P&G Brands Provide Relief to Those in Need
With all the news, images and heartbreaking videos coming out of Oklahoma, it’s impossible not to be saddened by the devastation left behind after this week’s storms. It is times like these that it’s easy to get distracted by all of the sad news and forget to notice what else comes from natural disasters like this: compassion, support and a helping hand.
Often large national brands and corporations are criticized for being too big and uncaring, but in some cases that couldn’t be farther from the truth, and a great example is Procter & Gamble. P&G is one of the largest consumer goods companies in the world, and it has done a fantastic job creating cause-related marketing through a number of programs. TheTide Loads of Hope, Duracell Power Forward and P&G Relief Center programs help communities by providing basic, but absolutely necessary services during a time of need.
P&G states, “We all know in the wake of a disaster, many of the simple things like clean clothes, a shower and making a phone call to loved ones become difficult. In an effort to restore a sense of normalcy, P&G people and our brands join together to help relief workers and families whose homes, clothing and personal items have been impacted and help to renew a sense of hope in a difficult time.”
It’s hard to understand how comforting such small necessities can become during these times. Below are three of P&G’s most successful relief programs (mentioned above), and more information about what they provide to families and relief workers in need.
Tide Loads of Hope
Tide Loads of Hope started after Hurricane Katrina. Since its inception, Loads of Hope has travelled to 31 different cities (that’s 40,025 miles!) and has helped 27,128 families by washing 35,717 loads of laundry. P&G acknowledges that Loads of Hope has become the pillar of the Tide brand and is now the No. 1 source of traffic to the Tide website.
Duracell Power Forward
We live in a highly connected world, and after a natural disaster, there is both an immediate and ongoing need to stay connected so we know loved ones are safe. But, finding working power outlets in these times can be a challenge. Following in Tide’s lead, Duracell rolled out its Power Forward Community Center in 2010 and more recently, its Rapid Responder, as a way for people in disaster stricken areas to charge their devices and distribute batteries. A marketing executive for Duracell said, “This is what the brand is about – empowering people through devices; connecting their families.”
P&G Relief Center
Staying true to the notion that after a disaster the smallest forms of normalcy can feel comforting, P&G recently launched the P&G Relief Center. This provides those in need of showers or personal items a place to go. The brands that can be found at the Relief Center are: Always, Secret, Pantene, Olay, OralB, Crest, Ivory, Tide, Gain, Duracell, Old Spice, Head & Shoulders, Aussie, Pampers, Mr. Clean, Joy, Dawn, Febreeze, Swiffer, Iams and Eukanuba.
Efforts like P&G’s remind us that even in a world where sad news always seems to overtake our media outlets, there is still a lot of good happening out there. And, it’s not just people in the local communities, but large national brands as well.
Brands We Love: Publix
Plain and simple, I love Publix. It’s a love affair that‘s going on 20+ years, and with the Florida-based grocer now entering my adopted home state of North Carolina, it’s an affair I don’t see ending anytime soon.
There are so many reasons to love a grocer whose tagline is “where shopping is a pleasure,” but for today’s post, I’m going to discuss two things that make the Publix brand stand out: Its private label brand and its advertising, specifically its holiday commercials.
But first, a little history on Publix.
Publix is an employee-owned supermarket founded in 1930 by George W. Jenkins. According to My Private Label Buyer, George was managing a Piggly Wiggly grocery store in Winter Haven, Florida when hard times brought a drop in the store’s sales volume and staff pay cuts. When George learned the owner had sold his store to an Atlanta businessman, he looked forward to a visit from the new owner, but as time passed there was no meeting. So he took initiative and made his way to Atlanta to introduce himself. George never got the face-to-face meeting he hoped for and left Atlanta feeling a bit scorned, but also extremely motivated to start a store of his own, and that store was Publix.
Publix now operates over 1,000 stores in the Southeast. Publix brought in profits of $1.5 billion in 2012 and is ranked #106 on Forbes’ Fortune 500 list. Publix’s accolades don’t stop there though - it’s consistently ranked as one of Fortune’s top 100 Best Companies to work for, and according to a report compiled by Deloitte in 2010, Publix took the top spot on the most valuable retail brands list, even beating out big-time players such as Amazon, Ikea, and H&M.
To learn more about its history, check out this video that a Tampa news station produced for Publix’s 80th anniversary in 2010.
