Italy is the fifth most visited country in the world and gets over 44 million tourists a year. Tourism is estimated to generate revenue of £120 billion (RM600 billion) per year. It’s a lucrative industry and one that needs protecting. So the last thing they need is a negative story that could drive visitors away. … Continue reading »
Filed under branding …
What’s happening in social marketing in 2013
As the advertising agency driven ‘big idea’ developed to push out a corporate controlled message continues to lose steam, social media and multiple new platforms, devices and applications mean that marketers have less control over the brand. Indeed, as consumers not companies now define brands, those marketers need to learn how to engage consumers on … Continue reading »
How to build a luxury automotive brand in the tough Malaysian market
The Malaysian automotive industry consists of two low-end manufacturers. To help these manufacturers, the government protects them with massive import duties, sales and other taxes that can jack up the price of an imported car with a large engine by as much as 155%. In addition to these taxes an Approved Permit (AP) is required … Continue reading »
Advertising on social networks should form part of your brand strategy
This infographic shows how spending on advertising on social networks is growing at a phenomenal pace. Whilst this is an area that any brand should be looking in to, it is important to understand that consumer behaviour in these environments is very different and the approach to content must take this into account. A recent … Continue reading »
Every brand can make a mistake
When Starbucks first came to South East Asia the general perception was that no one in the region would pay US$4 and upwards for a cup of coffee when a decent cup of local coffee (kopi-O as we call it here in Malaysia and we’re the ones who drink it without sugar or condensed milk) … Continue reading »
Brands, it is no longer about you
Whilst researching a chapter for my new book (you can get an idea of how the book will go by reading this article here) I came across a fascinating company called Undercurrent. One of the key players in the firm is a guy called Aaron Dignan. You can follow him on Twitter here. I was … Continue reading »
Stop advertising and start branding
Are you happy with your branding activities? Or do you find the money you spend does little to build your brand? Unfortunately, most branding initiatives revolve around a creative campaign developed by an advertising agency. Depending on budget, the creative campaign will be implemented with a one-size-fits-all message communicated to all and sundry and across … Continue reading »
What is Social Business
We’re involved in the development of the Asean Social Business Summit to be held in Kuala Lumpur in May 2013. You can read more about the event here and visit the official site here But there is a lot of confusion over what is and what isn’t social business. Social Business refers to enterprise collaboration … Continue reading »
Stop giving creative advertising agencies responsibility for your brand
This article is worth reading, especially this paragraph, “You’ll find many ‘marketers’ pushing their social and interactive expertise with little true marketing experience in their backgrounds. This results in tactically driven campaigns that do not support a company brand promise or any kind of overarching strategy. It’s talking for the sake of having a mouth … Continue reading »
Building a country brand requires more than just a well executed advertising campaign
If you are responsible for a country or destination brand, read on. As cheap air travel and the package tour (as well as the devaluation of the Spanish Peseta and the abolition of currency controls in the UK) helped jump start international travel in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, the world was still a fairly … Continue reading »
