Helene #6

Landor:

I have never heard of brand consulting firms before entering this program. It was difficult for me to understand how they were different from advertising agencies, and what were their precise activities.

The scope of what this Agency does is reinforcing my decision to enter the fields of communications. I was completely seduced by the presentation at Landor. As soon as I heard this sentence: “Every brand needs a story. Without a story, you become a commodity”, branding became one of my new interests. The objective to revitalize brands in order to appeal to new target audiences is very motivating. Branding agencies have to produce core brand claims, reasons for consumers to believe in that claim, and verbal, visual, and business implications, which is a big work. Thanks to this visit, I decided to apply to branding agencies for my summer internship. I would love working at Landor, especially in their Alcohol district (Moët & Chandon, Smirnoff). I have many ideas regarding this particular sector.

Brands face diverse opportunities and challenges related to their identity and their role in the mind of a consumer.

One of the main challenges for brands is to always bring something new. They need to make sure to offer something different than their competitors to their consumers, in order to have a unique identity. They have to innovate and to succeed in creative strategy. Brands need to build around them an inspiring story, so that people remember about them. This important challenge is also, in my opinion, an opportunity to exercise creativity. In addition, brands need to build an identity that appears relevant and attractive to their target audience. They have to always be up to date and actualize their image in order to appeal to the people they try to target. Moreover, an important challenge for brands is to concentrate on one message, in order to have a significant impact on consumers’ minds.

Brands have the challenge to build a story that is different, a story that will make you laugh, make you cry, or that you will just simply remember.

Danone-Danup: Here is a project Landor did for Danone, trying to revitalize the brand in order to appeal to young people. They used the phrasing “dnp” referring to the term “omg” used by youth. With this brand voice and the new packaging, the sales increased in 10%.

Current Event:

Twitter website has faced a significant design change yesterday. According to Ad Age, this may lead to a big increase in the website’s revenues, thanks to promoted tweets: “If the move makes Twitter ads more desirable, it will drive bidding prices up and yield more ad revenue for Twitter. Also significant is the fact that Twitter only charges advertisers when a user somehow engages with a promoted tweet -- by favoriting it or retweeting it, for example. With an ad that occupies much more real estate, the likelihood of an engagement is higher ».


TTIY :

This week, I looked deeply in the brands website in order to understand its communication plan and strategy. I learned more about its clothing fabrication/retailing/selling process (vertical integrated model), and the different attributes that made the brand identity unique.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T4vNPvQc9e8

Wangdi Entry #6

Landor

This is it. Branding agencies, or maybe just Landor, is what I am looking for. Yes, the space was wonderful, yes the presentation was perfection, yes the fun and close knit community of the office was evident during the interaction of our two speakers. However, the work that goes on here and the brands that are clients to Landor are a whole perfect package for me. I love that work is very much about strategy. I was glad that she brought up that the theory/ideas are the easy part, whereas the execution is the difficult part. The challenge she presented was the very thing that I would love to do. There was a balance of both the creative and the strategic work at play. I had mentioned in one of my earlier blog post that the reason I was interested in advertising was because of the creative aspect of it. Although we discussed that it is complex to really distinguish between branding and advertising, I am really drawn to the type of work Ms. Mimi Chakravorti is doing at Landor. The presentation of her team's work with rebranding Crown Royal demonstrated the mix of generating ideas and executing plans to bring the project to life. While one may argue that it is hard to distinguish between advertising work and branding work, I like that branding is more about telling the story of the brand and establishing its identity. Whereas, advertising usually has to do with using creative concepts to sell a product or a brand. I view advertising as the next step beyond branding.

I think one of the main challenges brands face is their aspiration to gain brand loyalists. If we talk about the achieving the impossible, then the challenge would be for brands to achieve brand loyalists who will last for eternity. In terms of opportunities brands face as related to their identity and role in the minds of consumers, the innovation of technology lends creative marketing tools that could aid brands in the process of reaching out to alternative markets.

TTYI: Virgin America and Emirates Airline Announce Frequent Flyer Partnership!