Publix Private Label:
The Publix Private Label brand has a loyal following, and with good reason. Those who regularly shop at Publix know that buying private label means they won’t have to sacrifice quality for price – something that most shoppers might take for granted - because you see, not every private label brand holds their goods to the same standard that Publix does. It’s this sort of standard that has propelled the Publix private label brand to account for 20 percent of all its sales. The Publix private label is projected to have sales of $6.6 billion by 2014.
And the packaging hasn’t hurt the brand’s success either. In 2003, Publix redesigned its private label packaging across all offerings, and now features a clean, simple and prominently white design that clearly separates it from big label brands.
Publix Commercials:
A standard branding “must do” is creating emotional connections with your customers. Do that and you’ll have a greater chance of bringing that customer back time and time again. This is something Publix does better than almost anyone. If you haven’t seen a Publix commercial, you might wonderhow a grocery store can do this? Publix is just another store to get the food I put on my table. That may be true, but you’d be hard pressed to find another brand – in any market – that capitalizes on human emotion more than Publix does. Liz Crawford, senior vice president, business and communications strategy with Mars, a shopper marketing agency, summed it up quite nicely when she said, “Publix conveys this image, particularly in its television advertising, of family and a good meal, it’s almost like love on the table.” There’s a warmth there that any national chain, even the really successful ones, just can’t seem to match. I get the sense that Publix really is lodged in the hearts of its shoppers.”
Grab your box of tissues and check out some the most memorable Publix commercials below.
As Publix begins to extend further north, so will the impact of its brand, and personally, I can't wait to see it in my backyard again.
The Appeal of Shopping Local
Here on brandsalsa and at Addison Whitney, we spend a lot of time talking about big global brands, and with good reason - they’re the most recognizable and impact our daily lives. It is also fascinating to watch brands that have been around for decades develop innovative and creative ways to stay relevant. But, today, we’re paying homage to brands that aren’t global players – and honestly never will be – and, we’re examining the emotional and economic impact these brands and activities on have their communities.
So, why Local Brands?
Emotional Appeal
Where we shop, where we eat and where we have fun -- all of it makes our community home. Our one-of-a-kind businesses are an integral part of the distinctive character of a city. When someone comes to visit, you don’t take them to the nearest chain, you take them somewhere that you feel shows off something unique.
Local brands, stores and businesses have the ability to create tighter bonds with their communities and it is that connection that makes them attractive to consumers. We love meeting store and restaurant owners and hearing their stories – why they opened, what they love about what they do, who they are. . It gives you a strong sense of pride to know your money will directly help them, their families and continue to drive their passions.
Economic Impact
Aside from the emotional appeal, there are strong economic impacts from shopping local. A recent study by Independent We Stand, an organization dedicated to educating communities on the importance of shopping local, showed that:
• Local businesses reinvest in their local economy 60 percent more than chains.
• Small businesses account for 75percent of all new jobs in this country.
• Small businesses employ over half of all U.S. workers.
In a recent report, the executive director at the Business Alliance for Local Living Economies said the “buy local first campaign helps bring local businesses together to build community health and wealth from the bottom up.” Her organization found that communities with a “buy local” initiative reported revenue growth of 5.6 percent compared to 2.1 percent for the communities who did not have such an initiative.
Learn More:
To learn more about how to support local businesses your community, visit Independent We Stand. Now get out and shop local!
Musical Festivals: A Branded Experience
In the 1960’s and 70’s, when music festivals began to rise in popularity, they were predominately about rebelling against commercial and corporate gimmicks, and primarily focused on peace, love and, of course, music. Fast forward to 2013 and corporate promotions and branded experiences are as synonymous with music festivals as the music itself.
Music festivals have become a multi-billion dollar industry and an excellent opportunity for brands to reach the hundreds-of-thousands of festival goers each year. Sponsorships for these festivals by big brands payoff for all parties involved. The festivals reap the benefits which, in turn, helps provide a better festival experience for attendees, and the attendees benefit from the amenities and giveaways (often festival essential) from the brands. What’s in it for the brands? Well, they gain awareness – and a lot of it.
A summer 2011 Havas Sports and Entertainment study and found that out of 2,244 respondents, only TWO didn’t notice any sponsorship while at a festival, 36 percent said they were more likely to purchase a sponsor’s product after experiencing their activation at the festival, and a whopping six out of every 10 brands on site could be recalled by fans.
Fredda Hurwitz, global VP of strategic planning, marketing & communications at Havas Sports commented: “Our research does much to dispel the view that music festivals are a dangerous arena for brand sponsors, and suggests brands are a welcome part of the festival experience if they develop activations that add value.”
