PUNKeTTes!!

BRAND NOT BLAND:HOW TO STAND OUT SO YOU ARE “THE CHOSEN”

Me Too Products:Consumers all-knowing power should encourage

brand holders to attempt some sense of “how to be different”

Cognitive Pollution-The world is full of advertisement on billboards. Over-advertising is a common mistake made by

marketers

BEAUTY SELLS Design is the excellent differentiator we

often take for granted. It takes a product that would otherwise be a mere commodity and gives it a shot at becoming an icon that transcends and even redefines the category it slides into.

Excellent design will add an emotional appeal and, when combined with fantastic functionally, can make a product in even the most boring market desirable. Juicy Couture perfume

BEAUTY SELLSDesign works in even mundane categories to develop product must-haves

You wouldn’t think that everyday necessities would have to be advertised or have marketing strategies because there are some products that we just can’t live without.

Even products used regularly have to be marketed to consumers in innovative ways in order to stay on top of the competition.

Kotex U

Beauty SellsDull product categories are often overlooked in design standards.

“There is no such thing as dull product categories, only dull brands.” –Eric Ryan

Hygiene products, personal care items, cleaning products, clothing..

LL COOL J

MAKE YOURSELF SCARCE Design is what high fashion is built on.

Majority of designers raw materials and goods are made in other countries to keep the cost of production down, therefore they provide high quality and charge high prices.

“Beware of the fakes”, wear and tear shows after merely one month.

MAKE YOURSELF SCARCE

Clothing industries have used the tactic of creating scarcity to drive up demand for such products as a T-shirt or pair of ultimately disposable sneakers.

Giving something that could have been mass-produced and element of uniqueness can have the same effect, whether it’s a can of soda, a diner, or a chain of flower shops. Marketers can add individual flavor to what they are selling to make consumers want it with abandon.

Young people buy outrageously priced items to be like each other.

Nigo-A real punk marketer. He helps create items with limited supply.

Jordans

MOMMY, I WANT ONE

Creating scarcity to build a following of consumers who stay firmly attached to the brand has been a favorite of the toy industry for years.

Beanie babies, Barbie, Trolls..

Chapter 4

Who’s Eating Your Lunch???

BIG BUSINESSIn the past, consumers looked to large, global brands

as a way to ensure a consistent, quality product experience. The advantage of these types of brands was knowing, for example, that a burger would taste the same at a Mc Donalds in Paris or New York. However, we now live in Postquality America, meaning that quality is an expectation instead of a qualifying factor for purchase.

Because there is a level playing field for product quality, consumers are able to see the flaws in the big business model. We all want to be treated respectfully as costumers, but big businesses often treat everyone the same. They ignore customers wishes in favor or making money. Big means taking advantage of the customer, using bad labor practices, and disregarding local custom. Consumers are beginning to see big business as a selfish, uncaring, faceless entity that should be avoided. This means being big is no longer enough to get you an edge.

STANDING UP TO THE MAN

Problems with big business’ globalization and labor practices have led to multiple protests of some of the US’ biggest companies.

In 1999, Seattle experienced a protest against local-based Starbucks. Altercations with police occurred while angry protesters trashed Starbucks locations throughout the city. Their rallying point? Starbucks underpaying the impoverished coffee growers who supplied the brand, and the World Trade Organization standing by idly.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0N5wzr5xeWI

Protesters simply wanted Starbucks to engage in Fair Trade practices when buying their coffee. To the protesters, Starbucks buying activities represented the worst kind of irresponsible globalization and American business imperialism.

STANDING UP TO THE MAN, CONT.

Protests are also making it apparent that a global corporation doesn’t need to commit a grave offense in order to rile consumers.

Around the same time as the Starbucks protest, a French farmer named Jose’ Bove’ was rallying an antiglobalization movement against Mc Donalds. Bove’ was arrested for vandalizing a French McDs, but his release from jail was met with praise and elevation to folk hero status.

It goes to show that bigger isn’t necessarily better. Businesses, even the big ones, should begin thinking small.

Q. Can you think of any brand protests lately?

Q. How much do you think protests really change the publics perception and willingness to patronize a brand?

ACTING LIKE A LITTLE GUY

What exactly does thinking and acting small mean?

