Archive for May, 2009

How To Maintain A Brand

Friday, May 29th, 2009

How To Maintain A Brand
Kern Lewis,

In the Internet age, consumers have more control over your message than ever. Here’s how to take it back.

Marketing types are quick to lament that their customers, armed with and invigorated by the viral power of social networks, are in control of their brands. Kind of like inmates running the asylum.

I have news for you, folks: Consumers have always been in charge of “brand development,” insofar as they determine what your brand is worth based on t (more…)

Story telling in retailing

Monday, May 25th, 2009

Make the Story Relevant: The Use of Narratives in Food Retailing

The recession, which took hold of our collective consumer psyche somewhere in mid-to late 2008, is impacting the way people live, shop and make purchase decisions. Narratives function to tell consumers what a product, manufacturer or retailer is all about and fulfills the critical role of conveying important quality messages or cues. An example of a powerful brand narrative is Southwest Airlines: “free to roam about the country. (more…)

Simplicity Trend: Making it simple is not as simple as it seems

Thursday, May 14th, 2009

The reality of an economic meltdown is hitting consumers hard: unemployment rates are soaring, housing prices are plummeting and consumer spending is at a four-year low. It’s no surprise that consumer confidence is at an all-time low too. Scrambling to find ways to cope with the challenges of everyday life, many consumers are shifting their focus and energy towards a trend that sounds like a simple solution, but often isn’t.

That trend is simplicity. Consumers have been talking about simplify (more…)

In defence of national brands: Ten ways to quell the private label threat

Monday, May 11th, 2009

As private label continues to take share away from national brands, a Nielsen analyst has identified a number of simple ways for manufacturers to limit the private label threat.

Tom Pirovano, Director of Industry Insights at Nielsen, notes that differentiation is the key, with ten ideas to take on generic brands:

1. Health claims – Look for claims you can make about your product. If it is natural let customers know, if it’s a good source of antioxidants let people know, but make sure what (more…)

Better Branding Through Colors

Saturday, May 9th, 2009

We live in a visual world made up of vibrant colors. Yet, the applications of colors in business are often an afterthought of marketing. Colors are an essential design element for logos, website development, business cards and all of your business branding. According to a study by University of Loyola in Maryland, brand recognition can increase up to 80 percent by using colors.

What is the meaning of colors in business?

* White: Pure. Clean. Youthful. It’s a neutral color that can impl (more…)

Helping shoppers to buy local food

Monday, May 4th, 2009

Author By Lauren Rogers »

EARLIER this year a survey revealed that 30 per cent of shoppers want more local produce in big supermarkets.

The report, compiled by the international food and grocery experts IGD, also showed that one of the key motivations for buying local food is to support the local economy, and that almost half (47 per cent) of the shoppers interviewed would buy more local produce if it was more widely available.

The results of Shopper Trends 2009: Food Shopping in a Rece (more…)