Creating a memorable, exciting or unique experience at a music festival is what will set a successful sponsorship apart from those following the not-so-impactful route of traditional signage. When a fan attends a festival, they are seeking an experience, and that doesn’t stop at the bands they come to see, but is carried over to the brands they choose to interact with. There isn’t a right or wrong way to approach a festival sponsorship; to be successful, it just has to make sense. With summer music festivals kicking into high gear let’s take a look at three different types of brand sponsorships from one of the most popular (and branded) music festivals, Bonnaroo. You’ll see that each of these approaches provides a different, but equally creative way to promote brands.
- L’oreal Garnier Fructis: More than 80,000 people travel to a remote 700-acre farm in Tennessee each June for the Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival. Knowing the attendees would be outside day and night listening music on multiple stages, Garnier Fructis provided practical services, such as free hair-washing and styling in a 40- by 40-foot air-conditioned tent. In an area where trees are scarce and the temperatures regularly reach 90+ degrees, the desire to cleanse yourself of yesterday’s sweat all of a sudden becomes pretty strong.
- Philips: Philips sponsored a silent disco at Bonnaroo. The company provided 400 of its new CitiScape Collection headphones for guests to wear to listen to tunes being spun by two DJs. In this situation attendees were able to experience firsthand the sound quality and silencing ability of the headphones in a fun, party-like atmosphere.
- Ford: Ford dubbed its tent at Bonnaroo "Destination Escape," playing on the name of its Escape vehicle that was displayed outside the tent. Inside, festivalgoers could cool off in the air-conditioned space, listen to live performances and charge their phones. While this essential phone charging service is not directly tied to what Ford’s Escape vehicle provides its users, it certainly generated a ton of exposure for the vehicle.
For additional info on other branded experiences at Bonnaroo, check out Bizbash’s slide show here, and to learn about sponsorships at other festivals, the online pub has produced a similar list extending past Bonnaroo.
The Past & Present of Female Creative Directors
This week The 3% Conference, a first-ever event for female creative directors, kicks off Thursday in San Francisco to celebrate females in creative roles, and the future we hold in this industry. But as some of us are getting ready to celebrate the future of female creative directors in the industry, Adage coincidently published their first edition of The Most Influential Women in Advertising , which largely takes a look at those who came before us.
In the feature of influential women, Adage included an infographic outlining landmark moments for women in advertising. The infographic includes milestone achievements for women in the industry such as the appointment of the first female creative director to groundbreaking female focused advertisements.
In spirit of the saying “you can’t know where you’re going unless you know where you’ve been,” I’ve placed the infographic below for everyone to get a little bit of history and perspective on females in the creative industry before the start of Thursday’s conference where the future of females in the creative industry will largely be discussed.
But before I end this post, a shameless Addison Whitney plug - Tiffany Jonas, verbal branding manager at Addison Whitney, will be moderating a panel at The 3% Conference and will be live tweeting from the event. So make sure to follow @addisonwhitney on Twitter to stay up-to-date with all of the latest news from the conference!
A Brand Refresh vs. Repositioning. Which is Best for your Brand?
Your brand is the umbrella to everything you do as a company. It not only guides your decisions and actions internally but guides your external image, distinguishes you from your competitors, and lastly helps your customers know what you do.
But what happens when your company grows, your product extends well beyond your original offering and/or your brand no longer reflects who you are and what you do? The quickest response to this problem would be to scream for a brand refresh, but is that actually the answer? A new strategy is certainly needed and with that may come a rebrand, but depending on your company, your industry and current identity a brand repositioning might be a better answer the problem.
The two solutions seem rather similar but actually vary in a significant way, and can be likened to a house, yes; you read that correctly a house.
Refresh:
In a nutshell, a brand refresh is the term given when an established company changes it name, logo, and/or its overall look and feel. A brand refresh generally addresses the external facing identity of a company, cosmetic changes if you will. Similar to painting a house or changing out the flooring, a refresh will take time and cost you money, but it’s about changing the surface level image of your brand.
Refreshing a brand generally occurs when a company’s image has become outdated or misleading to the type of services or products it provides, which can all impact the company’s brand equity or sales goals if it is consistently being misunderstood.
Repositioning:
Unlike a brand refresh, which is more of a cosmetic change to a brand’s image, repositioning is strengthening the foundation.
Brand positioning is the very core of your brand, and provides a clear and concise voice to tell your brand’s story. When a company looks to reposition its brand it is looking to go much deeper than simply changing the external image.
