Bon Brand

Yorkshire the Best Branded County

hortoris — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 07:43:38 +0000

Yorkshire – God’s Own County ‘A tribute to Yorkshire Heritage’ is a weblog dedicated to all things Yorkshire.
Texas is the Yorkshire of America but it can’t hold a candle to ‘Gods Own County’ according to the folks at the web site.

You can always tell a Yorkshireman but tha’ can’t tell ‘im much!

There are some cracking businesses in God’s Own County including Mooches 4 Pooches. This is a pet friendly service to owners of dogs and pets. They offer good value ‘dog walking’ and related services in and around North Leeds.

Value of Data is beyond Price

hortoris — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 08:08:29 +0000

Bear with me on corporate ownership for a moment. Tesco own the majority of Dunnhumby the ‘consumer insight research group’ that employs 800+staff. DunnhunbyUSA is a partnership with Dunnhunby and a major USA grocery chain, Kroger. The department store Macy’s have contracted to have their sales data analysed.

In Dunnhumby speak they will analyze Macy’s sales data, develop customer segmentation models, and work with the organization to apply the learnings. According to Macy’s “The insights culled from our work with Dunnhumby will support our new My Macy’s localization initiative …. to leverage knowledge of customer segments to drive same-store sales, profitability, customer loyalty and, ultimately, shareholder value. ”

Well it worked for Tesco and the loyalty card so much so they bought control of the company.

Your data is valuable but you may not need to pay a Dunnhunby to tell you why. Review your customer information, dice and splice it until you have extracted all the best ideas using data knowledge to grow customers’ satisfaction and your business value.

Tesco’s clubcard is a marketing industry in itself generating database management, direct mail and analytic activity. As a marketing tool it drives sales by rewarding loyal customers, converts customers to new products via the mailing offers and keeps the Tesco brand in front of all the regular shoppers.

The intellectual property resides in many areas particularly the IT and systems that drive value from the massive database of all your purchase transactions.

The card has created its own brand and loyalty with over 75% of all Tesco sales made with a card. Tesco do not even need to bother with a strap line or slogan even though I have suggested one for them in this post title.

Mashable Guide to Social Media

hortoris — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 16:24:40 +0000

Mashable are hosting the ‘Open Web Awards’ for Social Media and you can nominate your brand right now.

Mashable have a host of How-Tos and Resource Guides on the site that take the media out of being Sociable. The lists are easy to see and follow and I am a bit taken with the product even though the brand value hasn’t hit me yet.

In the crowded space of social media this is an attempt at a form of directing directory with oomph so I will be interested to see how they fare.

Do You Poken?

A new addition to the language, a question for Twitter or a faddish new product to transfer contact details, emails and pictures? Either way it is worth keeping up with social media driven products as one or two will really fly. I hope you are poken into action.

The folks at Poken say ‘On the Poken site you and your friends can view your contacts alphabetically, or chronologically in your “social timeline.” You can also send messages, group contacts with a label, write notes for yourself about each contact, and so much more.’

Interest Wayne….ing

Where are you now as you read this and will it encourage you to join ‘YASNS’ yet another social networking site. Or You Are Where Now? Asleep!
Micro blogging is big business but it seems to be fickle and fast moving. If your business depends on consumer viral trends you need to keep up and effectively be there.

Wayn could stand for What are you – nuts? or Well ah yes no.
As an aside it looks like the character needs to go to Specsavers.

Buzz Your Own Brands

Get a new Buzz with the marketing art of creating pull for your business through dialogue. It begins by giving people something to talk about by getting attention in an entertaining manner. With the variety of communications available to everyone I suggest you pick one new viral channel and give yourself a Buzz.

Blogging can be used to test your Buzzability. Set up and work hard on your blog with links to your trade contacts. Keep bringing fresh items to the blog at least twice a week. Ask for comment and respond when you get it.

Enter stories in blog carnivals that are appropriate to your industry. Submit entries to blogs of your trade publications and other appropriate entities. Pay a copywriter if you are concerned with the effort but try find someone in house. Otherwise outsource the whole project and collect the honey.

Meebo

Under 18 year old’s grow up very quickly and will take their favourite tool kits and spending power with them. This instant messaging, ‘multiple online conversation browserware’ is a ‘top web app’ of the moment – or so I am told by various teenagers.

Overview all the communication methods that appeal to your target markets. Kids won’t think you are keeping young but your contempories might and so will your marketing people.

