitalized on both of these concepts. Social media users were invited to ask questions directed toward the “Old Spice Guy” – Isaiah Mustafa. The responses were tracked, and the most interesting or highest-profile inquiries were addressed via personalized video, doing the following:

Feeding consumers’ egos by utilizing their creativity/ideas to drive the topics of the videos
Giving consumers their 15 seconds of fame through personalized video
Bridging the gap between the brand and the customer
Closing the distance between celebrity vs. civilian by streaming videos for Alyssa Milano and Jonathan on Facebook as equals

Brands are going to need to refocus their attention from defining who “they” are to defining who the customer is and how to create a personal, engaging and lasting relationship. We are a self-centered, ego-driven, short-attention-span society, and now that we know what is possible, expectations are going to change.

Update: The Old Spice personalized videos have amassed more than 5.2 million views! That is more than some (many) television programs.

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July 1, 2010 | Lisa Wieting

An Ode to Gimmick Marketing in Honor of “Tasties” Greeting Cards

American Greeting Cards has just released its “Tasties” collection of greeting cards that include flavor strips. Simply peel and lick…the card. In honor of this recent development in greeting card marketing, I wanted to share some of my favorite (or at least most memorable) marketing gimmicks.

Pepsi goes after those looking for a clear and pure cola alternative...as well as those looking for a pop first thing in the a.m.

1. Crystal Pepsi – This came out when I was in middle school, and I admit, I completely bought into it without ever understanding the point. According to Wikipedia, Crystal Pepsi was a caffeine-free “clear alternative” to normal colas, equating clearness with purity and health. I just thought it was funny that a pop that tasted like Pepsi looked like water.

Honorable Mention: Pepsi A.M. This was marketed to those who like to drink pop in the morning. Side note: I consume at least two Diet Cokes before 9 a.m. each morning. I am the target market. I would not drink this.

2. Beer Gimmicks – Beer companies put other marketers to shame in the “Gimmick” department:

Ignore the ice running down the bottle, the blue mountains tell you this beer is cold!

A label that turns blue when cold – I don’t know what to say about this…isn’t it cold when it feels cold?

The “wide-mouth” can – I always thought this was to help you drink it faster, but after doing some research it is apparently to help ventilation…who knew?

The “light beer” race – I was someone who looked forward to Michelob Ultra launching. And then the floodgates opened. Budweiser Select 55, Miller Genuine Draft Light 64…does it matter that none of these beers has any taste anymore? Give me a Guinness.

Honorable Mention: Dos Equis’ “The Most Interesting Man in the World” campaign. Did the announcer just say, “When he punches you in the face you will have to fight the urge to thank him”? It took me four times watching this commercial to figure out what it was trying to sell. I’m pretty sure I purchased this beer after that fourth viewing.

3. Cocaine Energy Drink – Who thought this was a good idea? We can guess what went on in that brainstorm session.

Honorable Mention: Red Bull “Gives You Wings.” The commercials are a bit offbeat, but I think it works for them, as they are a quirky brand. But more importantly, I love how they have taken this “gimmick” and translated it into the world’s coolest competition – Flugtag. This “homemade, human-powered flying machine” challenge is on my bucket list.

4. Crayola – Quiz: How many times can a company sell you the exact same product? These are ALL markers in one shape or another.

A marker by any other name is just a marker...right? Not at Crayola.

Glitter Paper – Sparkle built into each fun-tastic page. Just use clear Color Wonder Markers to create colorful, shimmering masterpieces.

Color Wonder Light Up Markers – Simply connect the Color Wonder Marker into the light wand and click it. The barrels light up to identify each marker color.

Color Explosion 3-D – With just one clear marker, create images that leap from the page in cool 3-D effects.

Honorable Mention: 3D everything. My husband claims he can’t see 3D because of some vision dysfunction he “thinks” he has, yet he wants the 3D television. And he calls me a “marketer’s dream.”

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June 23, 2010 | Jeff Cohn

Slimy brand marketing, courtesy of Spirit Airlines

I’m not sure if there’s anyone minding the brand at Spirit Airlines. If there is, they have their heads in the sand, not at 30,000 feet. We all know Spirit. They are the geniuses that brought us the “pay for carry-on” idea. They show up in the news all the time with passenger dissatisfaction, employee upheavals, and general bad PR. But their foray today into the mindset of “any PR is good PR” is unconscionable. Clearly, this is a company that has no regard for the power of brand touchpoints.

Spirit Airlines Online Ad

I am a brand strategist and have been a marketing professional for the past 25 years. I’m not sure of the last time I saw such a display of bad taste in marketing. Today, Spirit launched a campaign touting its “Check out the oil on our beaches” campaign. The campaign shows a series of beaches in locations Spirit flies to. I didn’t think it was possible to outdo BP’s lack of PR and marketing prowess. Really? Are you kidding me, Spirit Airlines?

A little research informed me that Spirit’s CEO loves shock-value marketing. CEO Ben Baldanza says Spirit has cut its marketing and distribution expenses by more than 80% during the past three years “by using edgy viral marketing.” The savings have resulted in very inexpensive fares, he says. Spirit’s advertising “may be more colorful than some,” but it isn’t “out of the norm” when compared with many retailers’ ads, Super Bowl commercials and the content of TV series, Baldanza says. Well, I think it’s time to start spending some money on a brand marketing and PR agency that can knock some sense into this inane approach to marketing.

I have to cry foul. This is, to use your terminology, out of the norm, Mr. Baldanza. It’s shameful. Offensive. And an assault to the people, like me, who are proud of the impact brand marketing has had in building businesses, adding jobs and fueling the economy. Millions of people in the Gulf states are worrying every day and night about where their next dime will come from. The environmental impact of this spill is nauseating. And you, Spirit Airlines, want to make fun of it for the PR value?

Yet here I am, writing about it and giving them the PR visibility they would hope for. Well here’s my PR, Spirit Airlines: I will never fly your airline. I will tell everyone I can about this. And I will use my company’s communication platform to be sure the word gets out.

This campaign does nothing to represent the American Spirit I grew up with and my father fought for in WWII. I’m just one brand marketer, but I’m taking a stand. I encourage anyone reading this to do so as well by writing Spirit and keeping your dollars far away from them, now and forever. Let’s not let this tasteless approach to brand building win, low fares or not.

I was talking to a friend in Atlanta the other day who also happens to own an agency. I said, “Let’s get some friends together and go to the beach on the Florida Gulf Coast, support these folks down there and bring some much-needed money to the region. She jumped at the idea. Oh yes, we’re going. It’s the American thing to do. But you can be sure we won’t be traveling on Spirit Airlines to get there. Or anywhere. Their brand has no value as far as I’m concerned.

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