brand message

The majority of a company’s value is intangible, so a strong brand is a significant competitive advantage. As Philip Kotler wrote, “The art of marketing is the art of brand building. If you are not a brand, you are a commodity. Then price is everything and the low-cost producer is the only winner.”

Guest Post by: Monica Shaw

Remember the good ol’ Nescafe Gold Blend adverts? Two lovers, intertwined in a web of passion, romance and instant coffee. Then there’s Nespresso, whose recent ads starring the debonair George Clooney call Nespresso the “rich, sensual, intense, unique” hero of the coffee world.

Earlier today, Giuseppe Pacheco Tweeted "You No Longer Control Your Company’s Brand" with a link to You No Longer Control Your Company's Brand | Spin Sucks. BTW, I responded to Giuseppe right away with a link to one of my earlier posts about this topic and I follow him, so I usually like his links.

Few doubt that branding messages can be powerful, but new research shows that even when consumers don’t recall the specific message, their preferences can be shaped to the point where they reject new information that conflicts with their stored brand association.

The last time I wrote about Nabisco’s Oreo brand, it was in Mega-Branding: The Purple Oreo Problem. In that post I was critical of the seemingly crazy proliferation of Oreo variations – 46 offerings, including “Purple.” My criticism was based on research showing that offering consumers too many choices can reduce sales.

I’ve begun reading BrandDigital: Simple ways top brands succeed in the digital world by Allen P. Adamson, and found myself wholeheartedly agreeing with Adamson on the need for brand authenticity. In College Branding: Rooted in Reality, I noted that phony branding messages might have worked for tobacco firms in the 1950s, but higher education branding can’t be contradicted by reality. Adamson points out that the speed of information dispersion by today’s digital media mandate branding messages that match the company’s deliverables:

by: Jonathan Salem Baskin

On the eve of tonight's last Presidential debate, I though it might be interesting to muse a bit about brands and politics...and how the two influence one another.

I know a lot has been said about the amount of rancor evident at Republican rallies, which seems to have surprised even John McCain. He has found himself contending with supporters he desperately needs...emoting angry nonsense he can't tolerate.

by: Jonathan Salem Baskin

New Balance is forsaking its heritage of communicating with its consumers with low-key, credible honesty, and embracing instead a flashy ad campaign.

by: Jonathan Salem Baskin

Can you name a current slogan that adds any value to a brand?

I know the dare is a bit contentious. Here are my ground rules:

by: Jonathan Salem Baskin

So here we are, tumbling together into a recession, a Presidential election cycle, violent storms, and a host of other events that are, at best, distracting and, at worst, troubling...and some of the businesses that touch consumers most regularly (and intimately, next to doctors and shampoo makers) are blissfully detached.