Branding Gone Bad - Abercrombie Offers to Payoff Jersey Shore Star

Just how far will a company go to preserve its brand integrity? Just ask upscale clothing retailer Abercrombie & Fitch (also affectionately referred to as A&F). Obviously famous people that associate themselves with a specific brand can have an impact on that brand's image and ultimately sales. Still, I have never heard of a clothing company offering to pay someone "not" to wear its brand as is the case with A&F executives offering to pay Jersey Shore star Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino.

In a public statement released yesterday, A&F expressed a deep concern over the association with the Jersey Shore star and the A&F brand. They offered up what is described as a substantial payment to the star to wear an alternative brand. Wow! I don't know what to say. Good for them or what were they thinking? Here are my thoughts on the impact of this action by A&F below:

• First and foremost they have drawn attention to the situation (no pun intended).  I myself am an A&F customer for casual attire and had no idea that someone from Jersey Shore was wearing the brand because I do not watch the show, nor do I care what anyone from the show does let alone wears.
• A&F may have alienated a large group of their target audience (largely teens and young adults who watch the show on MTV). Whether this is their target demo or not this could likely hurt sales at least in the short-term as show loyalists react to the news. 
• My guess here is that some other brand like American Eagle will catch wind of this and offer to pay the Jersey shore star or whole cast to wear its line of clothing, realizing the potential lift in sales.

So I am curious to see how this unravels. Of course "The Situation" is now even more famous than he was before, which sortof backfired for A&F I think. Don't they realize that even bad publicity is good for brands - or was this public statement some sort of attempt at that on their part? Makes me wonder. Perhaps this was even a planned event concocted by some fancy New York PR agency. What are your thoughts? 

Starbucks Shows Simplicity Prevails in New Logo

When I first heard that Starbucks was launching a new logo I was surprised. Why would a brand as ubiquitous as Starbucks feel the need to update a logo that has so clearly been part of its success?  Perhaps you had the same thought. Imagine for a moment if you will that Nike had decided to revamp its swoosh? Why mess with something that works?

But then again I suppose all things evolve, logos included.  You'll see in the illustration to the right that the new Starbucks logo is more of a lineart version without the Starbucks Coffee name on it. From a branding standpoint this seems silly to me. When does a company ever want to use just a symbol to market itself versus its name? Sure many Starbucks fans may be able to spot the logo and render what it it - but what about the rest of the population? If they were not aware of or a customer of Starbucks before the new logo how will this convince them?

I completely understand and support the concept of simplicity but personally, I think they should have kept Starbucks Coffee in the logo and just evolved the artwork as they have done in the past. What are your thoughts?

High Fructose Corn Syrup Today...Corn Sugar Tomorrow?

The Corn Refiners Association (CRA) has petitioned the Food and Drug Administration to allow manufacturers to use the term "corn sugar" instead of the now mandated "high fructose corn syrup" on ingredient lists, which has received a great deal of negative publicity in recent years.

According to CRA, research indicates that consumers are confused by labeling. Although regular sugar and high fructose corn syrup have the same amount of fructose, nearly 58 percent of consumers believe that high fructose corn syrup has more and is a less healthy ingredient than regular sugar.

From a branding standpoint this is an interesting case of a product (in this case an ingredient) having a negative perception based on consumer perceptions - although it really is not as bad as people perceive. 

Brand Loyalty is a lot like Love

Most of us have certain brands that we are loyal to. This got me thinking tonight that being loyal to a brand is a lot like loving someone. You start out slow to see if things are going to work and as things progress and trust is built you become loyal to the one you love. And so it is with brands.

For example if you ask any Apple fan to explain to you their loyalty you will quickly see their loving emotions evoked. Other strong brands that often build loyalty include Starbucks, Dunkin Donuts, Nike, Blackberry, Ford, Chevy, VW or just about any car brand, Trek or Specialized or Cannondale road bikes, Garmin, Gatorade, Grey Goose vodka, etc. I could go on and on but you see where I'm going with this.

So the question is do you love the brand you're with or try something new from time to time? The brands hope you remain loyal but just as people sour on relationships so to do brand ambassadors abandon ship sometimes. How do brands ensure their loyal customers stay loyal? As with love the best they can do is treat people well, meet their expectations and continue to provide quality and innovation in product or service.

Is Your Brand Really Different?

Branding a product or service based on differentiated attributes or features is not a new concept...yet so many companies get it wrong.

To be unique, a brand needs to 1) Be important to the target audience, 2) Meet a need or promote a brand promise not currently being used by a competitor and 3) Be supported by company strengths and/or processes.

Typically in branding, the brand tries to own only one or two key benefits or attributes. The more complicated a brand promise or brand message, the less likely a consumer is to remember it. We need simple yet powerful concepts that consumers can and will relate to.

Below are some possible ways to differentiate a brand. Keep in mind that choosing several of these and lumping them together will not be advisable. Again, focusing on one or two key areas is best.

