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.
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.
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.
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