A brand is a very valuable thing. So valuable, that the brand often dominates over the price, the product, the place – everything. When you’re lost, hungry and tired in the middle of a foreign country and you see the familiar McDonalds arches – it means more to you than just a greasy burger and fries – it’s familiar, it’s expected, and it’s normal. One thing that fascinates me however, is how much brands are diluted before they reach the consumer.
Explore our historical blog articles for nuggets of wisdom (and random musings) from our crew.
In reading a special retail report in the 8th Feb edition of AdNews, a term was used that really grabbed my attention: the ‘hourglass economy’. The term is used to describe the polarisation of the Australian consumer market: more people are becoming richer, and more people are becoming poorer. The middle market is becoming smaller and smaller by the day.
I have to admit, that yes, I often err on the side of perfectionism, but nothing bugs me more than websites that are out of date. I cringe when I still see Christmas and Happy New Year messages. I cringe even more when the first ‘current news’ article dates back to 2005. Updating your website is simply essential. I can’t stress it more. It reflects so much on you as a company.
Every now and again a few eyebrows are raised over a controversial advertisement. Letters to the Editor roll in, and Today Tonight jumps on the opportunity for a (half) decent story. Emails circulate through offices and it dominates water-cooler conversations for days. More often than not, the big corporate giant who endorsed the ad releases an official statement, then it is taken off the air. Its job is done.
In 2007 Seven came out swinging, with some great new programming and Australian drama, pushing them further past competitors Channels Nine and Ten. Poor old Channel Nine continues to lose audience share, with Channel Ten remaining fairly consistent as the favourite in the younger markets. What will 2008 bring for our major Free to Air channels? Expect some moving and shaking from Seven, Nine and Ten this year.
Consumer interactivity has recently become the most talked-about phenomenon in marketing. Consumers now have almost complete control about what advertising they are, and aren’t, exposed to. Everywhere you look, marketing and advertising is evolving at a rapid pace to keep up with this trend. Free-TV and other traditional media are rumoured to be a dying breed; media planners need to be more innovative and outside-the-box than ever before. So where will this new trend take us?
Well I’m well-and-truly convinced that there is no such thing as boundaries when it comes to marketing. After reading this blog entry, I’m pretty sure you’ll agree. If you think your target market are impossible to reach, reading this article might just convince you otherwise…