by Miriam Hara | Sep 24, 2024 | Branding, Marketing
Last week we all got hit with the news that Tupperware has filed for bankruptcy. Some may have been surprised by the news, and others may have seen it coming. In this ever changing market, it’s difficult for iconic Brands to evolve in a timely way…and to maintain relevancy by staying just ever so slightly ahead of the curve. Many of us still remember Kodak and the end of an era. We’ve all read about the usual myriad of suspects as being the reason for the demise of Tupperware. Whether it resulted from the proliferation of cheaper copycat products, lack of innovation, failure to maintain its spearhead attitude when it came to sustainability, the result is the same. The end of the brand name Tupperware.
The Way of the Dodo
Perhaps the saddest aspect of this story is that Tupperware will always be part of our collective consciousness. How could a Brand name that not only developed an entire category but was its very definition (can you say Kleenex , Google and Xerox) go the way of the Dodo, and yet still be part of our everyday language? Ironically, there will be Gen Z’s who will refer to their Tupperware without ever realizing that Tupperware was once a Brand. And that is truly the real story.
How is it that a Brand that was made a household name in the 1950s mainly by the use of a new marketing initiative called the “Tupperware Party” end up here?
Brand Beware of ‘Genocide’
Well there is something to say about over exposure….especially if it’s going to be at the expense of the Brand uniqueness. A Brand’s USP disappears as it becomes synonymous with the category it developed! Becoming a category descriptor is a double edged sword. It speaks to providing consumers an innovative solution, and initially, the Brand does reap the rewards. But as they say plagiarism is the best form of flattery. If there is a need to be filled, or a new need that is identified in the market, there will be copycat competition for sure. And if brand owners don’t realize that they need to protect their Brand in context to the category, then it’s a slippery slope and the rest is history.
It’s All in the Language
Each and every one of us do it every day. At least once a day we say “google that” or “google it”. Are we actually using google, or is it another search engine? Disruptive Brands like google, are probably very much aware of how their Brand name is being used in the market. Without intention and mindfulness to the Brand they are uttering. Brand owners have to counter-act the category use of their Brand name. The basics of Brand guidelines are key…but it goes far beyond that. In today’s digital world, adopting monitoring and enforcement programs to stay informed of the market’s activities is a must. This will alert Brand owners of how their Brand’s name is being used and signal them if their Brand is slipping in to descriptive use by third parties. And don’t forget Wikipedia! Brand owners should work at actively correcting any incorrect definitions in reference sources.
The Expense of Doing Nothing
In our world market share and value, as profitability are the drivers. However, investing in protecting a Brand is a must. Albeit, extensive corrective advertising and consumer re-education is expensive for the Brand, however doing nothing, leads to the way of Tupperware. Brand owners of innovative Brands must focus on ensuring that people use descriptors with their Brand name at every instance. This reinforces the Brand with the category and cues consumers that the Brand name is a Brand. For innovative Brands, all communications would qualify the Brand name. ie. Google search engine or Kleenex facial tissues. Do not use the trademark as a noun or a verb. You can use it as an adjective. Is this subtle? Yes, but developing a brand is always one drop at a time. Little distinctions can have a significant impact over time.
As we bid farewell to the Tupperware Brand, those of us who witnessed its growth over the years can find comfort in knowing that the name Tupperware, just like the Dodo bird, will live on.
by Tara Ford | Sep 17, 2024 | Branding, Marketing
The Essential Ingredients
From a marketing perspective both demographics and psychographics are necessary. Demographics are the essential ingredients; the bread and butter if you will. They provide the basic information required in any good marketing strategy which are age, gender, income, marital status, and education level. These details help build a framework, like laying down the foundation of a house. But when building that house, would you stop at the support beams? Of course not. If you want to create something truly compelling, it’s important to go beyond the basics. Enter stage left, psychographics. Adding depth and colour to the basic structure of your buyer persona.
