Welcome to the Network Era – Shaping Brands and the Business

From Scott Davis' new book The Shift

By Scott Davis, July 9, 2009 — Nike’s view of its customers reflects the continuing Web-driven shift in our culture that has, in turn, ushered in a new era of marketing – the Network Era.

Whether it’s in establishing a soccer social networking site, its 10K Human Race or a foundation to invest in the “girl effect,”... continue reading

And the Oscar Goes to Hyundai

By Paul Schrimpf, March 9, 2009 — You may or may not know that the Academy Awards garners a high degree of advertising revenue. It’s easy to overlook when it shares the same month with the Superbowl. In fact, some advertisers consider it the Superbowl for women. And like the celebrity red carpet arrivals, it’s fun to watch which brands “show up”.

The economic downturn was very well evident this year not only in terms of the opening performance, but also in terms of ad campaigns. I personally only recall three that stood out:... continue reading

Stand by your man?

By Aneysha Pearce, February 18, 2009 — All the press coverage and online buzz about Michael Phelps’ unfortunate and wildly publicized “marijuana incident” underscores the importance of making appropriate, “on brand” choices for celebrity endorsers.

Clearly, winning eight gold medals – and all that goes with being a superb athlete – makes Phelps a highly sought after individual. But when a celebrity endorser is caught making less than ideal choices for the world to see, it puts the company’s brand and reputation on the line.

... continue reading

Reputation Management and Advocacy Groups

By Aneysha Pearce, December 2, 2008 — Recently, McDonald’s staved off a boycott by a Christian family advocacy group for its support of the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce. In Evanston, IL, the Cinemark theater wasn’t able to escape the outrage from the gay and lesbian community, whose local members picketed Nov. 22 and 23 over the chain’s CEO’s financial support of California’s Proposition 8 campaign.

These are the kinds of situations dreaded by businesses that keep a close eye on reputation management. How... continue reading

A New Brand Identity in 9.69 Seconds

By Paul Schrimpf, August 27, 2008 — This year’s summer Olympics had a plethora of historical moments with many claiming it to be the most watched games in history. The host country of China made a statement to the world both with its opening and closing ceremonies, and its gold medal count. Michael Phelps set a new Olympic record, winning 8 gold medals. The China versus USA basketball game was the most watched basketball game of all time. And with a time of 9.69 seconds, Puma solidified a new brand identity.

That’s right —... continue reading

“Blockbuster” of an innovation is anything but…

By Eloy Trevino, June 26, 2008 — In a not too distant past, Blockbuster was on the forefront of a convenience revolution — the transition to convenient, in-home entertainment. As consumers built in-home theater systems that rivaled movie theater quality, Blockbuster offered them “convenience” by launching “always in stock” for the hottest DVD rentals. Blockbuster expanded their footprint with highly convenient locations, and was seemingly on a roll.

However, two innovations changed the industry: (1) Disruptive technologies... continue reading

Tap Your Brand’s DNA for Product Extensions

By Kevin O'Donnell, May 20, 2008 — Brand extensions are one way to reinvigorate mature products by generating new sales while retaining the loyalty of existing customers.

But too many lack the benefit of solid strategic thinking. Instead of extensions that capitalize on the relationships the brand has built with customers, you’ll often see logos slapped on a new offering, which is then whisked into the marketplace with predictably disappointing results.

Some of the most interesting extensions take a counter-intuitive approach... continue reading

Quantilitative Research: A happy marriage of the old and new

By Erik Long, April 29, 2008 — Driven by Web 2.0-based technologies, marketing science is taking quantum leaps in the development of exciting methodologies that add more capabilities to the traditional analytics toolbox.

The convergence of the “old” qualitative and quantitative approaches with the “new” Web-based platforms is creating a more integrated approach to determining what works best in developing customer insights. This happy marriage hits the trifecta for marketing professionals. It saves time. It saves money. And... continue reading

Creating a Sustainable Culture of Innovation

By Jennifer Dominiquini, March 11, 2008 — More companies are embracing the importance of innovation, but few are happy with the results.

That's not surprising. Turning the rhetoric into action is a challenge. Some businesses think they can "buy" a culture of innovation by holding a few training programs or workshops. They label modest tweaks as major breakthroughs, devaluing the meaning of the word. Or they hire a vice president of innovation in the belief one person will just make innovation "happen".

The reality lies beyond the hype. Even... continue reading

Your Brand as Customer Conduit

By Scott Davis, February 25, 2008 — It’s time to rethink the “customer is king” thing.

With the rapid advance of new media, customers have growing control over when, how and where they interact with brands, media and information. Increasingly, they’re also willing to partner with you as you build your brand, design your products and create your ads.

Successful marketers are listening to what customers want. They’re creating personalized and customized brand experiences that pass the authenticity test, trusting the brand to... continue reading

Can Steve Ballmer Learn To Yodel?

By Karen Woon, February 8, 2008 — Does Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer yodel? It’s a fair question to ask as the software giant’s $44.6-billion play for Yahoo, the No. 2 search engine on the Internet, is rejected — for now.

