World of LaLa

Brand tumbling

[world0flala]

One celebrity that has done an excellent job of effective leadership branding is Angelina Jolie.  Over the last decade, she has repositioned herself to not only become one of the highest paid and well-respected actresses in Hollywood, but she has take on a new role as humanitarian.  Since 2001, she has worked with the UN’s refugee agency and has conducted over 50 field missions to places such as Pakistan and Syria.  On top of that, she has even became an unofficial spokesperson for breast cancer after she publicly underwent a preemptive double mastectomy and then wrote an Op-Ed article for the NY Times in an effort to educate and empower woman on the subject.  Angleina has redefined what an A list movie star can do with their influential power and has demonstrated her ability to be an effective leader outside of Hollywood.

Photo credit: http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=41795 

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Social media has changed the way that people connect and engage with the world.  By joining communities such as Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter, you can share your pictures, beliefs, interesting articles, etc. with your friends and family and you can also follow and engage with your favorite celebs and brands. What is not to like about this world??  Well, this very public forum can lead to a brand's (yes, even a celeb's brand - Amanda Bynes' I'm talking to you) social suicide based on how you engage with the community.  McDonalds' "McDStories social media campaign is one such example of a campaign gone awry.

But, it is not just the execution of a campaign that a brand needs to worry about, but also consider their daily engagement with the community.  Let me explain.  I have been flying non-stop for the last 2 years (#1stworldproblems) to the point that I have achieved status on United. My last few flights with United have been HORRIFIC.  Upon boarding my non-stop flight from Seoul to SFO, my classmates and I discovered that we would be flying on an old plane that was not equipped with personal TVs, the main screen in the cabin was broken, and booze would not be offered for free (cringe).  Ok, so my biggest issue was the TV situation.  United's excuse half way through the flight was, "We are still looking into that problem for you." So, I sat in my seat, propped up on my hands, and watched the movie "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty" from a distance since it was playing on the main screen in the cabin in front of mine (I felt bad for those who didn't have 20/20 vision). 

My first thought on the flight was, I need to tweet at United to express my anger over this situation because it would be the only way to get their attention in a very public way.  Well, as my screen shots above show, I'm not the only loyal United customer who sees Twitter as an outlet to express dissatisfaction or anger and an avenue straight to the corporation (picture 2 - his rants are all things United).  But, in United's defense, the company has done a pretty good job at managing its online presence by tweeting back to its customers.

As social media has evolved, brands have discovered that managing a successful social media presence is a make or break game.  

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After reading the Intel case and learning more about the "Intel Inside" Campaign, I did some google recon and found a dozen Intel ads that were  surprisingly entertaining.  Why do I say that? I don't think of myself as the target market for microprocessor commercials, but apparently I am.  At the end of this ad, I instantly recognized the catchy song that I associate both with Intel's brand and a high-quality computer chip.  

As an example, my parents recently brought me in as an advisor to help them buy a PC (for the record, I should not be dishing out advice on this topic!).  As I reviewed the product specs for the 2 computers, I remember seeing Intel and thinking (1) Intel is the chip you want and (2) between the i5 and i7, you definitely go for the i7 because the computer will operate faster, exhibit higher performance, and have more power.  Is that true?  I think so…or at least that is what the marketing campaigns have led me to believe.  Clearly, Intel has done a great job of building brand equity among its consumer base, not just with OEMs.  

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Burberry successfully rebranded by tweaking its product offering, altering its image, and changing the experience it offers consumers.  Through Burberry’s savy marketing campaigns, Kate Moss became the face of the brand, helping to evolve Burberry’s image that could be classified as timeless with a slight edge.  As Burberry’s Instagram account states, “(It's) A 158 year-old global brand with a distinctly British attitude.”  This new image continues to be depicted through ad campaigns that feature Emma Watson and Cara Delevingne. 

Furthermore, Burberry’s strategic decision to invest heavily in digital marketing while developing a social media campaign called “the art of the trench” reinforced the company’s rebranding efforts with its core consumer base. 

References:

http://www.businessinsider.com/10-most-successful-rebranding-campaigns-2011-2?op=1

http://www.publiseek.com/publicity/rebrand-painlessly/ (cara edgy)

http://instagram.com/p/lcDwQURJDx/ (kate & cara)

http://nymag.com/thecut/2009/06/behold_emma_watsons_burberry_c.html (emma)

[world0flala]

McDonalds has done an exceptional job branding its product by linking its name to its menu. Any mention of a BigMac or McChicken sandwich and I know exactly which fast food chain you are talking about.  As Americans have become healthier, McDonalds has begun to expand its burger heavy menu to offer healthier options such as the McWrap, which directly competes with Subway.  In addition,  McDonalds has made major inroads to compete with the likes of Starbucks and Dunkin through the creation of the McCafe.  McDonalds already serves breakfast, so it only seems natural to offer coffee.  Well, not exactly. McDonalds it trying to target a new demographic of specialty coffee drinkers; yet, coffee at a major fast food chain is not exactly the hipster destination.  

