Snow Business

Unless you’ve lived under a massive rock for the past month, you’ll be acutely aware of the icy wintry weather that’s plagued Europe for most of December and more recently, the North East Seaboard in the US.

Flight delays, traffic chaos, icy pavements and closed stores have brought misery to millions of people during the Holiday season.

But, the doom and gloom aside, some brands seem to have come across rather well in the wintry weather and used it to their advantage.

As ever, it’s two classy British brands that have showed a stiff upper lip and cavalier attitude to the snow.


John Lewis

As we all started slipping on pavements and freezing our bottoms off with cracked water pipes; the range of scarves, coats and boots at John Lewis were more appealing than ever. “The harsh winter weather seems to be here to stay, you might want to invest in a thick winter coat and a pile of cosy jumpers.”


Land Rover

The snow also showed how inept most people are at driving in the snow, that's if they could even get their car off the drive. According to Land Rover’s brand director, John Edwards, interest in Land Rover products were up a third this month and the website received tens of thousands of extra hits. What’s more (pushing all the PR buttons), the 4x4 manufacturer loaned some of its capable vehicles to the emergency services to help out.

Some might argue these brands are trying to profit from nature’s unpredictability, but by reacting to what’s going on in their consumers' world, brands can understand us better and ultimately develop a closer connection and better products.

Happy snowman-building and best wishes for 2011.


NY snow image courtesy of Christopher Schoenbohm on Flickr.

2011

Rather than spiel yet another list of "11 trends for 2011" like so many other blogs out there (some great, some not so), here’s a slightly more informal collection of the things I'd like to see more of in 2011. There’s no rigorous research, naval-gazing or extensive consumer testing here; just my take on the world we live in and some of the things I’ve picked up on.

1. Social Quality Control


I want fewer Facebook friends, but ones I really care about. In 2011, it's time to implement some social quality control - only be friends with people you actually care about and want to talk to. Old acquaintances from old schools you never cared for and spying on your ex feels forced and intrusive.

I know a growing number of people who have deleted their Facebook accounts and rebuilt with only a very few selected friends and family, implementing stringent quality control. As Facebook reaches maturity, the days of the sporadic add-anyone-from-school mentality are gone. Brands are sensing this mood too.

Burger King’s 2009 Whopper Sacrifice campaign gained a lot of exposure. It was an incredibly simple idea; delete 10 friends on Facebook (let’s be honest, we probably have more than 10 online ‘friends’ we’d be happy to delete) and get a free Whopper. Tangible benefit. Happy consumer. Job done.


Then there was the Pringles Oversharers campaign. Observing that most of the stuff people share online is totally ridiculous, Pringles identified they should start sharing things that are really worth sharing, like of course, a certain tube-based snack.

I want 2011 to be the year when we decide too much information really is too much information.



2. The Real Thing


BMW used augmented reality to launch the new Z4 last year, followed very shortly by most of its competitors, including Audi with their A1 app. I think it’s great that these brands are working to adopt exciting new technology as part of a major global product launch.

But, somehow they’re getting a bit distracted in all the tech, when what they should be doing is investing in the real experience. The issue I have with BMW is that the augmented reality technology they’ve used isn’t good enough to show off the new Z4 in all it’s glory.

It's not as glossy as an old school 3D TV/Cinema ad or, more importantly, how the car looks, sounds and drives on a free track day that BMW could've held for their online community and loyal fanbase.


Last week I went to complimentary 3 hour off-roading experience in the new Range Rover, courtesy of the lovely people at Land Rover UK. No amount of clever online vehicle configurators or innovative campaign ideas can compete with actually driving the car down a 45 degree angle to showcase the vehicle.

Less technology for technology's sake, and more real experiences.


3. More Location, Location, Location


In 2009, we already saw a shift in social from 'what I’m doing' to 'where I am'. But a year on, very few brands have been able to properly monetise location-based beyond simple benefits like a free cup of coffee for every 10 Foursquare check-ins.

2011 needs to see more adoption of Foursquare, Facebook Places and the like. Crucially, beyond the usual urban areas to provincial towns and rural communities.


4. Proof in the Pudding


In today's transparent culture, no amount of glossy, fluffy branding and marketing hype can hide a truly bad product. Quite simply, the proof is in the pudding.

Make a great product; people will want it and talk about it. Do fantastic stuff. Do the right thing. Employ smart, conscientious and passionate people. Train these people. Invest in them. If they feel passionate about the brand, so will consumers.

