Toast to Your Town
The recent launch of Absolut Los Angeles is yet another example of a brand “getting back to basics”, reviving an old product, or in this case continuing an older ad campaign —a topic some of my fellow bloggers and I have been discussing as of late.
Absolut Los Angeles is actually an extension of one of the brand’s vintage marketing plans. Launched in the late 1980’s, “The Absolute Cities” campaign coined a limited edition flavor of vodka for a selection of cities in the US and Europe. The campaign included a unique vodka flavor personalized to accent the culture of each city, with flashy print ads to boot.
The campaign re-launched in 2007. But with a twist (not of lime).
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Back to School Brands
As you fight your way down the aisles this year looking for two pocket folders and backpacks, take some time to appreciate some of the most enduring and iconic brands in back-to-school shopping.
Mead
Mead has the back to school market covered with binders, folders and everything in between. The powerhouse Five Star brand remains as strong as its resilient notebooks, and the ever-popular Trapper Keeper has been refreshed and updated, adorning the new tagline: "Customize It. Organize It. Trap It!"
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Employee Feature: Ninh Nguyen
Your Name: Ninh "Wes" Nguyen
Your Job: Manager of Sales Operations - I manage the daily reporting requirements for being a part of a publicly traded firm. I am also responsible for all sales activities from hiring to strategic sales marketing activities.
On a road trip, my staple convenience store purchase is: Pepperoni Pizza Cracker Combos / BBQ Pringles and Cherry Icee
If I could have a super power, it would be: reading any book I come across in one second and fully comprehend the full meaning
Big Mac or Whopper?: Big Mac All The Way
Beer: It's Not Just for Men
As beer consumption decreases, brewers in the U.K. are attempting to attract a new segment of consumers: women. According to a recent article in the Wall Street Journal, a study by Coors found that beer’s biggest competitors are wine and vodka- both of which are largely popular with women. So why don’t women drink beer? A big reason, according to Coors Chief Executive, Mark Hunter, is that most women regard beer as fattening. Another reason is because the beer industry has neglected to advertise to women.
At London pubs in the U.K., Coors recently began aiming its Blue Moon Label toward women, hoping to attract them with fancy orange slices. Some pubs have even tried coating the oranges in brown sugar. The same trend can be noticed here in the United States. Bud Light Lime is probably the biggest and most recent example. While men are drinking Bud Light Lime, women especially like its sweet and fruity taste. Other examples include Michelob Ultra’s line of fruit-infused beers such as Lime Cactus, Pomegranate Raspberry, and Tuscan Orange Grapefruit.
In addition to “girly” flavored beers, women themselves are promoting beer. An article from msn.com states that Jessica Simpson has signed on as spokeswoman for Stampede Light Plus, a beer made by Dallas’ Stampede Brewing Co.
By: Jessica McGrail
Wee Wars
The Wiimote is a popular nickname for the remote control used in the goliath gaming system, Nintendo Wii.
The Weemote is a remote control for kids, trademarked by Fobis Technologies in 2000.
How can these two products coexist in such a similar field? Time magazine recently published an interesting article about the situation. The catch is that the Nintendo Wiimote name is not trademarked, or explicitly used in marketing or packaging campaigns but, rather, has come to popularity through online and third party communications.
While Nintendo is enjoying a free marketing ride thanks to internet chatter, Fobis is in a bind. "Wiimote" has become part of mainstream gaming vernacular, and the Weemote brand has been severely diluted as a result. A small company, Fobis does not have the time or resources to patrol all third party Wiimote buzz to protect their trademark. Offers to sell the Weemote name to Nintendo have also been rejected.
The article raises many questions about intellectual property and trademark protection in the age of the internet. At what point does buzz become infringement? And how can small companies protect their trademarks in these situations?
How do you think the issue should be resolved?
Contributed by: Maghan Cook
Word of the day: Staycation
Although this word isn’t defined in the dictionary yet, it is in Wikipedia. According to Wikipedia, a staycation is a period of time in which an individual or family stays at home and relaxes at home or takes day trips from their home to area attractions. This word has become increasingly popular over the summer as gas prices hit record levels. During a staycation, most people become tourists in their own city. They may visit local museums, check out nearby amusement parks and go out to eat. While they are still spending money, they are saving on the big ticket items such as gas and lodging. A staycation can also be less stressful than a traditional vacation because it doesn’t require packing, extensive driving or waiting at the airport. Maybe you can even put some of the money you save from your staycation into a vacation fund for when the economy and gas prices start to turn around.
By: Jessica McGrail
Celebrity Branding
The Olympics may be over, but the excitement is just beginning for the world of swimming. Thanks to world record-shattering performances in the pool, the Michael Phelps name is poised to become one of the most powerful brands in sports. Some say his equity is already strong enough to launch an entire company.
A big name can do a lot, giving personality and shape to an otherwise amorphous brand. Nike, who successfully partnered with Michael Jordan as both an endorser and eventually the namesake of the Air Jordan product line, has proven time and time again that brands can inherit the positive attributes of their spokespeople.
Yiasou!
When Greek meets the South you get one of Charlotte's most popular festivals Yiasou! Today is the first day of the 31st annual festival and you better believe that I will be standing in line for some scrumptious Greek food this evening. The festival is held at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox church, located in historic Dilworth. For all of you who are concerned about that parking nightmare, hop on the Lynx and you can easily walk from the Blue Line East/West Station.
For those of you who haven’t been before, this festival is truly a labor of love. The women of Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox church start preparing food for the event six months in advance. And they take no short cuts, everything is homemade. In addition to the wonderful food, you will be entertained by the “Warriors of Greece” living history presentation, Greek folk dancing, and a live band. The festival lasts until Sunday, so make sure you go check it out! Yiasou! (Cheers!)
By: Rebecca Parker
Play on Words
Is there a fine line between being cutesy and clever with your branding and messaging? YellowBook recently launched a new corporate logo and tagline, "Say Yellow to the Future" using a play on words to communicate a new beginning. When Time Warner Telecom recently updated its corporate identity to "tw telecom," its homepage included flash banners such as "twusted, twied and twue." I recently checked back and found the messaging banners were gone. I think that answers my question.
By: Kelly Wilson
Branding a National Pastime
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You’d think that after spending 40+ hours a week emerged in other companies’ corporate and product branding initiatives, a person would choose to escape and relax on the weekends. But for 3-4 months a year, my weekend activities incorporate my day job, because I represent a branded tailgate party.
A group of Wake Forest alumni who realized we no longer fit in with the student lot crowd at football games, but who weren’t qualified for parking passes in the lot closest to the stadium with the big donors (the Gold Lot), set up camp in the corner of the Blue Lot that almost touches the Gold Lot. Thus, Almost Gold was born.