Brand Dots

Posts Tagged ‘Heather Torres’

Sean John Combs has created one of the strongest entertainment brands of this generation.   He is involved in hip-hop’s Bad Boy Records, has two clothing lines (Sean John and Sean by Sean Combs), a film production company, and two restaurants.  There is no question that he has built an empire out of his personal brand.

The world’s most powerful brands typically align themselves with a well-known archetype.  This is true for all types of brands, including celebrities.

I’ve enjoyed watching Comb’s celebrity evolve over time.  He started his rapping career as Puff Daddy.  People nicknamed him Puff or Puffy.   In 2005 he decided to change is name to P. Diddy, which eventually was changed to plain-ole’ Diddy.  This guy has had more names than I can count on one hand.  Through all of these name changes, you would think that Comb’s brand would be worthless, but quite the opposite happened.  With every name change, he worked toward reinventing himself.

In the beginning Diddy personified the outlaw archetype.  He was born in the Harlem projects, his father was shot and killed when he was a small child, and when he started the Bad Boy label, he became involved in the East-Coast/West-Coast Hip-Hop Feud.  In true outlaw form, he eventually faced gun possession and bribery charges.  Combs and his brand embraced the outlaw archetype.  He was a rebel, completely outrageous, and eager to start a hip-hop revolution.

Combs knew he couldn’t maintain success if he continued to embrace the outlaw persona.  He had to change his image.   This is where the name changing began.   Diddy’s new name, or maybe I should say names, were an attempt to reinvent himself as the ruler archetype that he is known as today.

Sean Combs has been able to reposition himself as the king of hip-hop, fashion, and all things entrepreneurial.  This is evident through his I am King fragrance campaign, Sean John ads, Ciroc commercials, and every interview that he is in.  He is an empowered, successful leader.  He’s gained credibility by showing the public that he can be a trusted, responsible, and dependable role model.

This rebranding strategy has worked for him.  He has taken control of his image and has acquired overwhelming success.  His net worth is currently estimated to be more than $346 million and will only continue to grow.

Celebrities reinvent themselves all the time.  Can you think of any good examples of celebrities that have switched from one archetype to another?

Laura Reis’ article, The Demise of Dell, provides a great example of why expansion is NOT the answer. 10 years ago, Dell was the best selling personal computer brand in the world!  They were focused on one thing: selling personal computers directly to businesses.  And then they decided to expand to the consumer electronics market.  They even started selling their PCs in retail stores, such as Sears and Walmart.

What were they thinking? Dell was known for having a direct to business sales/distribution model. They sold their souls, thinking that they would be able to capture more customers if they found new ways to sell and distribute their product. This change turned their tried-and-true business model on its head. It confused consumers and made people wonder what their brand really stood for.

History repeats itself and this is one example that proves that brands can’t be everything to everyone.  Stick to what you know and what you’re known for!

The graffiti revolution was born in New York City subways in the 1960’s.  Over the years, tagging became more and more prominent.  Artists were determined to 1) get their name out as much as possible and 2) compete against each other in terms of style and recognition.

Is it just me, or does this sound like two of the most important goals for brand managers?

There is no question that our society is bombarded by advertising.  You can’t leave your house without seeing slogans, brands, logos, and subliminal messaging.  It’s a form of “style wars,” in a sense.  Marketers and graffiti artists are trying to accomplish the same thing.

Graffiti and marketing share a common goal.  They both strive to grab their audience’s attention and make them yearn to learn more about who they are.  They strive to reach as many people as possible, while focusing on the ability to leave a lasting impression on others.

It’s all about branding!  Taggers understand branding.  They sleep, eat, and breathe branding.  In my opinion, graffiti is art and brand managers would be smart to hire accomplished graffiti artists.

Web Urbanist shows some excellent examples of 3D graffiti and traditional graffiti that has been or should be used in guerrilla marketing campaigns.  Artists like Shepard Fairey, who created the famous Obama campaign HOPE poster, have already proven that graffiti art can be used to promote brands.  So, since we share the same vision, why not unite to reach a common goal?

The Fourth of July is one of my favorite holidays.  It’s a low-stress holiday, full of bar-b-q, parties, beer, flags, and fireworks.  Independence Day gives us the opportunity to remember how fortunate we are to have freedom.  As we approach America’s birthday, I can’t help but point out how powerful a patriotic marketing strategy can be.  After all, American’s have the strongest sense of national pride!

Patriotic marketing works!  It is one way that companies can appeal to a very broad segment of consumers.  Most Americans love to support their country, veterans, and American brands.  People tend to feel a connection to their country of origin and strong sense of national pride.  By embracing these emotions, companies can influence consumer-purchasing decisions.

One way companies incorporate patriotism into their brand strategy is through their logo design.  Some companies choose a name and company logo to show their pride and others, such as Google, have incorporated the stars and stripes into their existing logo.

Other companies choose to incorporate patriotic colors or images into their packaging.  Most of us have seen “Made in the USA,” eagles, or American flags stamped on products.  This stamp of patriotic approval could make or break a consumers buying decision.