Signs of the Times

hortoris — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 11:41:53 +0000

Corporate signage is a highly visible way of demonstrating your brand. Business Link Yorkshire’s conference for manufacturers had a presentation by Omega Signs showing how great Aston Villa looked from the M6. For retailers this destination branding can be crucial.

Do not score an own goal by choosing inappropriate signage like the above but get your image in the Champions League.

Green Signs

Established in 1977 for the Queens Silver Jubilee a walk around London was marked by these pavement mounted signs.
For the Diamond Jubilee a Trust has developed the Jubilee Greenway as a longer and more extensive route.
Aimed at walkers and cyclists, when complete the 37 miles will link the central London games venues with many of the Capital’s favourite parks, attractions, palaces and views .

The original silver signs look good with age but I am less convinced about the ‘white glass’ pavement slabs now being used.
Businesses need to consider the impact of any signage as it matures in situ, what looks good for the brand on day one may not be so great as it gets dirty, rusts or gets chipped.
Still the idea of a second walk is a ‘Diamond’ idea and details can be found on Walk London

Signs of Brand Miscellany

Mr Bridge calls a spade a spade and in the latest edition of his magazine ‘Bridge’ he goes further.
‘Not only am I a person I am a brand and brands need promotion’ so on that basis check out this free magazine and support this brand.

Name Games

This London establishment has an ‘appetising’ name and colour scheme. As business link say ‘ …. your business name will be the cornerstone of your brand. It should work well wherever you use it – on the phone, in your logo, signage, stationery, smoke extractor and any other media you plan to use to reach the market.’

Well it looks like they got the cornerstone location right but if you wanted outside caterers for your ‘Brand Launch’ party would you want to say you were having ‘the Flakes’ in.

Some problems are not obvious until tested in use.

Check out how people pronounce the name – is it Hyacinth Bucket or Bouquet
How might the name be abbreviate or for shortened -
Are there embarrassing initials FC&SB may be better than S&M
Do foreign translations of the name cause problems ‘ Merde Catering’ wouldn’t work for me
If you create a double entendre with the name make sure you knew and meant it to be there.

Monty Pythons Accountants

Accountancy magazine this month takes a look at ‘Branding in Practice’. It calls on staff to be made into ‘brand ambassadors’ . Whilst the article may be aimed at the small and medium enterprises branding can also help staff recruitment and retention at large international practices.

Monty Python had a song by the massed band of the Institute ‘Chartered Accountants Chartered Accountants you can count on us’. Unfortunately that hasn’t always been the case with, for example Enron, Independent Insurance and potentially Equitable Life.

Les Miserables

Victor Hugo started his book in 1845 and took 16 years to complete the epic. The Cameron Mackintosh musical has been running in the London West End for 23 years.

Brand extension or brand stretching has developed a range of musical products and retail merchandise way beyond the original written book or theatre tickets. What would the French 19th Century revolutionaries make of all this commercialism.

Your brand’s “extendibility” depends on strong consumer’s associations and 23 years and 147 years shows some strength in depth.

What they Teach You at Branding Business School

hortoris — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 10:07:10 +0000

What is a Brand

A brand is a product or service which has been given an identity; it has a brand name and the added value of a brand image. (This may include distinctive packaging, logo or trademark)Margaret Crimp Marketing guru
‘A brand is a product with personality.’
The American Marketing Association say a brand is a ‘Name, term, design, symbol, or any other feature that identifies one seller’s good or service as distinct from those of other sellers.’
A brand is a promise that includes your customers’ experiences and the expectations.
A brand is a means of creating associations or connotations in people’s minds in such a way as it persuades them to ‘buy in’ to that product or service.

Brand Differentiation

A differentiated product may arise from a new invention like a Blackberry or the Polaroid camera. It may also be differentiated by marketing/branding.
An undifferentiated product is one that is standard and made to a specification. eg Petrol, sugar, steel etc. Branding will be a key weapon to give identity to such products.
Key differentiators include
Brand Name
Trademarks and logos
Colour, slogan or catch phrase, presentation or packaging
Other recognisable features like the Dulux dog or the hole in a Polo mint reinforce brand differentiation.
With some goods, performance is the key differentiator as with motor vehicles or Dyson cleaners.
Often the differentiator is called a USP or unique selling point. That is to say the product is different to any competitors product for some good and sale-able reason.

