Promises are easily made but delivering on them is a constant challenge for any brand. One of the biggest tests for a brand is not in making the sale – it is in how they respond when the customer has a problem.
How you treat customers and how willing you are to make amends can be the difference between not only losing a customer but also using the opportunity to create a brand advocate.
Just a week after I last wrote about The Rise and Potential Fall of the Tom Waterhouse Brand, Tom publicly apologised for excessive use of advertising. In the same breath that he apologised he justified the former over use of his advertising campaigns because of the need to keep up with overseas players in the market and that competition is good for punters. He went on to say “Because I stand up as the bookmaker, and do not present as a faceless corporation, I also have, somehow, become the public face of the entire Australian gambling industry.” An obviously intelligent young man, it’s surprising that Tom didn’t see this coming.
The wedding industry is a fairly unique retail category, with short-term customers who, whilst being ultra-committed, are generally inexperienced in the area and unlikely to bring repeat business. Brands in this sector are notorious for exploiting these short-term relationships by overcharging and often under-delivering. Read the rest of this entry »
Behind Every Great Agency Is…
Often we are asked what makes our branding studio ‘chug’ along like a well oiled machine? Our agency is no different from any other well run business, the secret to our success is organization, systems and processes. We’ve compiled a list of our top 10 tips for best practice in a creative practice to share with you.
The Dutch do not have to market to me. I love Amsterdam and I love the confident and friendly demeanor of the people living there. But for the Americans who have not been touched by what Holland has to offer, the launch in May of the campaign ‘Holland: The Original Cool’ is sure to stimulate some attention. Read the rest of this entry »
The Australian skincare label Aesop continues to be innovative in the retail arena with it’s beautifully considered instore sensory installations. Last weekend I happened to be walking down Gertrude St Fitzroy and came across a floor of Autumn leaves in the local Aesop store. Not only were the leaves eye catching and a celebration of the present season, they made me want to walk into the store and jump and stamp my way noisily through. Read the rest of this entry »
Recently Amazon launched an online store dedicated to the Over 50 market. For the first time a major global retailer has broken ranks and focused on a specific target market, rather than their product line.
Last week Ford in Australia announced its intention to halt car manufacturing in October 2016. After 88 years of making cars in Australia Ford’s decision to pull out reflects some poor decisions (persisting with bigger vehicles and a domestic centric right hand drive platform), high costs and a high Australian dollar. Ford as a manufacturer will in a few years simply be something for the history books. However, with potentially 10,000 jobs being impacted the pain felt will have an enduring dimension to it. Read the rest of this entry »
Innovative Retail Branding from Topshop UK
Loving this stunning retail brand visual merchandising created for the Topshop’s Regent Street windows by NEON and studioXAG. In this innovative take on the ever-present fashion store staple, the mannequin is re-interpreted, resulting in a vivid wheel that highlights the current product story, whilst allowing the full color palette of the range to be seen in an ever-moving ferris wheel of merchandise.
Simple, graphic, functional and fun – an eye-catching retake in the highly competitive brand arena of High Street.
Starting a new business venture is pretty tricky at the best of times, but if you’re a creative-thinking right brainer, you may find the logical side of business more mystifying than most. Cue the lovely, multi-talented and evidently very busy Clare Bowditch. Mum of 3, ARIA Award winner and Rolling Stone’s “Woman of the Year”, Bowditch has added an altruistic feather to her very full cap with her new undertaking, Big Hearted Business. Read the rest of this entry »
