Brand strategy is now part of the mainstream of destination and place marketing. But for small destinations brand management can seem too complex. Or the stories that they develop look too similar to other places, and so don’t do enough to enhance the destination’s attractiveness. But there is one simple and effective technique any destination … Continue reading
In brand building small things can have a big impact. A previous post outlined how achieving superior brand communications is often “a game of inches”. This post looks at identifying which details of what a brand does that makes the most difference to its success. Too many moments of truth Attention to detail is by … Continue reading
This web ad from Japan for the Tosando Music School is the latest viral tearjerker. In testimony to its crafting, you won’t need to understand Japanese to follow it or to be touched by it. At a time when brands are building increasingly complex digital communications programs, and are turning to oblique forms of branded … Continue reading
There are now two distinct approaches to the development of brand and creative communications strategies. This is the view of the chair of the UK Account Planning Group’s Creative Strategy Awards, Adam Morgan, based on his review of the case studies submitted for the 2013 competition. According to Morgan, “’Washington Planning’ involves focussing on the … Continue reading
Fans of sports movies will recognise that the title of this post borrows from Al Pacino’s famous coach’s speech in the American football film, Any Given Sunday. “You find out life’s this game of inches, so is football. Because in either game – life or football – the margin for error is so small. I … Continue reading
According to Richard Branson, “Complexity is your enemy. Any fool can make something complicated. It is hard to make something simple”. It’s ironic then how much marketing tends to overcomplicate things, given that Branson is one of the profession’s most popular pin-up boys. Our last post for 2013 held a comic mirror up to some … Continue reading
Comedy can help us see things that we’re usually blind to, or that we simply prefer to ignore. As put by writer Mary Hirsch, “Humour is a rubber sword – it allows you to make a point without drawing blood.” The ad industry, for all its foibles, often manages to laugh at itself. And in … Continue reading
If you manage brands, the chances are at some point you’ll find yourself in a situation where someone wants to determine the Unique Selling Proposition for a brand you’re responsible for. Usually this will be because the brand isn’t performing and it’s been concluded that there’s a need to refresh or reposition it. So the … Continue reading
There are two paradigm challenging forces at play in marketing today. One is obvious – the shift to digital and social media. The other is somewhat less widely known but no less significant, being the new understanding of consumer psychology offered by behavioural science and neuroscience. What isn’t recognised is that the frameworks they suggest … Continue reading
Recently the fashion world has been abuzz about a new web film from French perfume house Guerlain for its signature Shalimar fragrance. The almost six minute long “The Legend of Shalimar“ has been hailed by many as setting a new standard for mega-production advertising. It has also set a new standard for epic brand story-telling. … Continue reading
Brand Truth - Brand Strategy Consulting, Melbourne 