The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) in the UK has received complaints that print ads for Louis Vuitton created by Ogilvy and Mather suggest that the products were made by hand. Certainly looking at this ad that shows a woman creating the lines for the folds of a wallet and also this ad that appears to … Continue reading »
Filed under creativity …
UK Olympics mascots launched
The UK recently launched the official mascots for the 2012 Olympics and Paralympics. Named Wenlock and Mandeville, they will be on every bit of collateral related to the Olympics to be held in London in a couple of years time. This image is of Mandeville. As far as I can tell, Wenlock looks the same … Continue reading »
Branding states requires integrated strategic initiatives
I believe that traditional brand communications driven by traditional processes such as creativity, placement, repetition, positioning are being dragged, kicking and screaming, to the branding graveyard. Brand communications, as a numbers game of releases distributed, ads run, awards won and so on, that focussed on outputs, not outcomes, are finished. But this doesn’t mean that … Continue reading »
Branding is more than a communications exercise
The most common definition of a brand that I hear is: “A brand is a name, sign, symbol, slogan or anything that is used to identify and distinguish a specific good (product), service, or business” This comes from the respected American Marketing Association. The problem is that this definition belongs to an era of limited … Continue reading »
Are we seeing the commoditisation of the iPhone in Asia?
Here in Malaysia it took time for the mobile service providers to agree terms with Apple to offer the iPhone to subscribers. But finally, Maxis signed up and has invested heavily over past year or so in traditional aquisition focussed marketing. Recently, another provider, the aggressive and innovative provider, Digi signed an agreement with Apple … Continue reading »
Integrating and engaging all activities
Back in the day, if a TV commercial was good a consumer might, just might ask a friend for his opinion on the product advertised. If the opinion was a favourable one, then the consumer may have sought the product out the next time he was at the mall. Assuming of course that he remembered … Continue reading »
A is for Account executive/manager
Another excerpt of my new book, the A-Z of branding, everything you need to know about how to build a brand. Depending on the size of your account, you will be assigned either an account manager or an account executive as your point of contact with the agency you appoint. There really isn’t much difference … Continue reading »
Building a 400 year old brand is a strategic initiative
Shepherd Neame, the oldest brewer of beer in the UK was established in 1608 or 402 years ago! An amazing heritage and the brewer likes to play on this heritage with its advertising campaigns for brands such as Spitfire, Canterbury Jack and Bishops Finger. The brewer allocated its entire 2006 advertising budget, which was about … Continue reading »
A is for Advertising
This is a good place to start a compendium of branding terms because unfortunately, it is where many companies start their brand building. And that’s a shame, no tragedy because it is an expensive exercise in futility to try and build a brand using advertising alone. Advertising can be traced back to around the late … Continue reading »
Ad placement is critical to the success or failure of campaigns
Here is a screen grab of an article about the terrible earthquake in Chile. Alongside the article is an ad for Celcom, a Malaysia mobile service provider. It is one of those ads that you are encouraged to roll your mouse over to expand the ad and get more information. What I was pleased to … Continue reading »