Branding Aims and Objectives

Association with quality and fitness for purpose. Fast food may not be haute cuisine but it can be ‘finger licking good’.
Link the brand to excellent customer service. M&S product return and exchange policy fits in this category.
Merchandising is the art of displaying for sale and attracting customer. Point of sale material can reinforce the brand
Purchasing takes place at several levels, the heart and emotions, the eye and the brain. Brands aim to influence all these aspects of a product or service.
Branding aims to Add Value for the customer, the stakeholders and the business.

USP

smarta’ the new business owners and entrepreneurs support organisation has an interesting USP page on its web site.

Own Label Branding for Supermarkets

This is a corporate brand that you may not have heard much about but it supplies Asda, Tesco, Sainsburys amongst others. Their brand position is clear…. to be the pre-eminent supplier of household and personal care products to the leading retailers and brand owners.

If you aspire to sell to retailers also consider contract manufacture for brand owners who already have retail channel customers.

To be pre-eminent you do not need to be known by consumers you need a B2B brand image. In the case of McBride they support private label by innovation.

Comet Comment Why £2 not 99p?

hortoris — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 01:36:25 +0000

Comet is no longer a shooting star and has virtually crashed to the ground. The brand and business has been sold for £2 by Kesa the former owners who retain Darty the french electrical retailer. Kesa can’t even bank the £2 as they retain the liability to the £40m underfunded pension scheme.

The team behind the buy out have strong ‘personal brand’ connections in retail. The triumvirate have run Somerfield, Budgens, Halfords and bought MFI for £1 plus BUT a french hardware chain.
Can the joint experience of these investing executives revive Comets fortunes. If not is the 66pence each that they each presumably paid for the company at risk?

From an Earlier Post update

Far Eastern brands are coming to the UK in an ever increasing quantity and with intelligent signs of quality.

Korean based LG’s Brand Identity is based on it’s vision ‘LG is a global leader and technology innovator in consumer electronics. Research & development is the driving force and LG understands the importance of design with commitment to improving its customers’ quality of life through innovative management.’

By jingo we don’t want our creativity and innovation to be overtaken as many of our manufacturing industries have been.

Yesterday 5 January I chose a new television. I avoided both LG and Comet brands as the feel was not right. This morning I came across these two unconnected posts (unconnected until now)

Websites and Product Pirates

hortoris — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 00:08:48 +0000

National Pirates Day is designated 19th September each year when you can ‘talk like a pirate’. We recommend you do not act like a pirate but take prevention measures, as these piratical tales testify.

Universecy

The headline from the Press and Journal following stories in the Daily Telegraph and the BBC is ‘North-east firm’s (Ling24) website pirated – Chinese company copies design’. The almost exact replica web site was a blatant attack on Ling24′s intellectual property and business.

Protection Tips Arising

Ensure you understand the IP issues on your web site including copyright ownership, systems, usage policies, data rights etc.
Check for Google alerts on your key words – that is how this theft was discovered.
Be alert all sorts of digital misappropriations are taking place – a client’s subscription PDF was cloned in December and made available free via a social publishing web site.
Keep up to date, be vigilant and encourage your support networks to help.

Pirate Bay Down if not Out

Going down with all hands by breaking the Copyright laws seems to be the fate of the file sharing website operators after a Swedish court decision.
Gordon Brown’s reaction today at a Digital Summit seems to be too support a ‘Digital Rights Agency’ as proposed by the Music Industry. Is it time for Gordon to face the music or at worst get his digit out.

Update November 2010

Pirate Bay verdict: Three operators lose appeal – Prison sentences reduced but fines jacked up read more on The Register

A list of legal threats and Pirate Bay responses is available on Pirate Bay.com

Pirate Goods

Designer labeled clothes, sports goods, watches, perfume and cosmetics are all targets for the counterfeiting pirates. Fake drugs and car parts can damage more than your wealth.
H M Customs & Excise are the first barrier against importation of IPR infringing goods and they are allowed to temporarily detain goods if they suspect them of infringing IPR and under certain circumstances, goods may be destroyed. Customs must tell the IPR holders who decide whether to take the matter to court.

IPR holders should make themselves conversant with the laws and rules then encourage trade associations, Trading Standards and others to remain vigilant in the protection of trademark Intellectual Property Rights.(IPR).

