Why sonic branding is critical to building brand equity.
When it comes to brand recall our hearing is one of the strongest senses we have. That’s why the use of sound as part of brand building has been around for centuries. Historically, tower-like minarets were introduced in eighth century Baghdad as platforms to call to prayer, and in medieval Europe church bells were … Continued
Transforming from a toymaker to an IP marketer.
Brands like Grand Turismo and Barbie are leveraging movies to revitalise their market share and connect with younger audiences. By associating their brand with popular movies, they can tap into their existing fan bases and generate excitement and interest amongst a new generation of fans. This strategy not only helps to rejuvenate the brand … Continued
Why one of the world’s leading mobile brands disappeared.
The rise and fall of the Canadian brand BlackBerry is a cautionary tale that resonates with marketing professionals everywhere, well beyond the tech industry. At its prime, BlackBerry dominated the mobile phone market with its unbeatable QWERTY keyboards and secure messaging. However, a series of missed opportunities led to their downfall, and the consequences were … Continued
Why for Airbnb brand building beats performance marketing
Just over two years ago in early-2021, Airbnb launched a new brand campaign called ‘Made Possible by Hosts.’ The company asked a handful of people around the world who were great photographers to book an Airbnb with their friends and families and to submit the photos. Airbnb made videos from this user-generated content aimed to … Continued
When it comes to craft beer, cannabis, and canned water, bad can be good.
When it comes to branding, you might assume that positive, aspirational brand names always win over customers. However, in certain industries like craft beer, cannabis, and canned water, the opposite is true. By 2012, the Big Beer triumvirate of Anheuser-Busch, InBev, and MillerCoors, had absorbed so many smaller US beer brands that they controlled over … Continued
Michael Jordan sneakers sell for record $2.2m
Just recently, Sotheby’s auctioned a pair of the Nike sneakers that Michael Jordan wore during the 1998 NBA Finals – his final “Last Dance” season with the Chicago Bulls. The Air Jordan XIIIs, which many consider to be the most famous and recognisable basketball sneakers of all time, fetched $2.2 million, an all-time record. But … Continued
What turned Apple around in 1997?
Apple has one of the most remarkable comeback stories in the world of technology. In the late 1990s, the company was on the verge of bankruptcy, struggling to stay afloat amidst intense competition from rivals such as Microsoft and Dell. The brand was perceived as outdated and irrelevant, and the company’s products were not resonating … Continued
How brands and consumers are realigning their values
This year’s much anticipated Christmas ad from UK retailers John Lewis Partnership, who also own Waitrose supermarkets, shows a middle-aged man teaching himself to skateboard…
Barbie gets a makeover
Barbie turns sixty soon, old enough to be a grandmother. Ahead of her birthday, the iconic global doll brand is being rejuvenated to support a movement empowering the next generation of women. The tiny blonde doll and her famous silhouette have caused much controversy over the years. However in 2019, Barbie has evolved to include a wider range of body types and embrace campaigns to tackle low self-esteem…
Ten things we’re glad we didn’t do as marketing consultants in 2018
None of us can get it right all the time, but here are ten things Driving Growth is glad it wasn’t responsible for in 2018, and would like to think it would have handled differently…
Black Friday
Not many people know that the term Black Friday, at least in relation to shopping, has its roots in American law enforcement jargon.
How pre-digital era marketers shifted their customer relationship approach in the digital age
In the beginning was the newspaper and marketing was about one-way communication. In the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, classified ads, often covering the entire front page of a newspaper, were arranged by product category. This offered a simplified, pre-Google…