Brand building

Is Pasta Hut a good name?

Forum Admin — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 09:32:09 GMT

Pizza Hut is rebranding itself Pasta Hut as part of a £100m relaunch as the chain introduces a new line of pasta dishes. The move is being backed by a multi-million pound marketing campaign.

What do you make of the name change? Will it entice you to eat at Pasta Hut? Can you suggest a better name?

[Poll]

Storytelling to Build Brands

Mark Lightowler — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 05:31:52 GMT

Is anyone using storytelling to enhance their brand (Product or corporate)? http://newbrandstories.wordpress.com/

New Production Company Branding / Marketing - The Value of Viral Marketing etc?

Martin Hughes — Fri, 22 May 2009 09:15:46 GMT

Hi everyone,

Please forgive the very general nature of this post. I am slightly at a loss how to proceed...

I am in the process of setting up a new theatre production company. I won't bore you with all the specifics, but our aim is to take new shows to various arts festivals around Europe (UK, France, and Germany specifically).

What is the true value of viral marketing (blogs, social bookmarking/social networking profiles, forums, websites with viewer interaction etc.)? As we are a very small startup, our marketing/PR budget is minimal (not quite zero, but not too far removed from it!).

Some ideas that were floated were to have our own social networking site as part of our main site, but frankly, that seems to be reinventing the wheel a little. Certainly we plan on having production blogs and vlogs - with cast members / production and creative team people b/vlogging away, but as there are so many networking sites out there already, it seems redundant to get people to sign up to *another* (very specialised) one.

Many thanks,

Martin Hughes

Marketing & Sales of Small Business CRM Tool Helps in Retention

Perla Brent — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 12:20:08 GMT

Small Business CRM – A tool to stick on to your most profitable customers in an economic downturn

A properly planned and customized CRM application can give an organization edge over organizations that don’t use it. But quite unfortunately CRM initiatives seem to be one of the first victims of IT cost cutting. As customers tend to behave slightly erratically and unlike their previous selves during recession, proper customer behavior study should be conducted using an advanced business CRM.

Generally organizations forget existing customers for new business opportunity. An excellent CRM would be of much help under such circumstances. But we have seen CRM implementations failing in some business firms because of the opposition from the end users. All small businesses should take time on educating the end users of the CRM within the organization.

By using a CRM application each and every department member will get an idea about the customer requirements and can serve them in a better way. But one must do a proper analysis of the CRM before opting for the same. You should be able to answer how exactly this particular application is going to help each and every department and should be able to measure & report the tangible results of this implementation as well.

You can overcome the effects of economic slow turn by using an advanced CRM tool and following the below points:

Properly monitoring and understanding customer behavior

Concentrating much on your profitable existing customer base

Don’t do cost cutting on your marketing initiatives (never during recession)

These aspects help us utilize the resources more effectively than we used to, before the economic recession.

Seen any interesting/bad brand activity at festivals

Nicola Clark — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 14:51:34 GMT

Ok, so it’s been a while since The Ordinary Boys performed at the 02 Wireless (now Barclaycard?!) festival and opened their act by saying; 'Hands Up if you think 02 is rubbish.' So has anyone seen any good and/or awful brand activity at this summer's festivals? Been told off for smoking in the Rizla area at Lovebox? Not going to V because you think its too corporate? Let us know!

Ethical Marketing Survey - kindly submit your responses for international market research

farrukh khan — Thu, 14 May 2009 16:37:22 GMT

Please click the link to submit your respnses:

http://freeonlinesurveys.com/rendersurvey.asp?sid=l04ky0xymu9qa5q594042

online magazine

Patrick Young — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 07:07:08 GMT

Next month, July, we will be launching an online publication targeted at women at home: both mums and professional women who work at home. The magazine will be an opportunity for women who are at home to talk to each other, exchange tips, professional advice, read case stories and contribute to general discussions etc. Would anyone like to contribute an article on behalf of a client that has an interest in this area? Or, alternatively, does anyone have a client that would like to contribute either a one off article or perhaps even a regular column talking to this niche group? The only criteria is that it's got to be about a topic, issue or service (for example accountancy or legal advice) that's relevant to women at home. All suggestions warmly received.