Enter a new player in the protection sector this week when the police working with Nominet have closed down 1200+ web sites that were selling counterfeit goods online. Ebay continues to try police the sale of fake goods but buyers and brand owners need to remain vigilant.

Political Pirates

There is something of the Pirate in all the MPs who have claimed excessive expenses and flipped during the last parliament.
Now we have a political party that has a clear view on the unnecessary criminalisation of file sharing and limits to free speech by excessive surveillance. Well worth a skull and cross on polling day.

See International Talk Like a Pirate Day on Gods Own County Avast expense account my ‘earties should see an outbreak of plank walking.

Pop, Biscuits and Has Been Brands

hortoris — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 14:26:33 +0000

Tizer ‘the appetiser’. Re launched in 2007 with a new recipe based on the original 1924 product. Why play around in the first place? Consumers will stay loyal to a brand that delivers today what they have always had and loved, they do not like change.

Number one slot for Tizer on Google is an embarrassing waste by brand owners AG Barr. There is only one other page and it lists the terms of a long finished competition and a pop-up of something I can’t even get on the back button.

Borders used to mean book retailers to a lot of literate folk but to the hungry it means biscuits with an ‘S’ and mighty fine ones at that.
Crumbs as there marketing blurb says ‘Put trust in God and keep your biscuits in a cool dry place’ or opt for that famous Scottish pudding Tartan Custard.

Beans or Beanz

For over 120 years they have been known as baked beanz but the guys at Heinz know best. They think a million and one housewives every day will pick up a tin of beanz because they have shortened the name and added a picture of beans on the tin.

57 Varietes remains the same strap line but the firms marketing team ”…have given this iconic product a 21st century make over”. Move over for HP more like it as ”HP baked beans they are the beans for me” in future.

Logo in the Waste Bin? – Rebranding Logos

hortoris — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 11:13:28 +0000

In with the new, out with the old, or should that be the other way around.

Personally I want to see the end of litter, graffiti, dumping from vehicles and gratuitous despoliation of our environment. I want to see it done country wide not just ‘where I live’. I want the polluter to pay, or be culturally indoctrinated towards prevention.

Costs and Change

I seriously doubt the new image for ‘Keep Britain Tidy’ is worth the effort.
- Logos are not cheap to replace.
- There is an existing investment in the neural programming of the public.
- A Behavioural Change conference in February 2011 showed how Keep Britain Tidy ‘leads the way in understanding how to change behaviour’ . (Are we the toast of Europe?)
  - Speakers include The Jill Dando Institute, Central Office of Information and Defra. (Clever buildings taught to speak)
  - Case studies from Bromford Housing and Tower Hamlets Council will show how to run a behaviour change campaign on a small budget. (Not the first exemplars that spring to mind!)
- I will to be enthused and positive but ‘big spending society’ was not what I expected to see .
For more information see The Keep Britain Tidy website

Other Rebranding

Radio 7 will relaunch in April as BBC Radio 4 Extra.

Questions to Ask Yourself On Rebranding
- Is rebranding and restructuring really essential, even desirable or just optional?
- Is the rebranding a long term solution, a vanity exercise or a quick fix?
- Will it increase market awareness, customer satisfaction or in this case just further confuse the listeners?
- Will it be cost saving or will costs expanding? If external consultants are involved be sure it will be the latter?
- Is it just a ploy to close radio 7?
The BBC think that ‘in bringing BBC Radio 4 Extra closer to BBC Radio 4, by adding some inviting new programmes and variations of some old favourites, they will encourage more listeners to find and enjoy what this imaginative digital station has to offer’. but they would say that wouldn’t they.

I am uncomfortable with BBC’s digital offering when they haven’t even solved the promotion of Radio 4 long wave for cricket commentary. I am informed that you can get the same transmission on medium wave in some areas.

You can listen to Test Match Special on BBC Radio 4 Long Wave by tuning in to 198 LW.

If you have trouble with Long Wave it is also possible to listen on Medium Wave in some areas:

London 720; Plymouth 774; Hayle (Cornwall) 756; Newcastle 603; Carlisle 1495; Aberdeen 1449; Enniskillen 774; Derry 720; Glasgow 720.
BBC

Bring back the Home Service and the Light programme my Cats Whiskers misses them

Samaritans

New logos and colour schemes are not all they are cracked up to be. This important charity was known as ‘The’ Samaritans but is giving ground to the help line culture.

Be known for your image and stick to it through thick and thin.

