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Sustainable Stock Exchanges Break Cover

Aviva InvestorsThe other day I was watching The Simpsons … I blame it on the kids, but thankfully they don’t always understand the bits I chuckle at.

Anyhow, the episode in question was “My Fair Laddy”, a wonderful rip of My Fair Lady complete with parodies which you feel ought to be violating copyright somewhere along the line.

For example, the elocution lesson: “The Snot .. From My Nose .. Shouldn’t Fall .. Upon My Clothes”.  I know it’s a long way from Spain, but lets not get into a debate on elongated vowels here!

Now, a few weeks ago I read something (I forget what) about Aviva Investors agitating strongly for increased responsibility within companies.  I think I reread it several times, just to make sure I’d understood correctly, looked genuinely surprised and made a mental note to look out for Aviva in the future.

Lo and behold, up they pop again, pressing for stockmarkets to include ESG criteria in their listing rules.  Did you just reread that sentence? I know I reread the article several times, remembered to close my mouth and thought “well this I gotta see!”

[Read more…] about Sustainable Stock Exchanges Break Cover

28 Brand Facebook Pages with the Most Likes

Have you ‘liked’ a Facebook page lately?  Creating Facebook pages for brands is hot, hot, hot!  As you might expect, some brands are finding ways to get a lot of people to like their Facebook pages.  Of course, there are no real numbers available to report how those likes turn into revenue, but the fact that millions of people are liking brands on Facebook shows there is value in having a Facebook presence for your brand.  If nothing else, it provides another way for consumers to interact with your brand in a way that they enjoy.  It’s great for building brand awareness, loyalty, and word-of-mouth marketing, and it doesn’t have to cost a fortune to do it!  What’s not to like about it?

TheNextWeb.com put together a list of the top 28 brand Facebook pages in terms of the number of people who like them, and the results are quite interesting.  See which brands come out on top in the world of Facebook likes below:

  1. Starbucks (16,032,409)
  2. Coca Cola (15,095,389)
  3. Oreo (12,085,126)
  4. Skittles (11,508,441)
  5. Red Bull (10,198,875)
  6. Victoria’s Secret (8,429,334)
  7. Disney (8,394,141)
  8. Converse All Star (7,366,892)
  9. iTunes (7,071,721)
  10. MTV (7,043,056)
  11. Zara (6,063,583)
  12. Pringles (5,762,518)
  13. NBA (5,616,388)
  14. Starburst (5,380,056)
  15. Nutella (5,208,281)
  16. Dr Pepper (5,164,646)
  17. Monster Energy (4,916,536)
  18. Adidas Originals (4,804,224)
  19. H&M (4,520,070)
  20. Ferraro Rocher (4,424,751)
  21. McDonalds (3,795,486)
  22. Playstation (3,683,751)
  23. Xbox (3,447,690)
  24. Taco Bell (3,399,860)
  25. Puma (2,712,075)
  26. BMW (2,696,929)
  27. Blackberry (2,675,387)
  28. Nike (2,481,546)

Of course, there is more to finding success through Facebook marketing than attracting a lot of likes.  How engaged are these millions of people on those Facebook pages a few months after they click the like button?  In those terms, some of these Facebook pages are actually far superior than others.  For example, take some time to look through the Facebook pages listed above and see what these brands are doing to engage consumers.  Red Bull is one that definitely stands out to me.  In fact, I included it in my upcoming book, 30-Minute Social Media Marketing, so I’m not surprised to see it on this list (listen to the Drunkish Dials on the Red Bull Facebook page, they’re hilarious).  It’s a great example of adding value to the online conversation using Facebook.

red-bull-facebook-page

I think one of the most interesting things about this list is how diverse it is.  There are some of the most valuable brands in the world on this list as well as some smaller brands.  There are also brands in a variety of categories, including food, apparel, entertainment, and more.  Clearly, any size brand and type of brand can find success on Facebook.

