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
Apple is one the strongest brands on the planet. But over the past two years it has been increasingly tested by direct attacks from competitor advertising in its home market of the United States. This post outlines what’s been happening and Apple’s response to it. A (very) short history of Apple’s brand communications To put … Continue reading
In February this year the title of a short article in Forbes asked the provocative question “Can social media be killing brands?”. The article reported on the preliminary findings of a ten-year study by two American academics into the use of social media by US FMCG brands and its impact on their relationships with consumers. … Continue reading
The advent of digital media and changes in consumer expectations mean that brands now have to think in terms of the story they want to tell rather than just positioning themselves. This post examines the shift from positioning to story, provides an overview of brand storytelling, and exemplifies this through looking at how the Scotch … Continue reading
There is a growing consensus that to succeed brands need to be “more human”. Ironically there is a case to be made that this also applies to politicians, business leaders and other celebrities who commonly adopt public personas in line with the stereotypical expectations of their positions. This tendency is what social psychologists term role … Continue reading
In general Australian FMCG brands were late starters in the use of digital media. Now many have used their mass market penetration to play ‘catch up’ through promotions and other incentives to generate Facebook fans. The results, according to social media analysts, are Facebook pages that are high on fans but low on engagement. Essentially, … Continue reading
Despite its questionable launch strategy the Commonwealth Bank’s new “Can” brand positioning may have the ability to stake out a real point of difference that will leave its competitors behind. Australia’s ‘big four’ banks have traditionally been perceived by consumers as a largely undifferentiated group of institutions. A group that has also be seen as … Continue reading
During a recent Sunday family lunch my nine year-old daughter made the matter-of-fact statement “You know, Coles is better than Woolworths”. Given the speed at which her attention shifts this comment could have been both the start and end of this particular topic. But as it piqued my curiousity I had to ask “Why”; fully … Continue reading
Over the past decade businesses that compete in the mass middle market of their industries have seen increasing pressure on sales and margins. ‘Death in the middle’ as it has been called has been caused by competitors taking either value positions or premium positions. This has shrunk the space in the middle and made the … Continue reading
Sir Ernest Rutherford famously said: “We haven’t got the money, so we’ve got to think”. It is a truism that has played out for many small budget advertisers who have had to break rules and take risks to get noticed. Which is why, not surprisingly, many the more innovative users of social media have come … Continue reading
Brand Truth - Brand Strategy Consulting, Melbourne 