As a brand agency we are regularly exploring with clients the brand values they need to live to give their brand the marketing positioning they wish to achieve. Regularly in those conversations we use an airline example to explain how some brand values are mandatory, but often not necessarily at the extreme end of differentiating the brand. In terms of airlines in Australia an example of that has been safety. Critical to the brand but for a lot of consumers not the determining factor in which airline they choose because they feel that most of the airlines have strong enough safety records.
Posts Tagged ‘peter-singline’
Qantas brand needs a safety net!
The Power of Sampling for your Brand

We are always reminding clients in the food and beverage industries of the power of sampling when they have a new product on the market. Get people to experience your product, never die wondering. It does not matter how good your food or beverage advertisement may be, there is no comparison with allowing consumers to have the complete sensory experience. If you are sampling the right customers and you have a great product with the right level of distribution, you have a high probability it will translate into sales.
Coles: The Natural Food Brand?

Coles Supermarkets in Australia has for years sat back and watched its formidable competitor Woolworths claim the market positioning of being ‘The Fresh Food’ people. It is a positioning line that is strongly recognised and recalled amongst consumers. In recent years they have successful reinforced it with their revamped logo and weekly fresh produce updates on National TV. At the same time Coles has really not owned any consistent positioning. It has simply been seen as playing second fiddle to Woolworths.
Celebrate Brand Heritage

An enduring heritage is a great way to claim authenticity when it comes to branding. And in a country as young as Australia if you can claim a 150 year heritage you have something worth celebrating from a brand perspective. And this is precisely what Victorian winery Tahbilk has been doing throughout 2010, celebrating an esteemed history that dates back to 1860. There have been many activities here in Australia and overseas markets and it was a great pleasure a couple of weeks ago to be invited, along with 300 other guests, to a magnificent birthday dinner at the glorious Regent Theatre ballroom. It was a graceful and passionate event, very in keeping with the character of the brand. Best of all it treated us to the delights of the brand with superbly matched food and wine combination’s. The 2002 Tahbilk Marsanne compared to the 2009 Tahbilk Marsanne. A 1999 Cabernet Sauvignon compared with a 2004. Factor in a couple of different styles of Shiraz and hopeful you get a little of the picture. There is nothing quite like sitting down at a table and finding enough glassware for ten people being solely your responsibility for the evening. It was an evening of celebration and storytelling wrapped up in the ultimate sensory brand journey.

The success of the Greens in last weeks Federal election in Australia is a great reminder that markets are not homogenous, that there are different segments with different needs. The Greens have ended up with a National Senate Vote of almost 13% and surprise, surprise, a controlling influence on matters that come before that House of Parliament. Throw in the independents who have also convincingly won seats and you get further insight into the diverse market needs of an electorate. But segmentation is not the purpose of this blog, rather the degree to which the Greens have been ever present in Australia in recent weeks is a great reminder of nature and the Greens quest for ecological sustainability – more specifically the lessons on offer for business, from nature.
A very Heineken Brand Experience

What better way to claim your authenticity than to share your heritage with customers in an interactive and engaging manner. Let them play with your brand in a way that is both fun and informative. Claim your place in the category by sharing the highs and lows of your journey. And if you happen to do it from the ‘place’ of your origins you add significantly to the authenticity of who you are and what you are about.
The Branding of Politics
Applying branding frameworks to politicians and political parties is a very much established practice. In fact, some may even argue that politics is increasingly about symbolism as opposed to policy implementation, image rather than content. A little harsh perhaps, but certainly in Australia we are seeing our major political parties trying to position themselves on populist mandates over political ideology. They are trying something we strongly advise our clients against, and that is to try and be all things to all people. It never works in commercial settings and it is of highly dubious value in politics – it simply gives strength to the brand positioning of minor parties (eg. the Greens) and independents.
More and more brands are foregoing the big chest beating advertising campaigns that attempt to broadcast their presence to the world. This is particularly the case for those wishing to position themselves in the cool end of the market. The onus is on savvy shoppers to find them, particularly when it we are talking fashion and bars. Certainly this was our experience on a recent visit to Berlin.

Brand Authenticity – Real or Fake
Recently on a trip to Europe I had the pleasure of hearing a presentation by American author and strategy consultant Joseph Pine on authenticity in branding. Pine has co-authored several books in the brand space. Namely the ‘Experience Economy’ and his more recent offering simply titled ‘Authenticity’.