* Brand is a category leader (Crest)
* Brand is a category inventor (Sensodyne - toothpaste for sensitive teeth)
* Brand was a pioneer in a market - Ford, Coca-Cola
* Brand is the category innovator (Toyota, Dell)
* Brand is the most convenient or easy to use (Band-aid)
* Brand meets a niche need and leads at serving that niche
* Brand delivers a unique product purchase or usage experience (Apple, Dell)
* Brand is the "next big thing"
* Brand tells an engaging story about itself that consumers connect with
* Brand is trusted
* Brand is a technology leader
* Brand has unique qualities
* Brand comes from a place known for excellence in category (California Wine, Italian Olive Oil)
* Brand is the choice of experts (Tylenol, Jif)
* Brand is the best value for the cost (Wal-mart
* Brand is the definition of luxury in a category (Lexus, Rolex, etc)
* Brand is all-natural (Horizon organic milk, Kraft naturals)

Once you've adequately branded yourself based on what you and your market dictate, then you must craft marketing messages and use tactics that constantly reinforce that central brand idea.

Candy Bar Commercial For New Fling

Using sex to sell products...how original. Okay, maybe it works...but doesn't it work more on men then women. One would think. So who's the target audience for the new Mars "Fling" (skinny 85-calorie chocolate bar)? Watch the new spot. You decide. I think it's bad branding. "Naughty but not that naughty" just doesn't make the cut for me. Tell me I'll look better in my bathing suit. That's what women care about! That's why we cut calories.

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Brand Beginnings

Ever Wonder where the names of some of our favorite brands came from? Below is a short list of popular companies and details about how their names came to be.

Wendy's - Melinda Thomas of Dublin, OH (near Columbus) was nicknamed Wendy growing up. When her father Dave Thomas started his hamburger chain he chose his daughter's nickname. At that time she was eight years old.

Coca-Cola - John Pemberton, an Atlanta, Georgia pharmacist created the original soft drink. His bookkeeper Frank Robinson named the beverage according to its two main ingredients, which were coca from coca leaves and kola from kola nuts.

Apple - Apple founders Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak named their computer company after a record label they both liked.

Honda - The popular auto company was named after its founder Soichiro Honda when he started the company after WWII...however at that time Honda was a motorcycle company only. It was not until Honda entered the U.S. in the 1960s that it started manufacturing automobiles. 

Mickey Mouse - Back when Walt Disney was first starting out in his art career he had developed the classic concept for Mickey Mouse. The original name he wanted was Mortimer Mouse but his wife Lillian convinced him to use Mickey instead. In 1928 when Mickey debuted in his first film, a star was born.

Banana Republic - The safari-inspired attire that began in 1978 and has grown into a luxury career brand as well as an upscale casual retailer today derived its name from an uncomplimentary term used to describe an unstable Latin American country.

There are so many good examples. You may see similar posts in the future. 

The Latest Facebook Stats - Why Branding on Facebook is Important

Facebook reached its 200 millionth user last week and continues to grow rapidly - especially among the 26-44 age group within the U.S.  Many of whom are educated professionals and buyers with disposable income. 

Your business can't afford to not at least consider how it can tap into this growing social network. Think of Facebook as an investment in your overall online brand. It's not difficult to get started. It is easy enough that most people or companies can setup their own accounts and pages, but if you're in need of professional help, drop me a line or give me a call or get in touch with another professional who specializes in social media.

What is a Brand?

Often clients and prospects ask me to help them better understand what a brand is or what a brand means. I thought I would take a few moments to define and explain what a brand is and isn't and what is significant about a brand's meaning.

First, let's start by clarifying what a brand is not:

• It is not a logo
• It is not a symbol
• It is not a tagline
• It is not a font or color scheme
• It is not what you say it is 

Now, let's work on defining what a brand is:

• It is in part an identity made up of name, logo, colors, fonts or symbols
• It may or may not include a tagline or taglines
• It is a means of differentiating a product, service, person or place from competing products or services
• It is a collection of perceptions held by consumers and prospects about a product, service, person or place
• It is an experience associated with a product, service, person or place

A brand has to have a meaningful difference for consumers to understand it and decide whether or not it is a brand they want to buy or a person or place they want to endorse or visit. This meaningful difference has been called a brand position, unique selling proposition, differentiating attribute, etc. It is the perceived difference a consumer or prospect believes about a brand. For example, Volvo's meaningful difference is safety. Federal Express's meaningful difference is overnight delivery. Listerine's meaningful difference is kills germs, President Obama is change we can believe in and so on. 

Dunkin' Donuts Brand: Simple = Success

I noticed a sign close to where I live this morning that said "coming soon...Dunkin' Donuts". I thought to myself there are already two nearby Dunkin's...why are they building another. Then I thought about it and realized how many new Dunkin Donut stores I have seen spring up over the last year or two. There are several new stores within a 10-15 mile radius of my home.  Talk about a revitalized brand! 