Richard Branson of conglomerate Virgin Inc. explains: “We like to use [our] brand to take on some very large companies that we believe exert too much power.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dk2AO67dn3w&feature=relatedhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_3Dj5GZJNc&feature=related

This is significant because Virgin is a global power comprised of many companies which generate 8 Billion dollars in annual revenue.

SO WHY DOES BRANSON WANT TO ACT SMALL?

BECAUSE YOU NEED TO IDENTIFY AN “ENEMY” IN ABLE TO FIGHT.

RICHARD BRANSON DECLARES WAR

Branson is known for using publicity stunts and controversial marketing campaigns to position his company and products as a fresh alternative underdog.

When going against British Airways, Branson deployed staff wearing shirts that read “GET YOUR SICK BAGS READY” BA flights.

Branson also wheeled a WWII tank around NYC’s Times Square as part of promotions for his Virgin Cola. He was “figuratively” going to war against the man- in this case, Coca-Cola.

THE BIGGER THEY ARE, THE HARDER THEY FALLFACT: Little guys can think

smarter and take out the big guys.

Take the case of Hoover vs. Dyson Vacuums. While Hoover was the industry leader, Dyson was a startup. Hoover unwisely rejected Dyson’s idea for a bagless vacuum in favor of charging consumers for bags.

Dyson’s vacuum began to grow in popularity, and Hoover actually tried to copy and sell their own version of the Dyson, called the “Triple Vortex”. However, the joke was on Hoover, who was successively sued for copyright infringement.

THE BENEFIT OF NICHE MARKETING

Store brands from supermarkets and Wal-Mart are bridging the gap between store brands and name brands. Quality is similar, and consumers are trimming the fat when buying generic household products. After flagging sales of their one-size-fits-all products, Procter and Gamble began looking for different ways to market their products.

Enter niche marketing! P&G began acting small, cutting 25% of cable tv advertising in favor of “branded entertainment spots” and the Internet.

P&G’s lead marketer, Jim Stengel, offered this reasoning: “There is no more MASS in MASS MARKETING.”

BENEFIT OF NICHE MARKETING, CONT.

P&G took a grassroots approach: get close to the consumer and treat them like real people. P&G sought to engage their target market with ACTION rather than words.

Recognizing that media ads didn’t work in Israel because the Orthodox Jewish population didn’t watch TV, P&G took an approach to marketing their Biomat laundry detergent that would be more visible. They put signs asking for donations of used clothes around neighborhoods during Passover. P&G then collected the donations and washed them with Biomat on mobile laundry trucks. The newly cleaned goods were then distributed in full view of the neighborhood.

WHAT ARE SOME SIMILAR EXAMPLES OF BRANDS USING

HUMANITARIAN EFFORTS IN AD

CAMPAIGNS????????????????????????????????

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GOING UP AGAINST THE BIG BOYS

Small companies can use a combination of niche markets and grassroots ad campaigns to succeed even in the presence of the largest powers.

Saucony, a running shoe supplier, chose not to directly challenge big boys like Nike and Reebok. Instead, they target marathon runners. Their Saucony 26 campaign profiled 26 inspirational people running the Boston, New York, and LA marathons, including a married couple who met during a race and a 91 year old man who set records for the elderly athlete.

Saucony checked in on the runners, and gave each a small cash prize for each mile completed. Most of the runners donated their winnings to charity, which was a great bit of PR for Saucony.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jpd4mkReyQYhttp://www.saucony.com/store/SiteController/saucony/externalstaticpage?content=Athletes_saucony

GROWING PAINSSmall companies have found that the key to

success is often differentiation and niche markets. However, sometimes these companies grow too fast and then have to adapt to their new situations.

1. Small companies’ markets may get the attention of the big boys, who will then try to throw money and new stores around in order to take your business.2. The big boys try to buy you out: ie., Nike purchasing Hurley in 2002 in an attempt to corner the Skate/Surf market.3. BOREDOM. People get tired of you; You’re no longer new, and they move on to the next big thing.4. You get too big, and your small, loyal market feels left behind. This happened to In-N-Out Burger, whose fans felt like they belonged to a secret club with its own language.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nep8xy6eS3k

STUFF TO REMEMBER• Quality is EXPECTED from products. It is

no longer a point of differentiation• Successful companies now see that

acting small is a great way to connect to consumers and stay relevant

• Niche marketing can be extremely beneficial to smaller companies, as long as they remember “who” they are and do not alienate primary brand supporters