• Agency Team Leader – The visionary who can layout the communications plan to fit the overall marketing plan and make sure that any tactic (promotion, coupon, giveaway) is in line with the overall objective, and monitors the “premium-ness” of all content; they can assign tasks, create personas, etc.
• Client Team Leader – The gatekeeper to the client side. They assign internal resources, provide approvals, and add industry insight and goal-shifts
• Teamsters – Those who implement the plan through scheduling the posts, replying to comments, etc. These people can be from either the agency or client side

Overall, one big obstacle between a team member and success is having the freedom to speak in the voice of the brand and for the brand. While it is ideal for the client to maintain control of these elements, it is not always practical to assign so much to one person, unless that is their only role within the organization. That’s why we at Warren Douglas work so hard to cultivate a relationship of trust with our clients by having guidelines, responses and cultural norms discussed at the beginning of any client/agency relationship. We take it as our job to make sure our premium clients are always seen in the best light.

Question: Do you have a social media team in place? What does that look like for your organization, and what have you seen as victories and pitfalls in social media management roles?

This post is second in a series. See other posts on this topic here.

You need look no further than Apple for proof of this. When cell phones reached their zenith, Apple presented us the iPhone. After they sewed up the new smart phone landscape, they turned around and introduced an entirely new category—the iPad.  Instead of resting on their laurels and simply issuing new colors of iPods or new sizes of Mac laptops, Apple regularly blows the market away with all-new stuff. And consumers react accordingly, by buying it all up as fast as they can.

Now, you might be thinking “sure, electronics are always innovating to survive; that’s nothing new.” But in Apple’s case it’s innovation in the purest sense—completely new categories of products that work brilliantly, look terrific, and are unlike anything we’ve seen before.  That’s innovation. Not just a new and improved screen technology or faster processor, but a whole new mousetrap.

And, great innovations by premium brands aren’t limited to electronics or software. Packaged goods are getting in on the act.  A recent article in Ad Age (Oct. 25, 2010) pointed out that innovative new premium products from Estee Lauder, Lancome and Procter & Gamble have found success.  As well, new shaving innovations from Schick and Gillette helped bring a 35% increase to the shaving category. Even the most basic of brands, Kotex, hit the jackpot with a premium-priced and newly designed “U” line of products. They saw a sales boost of 13% in one category and 57% in another.

So to those who own or work with a premium brand that could use a boost (and couldn’t we all?), consider stepping out of your comfort zone and making an innovative move within the category. You could be rewarded with some very premium results.

Recent Dell ads feature the new campaign, "You can tell it's Dell."

I’m loving how Dell’s latest advertising campaign is moving away from the dross of commoditized, price-featured ads toward something more premium. This week’s Adweek article reveals the latest campaign theme by Wunderman, “You can tell it’s Dell.” The campaign features innovation and design, adding a twist of Apple-esque “That’s so cool” mojo. I’ve got to believe that playing the low-price game in this space has taken its toll on Dell, and inspiring customers to love the brand because of its innovation in the PC space is a great strategic move.

Time will tell—and so will the product releases—whether or not the Dell brand will live up to the expectations set by this latest campaign. I say this after earlier today having passed the Apple headquarters, whose address is One Infinite Loop. That’s so cool.

One example: the major Gap debacle. After years of promoting the classic Gap logo, corporate management underwent a re-branding effort complete with new logo. As a soft launch, the logo on their e-commerce site was nonchalantly replaced. Backlash ensued! Via Gap’s Facebook Fan Page, every comment from housewives to Creative Directors bashed the logo. Apparently, Gap didn’t know that their logo was so iconic! As a result, Gap tried to defend this move, but fans would have nothing of it. They wanted the classic logo back. Gap has now decided to stick with old faithful and save themselves millions in replacing name tags and other collateral—not to mention further public humiliation.

Another example can be found within Proctor & Gamble. In a New York Times article, Marc Pritchard, global marketing and chief branding officer states,”we are at the start of one of the most exciting eras in brand-building history.” P&G, which is the world’s largest marketer by spending and known for extensive product research with branding processes envied the world-over, is taking branding and marketing cues from regular people via social media. For example, commercials that “were almost pulled” by higher-ups, were saved solely by positive comments about the spot in their social media outlets!

Social media is a great way to get your message in front of millions of consumers, but it also is a great way for consumers to get their message across to the brand. In this day and age, even after research, marketers still run the risk of alienating their consumers (Tropicana!). The value of immediate and substantial feedback from your most vocal brand advocates is almost priceless. Social media, though still very  much a buzz word, is beginning to prove that it has a place in legitimate marketing strategy—most of all among premium brands.

Six months ago, this iPad wasn’t a necessity. Now it absolutely is. I have an “extra” device that doesn’t do as much as my iPhone does, but somehow I don’t mind. This is the magic of Apple—their innovation, attention to detail, pioneering the user experience, defining for consumers what they want even before they know they want it—that makes them a premium brand. Retail stores everywhere are struggling, but inside the Apple store, it’s all buzzing. Dozens of people are waiting in line to upgrade or buy, spending hundreds or thousands at a time. Amazing.

By our definition (see What Makes a Brand Premium?), Apple serves as an excellent example of what makes a premium brand. They’re almost never on sale, and I gladly go back, time and again, for more of what they have to offer. The iPad is more expensive than the Kindle, and clearly worth more.

