BrandDigital | BrandSimple: The Blog

Did you know that Kellogg’s Corn Flakes has been around for 104 years? I picked up this little bit of breakfast trivia when I picked up a newspaper and saw an ad touting the fact that the cereal has been “fat-free and cholesterol-free since 1906.” Now, I’m pretty sure folks back in 1906 didn’t pay as much heed to dietary requirements as folks today. But the folks at Kellogg’s being the great brand professionals they are, know what it requires to keep a brand healthy, including the need to keep it relevant. In my recent article in Forbes Online I write about why heritage brands are going so strong today, and why, when times get tough, marketers go back to times that consumers perceive as having been more comforting and familiar. As you dig into your bowl of Kellogg’s Corn Flakes tomorrow morning, I invite you to read what I have to say. It’s likely to be more comforting than other news of the day.

courtesy of Forbes.com

Could it be that we’re over the worst of the recession? I’m in no position to answer that question from an economist’s point of view, but indications from the brand world suggest that consumers have begun spending again, carefully. While big-box discount retailers feel secure touting the value to be found inside their big-box stores, what should luxury brand manufacturers such as Hermes, Rolex, Chanel, and BMW be doing to tout their valuables? In my most recent article on Forbes Online I recommend that, instead of positioning these lovely things as short-term purchases, they be positioned as the long-term investments they are – things that are meant to last and be appreciated by the next generation. I believe that it’s only by doing this that these companies will succeed in the new normal marketplace. Take a read. It’s valuable information.

courtesy of forbes.com

Why should I buy this? That is the ultimate question on every consumer’s mind. Conversely, why should they buy it must be the ultimate question on any brand manager’s mind in order to make the sale.

In my newest column on Forbes.com I explore the two fundamental answers to this question. Yes, there are two. And, yes, each is based on the branding fact that you must offer something that is both relevant and completely different than any other brand out there in order to be successful. Where these two answers diverge is a matter of whether the product can sell itself – is it inherently different and relevant? Or, must the marketing team look for way to position it as different and relevant?

In a marketplace deluged with brands and branding channels, each is a challenge. Take a look at the article and see which marketers are meeting this selling challenge and winning

.

With so many brands on the defensive over the past couple of years, most recently the humbled Tiger Woods brand, it’s become apparent that planning for ‘what if’ should be on every company’s brand management to-do list. With digital technology shining a brighter light than ever before on good deeds and, more to the point, bad deeds, it’s critical to do some proactive thinking about dealing with a transition in brand status, be it voluntarily or required due to person or product failure.

While this has been on my mind for some time, it was Tiger’s announcement that he would be on the roster at the Masters Tournament that got me to really focus on what it means to play defense, or offense, in a digital world. To say that time to action must be compressed is an understatement. To say that companies who think ahead of the competitive curve in this fast-moving environment are smart, equally so. Take a minute to read my recent column in Forbes Online about this topic.

The biggest upset in this year’s Super Bowl wasn’t that the Saints beat the Colts, although that was pretty exciting. It was that most of the commercials were less than wonderful. Like everyone in the marketing business, I watched the game expecting to be bowled over by the ads, or at least a good number of them. Yes, I chuckled at the little kid protecting both his mom and his Doritos from a besotted suitor. And the coca-cola ad, in which Monty Burns gets his come-uppence, followed by a Coke and a smile, made me smile. I also really like the Google ad which used the device of a charming search-story line to reinforce its brand promise. But in more cases than not, the branding seemed to shift into neutral. Not a smart media moment. When you’ve got such a diverse audience and a one-shot opp to present your brand promise, you’ve either got to break the rules with conviction, not half measures, or you’ve got to tell your brand’s story with simple brilliance. In this edition of Forbes Online, I write about how events like the Super Bowl and the Olympics offer companies the chance to make the play for millions of viewers at the same time, occasions few and far between since digital technology took over our lives. When consumers can compare and contrast ads and brands in such a finite amount of time and space, it’s not the time to go neutral, but go for the win.

Image permission being requested @coca-cola-art.com

I wasn’t invited to the G20 Summit in Pittsburgh, where leaders representing over 85% of the world’s economy are meeting to tackle world issues. I was, however, invited to write a column for Ad Age about the fact that consumers are more motivated than ever to choose brands that improve lives beyond their own. More so, that the very meaning of the terms “good brand or bad brand” have taken on entirely new meaning in a marketplace where corporate environmental and social responsibility is matched in interest only by the digital technology that makes it so easy to track and spread. When I say “good brand, bad brand,” I’m not referring companies who have taken up the mantle of cause-related marketing or philanthropy but, rather, companies who have made a considered decision to link their a brand benefit with social purpose and are becoming category leaders as a result. After you read the headlines about the world leaders, take a minute to read about some pretty impressive brand leaders who are making it easier for consumers to make a difference.