Feminism is a brand that’s been thoroughly trashed. If it was a commercial product it’d be a good time to buy in, because when stocks are low they only have one way to go, writes Karen Pickering.
Branding
Labor is still managing to trash its brand
Labor’s reputation on the issues that influence voting intention continues to worsen.
How to sell Africa
Africa isn’t just shacks, poverty and hungry children. Now the best of Africa’s marketing brains are coming together to figure out how to rebrand the continent, from .africa domain names to focusing on a fun MTV-style music and beautiful women image.
Can Australia ditch its bogan image?
Australia is trying to make over its image with the new Australia Unlimited campaign. But has it replaced beaches and bogans with boring?
Taking your brand to rehab
Tiger Woods isn’t the first ‘brand’ to be sent off to rehab after an embarrassing scandal. But, as Martha Stewart, Coca-Cola and JetBlue have all found it, brand rehab doesn’t have to be the end as long as the relaunch is good.
Sticky, catchy, different: playing the brand name game
It’s not easy to come up with a snappy business name which isn’t already in use, has an available website domain, conveys essential info and is easily spelt. Bruce Buschel recalls his seafood restaurant naming drama.
Playing with Brand Bhutan
Fregmonto is off to Bhutan — the last hope for Western tourists searching for an authentic Buddhist cultural experience now that Tibet has been thoughtfully modernised by its caring older brother China.
The London 2012 Olympic logo: still ugly
The organisers of the London 2012 London Olympic Games promised their widely-panned logo would grow on us. It hasn’t, says design critic Alice Rawsthorn.
How selling tote bags can save journalism
Tyler Brûlé’s Monocle magazine is to open a foreign bureau in Hong Kong, thanks to funding from the sales of Monocle merchandising, in particular the sale of tote bags. Is this the future of funding journalism?
The 500 most powerful brands in the world
Brand Finance has released its annual list of the most powerful brands on the planet. Walmart comes in at number one, but Google has knocked off Coke for the number two spot, whilst Woolies, Telstra and Australia’s Big Four all make the cut, too.
How packaging is more than just paper
Seth Godin offers advice on how an African chocolate company should package their chocolate. Sure, it involves some glamorising of poverty, but it’s a great marketing idea.
How Obama boosted “Brand America” by $2 trillion
Since taking office a year ago, Barack Obama has come a long way in restoring America’s image on the global stage, boosting the value of the country’s “brand” by over $2 trillion, according to economist Simon Anholt
Enter the Branding: the new-look Bruce Lee
Bruce Lee’s daughter is attempting to “relaunch” her father’s brand as a “lifestyle” — with products including rubber ducks and lampshades, in an effort to increase the value of his estate to at least $5 million. You stay classy, Shannon Lee.
Why Tiger is still marketable
Tiger Woods’ recent “transgressions” may make him seem like spokesperson kryptonite to some brands, but his unintentional new “bad boy” image could prove highly marketable.
Why I like Toyota more than Porsche
Why do we like the brands we do? Is it because of an irrational emotional connection? Or does your brand preference actually have something to do with value for money? If not, maybe it should, says Trent Hamm.
How Hello Kitty got her paws all over the world
Japan’s favourite feline, Hello Kitty, is celebrating her 35th birthday. The LA Times looks at how one cool cat went from a cute Japanese decal to a global phenom, complete with a theme park, TV series and restaurant.
Pink bits: the absurd world of gendered consumer products
Marketers have never abandoned the idea that men and women require their own ‘special’ products. Women’s products are often tinted pink and advertised with cuddly names and breathy female voiceovers. Insulting much?
Kellogg fights fake corn flakes — with lasers!
Cereal king Kellogg has decided to tackle the pressing issue of imitation corn flakes by using lasers to brand its authentic flakes with the company’s signature logo. Take that, black market breakfast cereals!
Is iSnack 2.0 a marketing success?
Will Kraft’s engagement experiment with Vegemite and the #vegefail iSnack 2.0 name ultimately be a huge winner or a huge loser for the brand? Tactical TV’s Tony Richardson investigates.
The fresh battle of the apples
It’s the tech gods vs. the fresh food people as Apple challenges Woolworths new logo, which is either an apple or a stylised ‘W’, depending who you ask. But are Woolies and Apple really rivals?
How to pause bad web publicity
Something stupid happens at work and suddenly customers are tweeting and making YouTube videos about how awful your company is. How can you fight back when you’re trashed on the web?
Garbage in a designer box? Sold!
Further proof of the ‘people will buy anything as long as it’s in pretty packaging’ theory, a NY artist has been selling actual rubbish in a classy clear cube. Over 1,200 have been sold.
VIDEO: Incredible, amazing, awesome Apple
Pride in your product is important for any business, but Apple’s bosses seem to not only have drunk their own Kool-Aid, they’re mainlining it on an IV drip. A montage of the company’s recent keynote address. See if you can pick up on a theme.
The world’s most valuable brands
Interbrand has released its annual report [PDF] on the world’s most valuable brands. Coke came in at number one for the ninth time running, while Google and Amazon have shot up the list.