Emirates and Virgin America have announced a frequent flyer partnership that allows members of both airlines' frequent flyer programs to earn and redeem* points or miles for travel across their networks.
The two airlines are respectively recognized as best-in-class for global and U.S. domestic service. Members of Emirates Skywards frequent flyer program will be able to earn Skywards miles when traveling on all Virgin America flights and can redeem their Skywards miles for reward flights on all Virgin America routes. Members of Virgin America's Elevate frequent flyer program can now earn Elevate points when flying with Emirates to one of its 135 destinations in 76 countries, including Dubai and beyond, as well as redeem their Elevate points for international reward flights on any route flown by Emirates including those out of New York (JFK), San Francisco (SFO), Los Angeles (LAX), Washington (IAD), Seattle (SEA), Houston (IAH), Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) and Boston (BOS). Additionally, Elevate members will have the opportunity to earn and redeem points on Emirates' new non-stop service between New York and Milan.

 Emirates is currently the only carrier to offer a First Class cabin service between these two cities. Phil Seward of Virgin America spoke about the partnership with Emirates:

"We're able to offer enhanced international travel options; Emirates' network can take Elevate members to the Middle East and beyond... Virgin America is an airline recognized for high-quality guest service and unique tech-forward in-flight amenities. In Emirates we have found a partner that also offers guests an attractive mix of award-winning service, innovative in-flight entertainment and other features."

To celebrate the launch of the frequent flyer partnership, one lucky Elevate member will "Win a Dream Trip to Dubai with Emirates" which includes two round trip Economy class tickets on Emirates to Dubai for an exclusive VIP experience that includes a three-night stay at Dubai's iconic Atlantis, The Palm resort, a Dolphin Encounter at the resort's Dolphin Bay,  and a unique all-inclusive dinner in the desert dunes.  All Elevate members will also earn 250 Elevate points for entering the promotion.

Emirates is the fifth airline to join Virgin America's Elevate frequent flyer program, which also includes Virgin Atlantic, Virgin Australia, Singapore Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines. 

Catherine post #6

I was really excited to see a branding agency because I have an interest in that kind of work. I liked that Landor has many global offices, even one in Singapore where I was raised. Office design always plays a huge part in whether or not I like a company. I think the interior design shows the company culture and also influences the office dynamics. I liked Landor’s décor, it seemed clean and cosy – like a place I could potentially work at. Although there aren’t clean cut lines between different agencies, I like that the work varies from client to client and agency to agency. I am unsure if I prefer advertising or branding because the results of advertising seems more measurable by each campaign but branding projects seem to tackle the bigger picture which I like as well. I was moved by the videos we watched and certainly hope to create something that would connect emotionally with the target audience.

Honest Slogans Poke Fun At Brands

I thought this article and the slogans in it were really funny. That made me think about our class at Landor. Brands try so hard to brand themselves a certain way, evoke emotions and tell a story. However, branding is the positioning a brand has in the consumer's head and sometimes a set image is hard to change or the image sticks in consumer heads differently. Although I think Victoria's Secret has great branding, the slogan above is very true as well. The brand is controversial for promoting an ideal and unattainable image of women. They get a lot of bad news for it but that also generates tons of revenue for them. The insecurity of women leads to desires and aspirations to be like the VS angels and then leads belief of the advertising they get and then to the purchase of their products. The path may not be linear but it certainly exists.

The Sexist Video You’ll Watch All Year

I wrote about the behind the scenes photos for this holiday commercial shoot a few weeks ago. Now the behind the scenes video and interview video is up! Cosmopolitan dubbed it “The Sexist Video You’ll Watch All Year”, I beg to differ but let’s not go there. The models did not talk about themselves much during the video. They were constantly throwing in lines about how wonderful the bras were, how the darker colors for winter were so sexy etc. This behind the scenes video is also another form of advertisement for the company. Victoria’s Secret definitely profits a lot during the holiday season so it is important to generate the hype for its collection and get people to start thinking about gifting already. The “Very Sexy” collection is always the one that the brand focuses on for most of its commercials because the name is catchy and symbolizes the brand’s essence. The other lines like “Body” or “Incredible” seem to be left behind. The Holiday Collection is actually not anything new but a series put together by products from different lines that carry Holiday appropriate colors. That way, VS gets to market many different lines together to encourage browsing through all of those to select the best gifts. 

Monica Nguyen Blog #6

Landor

I really enjoyed our visit to Landor last week. I loved the creativity behind their brands and was really immersed in Mimi’s presentation every step of the way. She had a very aesthetically pleasing presentation mixed with media to keep our attention. 