Check out TheNextWeb.com for more information about these pages and start thinking about how you can benchmark these Facebook page leaders to market your brand through its own Facebook page.

Time Warner Cable Sticks with Eye and Ear

In March 2009, Time Warner Cable became its own, independent company.  Since 1990, the eye and ear symbol used in the Time Warner brand identity has been an important element.  In fact, in 1993, it began being used exclusively for Time Warner’s cable brand — Time Warner Cable.  Throughout 2010, there have been rumors around the branding world that Time Warner Cable might do something drastic with its logo, possibly ditching the eye and ear entirely.  Turns out there was no need for speculation at all, because the new identity released recently — complete with the logo, color palette, and eye and ear symbol — doesn’t veer very far from the previous version.  You can check out the old and new logos below.

time-warner-cable-logo-old-new

Time Warner Cable worked with The Brand Union for about a year on the new brand identity project.  The new logo features a brighter and lighter blue, a heavier sans serif font that integrates “Cable” into the name rather than making it stand out, and uses a lighter, airier version of the eye and ear symbol.  These are fairly subtle changes that don’t make a big difference to consumers but do help retain consumer perceptions of the Time Warner brand and provide a sense of security and longevity.

According to Time Warner Cable and The Brand Union, the eye and ear symbol is now at the center of the brand’s new visual system.  Rather than a rebranding, the new logo and other identity elements are being called a brand identity refresh based on standards of simplicity, including minimizing sub-brands.  In fact, the goal of the brand refresh, “was to convey simplicity and ease, removing any obstacles from doing what you love.  Moving people forward to bring them back to having more time for what they love.”

What do you think of the Time Warner Cable brand identity refresh?  Good, bad, indifferent?  Leave a comment and share your thoughts.

11 Months Left for the Oprah Effect

oprah-winfreyIn November 2009, Oprah Winfrey announced that after 25 years she would be leaving the Oprah Winfrey Show behind on September 9, 2011.  At the time, I wrote a blog post wondering who Oprah’s successor would be.  I wrote:

Who can fill Oprah’s shoes?  Who can step up to the plate and build a similar brand position?  Let’s face it.  Oprah Winfrey’s power and influence transcended the afternoon talk show circuit.  She became a global influencer of everything from the beef industry to publishing, entertainment, and many areas in between.

There are just 11 months left until the Oprah Winfrey Show closes its doors, which would lead one to think there are only 11 months left for businesses, entertainers and individuals to benefit from the Oprah Effect — the guaranteed brand awareness and buzz that comes from an appearance on the Oprah Winfrey Show or even a simple mention by Oprah herself.  Thousands of brands, companies, and people have witnessed the Oprah Effect in action with little-known writers turning into best-selling authors and small entrepreneurs watching their businesses grow beyond their wildest dreams after a single mention by Oprah.

So who will take Oprah Winfrey’s shoes in September 2011?  Will there be another person capable of providing publicity, word-of-mouth marketing, and brand-building comparable to the Oprah Effect?

It’s an interesting concept to consider.  When Oprah speaks on her talk show, there is a large segment of the consumer population that listens, and many of those people are the primary purchase decision-makers for their homes.  Who will that audience turn to in Oprah Winfrey’s absence?  And how can your business and brand get on that influencer’s radar screen?

What do you think?  Is there another influencer that captures the same audience and has a similar effect on that audience’s perceptions?  Has there been another person in history with the same type of reach and influence as Oprah Winfrey has garnered over the past 25 years?

Furthermore, the Oprah Winfrey brand itself is extremely powerful.  It’s interesting to hypothesize about what’s next for the Oprah brand just as much as it is to wonder who the next big influencer will be.  Leave a comment and share your thoughts on the Oprah Effect and successors to the Oprah Winfrey brand.

Image: Flickr

JetBlue Differentiates Brand with YouTube Videos

In a clever attempt to differentiate its brand from other airline brands, JetBlue turned to YouTube and launched a series of videos that call attention to the common airline policies that anger consumers.  Each video uses a hidden camera to capture consumers’ reactions to airline policies applied to other aspects of daily life.