Spot the difference

Cult of Celeb or Personal Branding

hortoris — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 17:07:47 +0000

IS CASSIUS CLAY THE NEW RACHEL ZOE? screams the Daily Mail between Christmas and the New Year 2010/11.

Well sorry to disappoint but neither of these personality brand names have hit my radar.
Hit may well be the operative word as I do remember the original Cassius Clay before he relinquished his name to become the ‘world heavy weight boxing brand’ that was Muhammad Ali.

Be On Brand Personal Branding View

My contention has always been that a brand has equity value with intangible assets supporting that brand value and an intellectual asset base. Much of that seems to be missing in the Cult of Cleb.

Personal branding is with you for life. Celebrities come and go.

Celebrities in this context are all about recognition whilst Personal Branding is about what and how the person is, interacts and operates in the market.

The cult of Celebrity is created, managed and perpetuated by others whilst a good personal brand is just that Personal.

Cult of Celebrity is not the same as Personal Branding, the former is about temporary opinion the latter about value and intangible assets.

Paris Hilton 3 Sept 2010
After a spell in prison, Paris Hilton now faces a law suit from her sponsor Hairtech International. Allegedly she has been wearing the wrong hair pieces, (a bit of a bald statement).
Who says blonds have all the fun, not Paris if she has to stump up $35 million.

The cult of celebrity will forgive reckless driving but wearing someone else’s hair extension, that is a personal branding no-no.

Red Letter Day Doomsday

I listened to Red Letter Days former owner, Rachel Elnaugh, rationalise her business failure upon which she bases much in this book. A banker in the audience had different views and the question time exchange was more illuminating than any book.

I have linked to a paperback edition of the ‘Nightmares’ at less than a third of the price or click on the hardback cover above.

“Prepare for the Worst, Plan for the Best” by Donna Childs, is a guide to disaster planning for small business. She observes that many of the problems that occur in a disaster are also ones that could happen in the best of times.”

John ‘Giraffe’ Timpson Brand Repairs

The Daily Telegraph ‘business agony aunt’ tackles the question of changing your brand,logo, corporate image. Based on years of retail experience and good common sense he says ‘think twice before betting your future on corporate image -it might not be the magic you are hoping for’.

For more practical gritty advice read ‘Dear James Secrets of Success from a Management Maverick’ or John sticking his neck out in ‘How to Ride a Giraffe’

Timpson shoe manufactures since 1865, suffered after the introduction of cheap shoes by retailers like Marks & Spencer, B.H.S., etc. and the trend away from conventional footwear to trainers. Fashion is not for ever and products and services must move with the times and trends.

‘John Timpson put his shoe shops back on the retail map by taking up the cause of the customer and introducing a Code of Practice that ensured everyone shopping at Timpson got a fair deal. In 1987 he focused on shoe repairs and bought Mister Minit, Supasnaps and Sketchley to own 550 shops.

The Timpson’s web site put success modestly down to ‘Everything from ethics, history, benefits, charity work, training, careers, latest news, customer care and the people who make it a great place to work.’

Tommy Hifliger

Once known as a “bling” brand clothes label Tommy Hilfiger has sold out to join Calvin Klein at Phillips Van-Heusen after 4 years ownership by Apax partners.

The brand’s eponymous founder will stay on as “principal designer and visionary” . “Calvin and Tommy are global iconic mega-brands” and since Apax worked wonders relaunching the company it may deserve the €0.7 billion it is reported to have made on the deal.
That is one heck of an uplift in brand value even discounting product investment along the way.

Sainsburys

What do Delia, Heston, Jamie and Marco Pierre have in common? They are all ‘Brand Representatives’ or ambassadors food retailers.

Delia Smith and Heston Blumenthal will feature in an advert or mini cookery programme for Waitrose. Marco Pierre White starts his ‘bootiful’ job promoting Bernard Mathews after Jamie Oliver of Sainsbury fame did such a job on Turkey Twizzlers.

Click on any book cover to buy from Amazon

Batman

Batman or the Caped Crusader was named and created by Bob Kane for DC comics in 1939. Will your business name or nom-de-plume last over 70 years?

Avoid fashions that come and go if you want to establish longevity with your brand.

The Joker
‘Robin, I need to go to the bat-room for a couple of minutes’
‘Holy-loo-ya Batman’

Time to eat – Dinner Dinner Dinner Dinner Batman