Forget the holiday ads, here are the top ten places for bird watching

We came across an interesting report today that listed the top ten cities with the best looking women.

Summer is here, and men want to know where to go for some quality, er…bird watching. So will the next bout of tourism marketing those many destination guides include this list?

Here are the top ten cities for the hottest, most desirable women:

1. Buenos Aires

2. Moscow

3. Tel Aviv

4. Stockholm

5. Caracus

6. Venezuela

7. Copenhagen

8. LA

9. Amsterdam

10. Montreal

Would you agree?

Why Orange is getting all emotional

The new Orange “I am” campaign has been the subject of much criticism since its launch – but it could just be right on track with our social networking society.

The campaign, “I am who I am because of everyone I know” plays into our emotions about how we feel about the people that have influenced our lives, whether it be a positive or negative influence.

The campaign, could be seen as a little corny for what is essentially a telecommunications company. However, Orange has been very clever. It’s come out with a campaign that says “don’t be afraid to be you” at a time when people are beginning to really listen to each other.

Starbucks puts a lid on it: can we save it?

Starbucks, once considered the innovator of the take-away coffee market, is no stranger to falling sales lately. Does this mean it can reinvent itself as a unique brand rather than mass market co-conspirator of globalisation?

The Seattle coffee chain said earlier this week it is planning to shut 61 of its 85 stores in Australia. From 3 August, only people in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane will be able to buy Starbucks’ lattes, frappucinos and espressos.

Starbucks first opened in Australia in 2000 but faced a tough road ahead as the great land down under was still finding its café culture feet.  

Founder Howard Schultz said the decision to close the stores was part of a plan to revitalise the chain that is struggling as the US economy slows.

He said that while the decision represented business challenges unique to the Australian market, it didn’t reflect the strong state of Starbucks business in countries outside of the US.

Personality Type

Jung for breakfast: Brand Strategy Magazine attended a presentation this morning themed around the idea of archetypes and how they can help you develop your brand’s potential for emotional connection. David Erixon, director of brand strategy and manifestation in Vodafone’s global brand team talked about how a new ‘game’ created by agency Added Value helped him get on the path to developing some long term emotional equity for a brand he describes as ‘a mobile network without a personality’. The overall key objective was to get Vodafone’s steadily expanding network of local brands aligned with the global brand.

The Archetype Game, as the process of evaluating brand attributes by means of a board game type process has been called, aims to help businesses define the character of their brand and carve out tangible routes for brand positioning. Archetypes explored in the name of branding include ‘Hero’, ‘Sage’ and ‘Wise Warrior’.

Vodafone, for example, defines its global audience as consumers who are ‘progressives’. One year into playing the game and Vodafone is developing around the idea of the ‘Abstract Explorer’ archetype because it sees, formerly unexploited, richness in its history as a pioneer. (Did you know that the first 3G, just as the first mobile call, was via Vodafone?) We look forward to archetypal behaviour!

Truth be told: The future of advertising

The future of advertising is “truth”, an interesting concept that was discussed and showcased at the recent Rushes Shorts Festival last week at the Apple Store on London’s Regents Street. Who ever thought it’d be so simple?

Advertising over the past decade has evolved. The internet, social networks and mobile phones have launched a whole new ad space and with it, a whole bunch of new and more intelligent expectations.

Consumers don’t just want to be sold brands and products anymore, they want to be entertained, they want to interact with their brands – but not necessarily on a level where they have to make any decisions.

These days, in the this world of a booming Web 2.0, consumers want to create the content. They want to get these ideas from the most creative people out there – the marketing industry. Consumers are seeking an excuse not to have to get up during a commercial break, or even for something to do online. After all, recent studies have shown most of us are now watching TV and surfing the net at the same time.

Disney: the brands that are driving innovation for Christmas

Disney brings out the most spectacular Christmas gifts, its undeniable. But this year, its Hannah Montana franchise has hit new heights, but how long will its appeal last?

This Christmas, Disney – for the first time – is launching its very own range of actual musical instruments. It will launch an acoustic guitar and electric guitar, both boasting the Hannah Montana branding and graphics.

While these products looks great under the Christmas tree and its equally as good to be encouraging kids to take up music, I wonder how long kids will be passionate about the Hannah Montana brand.

Last week, as the sneak preview of these new Disney toys, on display was an array of old classically branded bits and bobs. Mickey Mouse T-Shirts and Winnie the Pooh coffee mugs were among some of the gifts that still resonate with consumers whether they be four or twenty-four – will the likes of Hannah Montana or High School Musical do the same?

The trick, it seems, is to give the kids what they want now. But from a buyers, or parent perspective, how long will the investment last?

Photoshop Disasters: make sure your brand doesn’t appear here…

We love this site: Photoshop Disasters.

As well as the usual pictures of celebrities airbrushed to perfection (or sometimes just looking quite odd and disproportionate), there are some nice pictures of adverts gone wrong here – of much more interest to you marketing types.

We especially like: as ad for clothing brand Mexx where half a woman’s stomach has disappeared; a KFC bucket split in half; and a Givenchy ad where the model’s limbs have been wasted away to nothing by overenthusiastic editing. Check it out for giggles.

Twitter climbing in the social networking ranks

Weekly UK visits to Twitter, the site that allows friends to ask friends “what are you doing?”, has increased by a massive 631%, and is experiencing growth similar to that of Facebook.

According Hitwise, MySpace is still the most popular social networking site with 71 per cent of the market share in June. Facebook is ranked second with a 16.91 per cent share, however it continues to grow by 40 per cent each month.

So what is Twitter offering us that we don’t already have?

It’s almost impossible to launch in the mass social networking arena at the moment. Facebook, which has recently undergone a redesign and included an IM function, is constantly renewing itself and attracting different generations of users with various and frequent new applications.

A couple of months ago commentators and media experts alike were questioning whether or not people were becoming bored of Facebook, or perhaps the fad was over.

Hitwise’s statistics on Twitter however, tell a different story. Perhaps it’s seen as a slightly sexier brand because it’s new and different and right now not everybody is on it. Users will be keen to get behind it and tell their friends about something new. But can it survive in a market that is already so saturated?

Britain’s top ten global brand names

Yesterday’ Superbrands survey revealed that Britons trust technology firms more than they do supermarkets, with Google taking the top spot.

But what are the top ten British exports that have achieved global status?

Here is a list of the top ten most recognizable British brands, according to MSN Money.

1. Harrods
2. The Beatles
3. Football
4. Harry Potter
5. Burberry
6. Cadbury
7. Whisky
8. Cheddar Cheese
9. Vodafone
10. Aston Martin

 What brands do you think the world associates with Britain?

 

Batman knows his brand principles

Batman, the actual superhero, not the comic, is the perfect metaphor for a strong brand and strong marketing.

He’s a culmination of so many important factors including a strong name, a strong logo, always has a finger on pulse of new technology and he’s attentive to PR but not necessarily dedicated to it. All of these things build to create the perception of what we know as Batman.

Most of all, Batman is cool, and he’s such by a perfect orchestration of intrinsic characteristics. Anything Batman puts his name on or uses is easily identified as being part of his brand.

Other consumer facing brands are no different. They too have a logo, tagline and website. So what can brands learn from Batman?