Corporate Eye

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Susan Gunelius

Susan Gunelius

What is Intangible Brand Value?

tylenolThere has always been a struggle between marketers trying to convince corporate senior management that the company’s brand is its most valuable asset and should be included in the company’s overall investment strategy to ensure it works its magic.  However, what do you say when the men and women in the corner offices ask you to quantify your argument for why the company should invest in branding initiatives?  The challenge for marketers has always been finding metrics to measure the value of a brand.  Certainly, one can point to brands like Apple and make the argument that the value of branding is too obvious to ignore.  However, ignore it they will unless you can prove its worth.

Next time you head into a meeting in an attempt to secure budget for internal and external brand-building campaigns, use the list below to help you make your case.  Use each item in the list below and attach at least one real-world example to it, particularly from your own company’s or your competitors’ experiences.  You might not win your first argument, but you might just open some eyes about the intangible value of a brand. [Read more…] about What is Intangible Brand Value?

Microsoft Looks to Other Top Brands for a Boost

microsoft-signMicrosoft is banking on the power of top brands to give its own brand a boost.  In a new ad campaign, reportedly costing $150 million, Microsoft has tapped both customers and corporate leaders to espouse the benefits of investing in software and technology during an economic downturn and claiming that investments in technology today can actually save companies money. 

Up first, according to The Register – executives from Coca Cola and Quicksilver who declare that the, “right enterprise software in the right places can help entire companies come together to drive business results.”

Of course, the ad campaign is somewhat hypocritical considering that Microsoft is in the middle of a hiring freeze, cutting expansion costs and considering a hiring freeze – at least that’s the rumor.  But that’s another story entirely.  Or perhaps not. [Read more…] about Microsoft Looks to Other Top Brands for a Boost

Panasonic Jump Starts Word of Mouth by Using Top Bloggers

consumer-electronics-show-logoThe Consumer Electronics Show is a big deal for companies like Panasonic who typically put it all on the line to generate a buzz about their products at the show each year.  This year, Panasonic has engaged the help of influential bloggers to help jump start word-of-mouth marketing around its offerings at the show.

Top blogger, Greg Verdino’s, consulting company, Crayon, is helping Panasonic boost the online buzz by providing five influential bloggers whose job is to attend the show and blog about what they see, particularly related to Panasonic who is footing the bill for their attendance, equipment, and expenses.  [Read more…] about Panasonic Jump Starts Word of Mouth by Using Top Bloggers

Which Brands Deserve a Bailout – Ford, AIG, Hustler?

larry_flint_hustler_clubThis week, two of the best known brands in the pornography industry – Hustler and Girls Gone Wild, petitioned the U.S. government for a $5 billion bailout to reposition and rebuild both companies citing a 22% loss in sales and rentals over the course of the prior year due to the increased availability of sexually explicit material on the Internet.  As far as the two brand champions, Larry Flynt and Joe Francis, are concerned — if banks and auto manufacturers could get bailouts, then why not companies that deal in pornography?

A joint press release from Hustler and Girls Gone Wild quotes Larry Flynt as defending the bailout request as follows, “People are too depressed to be sexually active.  This is very unhealthy as a nation. Americans can do without cars and such but they cannot do without sex.”  I should note that neither company is in jeopardy of collapsing.  Instead, the press release says, “The $13 billion in industry is in no fear of collapse, but why take chances?” [Read more…] about Which Brands Deserve a Bailout – Ford, AIG, Hustler?

Top 500 Franchises of 2009 from Entrepreneur.com

Each year, Entrepreneur.com compiles a list of the top 500 franchises.  Year after year, the list remains fairly similar, but I was particularly interested in taking a look at the list this year. 

Given the tumultuous economy that is affecting most of the world, I wanted to see which brands were still leading the franchise pack, so to speak.  I imagined brands related to real estate would lose some ground, while iconic brands like McDonald’s would stand their ground.  Let’s take a look at how the list of the Top 500 Franchises shook out for 2009 according to Entrepreneur.com. [Read more…] about Top 500 Franchises of 2009 from Entrepreneur.com

Can a Brand Get Too Big?

I read an interesting post today on the Branding Strategy Insider blog that made the case that bigger brands don’t necessarily have better marketers behind them than smaller brands do.  Mark Ritson wrote in his post about how his consulting experience over the years has proven that smaller brands are just as likely to have marketers of similar capabilities and knowledge as bigger brands.  I have to agree with Mark but from a slightly different perspective.

My experience in Corporate America, working for some of the largest companies in the world, and in working with smaller companies through my own marketing company has shown me that marketing and branding talent can be found behind brands of all sizes.  The difference typically comes from the support behind those people. [Read more…] about Can a Brand Get Too Big?