This agency was particularly interesting because after talking with Barbara about maybe getting into branding for my internship, I wanted to learn more about it. Before I thought I just wanted to do Public Relations but now I am really interested in Branding because it includes two of my passions: design and communications.

I’ve heard about Branding before but was not exactly sure what it was so this visit helped me learn a lot. Also, Mimi was also so passionate about her job, which was really motivating and inspirational. 

While I really liked Landor, I would prefer to do branding in a corporate environment for the summer internship.

The Target is You: IBM Smarter Planet Update

On October 24, IBM posted an article on their blog titled “Why College Kids Should Tune Into The Cloud” which really caught my eye because it ties into how I am the target. IBM Smarter Planet has many smart initiatives that I have mentioned in my previous blog posts but this is the first time I will be

talking about the IBM Cloud. I found this article on both their facebook and twitter posts. 

IBM provides a cloud-computing service that will let universities and colleges build custom private clouds that can be integrated into public cloud services.

The IBM SmartCloud for Education, as it's called an infrastructure service and the service is built on IBM hardware servers and uses open software from the Virtual Computing Lab which is built by and for education under a collaboration project that started a number of years ago with North Carolina State University. Some technology developed by IBM has been donated to the Apache Foundation.

IBM's SmartCloud for Education aims to work with universities to design cloud services that could help them better tackle tasks such as analyzing student enrollment and retention, identifying students at risk of failing, and managing financial aid as well as campus security.

Program Director David Garrison of Saint Mary’s University discussed how if someone mentioned “the cloud” to his students a long time ago, they might have looked to the sky. However today, many now understand that cloud computing architectures are the foundation for big business around the world. But it’s more personal than that. Many recognize that much of their own content (homework, music, pictures, etc.) are stored somewhere else and simply accessed via the cloud. They also understand that computing services, mobile apps, and other content delivering services, are all consumed via the cloud.

As a student, the cloud for me is where I get, store, and share my information. The cloud has no geographical boundaries. Colleges have an obligation to deepen their commitment to students by educating them on the transformational field of cloud computing.  IBM has provided us students to use cloud computing to our advantage. 

Current Event

Today PR Daily posted an article with a great article and infographic titled “Don’t Mix Social Media and Alcohol." Crisis communicator Jonathan Bernstein noted that keeping alcohol out of the mix isn’t as obvious as it seems.

“Most people wouldn’t hold a press conference or shareholder meeting after spending a few hours at the bar,” he wrote, “yet for some reason many of those same people feel strangely comfortable sharing to social media when they’re in the midst of tying one on.”

I am a big fan of infographics and I used to create them all the time myself. I think it’s a great way to tell a story without so many words. It’s especially a fun one when the topic can be humorous.

Rachel Palekar - Blog #6

TTIY:

Burt's Bees has expanded its reach to pet care! On October 24th, The Sacramento Bee PR Newswire published an article titled: Burt's Bees™ Natural Pet Care Available At Phillips Pet Food & Supplies.

I think this is a great addition to 

their already wonderful product 

selection. People who love their 

pets will be happy to see that BB now offers a natural line to cleanse their pets. Phillips Pet 

is a "premier pet food and pet supply distributor." 

The inclusion of such a supplier will 

expand the reach of Burt's Bees, altering their standard target audience of people who wish to use natural products...on themselves. The usual standards for the company's products are upheld for this line as well. The article states, "Burt's Bees™ Natural Pet Care upholds the rigorous natural standards of Burt's Bees® products. Products are pH balanced for pets and contain no Parabens, Phthalates, Petrochemicals, Synthetic Fragrances, or Sulfates." More information about this new collaboration with Fetch…for pets! can be found at the website www.burtsbeespets.com.

Current Event:

Is this for real? Lulu App - an application made for women's eyes only. This is a mobile app that allows anonymous posts from females about males, in creation of a profile page that rates guys on a scale of 1 to 10. In addition to this, there are hashtags that are used to describe the guys such as #oneofthegoodones or #friendzone. I think this is a clever, yet dangerous application that runs the risk of being a major violation of privacy. If such an application was created to judge women, there would be an instant uprising of angry females and hysteria would ensue. Is this application sexist? Are men bothered by this? 

Currently the app has over 1 million users that are rating men via their Facebook profiles. It utilizes the powerful word-of-mouth phenomenon to build guys up, or drag them down. There are many opinions forming about this app, such as, it is a means for cyber bullying. Will it stand the test of time or will its minute of fame quickly fade? We will see!

