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New Honda Tagline Focuses on Relationship Branding

honda civicHonda is rolling out a new tagline in the United States that urges consumers to “Start something special.” Mark Rechtin of Automotive News reports that the new tagline is intended to build deeper relationships between consumers and the Honda brand, and it will be used across all advertising beginning in the fall.

Ads rolling out later this year will focus on the reasons why owning a Honda is “special” with a reliance on audience psychographic data rather than solely on demographic data.

The slogan seems appropriate for the Honda brand, which is known for its reliability and trustworthiness. Many people who purchase Honda vehicles in the United States keep them for a very long time, and when they do decide to replace their cars, they choose a Honda again. This loyalty is very valuable for the Honda brand, and the “start something special,” tagline is a logical extension of the brand promise — a special driving experience that continually grows through a consumer’s long relationship with the brand.

The obvious question is whether or not this slogan does enough to position the Honda brand against one of its top competitors in the United States—Toyota. Both brands are positioned as the reliable and trustworthy brands, but there is little differentiation between them. If Toyota owns “reliable” then what word does Honda own? You could swap the two brand names in that question and it would still make complete sense.

Similarly, you could apply the “Start something special” tagline to a number of automotive brands (as well as brands in completely different industries) and it would still work. It’s not the worst tagline, but it seems a bit watered down (i.e., a victim of decision-by-committee disease).

Of course, battling over market share between Honda and Toyota would likely require a bigger marketing investment than it would to try and steal market share from competitors that occupy distinctly different positions in consumers’ minds. Shifting consumers from the “less reliable” brand with the less-than-special-relationship to Honda is likely a better investment.

It’s important to note that Honda isn’t replacing its global tagline with this new tagline. Furthermore, Honda isn’t placing any long term dependence on this new tagline. According to Rechtin’s report, if the slogan doesn’t catch on following the fall advertising push, it will be replaced. Only time and consumer reactions will tell whether or not this new Honda slogan is truly the start of something special.

What do you think?

Image: Simon Cataudo

Facebook Ad Performance Up in 2Q 2013

mouse click facebook ad conversionsThe second quarter of 2013 was a good one for Facebook advertisers. That’s according to data from Kenshoo Social which compares Facebook advertising performance trends between the first and second quarters of this year based on a global analysis of a representative sample of 75 billion Facebook ads. The analysis showed an improvement in every key metric tracked in the study.

The analysis by the Kenshoo Social team identified the following performance improvements in Facebook advertising:

  • Click Through Rate (CTR):  Up 18.5%
  • Cost Per Click (CPC):  Down 15.9%
  • Click Volume:  Up 16.4%
  • Conversions:  Up 56.9%
  • Advertiser Revenue:  Up 28.3%

Todd Herrold of Kenshoo Social explains the two factors that were found to be driving the improvement in Facebook ad performance as follows:

  1. Better ad targeting products from Facebook designed specifically to increase conversions such as Partner Categories, Custom and Lookalike Audiences, and Facebook Exchange (FBX)
  2. Better use of tools by advertisers to target their ads and manage their advertising programs

For Facebook, this report is extremely important. In fact, any report that shows Facebook advertising can drive tangible results through conversions is an important one for Facebook, which must prove the worth of its ad platform to advertisers. The Kenshoo Social report defined conversions as offsite sales, likes, shares, comments, app installs, game plays, and other Facebook actions. Based on the findings in this report, these types of conversions were up nearly 60% during the second quarter of 2013 (over first quarter 2013 conversion rates).

If this growth is sustainable, Facebook might have a really good chance to prove that Facebook advertising is a viable direct response marketing investment rather than just a brand awareness investment. For brand marketers, this performance improvement for Facebook ad conversion rates provides another way to justify budget dollars for Facebook advertising. Of course, creating the right campaigns and effectively targeting them are critical to leveraging Facebook advertising for direct response marketing. With that said, the opportunities certainly appear to be growing.

Are you testing Facebook advertising as a direct response marketing tool for your brand yet? Leave a comment and share your thoughts.

Image: Ariel da Silva Parreira

The Award to the Most Popular Brand on Earth in July 2013 Goes To …

Google logo

According to Starcount, Google ranked as the most popular brand on earth during the month of July 2013 topping brands like Walt Disney, National Geographic, and Nike.

Starcount calculates its popularity scores for celebrities, brands, sports, music, games, and more. The score is based on daily popularity and engagement data from 11 popular social networking sites which is weighted using a proprietary formula, which according to Starcount, “reflects scale and reach of the network and adjusts for the different behaviors and metrics [of those networks].”

