December 2006
Brand Strategy's Trends and News for December
Welcome to Brand Strategy's last email newsletter of the year. We're winding down things in the office but we'll be back with more trends, alerts and blogs in January.
Remember to check out our blog - http://brandstrategy.wordpress.com for more frequent news, views and ideas.
Ruth Mortimer, editor (ruth.mortimer@centaur.co.uk) recommends…..
THE MOST INNOVATIVE BRANDS IN THE WORLD
Booz Allen Hamilton has come up with their second Global Innovation 1000 list, analysing the companies that spend most on research and development and bringing it all back to the bottom line. You can find all the information here:
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THE BRAND GOES WIIIIIIIIII……
Nintendo’s Wii consoles have been flying off the shelves. The system has been attracting non-console users with its motion-sensing control system instead of a joypad. Unfortunately, some viewers have got a bit involved and actually thrown the equipment straight into the telly. Probably not the news that the company expected so soon after launch…
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ELECTROLUX GETS LUCKY
Read this interview with the CEO of Electrolux on how one of Europe’s most well-known brands is dealing with low cost competitors from Asia and a renewed focus on its brand. Can it break free of the middle market? These are issues that cross sectors and industries.
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Morag Cuddeford Jones, contributing editor, (morag.cuddeford@centaur.co.uk) recommends….
THE INTANGIBLES
More than 60% of the value of quoted companies can be considered intangible, according to the latest report from Brand Finance, a brand valuation consultancy. Understandably, 91% of the value of quoted media brands is considered intangible but an unexpected 89% of the value pharmacological sector is also rooted in elements such as branding rather than physical assets. Banking's value is least rooted in ethereal qualities with 42% of its value less easy to pin down on the balance sheet.
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SPRING ROLLS
The emergence of a super-rich elite in China is driving demand for suitably expensive cars. Leading the pack is the classic Rolls Royce, which despite lacklustre demand in its home market of Western Europe, is enjoying a renaissance in the East. Hong Kong's upmarket Peninsula Hotel has taken delivery of 14 Phantoms, while one businessman has ordered a stretch version costing around £1.1m, said to be the most expensive the company has ever created. Far from being a one-off, China is now the company's third biggest market after the US and the UK.
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GOLDMAN NOT SO SHINY?
Merchant bank, Goldman Sachs, finds itself under threat of strike action, despite newspaper reports that it is on track to pay out some of the biggest bonuses ever to staff. In the well-publicised B-Day (bonus day), some of the company's slickest traders can expect to pocket £10m on top of their annual salaries. But in a fine example of non-joined-up thinking on the employee branding front, the company's cleaners are considering strike action after their workforce was cut but pay and conditions remained the same.
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Maeve Hosea, feature writer, (maeve.hosea@centaur.co.uk) recommends...
GLOBAL TOP RANKING
Which companies have joined the FTSE CNBC Global 300 Index and which ones have fallen out of the ranking? This month, brands such as Deutsche Post are more successful than those like Motorola, according to the rating system. Check out which countries have the most successful brands here:
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USING RELIGION TO SELL BRANDS
When should you sell a religious message through computer games? A new game, Left Behind, allows users to command an army of good against an anti-Christ army. Should religious marketers get their message out by adopting new media game formats as their medium?
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Claudine Baker, feature writer, (claudine.baker@centaur.co.uk) recommends…
RACY VIRALS FROM SHELL
If you didn’t get to see these spots earlier this year, they are worth checking out. Shell has helpfully ‘suggested’ some retirement plans or Formula One driver Michael Schumacher now that his career on the track is over.
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BRANDS GET A SECOND CHANCE IN SECOND LIFE
The Financial Times has produced an excellent article detailing new brand campaigns and ideas within the Second Life online game. Read it here:
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Also from Brand Strategy magazine this month…
Mireille Guiliano, president of Clicquot Inc and author of French Women Don’t Get Fat is bubbling with excitement about her new book:
More...How is MTV dancing to the tune of a digital age?
More...Jo Harlow, global senior VP of marketing for Nokia, explains how segmentation makes sense for brands:
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