Merry Christmas x

Heroes & Villains 2010

Who were the superstar brands that solved war, famine and disease and who caused untold pain, misery and suffering? Ok, so no brand was quite that extreme, but which brands did good and bad in 2010; who were the Heroes and who were the Villains?

HEROES

Two of the Brand Heroes featured here are British brands (by heritage, not necessarily current ownership). There’s clearly a powerful trend emerging that continues to see luxury British brands being reinvented for a new generation and a new world order.
2010 was no exception.

Heroes are brands that have stood out; brands that understand what they stand for in the market and create products and services that are both differentiating and relevant.


Burberry


A couple of years ago, if you mentioned Burberry to most British consumers, chav culture with characters such as Little Britain’s miscreant, Vicky Pollard, would probably be the first thought to spring to mind.

How things have changed. The classic British luxury fashion brand is back on true form thanks to increased investment in all things digital and huge demand from high growth markets, most notably China.

But, it’s not just in luxury-loving Asia where Burberry has excelled. In Europe and the US, Burberry has seen plenty of brand-building activity, a lot of which has been in digital. A new online shopping interface, high profile campaigns with Emma Watson, The Art of The Trench, as well as the creation of their own branded content, including Burberry Acoustic, a platform to showcase up and coming talent from the music industry.

In fact, I’ve worked closely with London-based band Patch William over last few months, who were fortunate to be invited to shoot their own Burberry Acoustic video and to also have their track, Skinny White Boy, featured on the official Burberry London Fashion Week soundtrack. For me, this is a first hand example of how Burberry is engaging with its audience and attracting a new generation to the brand.

It’s clearly a strategy that has paid off for Burberry with revenue up 18% this year and 3 million Facebook fans, the highest of any luxury brand.

@Burberry on Twitter
www.burberry.com
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Lotus


The Norfolk-based sports car manufacturer has seen something of a rebirth this year. Like so many British car brands, Lotus has had a rather tempestuous journey, but with secured investment from Malaysia there’s a future ahead for this brand.

This was cemented in 2010 with four exciting new concept cars revealed, all of which are likely to go into production.
The models show a dramatic new direction for the firm, building on its racing heritage but reinventing the Lotus range.

"There's a fine balance between acknowledging the greatness of the past whilst at the same time rapidly leaping forward to the future”

Dany Bahar, Lotus CEO

Whilst Lotus also featured in this year’s Cool Brands list alongside other British sports car brand Aston Martin, there’s something about the Lotus brand that’s a bit more accessible, especially where price is concerned. This coupled with extensive investment in engineering and technology with a striking and bold new design direction, makes Lotus look very promising indeed.

@LotusCars on Twitter
www.lotuscars.com
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FitFlop


The toning footwear brand that promises consumers to get a workout while you walk has had an exceptional year. Whilst some consumers might have found the original FitFlop designs rather large and cumbersome, word quickly spread of the health benefits of FitFlop.

In 2010, FitFlop expanded its range of footwear as the brand matures with new styles for women, men and kids. Most notable is the MukLuk, an Ugg-style boot which The Times Style team described as “hot” and selling out.

Given that ‘Wellthy’ is becoming an important trend and consideration, brands like FitFlop are well poised to take advantage of the new aspirationally-healthy consumer and grow in popularity and broaden its appeal.

@FitFlop on Twitter
www.fitflop.com

Image courtesy Heavenlyy on Flickr

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VILLAINS

And now for the bad stuff. Brands don’t get it right all the time, but with these Villains, it’s not just what went wrong, it’s how they handled their crisis and went about putting things right that told the biggest story.


BP


You couldn’t compile a list of Brand Villains without featuring BP's Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. An accident that causes thousands of gallons of oil to pump out into the ocean, destroying habitats and injuring wildlife is one thing, but it’s a whole other thing being slow to respond and take responsibility.

BP’s poor public relations quickly made the brand Public Enemy No. 1 in the United States, with fictitious BP Global PR Twitter account attracting more followers than BP’s official Twitter feed. It is BP's response, rather than its actions, that will make Deepwater Horizon go down in history as the world’s biggest PR fail to date.

@BPGlobalPR on Twitter
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British Airways


Strikes, strikes and you guessed it, more strikes.
With BA staff and Chief Exec Willy Walsh embroiled in a bitter and very public feud over pay, passengers were left caught in the middle wondering whether they'd be able to take off or even get home. Whether people agreed with Walsh or the striking BA staff, the one thing they did agree on is that the competitor airlines weren’t striking. The strikes cost BA £98 million.
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Toyota


At the beginning of 2010, Toyota found itself unstuck, or rather its brake pedals stuck. Toyota issued a worldwide recall of millions of cars following a spate of accidents in the US, believed to be caused by accelerator pedals getting stuck under floor mats.