The Who and Why
Picture this: You want to develop a marketing strategy for a 35-year-old woman who lives in Toronto. The demographics are locked down. She’s married, she’s a nurse, and she earns a mid-level income. That is very useful information, but you’re just scratching the surface. Now, what if you also knew she listens to RnB music, travels to Greece once a year, and plays pickle ball? Suddenly, you have a far more significant understanding of who she is, and more importantly, why she might make certain purchasing decisions. This is where the power of psychographics is unleashed.
What any good marketer wants to know is Why? Psychographics look at the ‘why’ behind the purchase and the engagement. This includes a consumer’s values, beliefs, interests, lifestyle choices, and even personality traits. It’s like switching from a black-and-white movie to a 3D full colour blockbuster film. With psychographics, you don’t just know your customer’s age, you know their hobbies, their favourite restaurants, their likes, and dislikes. These detailed insights help you get into the hearts and minds of consumers, tapping into emotions and the core values that drive purchasing decisions.
The Competitive Edge
Adding psychographics to your marketing strategy provides a strong competitive edge. Let’s say you’re marketing a line of products that are sustainable and eco-friendly. Demographics can tell you the age and income bracket of your ideal customer. But psychographics will reveal their motivations, whether they buy eco-friendly goods because they care about the environment or because they want to align with a trend. With this deeper insight, you can craft a message that speaks to their core values, offering more than just a product, but a way for them to truly relate with your brand and gain a compelling connection.
Psychographics bridges the gap between a one-size-fits-all marketing campaign and a targeted, effective strategy that truly connects with the right audience. Brands that understand and utilize these insights can offer personalized experiences that cultivate brand loyalty and trust.
Together Demographics and Psychographics are Magical
Together demographics and psychographics make magic happen for your brand. Evolving your strategy and diving into why your desired demographic makes purchases is the key. Demographics are fantastic, they tell you the basics. However, it’s psychographics that allow you to craft campaigns that hit a home run. So next time you’re planning a marketing initiative, don’t just build the framework, build a 2-storey house with a three-car garage, a pool and a gazebo. In other words, get to know your audience on a deeper grander level, and you’ll find your campaign is more meaningful, memorable, and effective. Ready to get started? Drop us a DM and Let’s Chat.
by Miriam Hara | Aug 13, 2024 | Advertising, Agency, Branding, Creative
Does your current brand visual campaign undermine your brand’s authenticity?
Brand visuals are the cornerstone of a brand’s identity.
It is my stance that you cannot build a brand visual campaign utilizing stock imagery, especially when they should depict your target audience. Stock images featuring a person(s) in brand visual campaigns undermine the uniqueness and ownership of a brand’s identity. As a brand-maker, that makes me shudder. Time and time again I have seen brand campaigns featuring photos of the intended target audience in one journal and consequently the exact same image utilized for another brand or service.
In the age of authenticity, utilizing stock imagery depicting a person as a main brand image in your campaign seems counterintuitive. How can you be authentic if you’re using a stock image that was created without any knowledge of your brand? I know that feels like a leap in thinking.
It’s perposterous to think that models hired to be photographed for the sole purpose of your brand’s position also use your brand…and that is a point well taken. But still, not enough to sway me! Regardless, a brand visual starts with a unique concept that articulates the brand positioning. A concept that is uniquely stated for the brand, and part of that concept is the brand visual. Hence, that very fact makes it erroneous to consider utilizing a stock image that your brand does not own one hundred percent.
Original photography is just for your brand
An Art Director or Creative Director tailors original photography to convey a specific message, embedding the brand’s values in every pose and facial nuance. Unique visuals help forge an emotional connection with your audience, building trust and loyalty, and creating a stronger coherent narrative. More importantly, it allows the photograph to be 100% what you need it to be. Many times, when utilizing stock imagery, there are hours of digital imaging required to make it just so – just right.