I quite enjoyed this branding agency. I loved that we were welcomed so graciously, offered refreshments, and were not gawked at as we took our tour around the office. Overall, I felt that there was a very positive vibe at this agency, that was not as tangible in other agencies. I loved the creative booklet that they distributed - it allowed us to get a feel for their work and their brand style. I was previously interested in branding but this visit verified and solidified my interest. I love that the agency gets to work so in depth with one project, and is involved with many details along the long journey of the brand creation. I think brands are challenged constantly because they have to be memorable, relatable and desirable among their audience at all times in order to survive. This sustainability is dependent on the brand story and the aura that surrounds the brand. I like that the branding team gets to build the product's story and bring it to life. 

Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/2013/10/24/5848402/burts-bees-natural-pet-care-available.html#storylink=cpy

R eaCd mCurrent ore here: http://www.sacbee.com/2013/10/24/5848402/burts-bees-natural-pet-care-available.html#storylink=cpy

Wei Yun Lim's Blog Post #6

Due to the fact that I was not present at Landor, I am unable to comment. However, I have heard that it was wonderful, that I missed out on a lively and entertaining discussion, and that there were free chips.

Needless to say, I really wish I could have been there.

On a brighter note, I have been conducting research on Amazon Kindle. Recently, they decided to conduct a movie tie-in with Catching Fire, the latest Hunger Games movie that stemmed from the book series with the same title. They have organized a sweepstakes, which they have 'starred' and 'pinned' on their Facebook page:

However, in order to join the sweepstakes, you are told to 'Like' the Facebook page. This is a pretty clever tactic, as Facebook will tell all your friends when you have 'Like'-d a page, which also lures them into going and checking the page out.

After you have liked the page, this is what you will see:

Pretty hefty prizes, if you ask me. I noted how they asked you to input your e-mail and phone number. Well, I'll definitely be checking my e-mail plenty of times to see if I won anything, and if they plan to use your e-mail for the purpose of sending you promotional e-mails. But what is even more interesting is that they guide you into telling your friends about these sweepstakes. 

Furthermore, they also have a button stating "Click here to shop for your Kindle Fire HDX", telling you of the perks of Kindle. 

An advertisement in the form of a contest: very tempting!

Ariel Feldman's Blog Post #6

The Evolving Industry continues to be my favorite class of the semester. I really love going to all of the different companies and seeing how they work within the industry, what their different functions are, and how they relate to the bigger picture of the communications industry as a whole. I especially had some enlightening moments when we went to Cohn & Wolfe - and that alone has been very invaluable in terms of helping me choose my career path.

In terms of Dove, I am learning more about their corporate branding and imaging when it comes to their women's products, and there have been a lot of articles recently about their Self-Esteem Campaign. (This is one of them: http://www.glamour.com/beauty/blogs/girls-in-the-beauty-department/2013/10/change-your-life-tips-5-little.html) A lot of fashion magazines that target young girls are pairing with Dove to add some context to the Self-Esteem Campaign and I think that's wonderful because it's such a natural way to reach these girls in their own habitats, it almost is fully integrated into their lives. Also, Mayor Bloomberg has even gotten involved in the discussion (http://healthland.time.com/2013/10/02/bloombergs-quixotic-campaign-to-boost-girls-self-esteem/) which gives a public affairs boost to this issue and heightens the authority of Dove's brand, connecting it with someone in a position of power. 

In terms of Landor, although I had to leave after the presentation (which was quite embarrassing and I apologize for any disruption that caused!!!) I was really struck by the amount of different things that people who focus on branding have their hands in at any given time. From packaging to logos to company ethos, Landor seems to do it all. I was really fascinated by the work they do to boost company morale (P&G was an example) and I never really thought about the work it takes internally to get employees to "buy-in" to the vibes that a brand is trying to "sell". I really enjoyed Landor and thought that the presenter was incredibly well spoken and worldly, and it was truly a pleasure listening to her. Luckily, the ice I had my hand in melted just when she finished speaking! 

