Redefining High Definition
Laminate countertops have long been recognized for their scratch-resistance, long wear time, and easiness to clean and maintain. The product is an economical choice for homeowners, but the accessibility and appeal of granite and quartz for use in kitchens and bathrooms recently has given laminate manufacturers cause for redesign and rebranding.
Wilsonart’s new “high definition” countertops are, in fact, laminate. They incorporate new textures and finishes that rival the look of granite, without the price tag. And they offer builders an option for new home buyers to upgrade their kitchen without adding a hefty line item to their sales sheet. Wilson could have called this new line “Laminate Plus” or “Laminex” or “Insert nifty new name here.” Instead, the 50+ year old company borrowed some equity from the well-known and continually growing audio/video industry and simply dubbed their product line “Wilsonart High Definition.”
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Pink Branding for Breast Cancer Awareness
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If you’ve been to Target or your local grocery store recently, you’ve probably noticed a lot of pink packages and displays. October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and many brands are doing their part to support breast cancer research and raise awareness of the disease. Consumer product brands such as HP, KitchenAid, and One A Day® Women’s are just a few brands that are not only donating a percentage of their proceeds to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation but are also modifying their packaging over the next month or so to “advertise for the cure,” displaying a predominant use of pink in their package designs. In recent years, pink has become the official color of the cause and around this time of year, the increasing number of participating brands always impresses me. So next time you are doing your grocery shopping, take note of the products that support breast cancer awareness and research and do your part…buy them. Are there other brands that you know of who have gotten creative to support this cause?
Shop for products that support breast cancer research.
Don't blame it, name it!
It’s a scary time for those on both Wall street and Main street. But let's try and make some of that proverbial lemonade out of a sour economy.
I don’t know about you but when I hear 'sub-prime meltdown', I think of something off the menu at Quiznos. I think we should take this opportunity to give the sub-prime mortgage crisis a name with branding potential. If Lehman Brothers employees are successfully selling their company paraphernalia online, think of the merchandizing opportunities just waiting for an economic crisis brand! Mugs, hats, paper weights for those now useless stock certificates… the possibilities are endless.
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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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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
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.
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.
Rember's Early Success
The drug called Rember (methylthioninium chloride) is receiving substantial press in the news and medical world for its success in slowing the progress of mental deterioration associated with Alzheimer’s disease. The Alzheimer's drugs currently available {Aricept, Exelon, Razadyne (previously Reminyl), Cognex, and Namenda} have been said to only ease the symptoms of the mind-robbing disease.
Developed by Singapore-based TauRx Therapeutics, Rember is an experimental drug that takes a new approach to treating the disease by targeting the build up of a specific protein in the brain called Tau. Tau causes tangles that accumulate inside memory cells, and destroys them during the process. Rember is designed to target these Tau tangles, therefore leading to positive results for reducing mental decline.
If clinical trials continue to be successful and sustainable, this is ground-breaking news for the medical industry and for individuals battling with this debilitating disease. The name itself is memorable (no pun intended), straightforward and distinctive. In today's regulatory environment, getting a name like this approved signifies a major homerun for the company.