Microsoft’s interest is easily understood. The company wants to move beyond software and into enhanced online services at a time when Yahoo! is struggling against the larger, richer Google for traffic and advertising revenues. Microsoft would bring enormous financial muscle in the battle for eyeballs and ads.

... continue reading

From Ads to Value Add

By Jill Steele, January 29, 2008 — It’s the time of year when pundits make predictions. One that caught my eye comes from Geoff Ramsey, CEO of eMarketer. He sees the interruption-disruption ad model, where consumers accept advertising as a necessary evil in exchange for free content, dying off because of the Internet, social media and the DVR.

The prediction isn’t particularly surprising: almost everyone agrees this is the way we’re trending. What’s intriguing is his suggestion that marketers must turn advertising into content,... continue reading

Making Gold of Green

By Andrew Pierce, January 8, 2008 — A green business strategy will have you singing the blues if it doesn’t benefit your customers. Environmentally responsible efforts should always serve the business, the client, and the brand.

Unfortunately, too many companies begin with an “inside out” perspective. They try to create and sell green products and services without first learning how they’ll ultimately solve a customer need.

Instead of guessing, the process of going green should begin with some simple but important questions.... continue reading

Creating a Healthy Innovation System

By Kevin O'Donnell, November 15, 2007 — Is the luster wearing thin on the innovation imperative? Maybe, according to Business Week’s annual survey. It shows that only 46% of senior executives are satisfied with return on innovation spending, down from 52% in 2006, and only 23% (versus 32%) of respondents call innovation a top concern.

The fact is that, done right, innovation drives growth and both differentiates and adds value to a brand. Apple, Netflix and Boeing can attest to that. But the growing dissatisfaction with returns may be... continue reading

Will RBK’s Real Customers Please Stand Up?

By Jesse Purewal, October 18, 2007 — A question for marketers: Is it acceptable to poke fun at one customer segment in order to appeal to a second, different segment?

RBK’s answer: Yes, when you’ve failed to win in the market you originally coveted.

But that doesn’t mean it’s a good idea.

You may have seen the “Run Easy” outdoor campaign from RBK (nee Reebok). It combines mean-spirited one-liners with images of pained endurance runners – a bid to show that its brand is on the side of the common folk. The attempt... continue reading

When “You’re Fired” Backfires in Building Brand Value

By Knox Bricken, August 23, 2007 — Despite what “you’re fired” did for The Donald, it’s not a brand strategy guaranteed to engender trust and confidence. Yet a growing number of businesses, in their quest for more profitable customers, are using exactly those words to cull out the “bad” ones.

Sprint-Nextel is the latest, having recently sent approximately 1,000 wireless subscribers a termination notice. Their sin? Being customers who paid their bills on time, but taxed precious company resources by calling customer service... continue reading

Smart Business: Making UCare to Buy J&J Products

By Jill Steele, July 30, 2007 — I can just imagine it on YouTube: Cute little Girl Scouts, loaded wagon in tow, approaching their elderly neighbors to push not Thin Mints or Shortbreads, but instead whipping out samples of Motrin, BenGay and Mylanta.

It’s not quite what’s behind a new Johnson & Johnson marketing strategy, but not too far off the mark. No spoof: J&J’s initiative, designed to let churches, charities and non-profits like the Girl Scouts to sell its products as a fundraiser, is a pretty smart move.

... continue reading

Making the Leap to Marketing Effectiveness

By Andrew Pierce, June 28, 2007 — The good news? CMO tenure actually grew to 26.8 months in 2006, according to the much-cited annual Spencer Stuart study. The bad news? Only one-third have held their positions for three years or longer.

Those who have beat the averages have likely done so by quickly delivering brand success while driving both short- and long-term business growth. Yet as those who have fallen by the wayside would certainly attest – it’s no easy task.

The pressure’s building on marketers to maximize... continue reading

The Subway Derails

By Eloy Trevino, May 17, 2007 — "Subway – Eat Fresh” describes one of the great brand positions of recent decades. While the fast food world built an epicenter around pre-cooked bacon burgers and super-sized fries, Subway built an empire by owning “healthy” in the middle of an obesity epidemic. And it did so with a gift from the marketing gods – Jared Fogel.

Over pizza, however, this subway has derailed.

The company recently unveiled plans for selling a deep-dish pizza in its U.S. stores. This full fat, pre-made (read:... continue reading

Making New Product Launches a Bowl Full of Cherries

By Paul Schrimpf, April 26, 2007 — Cherrypicka is looking for some “cash test dummies.” People who want first crack at the newest, latest and greatest products – cheap – in exchange for their opinions.

Cherrypicka is the brainchild of Cherryflava Media, the South African publisher of Cherryflava, a Web magazine that follows hot new trends in business, advertising and marketing. Cherrypicka offers a limited selection of products from various merchants for consumers to purchase via test vouchers at a deep discount, with the... continue reading