Whether or not the politicians on Capitol Hill tried to make an example of this Japanese brand in a bid to boost poor sales of domestic US brands is neither here nor there. The fact is, some vehicles did have faults and Toyota did try to cover it up.

Toyota’s high profile campaign to make things right was open, honest and got issues fixed on thousands of cars. Brands don’t always get it right, but it’s how they handle mistakes that says the most. Toyota probably isn’t so much a villain, but has definitely blotted its copy paper.

Image courtesy Lets Bike It on Flickr

Yulevertising

Ho, ho, ho!

If you hadn’t noticed from the blog graphics and my Twitter background, I rather like Christmas.

Here's a stocking full of festive brand delights showing what the advertising world is doing this Christmas to peddle their goods to seasonal shoppers around the world. Crucially, there isn’t a Heston Blumenthal Christmas pudding or hideous ‘Here come the girls’ Boots ad in sight.

Dodge United States


In the UK, car brands don’t really do Christmas advertising. But in the United States, seasonal end of year sales are big business for car manufacturers. This year’s witty Dodge ad features Michael C Hall (of Dexter fame) narrating.


Credit Mutuel France


This ad for French high street bank, Credit Mutuel, caused outrage in France. The art direction is nothing special, but shows a father telling his middle-aged son that Father Christmas doesn't exist, drawing a parallel with commission-based financial advisors.

If the concept wasn't controversial enough, the ad was only supposed to air after 8.30pm, but instead aired during a 5pm family showing of Rataouille on TF1. Oops. Better shoot the Planner De Media.

Disclaimer: this is just an advert, you and I both know that Father Christmas is in fact real.


Amazon Kindle United States


This is so much better than the UK advertising for the Kindle. Sure, it's cheesy but it's also true to the brand. It gets the message across quickly, isn't too overtly festive and demonstrates the infinite possibilities of the product.


TAC Australia


Ok, a slight break from the consumer brands and something a bit serious but no less topical, this is Victoria's Transport Accident Commission (TAC) Christmas campaign. Despite the distinct lack of any Christmasness, I've featured this campaign because it really breaks from the guilt-inducing, horrific images we now expect of public service messages. Instead, TAC are taking an aggressive 'there is no escape' attitude to speeders - stating that they will catch 20,000 drivers before the new year. Tough stuff.


Disneyland Hong Kong


Lots of green screen action in this Disney Christmas overload, complete with er, a Disney 'Pet Shop' and winking teddy bear. I love the unashamedly open attitude consumers have to brands in South East Asia.


Merry Christmas x

Lemon.

My first car was a Polo.

Three cars later and whilst I'm driving something a bit flashier and more expensive, I still hold Olop in high esteem (the most observant amongst you will realise Olop spells Polo backwards) simply because it was the toughest car I've ever owned. 80,000 miles and all it ever needed was new tires and a couple of oil changes.

The latest model appears to be an evolution of all that's made the Polo a success; honest, well-built, respectable. Not sexy, not exciting, but tough. For the latest ad campaign, DDB teamed up with Jonathan Glazer, the director behind the successful 1998 Polo commercial, Protection.

I like DDB. I like Jonathan Glazer. DDB has produced some of the best advertising in the last sixty years and Glazer has redefined so many great brands, but this latest piece, I'm not so sure of. The ad features Argentinean Tango world champion Gasper Godoy and his partner Manuella Rossi, the world number two, dancing to Don’t Stop by hip hop artist Roc C.



My biggest thought is, why isn't this a SEAT advert? After all, SEAT is Volkswagen's cheaper, sportier stablemate, part of the same Group. The SEAT Ibiza is closely based upon the Polo; sharing engines and chassis but with sportier lines and a slightly lower price tag, making it more accessible to the infamous yoof market.

With strong Spanish roots, the SEAT brand proposition is all about Latin passion with its values being "sporty, design-driven and young" whereas Volkswagen is about rock solid reliability and respectability. Where SEAT is a fiery red, VW is a firm, cool grey. You get the idea. This latest commercial sets out to redefine the Polo but simply confuses people, muddling Volkswagen's identity and purpose in the market.

It's unlikely this is going to shift any more Polos to monied students or grandmothers in middle England, but that's probably not what DDB, Glazer and VW set out to achieve. They wanted to challenge the perceptions of the VW brand, but in doing so, might have forgotten just what that VW badge really symbolises.