Repositioning highlights a company’s evolving role in the marketplace, and integrates new practices that build brand equity both internally and externally. It’s about changing perceptions. Unifying your internal audience with a consistent message will not only make your company stronger but more appealing to your external audience because they will get a true sense for who you are, and understand what you stand for.
There are certainly times when a company will undergo both a corporate refresh and repositioning concurrently, and a lot of times that makes sense but before you begin either initiative take a step back and decide which is best for your company and brand. It is important to determine whether your brand is need of a facelift or and complete remodeling from the ground up before moving forward.
The Truth About the Uninvited Redesign
“The 'uninvited redesign' has become a fixture on the Internet over the past few years. It perpetuates the perfect symbiotic relationship between designer and audience: People love seeing what Wikipedia or Microsoft might look like in the hands of a genius, and designers love stretching their legs without the burden of a real client or brief.” – FastCo Design, August 2012
The uninvited redesign is something you could say we all do on some level. Those of us with any interest in branding and/or design pick apart almost any brand we encounter and think about all of the things we’d do differently to make it just a little bit better. And that’s where it ends, for most of us that is.
But the uninvited redesign has become a trend in the design and branding community that some of the most recognizable brands have become the subject of. An uninvited redesign occurs when a designer takes a brand and completely redesigns it to their liking without any contracts, financial obligations, and lastly, no solicitation from the client for the redesign. These are the greatest aspects of an uninvited redesign; there is essentially no pressure and input from the client; so designers are able to simply focus on the design and aesthetics of the brand without much regard to anything else. And what you end up with is a beautiful representation of all of the “could be’s and should be’s” for the brand. And boy, some of the uninvited redesigns that have been spread throughout the design community (Wikipedia, Microsoft, and American Airlines for example) are really pretty and have caused a clamoring for these brands to change.
So, before we go any farther let’s do a quick recap of an uninvited redesign: non-binding, zero cost, unsolicited, no pressure, and no client feedback. Sounds great if you’re a designer, doesn’t it? But what if you’re one of these brands that have now been subjected to seeing idealistic designs of your brand plastered all over the internet? You probably feel very differently than the designers that are knocking at your door to make all of their beautifully crafted changes.
If you’re a designer you’re taking a look at these brands through rose colored glasses so it’s relatively easy for you to say it should look this way or that way, but one really important thing that is missing is strategy behind those designs. Designers are critiquing existing brands without consideration to brand equity, strategy, longevity of the design, or solid research to warrant drastic changes. But if you’re someone who is responsible for said brands you don’t wear rose colored glasses, you’re faced with reality. Unfortunately for brands they have to navigate through all of the calls-for-changes that are near constant on the internet and make decisions for their brands not from an idealistic standpoint but from a business conscious point of view. Going through a complete redesign, especially for major brands, takes a lot of time and money and must have a sound business reason behind it – and no, because it looks pretty is not a sound business reason.
Making a decision about a complete redesign requires research and a proper strategy. It is easy to hear critics from all sorts of outlets calling for a redesign of your brand, but make sure you take the time to perform the necessary steps and have the foundation for both a proper and successful redesign. Once you’ve laid that foundation and have decided that a redesign will best position your brand for long-term success it will then be time to make it all come together through a well-defined and planned design strategy.
Cable Networks Rebrand to Stay Ahead of the Game
TV is a tough business, and the competition for both viewers and advertisers is cut throat. After all, they’re the two factors in keeping a station afloat. So with the ever-growing popularity of DVR, online programming, social media and an impressively long list of channels, the cable landscape is changing. And with that so too have the networks’ branding challenges.
Cable used to be defined by clear-cut niche programming and stations that replayed old movies, and syndicated sitcoms, but to keep up with each other the lines have blurred, and original (not to mention more diverse) content is starting to pop-up on cable networks at every click; which is exactly why networks are feeling the need to rebrand and reposition their brands more than ever before.
There is a growing list of channels overhauling their identities, but let’s take a deeper dive into these three examples below and see what they did to help set their networks apart from the competition.
In May 2012 TV Land the original station for those of us who love old sitcoms introduced an updated logo and new tagline “laugh more,” both of which were developed to broaden the TV Land brand and the programming it offered.
The logo speaks to the modernization of channel, and showcase that TV Land is about combining acquisitions and creating original sitcoms – all intended to make you, that’s right, laugh more.
E! Entertainment, one of the original purveyors of pop culture gossip (and everyone’s guilty pleasure) announced at their April 2012 upfront presentation that they would be introducing an updated logo and tagline. The new logo and tagline are intended to speak to the fact that E! has always been the epicenter of pop culture, and that the network’s next chapter is all about never letting anyone go a minute without their pop culture.
