We’ve just seen that Clintons are the latest in a long line of high street casualties. So how has this happened? I think it’s a combination of a shift in purchasing behaviour, the rise of low price competitors and a lack of credible innovation. But all totally preventable. So what does the future hold for the greetings cards world and why are Clintons not part of it?
Last month John Lewis announced they’re to launch broadband and home phone packages to compete with our UK giants BT, Sky and Virgin Media. The question stands, is this a progressive way for John Lewis to stretch its quality service credentials into a dynamic arena or a sure fire route to failure for a brand with little technical equity in an already saturated category?
Sure Woman’s latest linguistic failure has seriously eroded their credibility in my eyes, the question is whether details can be overlooked in the face of a seemingly powerful message?
Mark Ritson’s article today on Why Tesco must learn that less is more really got me thinking about how Tesco are at serious risk of become victims of their own success. Trying to do too much is the biggest of all branding crimes – you lose focus, you dilute your message and you become meaningless to consumers who’ll always want to buy into the master, not the sorry jack of everything…
I’m a stickler for brands communicating their message in the clearest most compelling way possible. Who isn’t?! But the latest ad from Nurofen got me thinking. The product benefit could be communicated in a more powerful way at the risk of being less target audience specific – so the question remains, is the message really badly executed?
Lady Gaga eating a massive sandwich. Not that unusual you may think. But would you ever eat a sandwich like that? From the middle? Ignoring the corners, those tempting side crusts and go right for the centre? I am not convinced you would!
I have noticed recently that a lot of ads lately are demonstrating somewhat caricatured consumer behaviours. Ways in which you may behave in a given scenario in an ideal world, but that I don’t think reflect reality. All of my examples, oddly, relate to eating food! Read More
Plusnet has launched a variety of ads recently with the line ‘ Good honest broadband from Yorkshire’ – is this a positive truism that differentiates Plusnet as a human brand in a functional category or is it an overclaim that serves to confuse consumers and alienate a large proportion of its potential customer base entirely?
I wandered past the highly anticipated Boxpark the other day and wondered whether it was really living up to its brand promises. Is it a retail innovation for the boutique and unique or an uber-hyped playground for the world’s biggest brands? I think it claims the former, but sadly lives up to the latter…
Curiosity got the better of me courtesy of some pretty annoying television advertising and yesterday I purchased two packets of the new Natural Confectionery Co. sweets Guzzle Puzzle. Needless to say, I’m pretty unimpressed. It’s a unique approach – a flavour creation mechanic allowing you to join different flavoured sweets together to make new flavours. But, alas, the product doesn’t and can’t support its USP.
In May this year Starbucks announced their launch of a bottled frappuccino range which further builds their reach and appeal from cafes to grocery outlets. This move into RTD/take-home drinks sees them building a new opportunity. I recently spied one of the posters from their recent advertising campaign and I’m yet to be convinced about the strategic direction they’ve taken with it.
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