Another way to show national pride is by outreach marketing with customized promotional products.  People love free key chains, stress balls, magnets, pens, and pins.  And the best thing about them is that people keep them, use them in the future, and will reference back to them to find your phone number or web address.

Military discounts are a win-win marketing approach.  They show others that you support the troops, give back to those that protect and serve our country, and specifically speak to a very large and precise target market: military personnel.  If you’re having a difficult time promoting your discount,  Veterans Advantage is one way you can get your products or services in the hands of vetrans, personnel, and their families.

Display your support!  Patriotic marketing can be as simple as decorating with American flags, stars and stripes, or a yellow ribbon.  Just make sure you display patriotic items that are in good condition.  There’s nothing worse than a worn and tattered flag on display.

So get out there!  Hang your flag and show your pride.  Stand UNITED!

One thing that’s obvious is that the world was shocked by the unfortunate death of Michael Jackson.  I haven’t seen such an overwhelming amount of media coverage about the death of a celebrity since Princess Diana died in 1997.  The cultural outcry shows how strong Jackson’s brand was.

How Michael Jackson Became a Brand Icon is an interesting article that I came across today that contains some very insightful information about how Jackson became such an influential brand.  Michael was many things to many people.  He may have been eccentric or just plain odd but one thing that’s certain is that his brand will outlive him. And although he will never embark on the sold-out 50-city tour of Europe, his records will continue to sell and our society will forever remember the iconic, self-proclaimed, “King of Pop.”

In today’s economy companies are getting desperate!  Some of the most established companies have lost sight of the basic elements of a promotional campaign.  So, here are a few pointers.   Be sure to ask yourself the following questions before you hit the ground running:

1.  What’s the point?

Identifying your marketing objective is the first step to developing your promotional campaign.  All goals should be SMART: Specific, Measureable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time related.  You have to make your objective clear to everyone involved in your campaign so your team knows exactly what is expected and your final destination.  Is your goal to increase customer retention by 5%? Close on 5 new clients? Increase revenue by $2,000?  The possibilities are endless…but they should always be clearly communicated.

2.  Who’s your target?

Next, you’ve got to identify your target market.  You have to make sure your campaign is seen by the demographic that will benefit from your product most.  If your target market sees how your product will benefit them, they will be more likely to purchase your product of service.

3.  What do you have to say?

The whole idea behind a promotional campaign is to make customers aware of your product or service.  Your brand message should be consistent and clear. What’s your story?  What are your values, the core essence of your company, your competitive advantage?  The message that you send can affect the type of promotional media you will use-viral, internet, guerilla, radio, TV, etc.

4.  How much is it going to cost?

Marketers hate the “B” word. That’s right…BUDGET.  I know, I said it.  Sorry.  A marketing budget is actually a good thing.  It gives planners a guideline for what they have to spend.  It will also help you determine the type of promotional media you can afford to use.

5.  How are you going to mix the market?

You must then determine the mix that you will use to promote your product.  The marketing mix consists of the 4 Ps: Product, Price, Place, and Promotion.  Depending on your product or service, you may have to put an emphasis on one function more than another.  Identifying the correct balance for this mix may be the most important part of developing your promotional campaign.  You need to research the competition, conduct a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) analysis, and determine how you will differentiate yourself.  You may also want to identify how the other (added) 3 Ps will affect your campaign: People, Processing, and Packaging!

6.  How long do you have to send the message?

When will your campaign start and end?  Will it be completed in phases?  As you set these time-oriented goals they should be measureable and realistic.  It’s okay if you have to reevaluate your goals as you make progress.   Goals must still be set.  It’s easy to put things off if you don’t have a clear goal for the completion of each task.  It may be most effective if you create a calendar that shows what will be completed each day until the campaign is complete.

7.  What’s the benchmark?

Finally, you must identify how the success (or failure) of your campaign will be measured.  How will it be evaluated?  There are several marketing campaign evaluation templates available online.  A good evaluation can help you determine how to keep your current campaign going and will give you insight on how to plan for future campaigns.

I love my DVR! Most people that have a DVR (Digital Video Recorder), can’t imagine life without one. They enjoy the convenience of watching their favorite shows when they want to, replaying good TV, and most importantly, fast forwarding through commercials.
Sources say that between 50 and 97 percent of DVR and TiVo owners fast forward though commercials. In 2006 DVRs threatened more than $8 billion of the $74 billion TV advertising revenue. I can only imagine that this figure has grown over the years.

I love good advertising just as much as the next marketing fan but, over time, I’ve felt like I’m missing out on viewing great commercials because of my DVR. These days, I find most commercials by surfing the web.So, what about online advertising? Are online ads more effective? Not according to AdWeek. They report that only 3 percent of people feel banner ads and search links leave a lasting impression viewers, compared to the 42 percent that feel TV advertising is the way to go.

I don’t think we should discredit online advertising. Technology is making it easier to reach specific target markets. Marketers can use social profiles and consumer search history to push products to clients that show common interests. And believe it or not, most consumers don’t even realize they are viewing an ad online when they see it.

What are your thoughts? Did DVR kill the TV commercial? Is online advertising the best alternative?