Applause (2nd)

On October 5, 2011, Steve Jobs deceased. Ater the firs days of shock and some news specials on his memory, some voices brought up the thought that, maybe, his death could mean a problem to the good results and image that Apple has had for the last years.

But Steve's death is not the real threat to them. The real (and big indeed) threat to Apple's hegemony in the field of smartphones is called SAMSUNG.

Here is their lastest TV spot:

The company from South Corea is decided to snatch them the first place in the ranking of Smartphones world sellers. And it's doing vey well. They fight the great power of Apple's brand image with good quality and much lower prices, and it seems to be bearing fruit.

This image compares they newest phones:

Despite the image, is hard to know which one is doing better in terms of product. But, in any case, the spot deserves this second Applause! Congratulations to the agency and the brand manager.

Applause

I want to ask for a big hand to Thomas Ilum and Vogelius Zoe, two german students who had a great idea.

Just adding a really creative vinyl to the FedEx vans they "prove" the idea of the claim using one of theis main competitors: DHL

Besides, FedEx has already made some campaigns using the images of the competitors. In the USA, comparative advertising is more normal and well acepted than in many European countries. This is why FedEx is so explicit when doing this, using clearly the images of their competitors.
Here another example:

Being students, Thomas and Vogelius deserve a really big applause.

Brandin-G Bibles

For sure there are many great books about brands, branding and marketing focused on brand strategy. But since my intention here is not covering all the knowledge, but remark remarkable spots, I set out to present two books which deserve to be read by anyone interested in Branding.
“What is Branding?” by Matthew Healey, and “Wally Olins. On B®and” by, of course, Wally Olins. They are both quite different but truly interesting and educational.

Written as a story rather than a manual, Wally Olins. On Brand (of which I have the Spanish edition “B®and. Las marcas según Wally Olins”) has a critical and accurate perspective of the changing world of branding. It analyzes several parts of branding trying to give a historical vision from its origins to its possible future. Olins always keeps the personal point of view (including a touch of self-selling) that is conspicuous for not being afraid of change or nostalgic of yesteryear's branding that he helped to create.

From Wally Olins. On Brand (Olins, W. Oxfordshire, 2003): "For each company developing a global and unique corporate brand, there's another doing exactly the opposite".


On my other hand, in English this one, there is What is Branding? . It is sharply organized by topics, and completely filled of beautiful pictures and interesting evidences of all the arguments that Healy puts forward.
The book deals with the challenges when “practicing” branding, all the details to take into account when creating a brand, and a handful of examples of what to do and what not to do.

From What is Branding? (Healey, M. New York, 2008): “Great brands never change, and change constantly”.


The main point that both books share is that, for any communication (not just from business -also from nonprofit societies-, not just from organizations -also from countries-, not even just from groups -also from individuals-) brands and, therefore, branding are key elements.

Congratulations to both authors, their work may appear again in BRANDIN-G

Brandin-selling

It's is not really related to branding itself, but this outstanding campaign is worth to mention.

An on-line selling campaign from the company Tesco in Korea based on a very creative use of media.

The video itself explains it all. I just have to say congratulations to Cheil Worldwide, the Korean agency responsible of the campaign. (Cannes already did it with the Media Grand Prix and a Gold Lion).

A brand is not just what a company says, but also what a company does. They listened the consumers and proved it in a profitable way. With this action Tesco raised sales and gave the image of being modern and congenial. Great perks to your brand can be achieved without sending any (at least direct) message.

BrandIN-G-life

¿How important are brands in our life?

Go a bunch of centuries back in time. Take the catholic baptism. Take the confidence and love for the bread your mum elaborates and this special dish your grandma uses to cook on special celebrations. Take the meaning these celebrations have to you. Take the master artisan that you are learning from as an apprentice. Take the novelty and their titles which you hate (but envy deep down). Take religion and all its power. Take the artists you know and their patrons. Take the guy that speaks out loud in the middle of the town’s square and its convincing skills…

Take all this, come back to today, and you’ll have brands. A huge amount of big or small, cool or boring, kind or evil, lasting or ephemeral brands that surround our lives and give them entertainment, context, and, in many cases, sense.

BRAND (part 1 of 2)

What is a Brand?

Nowadays, there is still many people that would say that a Brand is the name (and the logo) of a particular product. But this definition is as shallow as saying that your lucky shirt is just a piece of Fabric.

The same way this shirt is not only its physical components, a brand is not just a name and a logo. The proof is that, even when it seems that both are really important, logos of many brands have changed during its history, and even the names of some of them. And their essence (the feelings that they trigger inside us) remain the same.

So, can we conclude that the important part of a brand is its “essence”, that is, the ideas that surround it in our mind?

Continues in the 2nd PART >>

BRAND (part 2 of 2)

Regarding a lucky T-Shirt, obviously the important part is its “essence”. The moment when you got it, whom you got it from, the important moment when you was wearing it… in short, the confidence that you feel, and the memories you recall when you wear it.

But it happens that, one day, the shirt starts getting old, the cloth wears out and the print becomes blurred... and even when you have a big engagement with your Shirt after all those years, it’s not enough to keep wearing it in the important moments. And this can result even before the shirt gets old if you find a new shirt that you like better.

The same happens with a brand, consumers’ love can dilute, or can be replaced with something else. The difference is that brand managers are aware of this and, when it comes the time when the brand stops being a good Casanova, they just carry out a great brand makeover, changing this “essence” which seemed the cornerstone of the brand.

So, if neither its “tangible” elements nor its values and ideas are the brand’s soul, since they can be changed. Which is the key piece of the brand jigsaw?

Precisely that, the change, the flexibility to be what they want to be for whom they want to be loved by. The same as the best products are those that understand their market better, the best brands are those that understand their target better.