Product innovation? Check. Secured distribution? Check. Market Need? Check. Competitive Position? Check. Appropriate Price? Check. Now what? Cue the first planning meeting…. Long Pause. Well, definitely a website. Yep, and we’ve got to have good sales collateral for the trade. We won’t sell anything without some awareness. How ‘bout a TV spot! No, wait,...
Sure, it’s been hot outdoors just about everywhere this summer. Here’s something that’s hot for many brands: outdoor, also known as out-of-home, or billboards. Outdoor has always been a favorite media of mine, due to it’s challenging creative canvas: you basically have room for 7 words or less to make an impression that lasts...
When it comes to marketing premium brands, there’s usually no shortage of RTBs (Reasons To Believe) to choose from. Although brands in commodity categories are sometimes challenged to differentiate themselves, the premium brand(s) in any “vertical” should carefully choose which RTBs make it to the front lines of consumer messaging. Whether or not emotional...
Toyota’s recent woes are a stark reminder for any premium brand: bad things can happen to the best performers, and when they do, you must be ready to act quickly, confidently and decisively. For decades, Toyota has basked in the glow of one of the true gold standards in brand image. Say the name...
So, I’m writing on location at the Fancy Food Show in San Francisco. Though it sounds glamorous and exciting, it is a rat race and just plain full of people. Plus, I’ve never seen so many varieties of cheeses, olive oils, crackers, salad dressings, and salsas. One interesting seminar I attended features the NASFT...
Happy New Year and welcome back from our holiday siesta! This year is sure to bring lots of fun and innovative things in the marketing and advertising world. As in 2009, the technology and gadgets out there will surely drive the marketing dollars and efforts toward new and unique ways of reaching the masses...
Premium brands distinguish themselves from the competition not only in their products, but also in the way they communicate with their customers. One good example of this is in e-mail marketing. Although e-mail is growing and consumers are likely to opt-out if they feel the messages to be irrelevant or impersonal. There are more...
In many brands' cases, it's the marketing that's broken, not the advertising.
Are you gun-shy of using your brand's budget to do something innovative?
Seen any great ads for premium brands lately? Yeah, me neither. Except, of course, everything we do here at the WD…lol. Seriously, it seems you’re hard-pressed to find or recall ads these days which deliver on the Big Idea.An idea that’s so powerful, so moving or groundbreaking, that you can’t help but recall it,...