Sites including in the calculation include:

  1. Facebook
  2. Google+
  3. Twitter
  4. Orkut
  5. RenRen.com
  6. Mixi
  7. Kohtakte
  8. YouTube
  9. YouKu
  10. Weibo.com
  11. QQ.com

The data from July 2013 put Google at the top of the list of popular brands as shown in the list shared by BrandRepublic as follows:

  1. Google
  2. Walt Disney
  3. National Geographic
  4. Nike
  5. MTV
  6. Samsung Mobile
  7. Coca-Cola
  8. YouTube
  9. Twitter
  10. Instagram

Visit the Starcount website, and you’ll see lists of trending brands and brands to watch in a variety of categories from tech brands and travel brands to hot drink brands, recruitment brands, and more. You can also find charts for specific countries and regions. For example, follow the link to check out the United Kingdom chart to see who and what is popular today.

As I look through the Starcount site, I’m unable to find charts for trend analysis—not just what’s trending today but how brands’ popularity has changed over time. I’d love to see that feature added in the future to see which brands are sustaining their popularity and engagement versus those that are seeing bursts in popularity and engagement thanks to short-term marketing campaigns. I could use some of those charts in my lectures and articles!

A feature I do think is very useful on the Starcount charts is the inclusion of links to other charts that a brand is currently charting on. For example, as I write this article, Walt Disney ranks as today’s most popular brand in social media according to Starcount’s scoring system, but when you click on the More link to view other charts the brand appears on today, you’re taken to a page filled with information about the brand’s social media popularity as shown in the image below.

starcount walt disney

You can scroll down to review all of the information provided through the tabs, including:

  • Overview – A quick look at the brand’s performance and ranking
  • Social highlights – Popular updates and content published by the brand
  • Social network statistics – Metrics for the brand’s social media account performance for the day
  • All chart positions today – Each of the charts the brand appears on today along with its ranking
  • Biography – Overview of the brand

There are many tools and companies that attempt to track social media popularity and influence these days, and no tool is perfect. However, Starcount offers some interesting information that is worth reviewing to monitor your own brand or check out the competition.

Image: Google, Starcount

Places I want to work (Surprise #1)

Home Depot Careers

As I surf around looking at Careers sites, I try to put myself in the place of someone who really might want a job at that company. For example: If I wanted to work at (say) Home Depot, how would I react to their Careers presentation?

Let’s specify that Home Depot would not be a natural fit for me. Although I actually am very handy, and love tools–I’d be hard-pressed to work eight hours a day in a retail environment. (At least for more than a few weeks.) And for various reasons, I don’t think they would hire me! But I was surprisingly charmed by Home Depot’s Careers site, and found myself wishing that I could join “the team.”

What won me over?

  • A clean look that captures the company brand, but also adds a Careers personality.
  • Attention to detail—little things about the messaging that add up to a nice impression.
  • An inviting, inclusive emotional appeal that’s not too obvious.
  • A “bigger picture” view of opportunities with the company.
  • A feeling that the company respects job seekers.

Drilling down to specific sections of the page:
Home Depot Careers

First, I like the picture at top in the main area because the smiles seem sincere, not posed. Second, I like the picture because the diversity seems natural, not forced. And third—I like the effect of the whole composition, especially how the word “Passion” stands out and draws my attention.

Attention to design detail shows up with the reflection effects beneath the three smaller pictures. A simple touch, but it creates a depth and reality that wouldn’t be there if the images were set in flat. And care for messaging is evident in the headline question: “What Will You Build?” It uses the brand-appropriate metaphor of building in just the right way—to connect the Home Depot business model with my personal career.

The next bit of detail adds a little fun:
Home Depot Careers

Since video testimonials are found on so many sites now, the extra touch of a playful title (“Behind the Apron”) makes this feature stand out. And the photographs have active energy—especially the Merchandising high-five and that great attitude from the “Pro Sales Associate.”

Home Depot Careers
A big plus for me was the prominent list of Career options. As a Home Depot shopper, my image of the company was mainly about people stocking and selling in the warehouse-style stores. I hadn’t thought about EXPO Design Centers as part of Home Depot, or about opportunities in Installation, Call Centers, etc.

So this information expanded my perception of the company and made me think—wait, there might be a job fit for me somewhere in Home Depot after all.

Home Depot CareersFinally, I appreciated the easy access to tools and information provided on the left-side navigation bar. I get a quick impression that Home Depot has taken my needs into consideration, both as a site visitor and as a potential employee. They have provided a language choice and search functionality, and they are offering me information on customized employment programs, growth opportunities, and the Home Depot work environment.

Plus–the employee access gateway invites me to wonder what’s on the other side of that “Career Depot” button! And here we take a crucial step in engagement, because now I’m imagining myself as an employee.

All in all, Home Depot Careers doesn’t break any new ground—but it covers the basics very well and connects effectively with the visitor. So it’s made my very short list of sites that sell the company well!

YouTube Marketing Lessons from the Top 100 Global Brands

youtube video cameraDid you know that since YouTube was founded in 2005, the top 100 global brands have published 285,000 videos on 1,378 YouTube channels, and those videos have been viewed more than 9.5 billion times?