While McDonalds is still working on its McCafe image, Taco Bell burst onto the breakfast scene a month ago to unveil its new breakfast menu. It then directly targeted McDonalds with a huge ad campaign bashing McDonalds. McDonalds response included some witty tweets (see picture above of Ronald in the flesh) and will offer customers free morning coffee for 1 month to encourage customer loyalty.  Who knows, they may develop a love for the McCafe after all...

Photo Credit: https://twitter.com/McDonalds/status/449727746462081024/photo/1

http://adage.com/article/news/mcdonald-s-mcwrap-subway-sandwich-share/240463/

http://cutiebootycakes.blogspot.com/2013_08_01_archive.html

[world0flala]

I first flew Emirates Airlines to, yes, you guessed it, Dubai, about five years ago.  That flight changed my view on international travel.  With Emirates, a seat in coach could be comfortable, enjoyable, and somewhat glamorous experience when compared to flying with other carriers.  As I began to travel overseas more, I was willing to not only pay the premium price for an Emirates ticket, but I was also happy to extend my flight duration (and connect through Dubai) to fly with Emirates rather than book with a US carrier.  That is some serious commitment!

Emirates has done a great job at depicting (and delivering on) its unique travel experience that it provides to customers.  Through its online and print advertisements, Emirates has crafted the image that its fleet will not just take passengers anywhere in the world, but that they (Emirates) will do it in style.  

Photo 1: http://econscapes.blogspot.com/2013/06/the-world-of-tomorrow-2013-ads-for.html

Photo 2: http://www.coloribus.com/adsarchive/prints/emirates-airline-emirates-airline-hello-tomorrow-campaign-15774955/resizes/1600/

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Charles Shaw is synonymous with the legendary "2 Buck Chuck" sold at every Trader Joes across the country.  The wine gained notarity because it was priced, not surpisingly, at the low(est) end of the spectrum due to its low quality taste.  

Over time, Charles Shaw has improved the quality of its wine; however, the producer has made it a point to maintain its $2 price point (or as close to $2 as possible) for almost a decade, which has screamed "low quality wine" to its consumers.  

Yet, consumers can't seem to get enough of it. For reference, TJ's has sold a reported 5 million cases of Charles Shaw each year since its introduction in 2002.  Maybe consumers view it is a "value play" or they believe it does taste that good. Either way, Charles Shaw & TJs have done an excellent job maintaining the wine's image over time.

Reference: http://newsfeed.time.com/2013/01/25/trader-joes-two-buck-chuck-gets-a-price-hike/

Photo Credit: http://www.thrillist.com/drink/nation/the-best-two-buck-chuck-at-trader-joe-s-cheap-wine-thrillist-nation

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The iPod, which was the the most innovative MP3 player at launch in 2000, was surpassingly not an immediate success for Apple.  Rather, consumers had a hard time justifying the premium price associated on what seemed to be just another sleek looking MP3 player.  To drive product adoption, Apple launched a massive rebranding campaign in 2003 in which the famous dancing sillouettes featured the iPod.  These ads propelled Apple into spotlight as THE hip urban brand.  Both Apple's emphasis on its unique products' specs and the product's complement with iTunes enabled the iPod to finally overtake the MP3 market nearly four years later.  

Photo credit: http://www.admadness.co/2010/11/ipod-advertising-campaign/

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Guinness "Made of More" campaign - Basketball Commercial

Superbowl Sunday is not only the best day to watch football, but it is also the best day to watch all the newly minted TV advertisements. Personally, it is the ONLY day of the year that I want to actively watch commercials.  Companies spend millions of dollars on these ads; yet, they will have a mere 30 seconds to capture the attention of the audience - it is the sink or swim moment for a brand.  

Among the ads of the day, beer brands tend to be the highlight. Why? Beer companies have done an amazing job crafting commercials that combine the perfect amount of wit and humor to create a memorable experience…memorable meaning the audience falls into a fit of giggles and then continues to talk about the ad post-game via their social media outlets.  

However, Guinness  proved that humor is not the only way to capture the consumers' attention. In the fall of 2013, in the wake of Guinness' "Made of More" campaign, the company debuted a basketball ad that elicited an extremely deep emotional response.  

The Guinness brand use to represent a beer with friends in an Irish pub or a trip to Ireland.  However, this video has since changed that image. Watch the video and you will agree.

Key Takeaway - Emotions play a huge part in building the consumer experience of a brand.

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Over the last few years, Lululemon has emerged as the leader in yoga inspired athletic apparel.  Its high quality products attracted a "cult-like following" and allowed the company to price at a premium to other athletic brands. (I admit, I jumped on the bandwagon as well.)  Its products flew off the shelf, and Lulu quickly overtook competitors in the space and recently began to plan for international expansion.

However, the music finally died for Lululemon.  With a string of quality control issues (i.e. see through yoga pants) and a poorly designed public communications response delivered by the now former CEO, Lulu's sales declined significantly.

Lesson of the day - Brands are only as powerful as the quality of and technology used in its products, and lulu learned this the hard way.  The question that is top of mind is, how will the company rectify the damage done to its, what was thought to be resilient, brand to regain its leading position in the yoga apparel industry?