I’m find myself asking, “What’s next, Apple?” I don’t know what’s next, but I’m anxious to find out. And it won’t likely be cheap. Premium I tell you, premium.

Case in point: a Warren Douglas client that during recent focus groups we found that, overwhelmingly, participants in our consumer groups had no earthly idea that this client’s category of products had “brands.” Nor that there were any real brands involved or worth knowing about at all. They simply assumed it was of good quality and proper specifications, and no further identification was necessary. When, in reality, many products in this category are associated with some of the most recognized brands in the world!

Many premium brands go about their business quietly, toiling away in relative obscurity. Some, like this client’s, are right out in the open, yet completely overlooked in regard to a true premium identity.  Others are hidden from our view as they perform their tasks. Items that come to mind here are things like spark plugs or oil filters or submersible pumps and the like.

What kind of brands can you think of that play a key role in your life and deliver a premium experience, but with little to no brand fanfare? I’d wager there are plenty. So keep your eyes peeled for these quiet yet essential premium performers. And if you own or market a brand that’s better than its competition in a low-interest category with low brand awareness, just think about the sales and growth opportunities a premium brand position might offer it.

Who knew that eating anything with certain “alternative” ingredients could propagate the very cancer her hormone therapy was trying to prevent? These elements, or subsidiaries of, are in almost everything we consume, and it so happens that even digesting certain “healthy” ingredients activate estrogen-like hormones, which have been known to accelerate cancer growth. For example, even the vitamins my mom took to boost her blood count during chemo contained traces of these elements. Sure enough, the lump that had been removed a year ago came back in the exact same spot, and we can only speculate whether or not her diet had a part in her cancer’s re-occurrence. Since then, her oncologist has encouraged her to read labels and avoid many popular alternatives.

Off to the grocery aisle we all go, reading labels. As cheaper alternatives to many ingredients are prevalent in almost all products, the risk of slipping up is a costly one. My immediate family is now noticing that premium groceries, which were sometimes purchased because of taste superiority, are easier to rationalize due to imminent and preventative health concerns.

As breast cancer continues to have an impact on Americans, food manufacturers have the opportunity to respond to consumers’ willingness to pay more for products made from quality, healthy ingredients. Go premium!

I am not alone in my observation. According to Andrew Hampp, writing in a recent edition of Advertising Age, “brands and ad agencies are rediscovering the power of original tunes in advertising campaigns. Over the last decade the trend was to license famous pop songs from the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s, instead of creating an original branded melody. Now marketers want original music for their messages.”

This makes perfect sense to me, as I’m a custom jingle lover from way back. With a custom jingle crafted solely to sing the praises of a brand, you have the opportunity to ingrain your brand attributes and identity into the minds’ of the masses–in a way that can be both pleasing and entertaining.

Think about it. Who can forget the undeniable charm and sing-along-fun of such jingle gems as Oscar Meyer’s “My Bologna Has a First Name,” or Alka Seltzer’s “Plop Plop Fizz Fizz,” or Folgers “The Best Part of Waking Up?”  These pleasant little ditties are now a part of our collective conscience, instantly remembered and still fun to sing out loud.

Talk about brand recall!

That type of brand-centric popularity is far more of a premium for a brand than simply an association with a well-known song or recording artist.  When you allow the right melody and lyrics to showcase your brand, something very special can happen.

Just ask Oscar Meyer.

As the inventor and marketer of revolutionary Dyson Vacuums, Mr. Dyson has cornered the market on unconventional thinking for a very conventional task–vacuuming carpets and rugs. Mr. Dyson’s fresh, new approach to the technical aspect of dust removal and collection proved that if you can invent a better mousetrap, people will beat a nice, clean path to your door. The sales success Dyson has enjoyed speaks for itself, as does the premium effectiveness of his superior design.

Now Mr. Dyson has trained his engineering curiosity and skill on another household basic–the lowly air-circulating fan. He believes a better solution exists, a premium solution if you will, to more effectively move air and cool a room. His new design doesn’t use blades. Instead it moves air via something called an “air multiplier.” Like his daring vacuum cleaner, the Dyson fan has an unconventional look and unique technological approach. And, also like a Dyson vacuum, his new fan carries a premium price tag.

Time will tell if this distinctive new direction in air movement will be a sales success. But one thing is already very clear:
exciting innovations can happen when a premium approach is applied to even the most mundane objects in our lives.

But few brands impress or excite me more than my favorite place for gasoline and sundries—QuikTrip. Do you have QuikTrips in your area, and if so, have you visited one lately? If not, you owe it to yourself to do so.

QuikTrip has single-handedly redefined the whole notion of “convenience store,” and turned it into a polished, modern pantheon of premium convenient service.

Gone are the days of cramped, dingy little stores offering a haphazard collection of questionable goods poorly displayed, and operated by a sullen, cynical clerk. At QuikTrip, you’ll now find a sparkling, perfectly organized gem of a retail operation, staffed by uniformed clerks so polite and efficient you’d think you were shopping at Nordstroms. From the carefully arranged candy wall to the new fresh food deli section and enormous fountain drink area, QuikTrip has made the transition from a simple little convenience store to a premium destination for just about everything. Even the gasoline they sell is rated “Best” by consumer groups.

QuickTrip serves as a textbook case of a brand raising its own bar to a premium level. And, they stand as an excellent example to other brands that, no matter your offering, you can achieve a premium status through consistent presentation, impeccable service and quality merchandise.

Even if that merchandise is a bag of Gummi Worms and a cherry Slurpee.