First 100 days

Nothing to do with first 100 days...but a lesson in the challenges of global versus local execution!

Guinness's new UK blog is nicely produced, as you'd expect...but the entry screen does not allow Americans to participate...nor those of various advertising-restrictive alcohol markets...

Of course, you can always lie!

This is getting considerable flak at Gaping Void. The internet presumes freedom of speech and expression...hence Google's slamming after it caved in on Chinese censorship...

The Guinness 'advertising showcase'/'brand engagement' approach is in marked contrast to the belt and braces 'get people talking' approach of Gaping Void itself...which is simply giving Stormhoek wine away to any 'geek' who wants to host a dinner in the US from May onwards...

It will be interesting to see which approach generates the best brand outcomes...

Posted by Editor at 10:28 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Jack Yan has picked up on the latest BrandChannel readers poll in his new blogsite: 'The Persuader'.

"Interbrand’s Brandchannel has announced the results of its brand survey, with Google pipping Apple, and Skype coming in third. Starbucks and Ikea followed"

The survey...of 2,500-odd branding professionals, is an indicator of the marketing industry's reverence for the value of brand/business integration, and their zeitgeist salience rather than any future discounted cash-flow.

What practitioners are really saying here is: 'Here are businesses which are successfully getting community buy-in and word of mouth recommendation... agressively meeting customer appetite...and building emotional bonding...without (at least initially) massive global advertising programmes.'

For Skype, Google and iPod.. existing media production and usage models have been overturned in the interests of the 'prosumer'. These brands all leverage the strength of person-centric models that eBay had already trailblazed. They give people tools to better exploit their own assets - knowledge, information and networks.

Admittedly, while these brand have all gained mass market traction, hundreds of other brand and concept with similar production-subversion potential are wheel-spinning. Once they shift up a gear, businesses like : Plaxo, Made-by, to could be readers poll contenders...

At the other end of the spectrum, SAGA continues to impress me with its measured diversification. Now 80% financial services base, its image is moving slowly but surely behind its service innovation. The Saga brand could yet 'lifestyle-enable' the world largest growth segment...

Posted by Editor at 11:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)