Tanya Dentham: Blog #6

This class has really flown by and it's crazy! But I am still enjoying every session. I was looking forward to visit Landor and I have to say that I absolutely loved it! It is by far my favorite visit. Being at Landor was a nostalgic reminder of why I have chosen to pursue a major in Marketing for my undergraduate degree in the first place. I love the dynamics and the creativity behind Marketing and the different functions under the umbrella. Marketing, strategy and branding go hand in hand, which was why I was so intrigued that Landor touched on all aspects. Mimi’s presentation was very creative and interactive as it encouraged so many thoughtful discussions and insights. I loved that Mimi took a different approach of defining “Brand” as the story and signal. The challenge that brands face in the market is to compete with other brands in the market and to be able to occupy a position in consumer’s minds. This has become more difficult in today’s world as millions of brands have some sort of role in the competitive scene. The opportunities that may arise from this challenge, however, is to be able to come up with sharp ideas that lead to break through executions. Furthermore, brands must be able to pick touch point battles in order to stand out and be competitive. I think this is why branding has become so important in our society because everything we use or consume is a brand in itself. 

I thought Landor was different than any agency that I have ever been in contact with, particularly because of the job functions and responsibilities. My initial thoughts was then confirmed when Tam spoke about her experience and how she switched from Google to Landor - meaning that Landor had something worthwhile to offer. I began to reflect upon my past career choices. While at Grey, I was able to work on several accounts - some of which did not have a brand story at all. This was why I enjoyed defining the brand from scratch. It was definitely challenging because I had to work on the brand’s character, brand architecture and finally, executing a brand communications strategy. An advertising agency however, is very different than a branding agency. Though there may have been some overlaps, my job was usually completed at the very beginning stages and more focused on communications. While I had and still have my mind set on corporate/client side just so that I can practice marketing strategy and branding to its fullest, our visit to Landor definitely gave me something else to think about. I have stated in my previous posts that agencies are not the way to go for me; I may have companies like Landor as alternatives when it comes to picking my internships.

Current Events:

A summary of brands and its movements in the market:

Twitter seeks $1.4 billion in biggest web IPO since Facebook and hires NBC vet as news chief. 

Microsoft shares jump 5 percent on positive earnings. 

Instagram rolls out in-stream ads as Facebook seeks boost in mobile revenues.

AT&T leans on less-lucrative tablets.

Apple sees Carl Icahn raise his stake in company and demand $150-billion buyback, while its VP of product design goes to Tesla. 

BMW unveils 2 series coupes. 

Boeing gets $21 billion in plane orders from China, report says. 

BP ramps up drilling again.

Chipotle backs "Food for Thought" content area on Huffington Post.

Chobani touts quality in new campaign after recall.

Coca-Cola Femsa says new tax in Mexico would hurt jobs.

Dunkin' Donuts rolls out enhanced loyalty program.

Famous Dave's focuses on improving same-store sales.

Ford settles class action over Navistar diesels.

Google signs cross-media ad deal with Publicis. 

Heineken USA loses CMO to Weight Watchers.

Hyundai plans to launch Genesis sedan in Europe.

McDonald's urged worker to seek federal aid to make ends meet.

Nestle expands ice-cream factory in Egypt.

P&G says profits rise on higher sales.

Samsung fined by Taiwan body for slandering local rival.

Jil Sander departs her fashion house—again.

Southwest opens door to charging bag fees.

Toyota is found liable in fatal wreck in Oklahoma.

Unilever defends itself against jobs critique of sustainability strategy as its growth tapers.

United blames weakness on software woes.

Volkswagen Group opens Skoda plant in China.

Source: http://www.brandchannel.com/home/post/2013/10/25/Brand-News-102513AM.aspx#continue

These actions taken by brands, such as product launches, new campaign roll out, expansion and so on, are tactics that keep the brands on top of their game. Many of the brands listed above have been well established for a long time (e.g. Coca Cola, Toyota etc), but they still seek ways to improve their overall brand by reinventing the old continuously. This leads back to Mimi’s discussion about how brands need to seek ideas that will break them through the clutter, especially when competition is high.

TTIY Project Update:

In the past week, B&BW’s social media has been about signature collection product introductions – a continuation from last week’s efforts. They have been introducing new products and reintroducing the old.  B&BW has done so across all social media platforms – Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram.

After being inactive on youtube, B&BW has also uploaded new videos on their channel. I think that they could do more on their Youtube channel because it gets their message across quickly without people needing to read any descriptions.

In the past week, B&BW has integrated the “fall” season to their products. One of B&BW’s blog posts has been dedicated to matching scents with fall colors. Sometimes it may be hard to shop for new fall fragrances, especially when there are so many to choose from. However, color is a great influence to select the right fragrance for customers. Editors of B&BW are currently talking about dark, textured greens, crimson reds and sunset-kissed colors.

