Posts Tagged ‘branding’

The power of storytelling: Google’s “Parisian Love”

Monday, February 8th, 2010

For many people, the Super Bowl is less about the football game and more about the creative (and expensive) commercials. In fact, every year a group of advertising professors at Michigan State University rate the Super Bowl ads. And if you followed the Twitter buzz about the ads, you won’t be surprised that their No. 1 pick was the first TV ad for Google.

“Parisian Love” won over the audience with the way it tells a love story through a man’s Google searches. The ad works brilliantly because it is true to the Google experience while employing storytelling to make it emotionally captivating.

Unlike other commercials, “Parisian Love” wasn’t developed specifically for the Super Bowl. It’s part of a series of “Search Stories” by Google, and it first aired on YouTube more than three months ago.

We didn’t set out to do a Super Bowl ad, or even a TV ad for search. Our goal was simply to create a series of short online videos about our products and our users, and how they interact. But we liked this video so much, and it’s had such a positive reaction on YouTube, that we decided to share it with a wider audience. Source: Google Blog

What do you think? Did Google’s story of searching for love win you over, or does another commercial deserve top recognition?

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Apple’s latest innovation: the iPad

Thursday, January 28th, 2010

There was much discussion (and premature, unsanctioned confirmation) about what must-have, can’t-live-without product would be revealed at this year’s Apple conference. On Wednesday, CEO Steve Jobs officially introduced Apple’s take on the tablet: the iPad.

apple-ipad

Apple’s latest “magical and revolutionary device” was met with both oohs and ewws. Design and tech specs aside, let’s take a look at some of the reactions from publishing and branding perspectives.

Digital reading

The publishing industry continues to evolve as traditional print practices are challenged by the demand for online content. With the iPad, Apple is making sure it’s a part of that shift:

Apple isn’t just entering the e-book reader market — it’s also challenging Amazon with its new bookstore app, iBooks. Publishers Penguin, Simon and Schuster, HarperCollins, Macmillan, and Hachett have already made deals with Apple.

What’s in a name?

As for the name of the new tablet, my initial reaction to “iPad” was “iNotepad”. But the negative responses to the name choice should give Apple pause:

The tablet won’t start shipping until late-March, which gives the company time to listen, react, and hopefully improve upon people’s first impressions. What was yours?

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Sweet Tweets

Wednesday, January 20th, 2010

With Valentine’s Day less than a month away, it’s not surprising to see companies are already stepping up marketing campaigns to cash in on what is often referred to as a “Hallmark holiday“.

sweet-tweetsBut I was surprised when USA Today announced a new angle that couples tradition with social media. Sweethearts, the 145-year-old brand of candy conversation hearts, will add “Tweet Me” to its repertoire. In the new relationship, Twitter is the talkative one with its 140 characters.

“We’ve always been short and sweet,” says Jackie Hague, vice president of marketing at New England Confectionery, maker of the Sweethearts brand. “In this case, the technology merged with the ritual.”

The partnership doesn’t end there — the confectioner also created an iPhone app that links with your Twitter account so you can customize your candy messages. The virtual candy grams can then be sent privately to the recipient or posted in your Twitter stream. And for those without iPhones, there’s MySweethearts.com.

custom-hearts

From a marketing standpoint, the Sweethearts and Twitter match makes sense — both have limited space for characters, and there’s no denying the multitude of catchphrases possible (Tweethearts, anyone?).

But as much as I love both the candy and the social network, I wonder about the audience for the online survey done by Sweethearts last summer. Where were Facebook’s 350+ million users voting for “Friend Me”? The common phrase didn’t even make the top 10.

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Branding redesigns: Minute Maid vs. Tropicana

Wednesday, January 6th, 2010

It has been a year since Tropicana’s branding redesign by parent company PepsiCo. In an attempt to “create an emotional attachment”, the company’s design failure resulted in a loss of customers, and they quickly reverted to their traditional look. But it was too late — sales dropped and Coca-Cola was there to pick up the market share with its Minute Maid brand.

Now, Coca-Cola is hoping to benefit even more from Tropicana’s failure, this time in lessons learned. Minute Maid launched its new look in the US in mid-November and will launch globally during 2010.

Based on extensive consumer research, the new visual identity was created to enhance brand preference, improve shelf stand out, drive cost efficiencies and create consistency across a world-leading family of juice brands and products.

minutemaid-redesign

The modernized design builds on elements of the Minute Maid visual identity, including the black rectangle and white logotype lettering while adding a green horizon mark, refreshing fruit photography and natural imagery to underscore the juice brands as a source of delicious fruit.

While I wasn’t able to find any sales numbers post-redesign, Tom Farrell, design director for the Coca-Cola global design group, told Brand Packaging that retailers and consumers are responding positively. I think this can be taken as a good sign given that Tropicana’s customers spoke out with their wallets immediately, causing the brand double-digit losses in just one month after the redesign.

Personally, I like the Minute Maid redesign and think the in-house designers did a thorough job of updating the brand while staying true to its roots — unlike Tropicana’s move to a more generic look with an awkward “orange” cap. What do you think: has Minute Maid won the juice rebranding war?

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In the Workplace with Justin Parnell

Monday, October 26th, 2009

Name: Justin Parnell
Title: Brand Marketing Designer; Freelance Graphic & Web Designer
Location: Denver, CO

Justin Parnell

Tell us about your educational/professional background.
I graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Communications at Regis University here in Denver in 2006. My entire life I wanted to be a writer, so my primary focus throughout college was journalism and public relations. My sophomore year I took up an internship with Exclusive Resorts (ER) as a copywriter developing member and employee communication materials. Around the same time, I became editor-in-chief for the university’s newspaper, which kick-started my initial passion for design.