Fashion Brands connecting with Music

Jilly Cross — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 14:55:23 GMT

We've just completed a project taking Bench Clothing to a new level of music involvement. We found a relevant band and actually worked with them and Bench to create a new video. It beat simply throwing money at a festival, the client loved it, the band didn't feel like total sell outs because we didn't emblaze their foreheads with BENCH and consumer feedback has been fantastic.

Okay, totally smug but this is the first time we've done it - just wondered if there are other more innovative ways to connect fashion with music as almost every fashion brand wants to do this!

www.benchlive.co.uk

Brands aligned to worry

richard rubin — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 16:24:54 GMT

Can anyone think of any brands that are sympathetic to "worry, stress, anxiety" eg Kalms, Nytol, etc

Sales promotions and Incentives- help or hinder a brand?

Stephen Gardner — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 17:43:39 GMT

be it discounting, BOGOF offers, cross category packages or on pack competitions- does anyone have an opinion on this form of brand building? Does it have its place in the marketing mix for established brands, new brands and niche brands?

Just saying hi

Jermaine Stratton — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 08:10:27 GMT

Hello I have joined today and thought I would introduce myself

There did not seem to be an introduction section here, so i apologise in advance if i have posted in the wrong place. I chose this section because its the area im most intrested in.

My name is Jermaine Stratton I work in marketing for a company called Pure Rush (www.mypurerush.com) We are a online company and specialise in the sale of Pit Bikes, Quads, protective clothing etc etc

This year, we are focussing on buliding our brand and creating more awareness to people that would not usually use the products we sell.

Any tips and advise from some of you guru's out there who have worked with young companys and helped grow the name would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Jermaine Stratton

Is it finally time for Iceland to dump Kerry Katona?

Forum Admin — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 09:28:19 GMT

Kerry Katona slurred her words and appeared drunk on the ITV1 chatshow 'This Morning'. Her appearance sparked health fears and concerns for her wellbeing.

Iceland said in a guarded statement that "it is our opinion that Kerry should not have appeared".

[Poll]

Successful alternatives to door drops

Annette Sherrard — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 13:36:57 GMT

We have introduced an initiaitve that is to be distributed directly to UK ABC1 consumers. We are restricted as to the distribution options we can entertain due to the budget available and have tried door drops a couple of times but the hit/miss rate is too high and so we are looking at an alterntive distribution channel that works. Any ideas?

Will Barack Obama's victory boost the US' image and reputation in the world?

Forum Admin — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 09:38:39 GMT

As George W. Bush leaves office, America's standing in the world has plummeted at a rate only matched by the decline of the basis for its status - its stellar economy. Will the election of the first black president restore the country's world standing?

When Obama toured Europe earlier this year, people waited in mile-long queues to see him - will Obama's victory mark a break with the past in the US' brand image or will eight years of Bush continue to haunt the new president? What does Obama need to do in order to boost the country's image?

[Poll]

Do skinny models sell more products?

Forum Admin — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 09:47:11 GMT

An australian boffin has claimed skinny models do not sell more products for brands? Is the academic right? Is it time to take a leaf out of Dove's book and ditch wafer-thin models in favour of 'real women'?

[Poll]

Freelance Graphic Designer in London and Paris

Lucie Lebaz — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 13:52:17 GMT

Freelance Graphic Design for all your marketing needs

prizes for journalists

Patrick Young — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 07:07:30 GMT

We're launching a unique networking service for journalists and pr people in the UK. We're launching a competition (to help promote the service) and wondered if anyone would be interested in donating a prize? Anyone sponsoring a prize will be promoted on the site, in press releases and in a viral marketing campaign which will be sent out to journalists and pr professionals.

Get customized discount alerts

talan surya — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 12:23:30 GMT

Heard about a new SMS alert service Mydoot which lets you decide and control what day, time and the type of message you want to receive. If that’s so, it should be a super way to get SMS alerts about good deals, mobile discount coupons and stuff. Thankfully, no annoying unsolicited messages. Has anyone tried it out?

Marketing Calendar/Software

KB — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 11:43:58 GMT

I've been tasked with coordinating/purchasing a marketing calendar for our SME (agency). Does anyone have any recommendations on what software is simple to use and easy for multiple people (including client-side) to input content? A lot of the stuff on the market seems very US-orientated which I know will do my head in over time!

