by Sean McCoy (@TheRealMcCoyTRM) In a guest lecture to a strategic marketing honours group recently, I was preceded by a speaker who discussed the role of reputation and corporate communication. She made a clear distinction between brand and reputation.
Category archives: Marketing
The Word: Influence — the double-edged sword
by Mongezi Mtati (@Mongezi) A little influence goes a long way in building traction for campaigns, and it’s that, and the possibility of going viral, that can be beneficial for charity initiatives. Influence, however, may be a double-edged sword, not always eliciting the response you desire.
Brand Culture: Ray Bans on the promenade
by DK Badenhorst. Ray Ban Wayfarers (especially on the Cape Town promenade) have become a proxy for middle/upper-income Cape Town. And, instead of the art installation being seen for the bridge it’s trying to be, it’s been crucified for the gap that currently exists.
Africa Style: No-one needs your brand
by Masingita Mazibuko. Wake up and smell the coffee, marketers; no-one really, truly, honestly, genuinely, absolutely needs your brand. That’s why the brand’s relationship with the intended consumer, as well as its product intrinsics, is such a crucial element of the marketing mix.
Shelf Life: Luxury cinema comes to Cavendish
Louise Marsland (@Louise_Marsland)’s weekly pick of recent product, packaging and design launches: enticing movie goers back to the cinema; Southern Comfort and Nic Harry partner; Sir Juice launches a berry summer; and Bliss brands kids TV.
Green Sky Thinking: Start with what’s there
by Colwyn Elder (@colwynelder) I’ve recently wondered how many unused red pillar box phone booths line the streets of London and what’s to become of them as we increasingly centre our lives upon mobile devices. Then I discovered that two students from the London School of Economics have found a way to make them relevant again — as the green-painted solarbox.
Motive: Hello — we’re the Millennials
by Gareth Pearson (@gareth_pearson) Millennials are marketing-savvy and socially empowered — and, as consumers, can be ruthless with products and brands which they see as irrelevant, self-seeking, non-tech, shy and non-engaging.
Fair Exchange: Convenience revisited
by Erna George. Brand managers must to return to their brand-positioning tools and properly evaluate how benefits such as convenience are expressed in their offers and brands. It’s about the full experience, not just about it cooking in two minutes.
Brand Culture: Brands need personality
by DK Badenhorst. Brand characters are not developed by committee; they aren’t even developed by one person — they are people. This idea came to life again two weekends ago when I saw the Amazon Echo commercial. It hasn’t been a well-received production…
Shelf Life: There’s no stopping this fresh rollout
Louise Marsland (@Louise_Marsland)’s weekly pick of recent product, packaging and design launches: FreshStop continues convenience rollout; Magnum pleasure stores pop up; and Design Partnership takes on a new gym contract.