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Brand

A Font Causes an Uproar for IKEA

Over the past few weeks, IKEA has been challenged from multiple directions over its new logo — specifically, the font change in its new logo design.  Remember the old IKEA logo that used the serif Futura font (check it out below)?


ikea logo old-400px


Now take a look at the new IKEA logo with the sans-serif Verdana font (check it out below).


ikea_logo_new


Apparently, this font change has caused an uproar with 3,000 consumers signing a position against the new logo and USA Today and the New York Times writing about it.  Is this font change really so bad?

Here are my thoughts: [Read more…] about A Font Causes an Uproar for IKEA

Trident Launches ‘A Little Piece of Happy’ Campaign

trident-happy-logoSometimes timing truly is everything.  Cadbury’s Trident brand should benefit from timing with its new “A Little Piece of Happy” campaign.  Although the campaign has been in development for 3 years (according to an article on BrandWeek), it will finally launch this month.  The concept is to show consumers how Trident provides moments of happiness in life — perfect timing given the economic downturn. 

The “A Little Piece of Happy” campaign includes a web site and short 15-second commercials that are intended to give consumers a moment to smile rather than being completely obtrusive.  The web site doesn’t launch until June 16, 2009.  I’m hoping the campaign includes a social media component through this Web site.  The campaign certainly lends itself well to social media and the sharing of “happy” moments.  A consumer video contest would be a great addition to the campaign (e.g., “share your happy moment with Trident and win…”).  We’ll have to wait and see if anything like that is yet to come.

I expect the campaign should work well given its launch timing.  Let’s face it, Trident has become a fairly boring brand over the years, but a nostalgic, personal moment ad might help revive the brand’s relevance.  I’m certainly a supporter of the 15-second commercial concept.

Certainly, a marketing campaign that targets consumer emotion, security, and thoughts of a better time should be welcomed by consumers right now.  That’s exactly what consumers are looking for amidst the economic crisis they’re living in.  What do you think?  Are you ready for ‘A Little Piece of Happy’?

Break Through Branding Clutter

Does your brand stand out in the crowded marketplace?  Does your brand message stand out from the myriad of messages that clutter consumers’ minds each day?  In order to ensure your brand is noticed and remembered amidst the clutter, you have to be certain that it stands for something specific.  In other words, it needs to offer a unique value proposition.

Truth be told, I dislike the buzz phrase “unique value proposition” because I think it’s overused.  However, I’m using it here since it actually does apply.  What makes your brand unique and what makes it distinctly different from other brands available to consumers?  What makes your message more important than all the other messages customers hear? [Read more…] about Break Through Branding Clutter

Landor Associates Releases Annual Brand Survey Results

2009_calendar_SeptLandor Associates conducts a survey each year to learn more about what marketers and consumers think about brands, branding trends, and more.  The 2009 survey results are in, and they definitely reaffirm what most marketers have believed to be true throughout the year.

For example, the most coveted brand of 2009 and the past decade according to the survey results is Google.  Given the fact that in the first decade of the 21st century, Google became the search engine, launched a Web browser, rolled out dozens of free applications and acquired even more, it’s no wonder that Google is so strong.

Furthermore, survey respondents identified the digital era as the one thing that impacted their lives more than anything else over the past decade.  Again, this is not surprising considering the fact that the social Web was really just starting to catch on in the beginning of the decade.  Look at where we’ve gotten so fast.  Today, we rely on the quick spreading of information and discussing that information via the tools of the social Web like blogs, Twitter, Facebook, and more.  Major news events have even been covered in greater depth through the social Web than through traditional media (think of the death of Michael Jackson, which broke on the TMZ.com blog or the spreading of information from inside Iran after the 2009 Iran Election via Twitter).  The world changed significantly during the first decade of the 21st century thanks to the social Web.  Interestingly, the survey also found that 75% of respondents preferred Facebook over other social networking tools.

Some of the most important issues to survey respondents during the past decade include the environment and green issues as well as the economy, both of which directly affect their buying habits and lifestyles.

While none of these findings are new revelations, they do reaffirm marketers’ views that digital and social media are integral components in the future of branding and marketing.  If you don’t already have a digital and social media strategy for your brand, make 2010 the year that you get on board before you find your brand left behind.

Image: Flickr

Apple Bumps Coca-Cola from Top Spot as World’s Most Valuable Brand

apple logo apple storeThe Top 100 Global Brands 2013 list from Interbrand has been released and Apple has ended the 13-year run Coca-Cola enjoyed in the #1 spot. In fact, Coca-Cola fell to third place on the list of the most valuable global brands in 2013, behind Apple and Google.

Both Apple and Google were top risers in the 2013 list, with estimated value growth rates of 28% and 24%, respectively. Coca-Cola only experienced a 2% growth in value. However, the biggest growth in brand value was experienced by Facebook. Ranking at #52 (up from #69 in 2012), Facebook’s brand value rose by 43% to $7.7 billion. On the opposite end of the spectrum, Nokia dropped from #19 in 2012 to #57 in 2013 with a brand value that dropped by 65% to $7.4 billion.

In terms of positions on this list, Apple moved up from #2 in 2012 (#8 in 2011), and Google climbed from #4 in 2012 (also #4 in 2011). Looking back even further, Apple didn’t even make the top 10 in the 2008 list (#24) while Google ranked in tenth place. But let’s go back even further. In 2000, when the list of the top 100 global brands was first published, Coca-Cola was in the top spot, but Apple was ranked #36 and Google didn’t make the list at all.