I remember my parents bringing home dozens of donuts from Dunkin' when I was a kid and remember that feeling of carefree bliss I felt when those tasty donuts hit my lips. Then as the population became more health conscious and more interested in luxury brands like Starbucks, old Dunkin' seemed to take a back seat for a while. Yet in a time like present...when Starbucks is closing stores left and right...Dunkin' is opening stores just as fast.

The Dunkin' brand was revitalized a short while back with their "America runs on Dunkin'" campaign and corresponding store makeovers. Dunkin' is positioned as a quality, no-frills American coffee and breakfast brand. I guess at the end of the day, Dunkin's strategy shows us that simple wins over complicated and value wins over over luxury.

Premium Brands in a Recessionary Economy

I read an article this week in Business Week about premium brands that despite the ailing economic times are not looking to change their pricing strategy to accommodate financially conservative consumers. Panera Bread and Apple were two examples specifically mentioned in the article. 

The article got me thinking. Who is smarter here (from a marketing perspective)? The companies that are adjusting their prices to reach more consumers or those who refuse to accommodate cash-strapped consumers? Some premium brands like Starbucks have certainly felt the pain of the recession and as such have created new lower-priced product offerings with the hopes of appealing to more people looking for value. 

In my own experience, each time I have been to the mall recently or out to eat it seems everyone is running a sale or special. I think (and I could be wrong here but will say what I think nonetheless) that premium brands who refuse to budge will be hurt by this decision. As more people continue to lose their jobs or fear losing their jobs, savings grow and spending tightens. As spending tightens more people will look for values - particularly premium values.   I guess my thinking here is that even premium brands have to be adaptable to survive in the long run and part of that adaptation is adjusting to economic conditions. 

Can the World Forgive Vanilla?

Vanilla Ice Apologizes for 'Ice Ice Baby' in Virgin Mobile Ad, Not for Flowing 'Like a Harpoon Daily and Nightly' (Video)

I think Virgin Mobile's use of Vanilla Ice in their new commercial is just too funny. Vanilla Ice is a great case study on branding based on authenticity. Given that the whole Vanilla Ice debacle happened years before the social media evolution...it will be interesting to see if people are willing to give him another chance.  

Visit the link here and you can view the spot and at the end Virgin points to a website where you can vote on whether or not you can forgive Vanilla. 

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$4 Foot Long? Quiznos Versus Subway.

I was just reading about Quizno's latest ad campaign, which is apparently going to be promoting $4 footlong sandwiches in an effort to try to steal market share from Subway. I haven't seen the TV spots yet but read on Adrants that the spots use a sexy theme...using phrases like put that foot long in me. Even though I haven't seen this yet, I just want to say WTH are they thinking?

First of all, $4 footlongs just doesn't roll off the tongue with quite the same ease as $5. Okay, I guess if it's an all-out price war then maybe Quizno's will up its volume for the short term. A temporary solution to the overarching Quiznos problem. Problem: Quizno's is a me-too brand in the sandwich category and has yet to develop its own meaningful brand identity. I mean who are they? I honestly can't say. Subway, on the other hand, has long-standing brand recognition. And healthy and fresh coupled with price is what Subway claims to be best at. 

Secondly, using sex to sell sandwiches may not be the strongest approach...especially against a solid family-centered brand like Subway.  Tying to differentiate this way will likely backfire. I really think Quiznos just needs to figure out how they're different from Subway versus trying to just be cheaper. That works for Wal-mart but not for everyone. And it only works on wooing consumers who solely care about price.

When Brands Become Movements

Happy St. Patrick's Day to all. Irish or just pretending to be Irish for the day's festivities.  I see a few individuals wearing green and hear talk of after-work plans for celebration. My mind wanders and I contemplate how St. Patrick's Day really is a brand. The brand of St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland.  I can't help but think how this one person became a brand (known throughout Ireland and now the world) that became a movement. Because today, people of all races and nationalities and beliefs celebrate St. Patrick's Day by wearing green, eating and drinking certain Irish foods, watching the parade, etc. It has moved from a person to a brand and beyond a brand...to a movement.

Where we saw this happen most recently was in the Obama for president campaign. Obama is a man, who became a brand who transcended to become a movement. A movement of hope and change. This movement is what led to his success. The other candidates had brands but none with the kind of traction and emotional appeal of President Obama.

Another example of a brand becoming a movement is the Livestrong effort led by highly-respected athlete Lance Armstrong. Livestrong is the brand for Lance's foundation.  As most people know, Lance successfully overcame cancer only to win the Tour de France again and again and is very passionate about the fight against cancer. His Livestrong brand apparel as sold by Nike contributes 100 percent of its profits to cancer research. This brand and this cause has grown into a movement that people connect with.

When brands become movements their success is often a sure thing assuming the brand attributes are positive and desired by consumers.