For example, a New York City taxi driver reclines his seat and explains the legroom policy in his cab to paying passengers or he tells passengers that they’re required to pay a $25 baggage check fee to carry luggage in the trunk of the taxi.  Other videos show an elevator ride destined to stop on every floor because it’s not a “non-stop” trip and a New York City street vendor pouring drinks into airline-sized disposable cups for customers rather than handing over the entire can.

As you can imagine, the reactions of New York City patrons are honest and amusing, and they perfectly support JetBlue’s message: “You wouldn’t take it on the ground. Don’t take it in the air.”

The videos work for one simple reason, JetBlue does offer more legroom, first checked bags are free, and you get the full can of Coke and a free snack no matter where you sit.  In other words, JetBlue offers tangible differentiators and clearly demonstrates why consumers shouldn’t settle for less.

The YouTube videos are just one part of a larger marketing push JetBlue is launching in target cities across the United States, which will include online, mobile, offline, ambient, and in-flight initiatives.  In other words, this is a well-strategized, fully-integrated marketing campaign.

You can view some of the JetBlue video montages below and check out all of the videos on the JetBlue YouTube channel within the Ground Rules playlist (which is great use of a playlist on YouTube, I might add!).

Glass Half Full Montage

Cab Jam Montage

Taken for a Ride Montage

The Local

What do you think of this effort by JetBlue?  I like it, but I’d like to see even more social media efforts supporting the campaign which could carry the entire campaign to the next level of success over time.  Leave a comment and share your thoughts.

Research Shows Advertising Creative is More Important than Media Buy

presentationNew research from comScore ARS Group provides a new vision of the marketing budget with creative positioned to take a bigger chunk of the upfront investment in advertising than media placement.  The question is whether or not companies will actually take the research to heart and apply it to their own marketing strategies and budgets.

Let’s take a closer look at the comScore ARS Group research findings.

First, here is what comScore ARS Group researched:

comScore ARS Group conducted research to determine, “the importance of sound strategy and strong creative elements in driving effective campaign execution for TV and digital advertising campaigns.”  This wasn’t a quick study of a small population.  According to comScore, the research was “extensive.”

Next, here is what comScore ARS Group learned:

Jeff Cox, executive vice president of ComScore ARS explains, “Based on our years of research in this space, we’ve determined that the quality of creative is four times more important than the characteristics of the media plan in generating sales.  In fact, creative is the single most important factor and accounts for over half the changes in a brand’s sales over time.”

Furthermore, the study found that 70% of campaigns with an “above-average creative strategy” in the study resulted in “above-average execution,” while 65% of campaigns with a “below-average creative strategy” resulted in “below-average execution.”  In other words, ads with a strong creative strategy provide the results companies are looking for far more frequently and consistently than campaigns that lack creative strategy.

The comScore ARS study found that the marketing variable which influence changes in brand sales in the United States in terms of the contribution those variables provide to sales changes are as follows:

  • Ad quality = 52%
  • Media plan = 13%
  • Other (price, promotion, distribution, etc.) = 35%

Finally, here is what brand managers and marketers should start to think about based on the comScore research data:

On the surface, these are some compelling statistics, particularly at a time when marketers and brand managers are spending a lot of time on building relationships and social media connections rather than investing in the creative side of advertising.  If nothing else, these statistics should act as a warning that the creative aspect of marketing and advertising is far from over.  In fact, if this research is accurate, creative investments should still hold a significant portion of the marketing budget.

This is just one more factor that marketing executives need to include in the strategy and budget planning process to ensure marketing fundamentals (including great creative) aren’t forgotten in favor of newer opportunities (such as social media).  The best marketing plan will be well-integrated with a mixture of traditional and new media initiatives, all supported by great creative.

What do you think of the comScore ARS research data?  Will it affect your marketing budget and strategy?  Leave a comment and share your thoughts.

Image: stock.xchng