The top 10 global brands of 2013 are:

  1. Apple = $98.3 billion brand value
  2. Google = $93.3 billion brand value
  3. Coca-Cola = $79.2 billion brand value
  4. IBM = $78.8 billion brand value
  5. Microsoft – $59.5 billion brand value
  6. GE = $46.9 billion brand value
  7. McDonald’s = $42.0 billion brand value
  8. Samsung = $39.6 billion brand value
  9. Intel = $37.3 billion brand value
  10. Toyota = $35.3 billion brand value

Today, the top 10 global brands according to the Interbrand report are primarily technology brands (5 out of 10). However, tech brands aren’t the most common sector seen on this year’s list. That honor goes to the automotive sector. Here is a breakdown of the number of brands in each sector that made it on the list of the top 100 global brands of 2013:

  • Automotive = 14 brands
  • Technology = 12 brands
  • FMCG = 12 brands
  • Financial Services = 11 brands
  • Alcohol = 7 brands
  • Luxury = 7 brands
  • Electronics = 6 brands
  • Diversified = 5 brands
  • Apparel = 4 brands
  • Beverages = 4 brands
  • Media = 4 brands
  • Restaurants = 4 brands
  • Business Services = 3 brands
  • Retail = 2 brands
  • Sporting Goods = 2 brands
  • Energy = 1 brand
  • Home Furnishings = 1 brand
  • Transportation = 1 brand

Overall, U.S. brands dominate the list with 57 followed by Europe and Africa with 33. Ten brands on the list are from Asia. You can follow the link above to view the full report, interactive charts, and more.

Image: Plasticpeople

Top 100 Global Brands of 2011

Interbrand released its top 100 global brands of 2011 report, and Coca-Cola took the top spot for the 12th year running with the brand valued at $71.9 billion. IBM came in second, and Microsoft rounded out the top three.

When it comes to the biggest brand value gain — Apple stole the title with a 58% increase in brand value. Amazon also performed well with a 32% jump in brand value, and Google experienced a 27% increase.

On the flip side, big losers in terms of brand value on the 2011 list include Nokia, which experienced a 15% decrease in brand value, and Nintendo, which suffered from increased competition leading to a 14% drop in brand value.

The breakdown of brands by sector in the list of the top 100 global brands is as follows:

  • Electronics = 14 brands
  • Financial Services = 14 brands
  • Automotive = 12 brands
  • FMCG = 11 brands
  • Alcohol = 7 brands
  • Luxury = 7 brands
  • Business Services = 5 brands
  • Diversified = 5 brands
  • Internet Services = 4 brands
  • Beverages = 4 brands
  • Restaurants = 4 brands
  • Apparel = 3 brands
  • Media = 3 brands
  • Computer Software = 2 brands
  • Sporting Goods = 2 brands
  • Energy = 1 brand
  • Home Furnishings = 1 brand
  • Transportation = 1 brand

The top 100 global brands are primarily American brands. When looking at brand value by region, 52 of the brands on the list are from the Americas, 38 brands are from Europe and Africa, and 10 brands are from Asia Pacific.

Interbrand develops its annual global brand ranking report by evaluating brand financial performance, the brand’s effect on consumer purchase decisions, and the brand’s strength relative to its ability to continue earning money for the company in the future.

The leading 50 brands in the top 100 global brands of 2011 according to Interbrand are:

  1. Coca-Cola = $71.9 billion
  2. IBM= $69.9 billion
  3. Microsoft = $59.0 billion
  4. Google = $55.2 billion
  5. GE = $42.8 billion
  6. McDonald’s = $35.6 billion
  7. Intel = $35.2 billion
  8. Apple = $33.5 billion
  9. Disney = $29.0 billion
  10. Hewlett-Packard = $28.5 billion
  11. Toyota = $27.8 billion
  12. Mercedes-Benz = $27.4 billion
  13. Cisco = $25.3 billion
  14. Nokia = $25.1 billion
  15. BMW = $24.6 billion
  16. Gillette = $24.0 billion
  17. Samsung = $23.4 billion
  18. Louis Vuitton = $23.2 billion
  19. Honda = $19.4 billion
  20. Oracle = $17.3 billion
  21. H&M = $16.5 billion
  22. Pepsi = $14.6 billion
  23. American Express = $14.6 billion
  24. SAP = $14.5 billion
  25. Nike = $14.5 billion
  26. Amazon.com = $12.8 billion
  27. UPS = $12.5 billion
  28. J.P. Morgan = $12.4 billion
  29. Budweiser = $12.3 billion
  30. Nescafe = $12.1 billion
  31. Ikea = $11.9 billion
  32. HSBC = $11.8 billion
  33. Canon = $11.7 billion
  34. Kellogg’s = $11.4 billion
  35. Sony = $9.9 billion
  36. eBay = $9.8 billion
  37. Thomson Reuters = $9.5 billion
  38. Goldman Sachs = $9.1 billion
  39. Gucci = $8.8 billion
  40. L’Oreal = $8.7 billion
  41. Philips = $8.7 billion
  42. Citi = $8.6 billion
  43. Dell = $8.3 billion
  44. Zara = $8.1 billion
  45. Accenture = $8.0 billion
  46. Siemens = $7.9 billion
  47. Volkswagen = $7.9 billion
  48. Nintendo = $7.7 billion
  49. Heinz = $7.6 billion
  50. Ford = $7.5 billion

You can see the complete top 100 global brands of 2011 list here, and read more about the methodology behind Interbrand’s annual brand ranking here.

What do you think about this list? Do any brands surprise you? Leave a comment and share your thoughts.

Image: Interbrand