Thanks

To 'the' or not to 'the' - that is the question

l Ecocognito — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 12:32:34 GMT

I'm trying to figure out whether to include 'the' in the name, logo, web address, etc. of a new conference centre - Should I name it 'The' Wellington Bridge Centre - or just Wellington Bridge Centre? Does including or removing the 'the' matter? This is an issue that's been troubling me for years! Opinions and suggestions please :-) - thanks in advance.

Has the BBC got over itself yet?

Mike Oliver — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 11:26:53 GMT

I believe the first calendar month in about 12 may have just concluded in which the BBC haven't put themselves firmly in the news with yet another apology.

From the continued fall-out of 'Blue Peter'-gate to the tedious Ross-Brand affair, and from the non-support of Gaza to the accidental slippage of swear words into broadcasts, it felt at the start of the year that a new digital channel, BBC Sorry, could be credibly launched.

My own personal reactions to the specific events have left me very confused as to what the brand stands for today. I was totally non-plussed by the vote-rigging episodes, enraged at the toadying to the bloody Daily Mail over the Ross Brand affair, proud of their stoicism over the Gaza issue and bored stiff by their need thereafter to expose every single slip of the tongue and put it on the front page of their site.

In the midst of all these apologies, however, there also seemed to be a current of deep cynicism and piss-taking going on by the corporation. Take the picture of Stalin in the backgound of Russell Brand's video apology, or the mind-numbing boredom of the first show to replace Ross's Radio 2 slot, or the 'Remember the Holocaust' feature that ran on the home page of their site during the Gaza appeal row.

The conflict in the messages and tones of voice felt that a mini-revolution was happening within the BBC corridors. Half the brand seemed to be going through primal scream therapy, whilst the other was hell-bent on boring middle England into submission.

So where are they now? Who won the war? How do we think of them today and can they ever return to a platform of perceived objectivity, fairness and inclusivity?

Answers on a postcard please (but remember, we may not be able to display all your drawings)...

What brands do you most associate with Bond?

Gordon Macmillan — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 10:23:20 GMT

[Poll]

Does Absolut Vodka have a case against Absolute Radio?

Forum Admin — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 14:50:38 GMT

Swedish vodka brand Absolut is suing Absolute Radio, formerly Virgin Radio, claiming it is infringing on its trademark.

The drinks brand claims that it is confusing consumers because the name is too similar to its own vodka brand. Do they have a point?

[Poll]

Who will win the 2008 US presidential election?

Forum Admin — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 14:12:03 GMT

[Poll]

Brand building - help and advise

Norman Khine — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 21:28:03 GMT

Hello,

I have been working for the past year or so on a web application for the Travel & Tourism industry, which is a sort of a mix between LinkedIn and Google Apps, in that it will allow members to fully manage their own company profiles, add news, jobs and hopefully products - all free of charge.

My main problem, is that as I am not really a brand specialist nor a marketing person, I am not sure how to market it nor brand it for that matter.

The application has 3 main functionalities:

1) It is a b2b search directory for the uk travel industry- http://uk.expert.travel

2) It allows paying customers to have their own training programme, allowing them to communicate with other members of the site - http://zambia.expert.travel

3) It can be extended so that each member can use the 'root' of their entry to become their own web site, with their own domain name and branding. - for example http://abakuc.expert.travel

Please excuse the look and feel, it is still a little rough on the edges and yet not fully IE compliant.

My marketing strategy and branding are based on my objectives, in that they are to provide an inexpensive way for members to have their own branded site, with their own domain for the same cost of purchasing a hosting plan - £15 to £25 per month, but also for the data to be all on one central database and can be shared across multiple domains.

For example:

http://abakuc.com is the same as http://abakuc.expert.travel and which is also http://uk.expert.travel/companies/abakuc-limited/

A sort of portal-in-a-portal

My second strategy is to allow Tourist Offices, Airlines, Cruise companies to host their training materials, so that they can train Travel Agents, Tour Operators about the products - i.e. how to sell Zambia for example. - again here Zambia Tourism Office will have their own domain with its own branding etc.. and is able to use the infrastructure of this application.

Finally my questions, from what I have written so far, could someone guide me on how to bridge the gap between the benefits to the member and the training provider.

Should this be my main objective?

Any comments, advise much appreciated.

Regards

Norman