Brand Innovators’ Post

Brands face a constant competitive battle with private label products. A cost-of-living crisis simply intensifies this. In general, this is legitimate commercial pressure that brands must live with. It is a debate for another day, but we must also reference that, too often, private label products stray into blatant, ‘parasitic’ copying that replicate visual assets that brands have spent many years and resources building. Such copying often misleads and manipulates shoppers and it seems reasonable that brands should get more legal protection than they currently have to resist this. Magnum’s response to the fact that all retailers have a Magnum copy in every store is bold. Ultimately, this is a quality play. A focus on the product and brand attributes – the benefits and reasons to believe – that demonstrate a Magnum is superior to the copycats. We love the attention to detail e.g. the cracking of the chocolate plus sound effect beautifully magnifies the experiential elements that build brand difference. Magnum knows it also needs to create an emotional connection - the product superiority messaging is wrapped up in a humorous human story. By the way, the posters are great too. Advertising core product truths and building emotional connection is what brands do. Tackling private label competition head on is what great brands do. Read more: https://lnkd.in/esxx6q_J #WhatBrandsDo #BrandAdvertising #Marketing #ParasiticCopying Unilever

Super article on Members Keogh's Crisps on how Tom Keogh has driven the brand in a new and innovative direction. https://lnkd.in/eF4eKSt6

Brand Collaboration Alert: Coca-Cola 🤝 Oreo Just caught wind of this game-changing partnership, and my marketer's brain is buzzing! Coca-Cola and Oreo are blending their iconic flavours in a way that's got me rethinking everything I thought I knew about co-branding. We're talking cookies with a fizzy twist and a soda that tastes like cookies. It's wild, it's innovative, and it's absolutely brilliant. Why this collaboration has me excited: 1. It's pushing boundaries. Who said a cookie can't fizz or a soda can't crunch? 2. The cross-pollination of brand identities is seamless. It's not just slapping logos together; it's a true fusion of flavours and experiences. 3. They're covering all bases - from grocery stores to McDonald's. Talk about maximizing reach! But here's what really gets me: This isn't just about new products. It's a masterclass in creating buzz, tapping into nostalgia, and staying relevant in a crowded market. I can't help but wonder: How will this move the needle for both brands? Will we see a surge in brand loyalty? Or perhaps an influx of new, younger consumers drawn by the novelty? What do you think? Is this the future of brand partnerships? Or is it just a fleeting sugar rush? #BrandInnovation #MarketingStrategy #ConsumerTrends #bestiemode

First, collabs: they are hit & miss -- brands that don't belong together are crashed together because (as marketing people shout) that's 'unexpected' (of course it is, because they don't belong - don't turn an absurdity into a virtue). And then brands that are or can be indeed inter-relevant, and the combination is just a thing of beauty (my favored: Nike & Tiffany (but not Gucci & Tiffany) Second, the marketing idea per se: really cool, and it does create a buzz - even though I can't see the product combo logic really. Third, the reality: it's gimmicky, and I'd be surprised if both parties think that it'll last any longer than the sheer short time of the promotion. I'm sure the soda tastes terrible, and I'm sure the cookie will be as terrible. Consumers can be (temporarily) impressed, but they are not stupid. Y'know what would be cool? Coke and Tiffany ('open Happiness' applies equally to a contour bottle and to a blue box), or Oreo and Intel (in both, the greatness is 'inside'), or Oreo and Shaquille (both are based on dunkin).

What's the most interesting 'distinctive brand asset' you've come across? Here's one that is built on a problem. I took my daughter and her friend to Nando's the other week. There were lots of Heinz bottles on the condiment stand. We took one and tried to get it to pour. Nothing. We took another. Same problem. We stuck a knife in the neck to try and get it to come out more quickly. What we should have done is tilt the bottle to the perfect angle of 36.978 degrees. This was one of the campaigns that turned around the success of Heinz in North America. Fergus O'Carroll's excellent podcast, On Strategy Showcase, tells the story with Julian Morgan and Mike Dubrick from Rethink who did it by 'leveraging product truths'. These product truths were built on 2 things. Moments where the brand was present and making more of them (like being the centre of the BBQ table - see their banter with Corona on who 'owns the patio'). And moments rooted in 'distinctive brand assets' - i.e. the association we all have with Heinz and the slow pour from the bottle. Other brands would have 'fixed' the problem but Heinz know this is something rooted in our memories around Heinz ketchup. It's a strong brand association based on a moment we're all familiar with. We have the patience to wait for it because the product is so good. So the Rethink team really capitalised on it and created a new label placed on the bottle at exactly the right angle for the pour. Not only does this strengthen our brand associations, it helps to stop people in their tracks in the aisles and re-engage with the product. Other brands have distinctive brand assets rooted in product moments. Like the Oreo twist. The pop of the Pringles can. But few are based on something that can also be a frustration. Can you think of any others?? #branding #marketing #strategy #brandstrategy #brandbuilding

Delighted to see this article in The Grocer about challenger brands defying conventional naming conventions and creating moments of joy in what are often seemingly dull categories - a topic we cover in our latest newsletter 😀 Who Gives A Crap has over 300K followers - not bad for toilet roll which isn't normally the topic of most people's conversations! Link to our article is in the comments below, and it's on Hummingbird Insights website. #marketing #brand #marketresearch #insight Morag Spencer https://lnkd.in/edfNv3nv

Worst rebrand in history? Tropicana’s 2009 rebrand attempt definitely takes a front seat. They first blew $35,000,000 in an advertising campaign promoting the new packaging. Then their sales dropped 20% in the first month, resulting in another $30,000,000 loss. Less than two months after the rebrand launch, Tropicana announced they are reverting back to the original design. The role of packaging in purchasing decisions is far greater than you can imagine! Consumers feel an emotional bond with the appearance of the product and brand they love. If you want to redesign your product’s packaging, make sure you do not change everything at once. The changes need to be done progressively to ensure the consumer will still recognize the brand. When I was growing up my favorite beverage was Snapple! Kiwi Strawberry of course. That all changed when they switched their iconic glass bottles to plastic. 😞 Do you recall losing interest in a favorite brand because of its new packaging design?

For a brand that hasn’t changed its iconic product since 1759, it’s a remarkable marketing success story and one that proves the value in understanding your brand’s unique DNA. https://ow.ly/nrmV50Q3BTf #IconicBrand #BrandDNA #MarketingStrategy #BrandIdentity #BrandValue #Guinness

Totally agree! This case shows how important it is to keep your brand familiar to customers. As a designer, l've seen other brands face similar problems. Never forget the Gap's 2010 logo change was poorly received, forcing them to revert to the original within a week. Instagram's 2016 new logo got mixed reactions at first, but it worked out because they kept the app's features the same. These examples show that small, careful changes work better than big ones. Have you seen any other rebrands that sparked strong reactions?

A good reminder of the impact brand changes can have on end consumer behavior. Rebranding goes beyond changing colors and fonts—it’s a strategic move that can significantly impact your buisness. Done right, it enhances brand recognition, aligns with market trends and sets you apart from competitors. Done wrong, it can hurt your bottom line.