E! is also looking to rebrand itself on air by introducing scripted series and adding to its already existing reality and documentary series.
Of the three examples, Comedy Central’s rebrand is certainly the most drastic and has the best story to tell. Their old logo, the globe with buildings coming out of it, was hard to adjust into the digital age. One blogger wrote that the old Comedy Central logo was “like showing up in a Hawaiian shirt at a Fortune 500 company.” The old logo no longer fit the identity of the channel nor did it reach their younger audience.
The new logo, a “C” tucked inside an upside “C” bears a striking resemblance to the copyright symbol, which some have said shows the new Comedy Central logo subtly suggests that they’ve got a lock on laughs. Clever and funny, don’t you think? While at first glance this logo may not seem to capture what Comedy Central stands for, I bet now you might think differently.
Charlotte's Got a Lot
In 2008 when I moved to Charlotte, NC I had no idea I was taking up residence in the “next big thing” city. I was fresh-out of college and not sure what to expect out of my new city that I more or less randomly chose to move to. But I unknowingly stepped right into what I consider the early stages of Charlotte’s coming out party to the world, and now just four years later this city is about to be put on its biggest stage with the DNC coming to town in September. It’s 2012 
and it’s Charlotte’s year, so let’s take a look at how we got here and why.
In 2008 as our country was experiencing the economic downturn that we all know too much about, and Charlotte was certainly not immune to the economic crisis but that’s not what this post is about. But instead how in the face of what could have been a major blow to the city’s image how city leaders and organizations were able to take a city full of charm and potential and brand it into what is now one of the fastest growing regions in the country through city branding.
In an increasingly globalized world different countries, states, and cities are in more and more competition with each other to capture the attention of tourists and potential new residents, which is why city branding has taken off as an important endeavor for any region.
City branding refers to all the activities that are undergone with the purpose of turning a city from a location into a destination. Rather than being advertising based, city branding is a community wide effort that is focused on delivering an exceptional experience that is both memorable and emotional.
Charlotte is the 2nd largest financial city in the U.S. only behind NYC, and has long been seen simply as that, a financial center. But it is through the Charlotte’s city branding efforts that has reshaped the city’s image to be so much more. It’s hard to put into words exactly how much Charlotte has to offer the world but the city’s official travel resource, Charlotte’s Got A lot, puts it best when they say:
“Amidst a growing cityscape, this destination delivers cultural distractions and attractions, dining and nightlife for every persuasion, and a Southern ambiance all its own. Charlotte’s a city where Olympic-caliber adventurers rub elbows with culture mavens; a city that appeals to both NASCAR heroes and finance leaders; and a city where Northern newcomers exchange smiles on the street with Carolina natives. Visitors are sure to be just as captivated too. A new rip-roaring coaster at Carowinds, some of the best retail therapy this side of Manhattan, whitewater rafting at the U.S. National Whitewater Center, and so much more to engage, excite, and exhilarate show exactly why Charlotte’s got a lot.”
From the city’s organic and undeniable charm to the more deliberately manicured streets and eclectic offering of activities it’s no wonder that Charlotte was selected to host this year’s DNC, and has been branded as the “international gateway to the south.” It continues to steal away residents from the north year after year as it continues to leave a lasting impression on all who travel through it.
Charlotte’s got a lot. It was branded that way, but more importantly stays true to its word, and I can’t wait to see what’s in store for this city in the coming years.
The Brands of 2011
It's officially December, I know you're probably thinking the same thing I am, where has 2011 gone? The month of December doesn’t just kick the holiday celebrations into high gear, but every imaginable countdown of "best this" and "top this" will begin as 2011 comes to a close. And here at brandsalsa it's no different! Throughout the month of December we'll be listing out (in no particular order) the most talked about brands in 2011.
Every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday I'll add to the list, so check back often to see who made the cut!
And without further ado, the most talked about brands of 2011 are:
Abercrombie & Fitch
In one of the most creative PR stunts I've seen in recent years Abercrombie & Fitch made headlines when they offered Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino from the popular "Jersey Shore" to stop wearing its clothing when the brand said in a statement: " We understand that the show is for entertainment purposes, but believe this association is contrary to the aspirational nature of our brand, and may be distressing to many of our fans.” For a brand that is no stranger to risqué controversies this was certainly an interesting, media-attention grabbing move.
Sony
Coca-Cola
The Royal Wedding
NFL
Oprah
Kraft Macaroni & Cheese
Chrysler
Starbucks
Verizon Wireless