Examples:

Burgundy: Frosted Cranberry

Goldenrod: Country Chic, Dark Amber, Aspen Autumn Day

Hunter Green: Crisp Golden Pair, Eucalyptus Spearmint

All NEW Signature Collection FOR MEN: This past week, B&BW also introduced the ultimate in every day Body Care for men. The products come with more moisture, more Shea & more of everything men love.  What is interesting about this line is that the product looks sleeker and simpler than the ones targeted at women. I think that the main reason is to probably differentiate the product from the other products. Also, I like how they kept the same packaging bottle shape to align it with the general B&BW products. The fact that B&BW has branched into the men target segment is a great way of reaching the target. While this specific product may not appeal to me, it may encourage me to purchase it for my father, brother or guy friends. 

“Fall look”: It’s beginning to look like fall on the B&BW’s website page. Their products, especially the candles give off the vibe of fall season by using lighter colors and sophisticated writing designs. I think that this is a strong point that B&BW has always leveraged on – by making products of different seasons stand out from each other. It definitely allows the audience to differentiate the products from each other!

In other areas, B&BW is still focusing their efforts in providing great deals and promotions for their products. More of these deals and promotions would come around the holiday seasons and more often than other times of the year. I think that they can maybe do more with their promotions to seek other ways to reach audiences like me and maybe be more engaging rather than just pushing sales only.

Khue Ngo Blog #6

My Take on Current Events: Facebook survey

I logged into Facebook today and saw this survey question beneath a promoted post for Tory Burch. It asked me about the commercial level of the story. Apparently they want to improve the News Feed function. I first thought it was a good way to get user feedback about how they feel about promoted posts.

However, the same survey question appeared beneath a post from one of my best friends, which is something that I found very confusing. I do not know exactly how they are going to use the feedback about the commercial level of personal posts, but I thought the fact that Facebook is asking for their users’ thoughts is quite interesting. I do not think that this has happened before. Normally, one logs into Facebook and all of the sudden the home page has a new feature, or the entire website is completely redesigned. Listening to user opinions might be a good start to counteracting the general dissatisfaction the crowd feels about the many unannounced changes the site is making. However, the relevance or insightfulness of the question asked is to be challenged.

My TTIY Project

The other day I was looking for some dresses online and also visited the American Eagle website. I found some very nice-looking dresses on sale that I wanted to buy. I am not a big fan of online shopping, which is why I decided to stop by the American Eagle store at Times Square. When I got there, I was very disappointed: They did not have the dresses in their inventory because it is quite cold in New York, and the dresses were meant for the stores in warmer regions. The only way for me to get them is to order them online. However, they told me that I could order them without paying and have them shipped to their New York store. Then I could go there to see if I really wanted these items before I really buy them. On the one hand, I think this is an acceptable solution. On the other hand, I think my disappointment could have been avoided if they tailored their website to locations based on IP addresses (I guess it should work!). This way, when I visit the online shop from New York, they could only show items that are available here and also appropriate for the current weather. All the items that are only available in warmer regions can for example be subsumed in an “online only” section. This way, I would still have access to everything on the website if I wanted to shop directly online, but I would not be disappointed when going to the store and not finding the items that I wanted to buy.

My Recap

I was really looking forward to our visit to Landor, as branding is one of the communications fields that I find very intriguing, yet I never fully grasped the concept of it. The image in my head that I had for branding that it was the same as advertising, except that they do the campaigns and communications for the brands and not for the products. From what we learned at Landor, though, it is much more about strategy than the actual execution. Nevertheless, I still find is highly interesting. One thing I loved was when Mimi said that branding sometimes goes into such detail as to pick the right type of paperclips for the office, which basically represents the notion of telling the story to perfection.

As to opportunities: There is always a battle between agencies about who is actually “owning” the brand because everybody wants to be the owner. With some clients Landor has the opportunity to really be “the owner”, which is something I find quite appealing. You get to be the ones that set the tone for everyone else. However, this can be a challenge at the same time, as one has to put some time and effort into fighting off other agencies that try to steal the ownership of the brand. Other challenges are that brand stories have to break through the clutter the same way as every other message has to these days. Also, Mimi mentioned that it is very hard to put good brand ideas and stories into practice and execute them right.