Despite having no technical training and education in graphic design, I jumped at an opportunity to become an in-house designer with Exclusive Resorts after graduating. Working in such a rapid-paced, young, and enthusiastic work environment, I actually doubted my decision for several months. One of my personal peeves is lacking tools and knowledge to do something, especially in a field I feel so passionate about. With the patience and critique of my two former design teammates, literature, blogs, and reverse engineering every ounce of creative I could get my hands on, I was quickly able to gain confidence in becoming a well-established designer.

Tell us about your current job.
I hardly consider what I do a job . . . or work, for that matter. Design really has become my hobby and just an extension of who I really am. I’m very fortunate to be one of two designers at Exclusive Resorts, working alongside a team of writers, managers, and strategists.

As an in-house designer at ER, I’d like to say I make a living from removing excessive spaces after a period. Aside from this mischief, I assist or lead the concept, design, and production of all prospect marketing, member communication, and employee communication. Much of this includes print and online advertising, sales collateral, product collateral, direct mail, e-mail marketing, and monthly newsletters.

When my fingers are not typesetting, coding, color correcting, or drawing in Adobe Creative Suite, they are leading the art direction on architectural photo shoots. The obvious gem of my company is the product itself—stunning luxury homes in some of the world’s greatest destinations. I’ve had the great honor of directing shoots at The Arrabelle in Vail, Colorado, the Fairmont Heritage Place at Ghirardelli Square in San Francisco, California, Ho’olei in Wailea, Maui, and The Ritz-Carlton Club and Residences in Kapalua Bay, Maui alongside truly remarkable photographers, Eric Jamison of Studio J and Tony Novak-Clifford. (more…)

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Have you signed up for Brand Camp?

Tuesday, October 6th, 2009

Brand Camp 2009 is happening this weekend, and there’s still time to sign up! The Brand Camp University – Personal Branding 2.0 Conference takes place Saturday, October 10 from 9:00am to 5:00pm at Lawrence Tech University in Southfield, MI.

brandcamp09The conference is an interactive personal branding and social media event open to marketers and communication professionals, students, entrepreneurs, job seekers, and anyone striving to create and grow their personal and professional identity.

The conference fee is $120 and you can register online. **Update** If you are a student, Brand Camp offers a discounted student rate of $50.

Brand Camp is also accepting nominations for brand icons — people with a strong personal brand — that you think should attend the conference. Those chosen will be invited to join the event for free. You can nominate yourself if you recommend someone as well.

This year’s conference sessions:

  • Personal Brands – How You Connect In A Connected World
  • How Your Personal Brand Can Save The World
  • The Rise of the Brandividual in Corporate Culture
  • Personal Branding: Using Social Media For Career Advancement in a Tough Economy
  • B-BIGG: Case Study of BIGGBY COFFEE
  • Grustle (Grind + Hustle): The Future of Work for Personal Branding
  • The April Holmes Story: Creating Victory through Branding
  • Mind your Business “6 Keys to Building and creating a successful brand”

Visit the Brand Camp website for more information about the conference.

Brand Camp University – Personal Branding 2.0 Conference
Saturday, October 10, 2009
9:00am to 5:00pm
Lawrence Tech University
Southfield, MI
Online Registration

There will also be a Brand Camp University Tweetup the night before the conference to offer another opportunity to connect with some of the guest speakers.

Brand Camp University Tweetup
Friday, October 9, 2009
7:00pm – 9:00pm
Royal Oak Brewery
215 E 4th St
Royal Oak, MI

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Posted in Career, Events, Web | 2 Comments »

Is there value in debranding?

Wednesday, September 30th, 2009

When I first talked about Starbucks and branding more than a year ago, the company was struggling and depending on their brand to get them through. But it was apparent that the “everywhere” approach was watering down the Starbucks brand. Even CEO Howard Schultz acknowledged how the company’s misguided approach to gaining market share had damaged its brand.

The Starbucks BrandSince then, Starbucks has pledged to focus on what matters most: the coffee. Their next move is to debrand by making the brand less corporate. How does Starbucks plan to do that?

According to recent releases both from the Seattle Death Star and UK corporate HQ, Starbucks is going to change its image with a raft of carefully selected authenticity cues. The centrally dictated colour palette and drear interiors will be smartened up with local artefacts, community noticeboards and possibly, whisper it low, second-hand furniture. Source: Guardian UK

The global initiative to debrand has already begun in Seattle, Starbucks’ home base. The company opened a store called 15th Ave. Coffee and Tea Inspired by Starbucks in July. By not using the corporate color palette or interior design standards, the idea is that the store looks more like an independent coffee shop than part of a corporate conglomerate. You can judge the new look for yourself here.

It’s good that Starbucks has realized that they have strayed too far from their roots and is making an effort to return to the personal, local feel that the brand once held. But capitalizing on the branding power behind independent coffee shops to attract more customers seems disingenuous and opens the door for more backlash.

I can’t help but wonder, how does this debranding — and rolling out instant coffee — really get back to the coffee?

Starbucks needs to do more than revamp the atmosphere of its stores if it wants to rely on the value of the brand. They are still focusing on making the quickest profit and increasing market share instead of doing what they said they would: focusing on making the best cup of coffee possible.

Photo courtesy of Rudolf Schuba / CC BY 2.0

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