Planning can extend the duration of the Brand Visual
Original Photography also allows you to create your own library of images that provide you with the added value of utilizing images of the same person, strengthening the brand identity with every piece. This further cements the brand visual in the hearts and minds of consumers. Additionally, original photography can provide you with an array of options within the same concept for the brand visual extending the duration of the brand campaign.
I get budgets are real…and so they should be.
Budget constraints are a real issue, and duly noted. When launching a brand, budgets should include the development of original content. This content includes taglines, communications messaging, concept development, and brand visual development. Photography is a huge part of a brand’s content and should be factored in.
When to use stock imagery?
There is definitely value in utilizing stock imagery. For example, photos of landscape scenes, the universe, the moon, the stars, the oceans and the sky. I always implore my team to “make it the brand’s own” by digitalizing it, adding colour or a blend of filters that truly make it unique. It’s also good to use stock images for less critical content while reserving budget for custom visuals in key campaigns.
Lastly, I’ll ask you to chime in. I am sure you have seen an image in a brand campaign and noticed the same image used by a completely different brand? How did that make you feel about the originality and authenticity of those brands?
by Tara Ford | Jul 24, 2024 | Advertising, Branding, Business Success, Marketing
Sustainable Swagger: The Future of Eco-Friendly Branding
Sustainability in branding may have begun as an eco-chic trend that had all the ‘cool kids’ bandwagon jumping, but it has most definitely evolved into an essential element of modern branding. Embracing eco-friendly practices improves the image of a brand and it gives it a leg-up with the growing segment of environmentally conscious customers. There are a smorgasbord of current trends and strategies for incorporating sustainability into your brand, here are a few:
Attracting the Eco-Savvy Crowd
- Align with Values: Show consumers your commitment to sustainability. This becomes very attractive to those who prioritize environmental responsibility in their daily lives.
- Build Trust: Adopting and promoting sustainable practices will enhance trust and loyalty among your customers. Highlighting your commitment to sustainability will make consumers feel good about supporting the brand.
- Stand Out: The customers who put value on sustainability are very likely to share their positive experience with others. This is what a brand needs in a crowded marketplace – and eco-friendly initiatives differentiate brands.
What’s Trending Now
- Recycling Programs: The cosmetic, tech and fashion industries are just a few of the many sectors increasingly prioritizing in-store recycling initiatives.
- Zero Waste Beauty: Beauty brands are implementing programs to minimize product waste. Including sustainable packaging, refillable containers, solid products, recycling programs, natural ingredients, waste free production… and the list goes on.
- Sustainable Packaging: Many brands have shifted to reduced plastic and recyclable materials. More recently, grocery stores are adopting recyclable and compostable packaging for fresh produce and implementing recycling programs.
Prioritizing Sustainability
- Subscription Services: Refillable product subscriptions are a sustainable service being offered where customers subscribe to receive regular deliveries in refillable containers. This reduces waste and promotes sustainability.
- Empowering Customers: Products like hydration-tracking caps are becoming the latest and greatest. This is a smart device that can be attached to your reusable water bottle and track a user’s water intake. The ‘smart caps’ promote better hydration habits, and the refillable bottles promote sustainable consumer choices.
- Innovative Materials: Eco-friendly materials, such as Piñatex, are being used to create sustainable products. Piñatex is made from pineapple leaves and is an eco-friendly alternative to leather. Brands are turning to this as a sustainable option that reduces waste while supporting ethical production practices.
The Future is Green
It’s fair to say that integrating sustainability into branding strategies not only enhances brand image but also attracts ‘life-long’ loyal customers. Brands that adopt eco-friendly practices are seen in a different light by consumers and benefit from improved consumer trust. You might want to consider a team meeting to evaluate your brands current practices and make sustainable changes. Jump on the bandwagon now, it can only lead to positive impacts on your brand, your customers, and mother nature.
by Miriam Hara | Jul 18, 2024 | Branding, Marketing
Set the Bar High
When you’re in the business of creating brands the bar needs to be set high.That doesn’t mean that the brand should be high end. Creating a brand from the ground up is essentially comprised of many different “conscious marketing” decisions that are made. Those decisions are made regardless of the value of the brand…or rather the perceptual value of the brand. Whether you’re branding an economy line of products or an exclusive prestige line of products, a set of decisions need to be taken. We’ve all heard the saying it’s good enough. But is it really?
