Branding Strategy Insider

Obama, McCain: A Political Brand Analysis

With less than 7 critical days before the November 4th U.S. Presidential Election, we turn to some of the world's savviest marketers - our readership, to help secure a better understanding of each candidate's brand.

Purpose
This brief survey is designed to identify the dimensions and qualities of the John McCain and Barack Obama brands. It will explore how different customer segments perceive each of these two presidential candidates differently. It will also explore the alignment of these candidates with the qualities that are most important to the people registered with the parties that they represent.

Neutrality
This survey is not supported by any political party or interest group. It was created by our chief brand strategist Brad VanAuken, author of Brand Aid, for the sole purpose of exploring the presidential candidate brands. Individual responses will remain confidential. All responses will be explored at a group level (men versus women, Democrats versus Republicans, etc.).

Incentive
Anyone who takes the survey will have the opportunity to win one of the following: a copy of Brand Aid, an Amazon.com gift certificate or a Starbucks gift card through a random drawing.

The average time to take the survey is less than 10 minutes. Please click here and help us make a difference.

We will report the results and the winners here on Branding Strategy Insider prior to election day.

Thanks in advance.

Derrick Daye and Brad VanAuken

Sponsored By: Brand Aid

BrandQuote - September 28

“Marketing is too important to be left to the marketing department”

            -David Packard, Hewlett-Packard

Sponsored By: Brand Aid

Advertising in Color

Did you know? Ads in color are read up to 42% more often than the same ads in black and white (as shown in study of phone directory ads).

See here for more on the significant impact of color.

Source: White, Jan V., Color for Impact, Strathmoor Press, April, 1997

Sponsored By: Brand Aid

Branding: Just Ask...

Richard, a Marketing VP in San Diego asks:

"What are your thoughts on when a brand name like Xerox becomes the generic term for photocopying?"

Richard, thanks for asking. That a brand name becomes the category descriptor is a double edged sword. While it is flattering that the brand has such a presence in the market that it becomes the name for the category, this also makes its name much more difficult to protect legally. Also, the brand's points of difference disappear as the category becomes synonymous with the brand. The way to address this is to always say "Kleenex branded facial tissue," "Xerox branded copiers," "Band-Aid branded adhesive bandages," etc. Question 14 in appendix C in Brad's book Brand Aid lists many brands that have become category generic descriptors.

Have a question related to branding? Just Ask…

Sponsored By: Brand Aid

Scent Marketing Success: Step 2 of 10

2) Define your brands “Whiff Factor”

In the context of multi-sensory marketing, audio and visual stimuli combined account for 87% of a brand’s communication with the consumer. The next best option is to exploit the olfactory properties of your product. Touch and taste, the remaining two senses, apply to an even lesser degree to most brands and products.

Think about what you already have included in your marketing plan and a scent marketing consultant will be able to explain (and execute) how you can use scent to enhance your:

•    Marketing collateral (business cards, stationary, brochures)
•    Promotional items
•    Promotional events & trade shows
•    Affinity cards/credit cards
•    Gift certificates/redemption programs
•    Print advertising/banners/signage
•    Point of Purchase displays/in-store displays/digital signage
•    Product manufacturing
•    Product packaging
•    Environments (retail space/lobbies/offices/waiting rooms)

If you have a product with a scent (think Starbucks) you may already cover some of those areas but in many cases there is much more left that you can do to maximize consumer impact through scent. If your product does not inherently have a scent a carefully designed signature scent may be a key differentiating opportunity in your category.

I'll explore how to create a signature scent in step 3 here on BSI.

Courtesy of Harald Vogt, Scent Marketing Institute

Sponsored By: Brand Aid

Beyond Brand Preference

There's a coveted place beyond brand preference. It's called brand insistence. You're there when your brand is perceived to be the only viable solution for the customer’s need. Put another way, the customer does not pursue substitutes if the brand is not available. The brand has established a consideration set of one.

Achieving brand insistence requires overcoming 6 of 7 steps in the ladder of the mind. The consideration set continuum looks like this:

•    I would never choose to buy this brand
•    I’ve never heard of this brand
•    I’ve heard of this brand but don’t know much about it
•    Not one of my preferred brands but I’d try it under certain circumstances
•    Not one of my preferred brands but from what I’ve heard about it recently I’d like to try it/try it again
•    This is one of my preferred brands
•    This is the only brand I would ever consider buying

Brand insistence is reserved for those brands that have been carefully designed to posses these characteristics: relevant differentiated benefits for their target customers, ability to build strong emotional connections, have a high degree of awareness, are perceived to deliver deep value for the price and are easily accessible.

These drivers work together to move customers from 1. being aware of your brand 2. purchasing your brand 3. preferring your brand 4. being loyal to your brand to 5. insisting on your brand.

Sponsored By: Brand Aid

BrandQuote - August 8

"The most powerful element in advertising is the truth."
          
                   - Bill Bernbach, Advertising Legend

Sponsored By: Brand Aid

Scent Marketing Success: Step 1 of 10

1) Understand the potential of scent

The sense of smell is the strongest of all human senses. It reminds us of experiences – good and bad – we may have had decades ago. Scent travels straight to the limbic system in our brain – which is responsible for memory and emotion.

For marketing purposes, scents have proven to work well in two areas:

•    The Cognitive, in which they make us recognize a product and trigger a desire or memory that may end up in a decision or a purchase. The ideal application is to stop a passer-by by projecting that product’s scent into her path. Consumer research shows that once a scent is dispersed, related products are perceived of higher quality and value. For instance a scented toilet paper was perceived softer than the identical, unscented version.

•    The Emotional, in which scents make us feel comfortable, “at home”, influencing our perception of the passing of time (slower in a scented environment as proven in Las Vegas casinos) and space (a scented room is perceived larger than an unscented room).  Scent can generate an environment where we like to stay longer and consume more.

The key potential of scent marketing for a brand is the lasting association of a scent with a certain event or environment. Evoking a positive sensory experience with your brand can give your product or service an edge in a sea of consumer choices.

Courtesy of Harald Vogt, Scent Marketing Institute

Sponsored By: Brand Aid

The Corporate Reputation Factor

In his white paper, “Communication as Value Builder,” Dr. David Jensen, Senior Vice President with Ketchum in Atlanta, cites a 1998 study by the Wirthlin Group, which concludes that:

•    “Companies with good reputations are 7 times more likely to command premium prices for their products and services,
•    5 times more likely to have their stock recommended,
•    4 times more likely to be recommended as a good place to work,
•    3 times more likely to be recommended as a joint venture partner, and
•    1.5 times more likely to receive the benefit of the doubt.”

Sponsored By: Brand Aid

Great Moments in Advertising: The First Agency

N.W. Ayer & Son was the first advertising agency in the United States, founded in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1869. N.W. Ayer was responsible for some of the most enduring slogans in advertising history, including:

"When it rains it pours", advertising salt for Morton Salt, coined in 1912 "I'd walk a mile for a Camel", advertising Camel cigarettes for R.J. Reynolds Tobacco, coined in 1921. Sometimes this slogan was formed into a jingle,"I'd walk a mile for a mild, mild Camel." "A diamond is forever", advertising diamonds for De Beers, coined in 1948 "Reach out and touch someone", advertising long-distance telephone service for AT&T, coined in 1979 "Be all you can be", advertising military service for the United States Army, coined in 1981.

In 1973, the company relocated to New York, New York. Following a general trend in the advertising industry, N.W. Ayer was subject to a number of mergers and acquisitions and was eventually acquired by the Publicis Groupe (based in Paris, France), which closed down the N.W. Ayer offices in 2002.

Sponsored By: Brand Aid