That’s just one of the statistics included in Pixability’s report, “The Top 100 Global Brands: Key Lessons for YouTube Success.” Pixability reports that since 2009, YouTube video publishing rates have climbed 73% annually on average, and today, only one brand in the list of the top 100 global brands does not have a YouTube channel. In fact, 56 of the brands on the list have 10 or more YouTube channels.

All of those videos and YouTube channels don’t guarantee YouTube marketing success for the top 100 global brands. Pixability’s researchers found that over half of the videos published by these brands have been viewed fewer than 1,000 times.

Four industries are far more active on YouTube than any other. These include media, B2C technology, B2B technology, and automotive. The top brands based on videos produced and total views are similar not just in the brands represented on both lists but also in the significant drop-off after the top three or four brands. Take a closer look at the top 10 brands based on number of videos produced and number of video views below.

Leading Brands on YouTube Based on Number of Videos Produced

  1. MTV = 23,756
  2. Thomson Reuters = 23,315
  3. Disney = 15,367
  4. Google = 12,467
  5. Samsung = 12,013
  6. Sony = 9,938
  7. Intel = 8,034
  8. Siemens = 7,293
  9. Nokia = 6,637
  10. Cisco = 6,612

Leading Brands on YouTube Based on Number of Video Views

  1. Disney = 2,502,016,234
  2. Google = 1,482,632,321
  3. Sony = 1,013,074,058
  4. Samsung = 522,386,484
  5. Nokia = 429,723,722
  6. Nike = 345,273,230
  7. MTV = 205,982,283
  8. Coca-Cola = 197,753,679
  9. Adidas = 185,520,895
  10. Nintendo = 174,495,568

The Pixability report offers seven YouTube marketing best practices gleaned from the team’s research, which any brand marketer can use. You can read the full report here. It’s filled with useful statistics and information that are well-worth your time. For example, the report authors write, “The top 25% of brands on YouTube had higher Facebook (330 times greater) and Twitter (89 times greater) video sharing than the bottom 25%, representing the highest disparities in this entire report.”

Following is a brief recap of some of the YouTube marketing tips provided in the report:

  • Continually use targeted YouTube advertising.
  • Publish a lot of videos consistently.
  • Optimize your videos and channels with YouTube-specific SEO tactics, relevant tags, and numerous playlists.
  • Publish more videos rather than adding more channels
  • Publish a variety of video content that includes both high quality and lower quality videos as well as short and long videos.

The good news for brand marketers is that video content on YouTube has longevity. Among the top 100 global brands on YouTube, Pixability found that within the first three weeks after a video is published on YouTube, it will receive 40% of its lifetime views. Between four and 12 weeks after a video is published, it will receive another 30% of its lifetime views, and between 21 and 52 weeks, it will get another 30% of its lifetime views. Unlike other social media sites and channels where content has an extremely short shelf-life and often disappears within hours, YouTube videos have staying power that brands can leverage as part of their integrated marketing plan for a very long time.

How are you using YouTube to market your brand? Leave a comment and share your thoughts.

Image: Jacob Power

2013 Web Design Trends that Affect Brand Image

web design trends 2013Does your web design appropriately reflect your brand image? Is your web design leveraging the most current technologies and trends? Enfuzed put together an infographic (shown below) that details the hottest web design trends of 2013. Take a look and see if your web design is in need of an update.

Of course, there is more to web design for brand building than being trendy. With that in mind, simply chasing the web design trends depicted in the infographic below might not be the right strategy for your brand.

Brands are unique and the best brands understand their audience. In other words, trends shouldn’t be prioritized over usability, because a website that’s confusing to consumers spills over to brand confusion. Knowing that brand confusion is the number one brand killer, you need to create a web design that offers the best balance between design and function so users’ expectations for your brand experiences are always met.

Consumers build brands, not companies and not websites. A trendy website might win some awards, but it might not win enough customers. Which matters at the end of the day?

With all of that said, the infographic below highlights some fantastic web design trends that can have a positive impact on your brand building efforts. For example, responsive design is becoming more and more popular as a way to create amazing user experiences across devices at a fraction of the cost that stand-alone mobile apps provide. Even Google has publicly acknowledged its preference for indexing responsive websites over mobile sites.

Another trend, infinite scrolling, is getting mixed results from users and should be tested before fully implementing it on a brand website. With infinite scrolling, new content keeps displaying as a visitor scrolls down the page in an infinite manner. In other words, it’s impossible to get to the footer, and that’s a design trend that many internet users aren’t accustomed to yet. Therefore, it can create a negative user experience which will reflect negatively on your brand.

On the other hand, the fixed header trend, where the header with navigation always appears at the top of the browser window as the visitor scrolls down the page, is being met with a very positive response from internet users. A fixed header saves visitors time because they can navigate from one page of your brand website to another without having to scroll back to the top of the page. This feature enhances the user experience and subconsciously improves users’ perceptions of your brand.

You can see all of the web design trends for 2013 in the infographic below.

2013-Web-Design-Trends-Infographic