My Brand.

I keep reading articles and stories regarding the shift in control from brand owners to the consumer and how the internet has facilitated the change. Yer sure brand owners should start to re-consider their intellectual property and how they can leverage this to maximise their marketing efforts, but I just don't agree with those who comment on how the internet has shifted control over brands.

A brand is held within the mind of the consumer, this is the way brands are constructed. What the digital age has done is to publicise this construction of brand meaning and allow this to be shared with others.

Present to Persuade.

Just seen this fantastic video about presenting. If you haven't seen Steve Jobs present, this is golden. Courtesy of Fallon Planning.

Present to Persuade.

Why Compare?

I was flicking through the newspaper today when I saw an ad for M&S food comparing their prices to those of waitrose essentials range. The pictures looked very appealing and the huge copy said that they were price checked against waitrose so I was expecting to read further and find the prices cheaper. Instead, the food was exactly the same price. What is the point in creating a price-comparison ad unless your product is cheaper, it does not work if they are the same price.



I'm guessing the purpose of the ad was to justify the quality of the M&S food compared to the Waitrose essentials range, without enhancing the price tag which it does do. However, the framing of the message as a price-comparison makes consumers automatically think about price first and when the prices are the same, what could have been a compelling proposition, seems to fall short.

Let the Battle Commence!

News last week that the Apple iPhone is to be extended to cover Orange and Vodafone as well as O2 has come with a wealth of joy. This really is great news, not only does it broaden the mobile phone's reach but will help grow the hotly anticipated world of mobile marketing.

It seems like the perfect deal for the consumer. With the iphone being distributed via more than one network it will surely create a price war between those involved and therefore drive down prices for the consumer. These wonderful gadgets are now more widely accessible and provide a permission asset for marketers to utilise and create truly personal and engaging communications. Applications are the future!

Although the AppStore has seen huge downloads since its launch, the following year will provide a clearer picture of just how far mobile marketing can go. Could it be that mobiles will no longer hold their primary purpose as phones but instead become life devices that acts as a single point for all media consumption? A bit extreme maybe but the explosive growth of the smartphone means that constant technological development is needed to satisfy an already tech hungry consumer.

I'm sure these times are a few years off yet but it has to be noted that this new deal is a great step forward in the mobile revolution!

Social Media and Brands

An absolutely brilliant presentation from @paulisakson concerning the future of marketing and how brands should behave.

Social Media: It's Not What You Say That Matters

View more documents from Paul Isakson.

Don't mess with the font!

I have just read this blog article surrounding IKEA's decision to dump its old typeface and instead replace it with the font Verdana. Believe it or not this has caused a significant stir with die hard IKEA fans who have set up an online petition recording over 4,000 names.

What is the world coming to?