When adding in a layer of branding, good enough is never good enough. It just doesn’t cut it.
Those Not So Little Marketing Decisions
So what are these marketing decisions that need to happen. Well the first one, is identifying the market opportunity. Is there an opportunity to create a brand? Is there a need? We won’t get into whether it’s lucrative in this article. The premise today is to provide the context of creating brands, the decisions that make them a brand, and why every little nuance matters.
Next, key decisions need to be made about the brand identity and its core representation.This is no easy task and should be taken seriously. This includes what the brand’s mission, vision, values, and unique selling proposition are (USP). This takes us to the very next important decision; how and who do we define as our core target market? Who are the ideal customers? What are their demographics? At this stage, all types of decisions need to be made. Who are they? Where do they live? What do they do? What are their psychographics, needs, and preferences? Where to they go? To provide context, an economy line of household products might target budget-conscious families, while a prestige skincare line might target affluent, health-conscious consumers.
How Does Your Brand Walk the Talk?
This process involves creating essential brand identity assets, such as a brand position and key messaging, and then integrating all these decisions to develop a cohesive brand persona. What is your brand’s tone, style and social voice? And let’s not forget the brand logo and colours.
None of these elements when creating brands should be taken lightly or at face value. In today’s speed of business, and in the world of social communications last only for a nano second. It’s easy not to consider the implications of ‘just doing it’. To take leaps instead of steps, it’s easy to say it’s good enough. I’m here to implore you not to!
By meticulously making each of these decisions, you will ensure that your brand is not just good enough, but exceptional; and that’s how you resonate deeply with your target audience and stand the test of time.
by Miriam Hara | Jul 8, 2024 | Advertising, Branding
The name of the marketing game is brand awareness.
If your brand (product or service) doesn’t achieve a strong brand awareness among your intended audience, it’ll probably end up in the proverbial big black hole in the marketplace universe. Ensuring your brand doesn’t get there is really about it’s brand identity and brand image.
Brand Image versus Brand Identity
Many often mistake brand image for brand identity, so let’s differentiate them here. When you begin developing a brand, you focus on setting it apart from competitors, or better yet, creating your own place in a cluttered market place. This process sparks the creation of a genuine brand identity, encompassing the distinct voice and visual style that convey your brand’s message to your audience.
A brand’s identity is completely controlled by the brand’s marketing custodians. It reflects their perception of what the brand should represent. A brand’s identity encompasses its character, personality, and essence. The visual elements include the logo, colors, and typography. The verbal elements cover the tagline, slogans, and messaging. Behavioural elements such as tone, brand values, and mission are also crucial. These brand assets form the foundation of how a brand presents itself. They appear in every marketing communication touchpoint.
A brand’s image is completely out of the brand’s marketing team control. Brand image is what your audience says and tells one another about the brand when you are not in the room! Of course the hope is that the brand identity that brand marketers have put forth is the way that the audience views the brand. But that is not always the case.Sometimes, the gap between brand identity and brand image can vary widely…and that’s not a good thing.
Brand identity and image are a dynamic symbiotic relationship.
Brand image is shaped by a brand’s audience experience. This includes word of mouth and one on one interactions with the brand through customer care and social media and product experience. Once a brand identity is established, it’s not one and done.
Brand awareness needs to be a priority to bridge any gap between brand identity and brand image.
The need for continuous evaluation of a brand’s strategy is imperative to maintain awareness and build positive consumer perception. Brand custodians must maintain authenticity and consistency in all brand communications and actions. The need to be responsive and true to the brand’s purpose is paramount.
How well does your brand identity align with the brand image held by consumers? Would love to hear your thoughts.
