volume 3, 2011 - Anthem Worldwide

SIGHTINGS
VOLUME 3, 2011
IN THIS ISSUE
In this issue of ANTHEM
SIGHTINGS, we look at how
brands today are taking
ownership of their equities and
how technology is helping us
lead more dynamic lives.
3 Sightings In Brief
5 Journey-Telling
8 Celebrity Mavens
9 The Return of “The Man”
10 Win + Win + Win = Win
13 Back to Our Roots
16 Leveraging Brand Equity
18 Making It Truly Yours
19 Faster, Sooner, Now
20 Wearable Technology
22 Interactive Entertainment
24 Knowledge For Sale
26 See & Be Seen
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SIGHTINGS 2011
SIGHTINGS IN BRIEF
JOURNEY-TELLING
Telling the Product’s Journey, From Concept to Consumer
WIN + WIN + WIN = WIN
The New Equation for Cause Marketing
“Journey-telling” is the idea of breaking down the walls
between a brand’s product development teams and
consumers to directly share a journey that was once
reserved for insiders, only. There is a trend of brands inviting
consumers to observe the creation of their products through
short documentaries and stories, demonstrating a degree of
transparency that not only creates brand differentiation, but
also satisfies the consumers’ desire for such transparency
and authenticity. The examples in this article suggest to
marketers: how can your brand leverage any “hidden”
proof points to bring its product story to life? In telling the
product story, brands can genuinely share proof points to
support quality perceptions and create differentiation.
SIGHTINGS: J. Crew, Anthropologie, Gap, Chipotle
Cause Marketing itself is not news. Lately, however, several
brands have enhanced the cause marketing equation in an
enticing way. That is, in addition to the brand + charity, these
brands have added a third and very relevant element—a
pop icon, often a musician or celebrity—to create a winning
proposition for all involved, especially the consumer. This
article suggests there may be an opportunity for brands to
associate or partner with musical groups or other pop icons
to better promote CSR or cause marketing efforts and build
loyalty in return, creating a “win + win + win = win” success.
SIGHTINGS: Snapple, Chipotle
CELEBRITY MAVENS
You Want to Know What I Know
It’s not easy for a brand to stand the test of time—both
in maintaining relevance and realizing growth. This is the
challenge for historic brands like Levi Strauss & Co. and
Lacoste, two examples of brands that had significant success
and became iconic in their own right, then lost their way, and
are now on a comeback. Each brand is findings its way again
by reaching back to their core, their history. They are leveraging
each brand’s past to spring into the future. To reinvigorate
heritage brands for the 21st century, consider reclaiming the
essence of what made the brand great in the first place.
SIGHTINGS: Levi Strauss & Co., Lacoste
Over the last decade, famous people have continued to gain
prominence in popular culture, and Americans love to follow
their every move. Now more of these stars are recognizing
their degree of cultural influence and are demonstrating they
have points of view and advice to share, becoming stars not
just in their core discipline, but mavens across a variety of
lifestyle topics from fashion to food to general living. What
might this mean for marketers, especially now that Oprah is
off the air? It could just be that these new cultural influencers
are the ones you need to start focusing on to get endorsements
in order to build consumer interest and drive growth.
SIGHTINGS: Gwyneth Paltrow (GOOP), Jay-Z (Life + Times),
Heidi Klum
THE RETURN OF “THE MAN”
Used in several recent marketing campaigns, the macho
male voice suggests a yearning for the charming,
commanding, traditional lead male character to
reestablish himself in today’s society. This character is
perhaps compelling and alluring to those who wouldn’t
mind a transition back to traditional gender roles.
SIGHTINGS: Old Spice, Dos Equis, Velveeta
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SIGHTINGS 2011
BACK TO OUR ROOTS
Leverage the Past to Spring Into the Future
LEVERAGING BRAND EQUITY
Branding Strategy for Strong Product Propositions
Dannon has recently shifted its brand portfolio, making
branding decisions that imply their brands can be better
leveraged by applying the brands’ equities—what these
brands stand for in the minds of consumers—to create
stronger product propositions. What Dannon is doing
with its yogurt brands—Dannon and Stonyfield in this
case—is uncommon. The company is applying the brands
as endorsers on the same Driver brand to create credible,
differentiated offerings. From these examples, there are a
few lessons for marketers: 1) know your brands and their
equities—their value and meaning in the marketplace and
in the hearts and minds of consumers; 2) treat these equities
as assets and leverage them as such and; 3) don’t be afraid
to switch it up by innovating and learning along the way.
SIGHTINGS: Stonyfield Activia, Dannon Oikos, Stonyfield Oikos
MAKING IT TRULY YOURS
These indelible product features can instantly identify
your brand for consumers and have the potential to
become one of your brand’s greatest equities. Despite
the obstacles in creating something so ownable, brands
should build these features into their product lines from
the start. When done right, copycats won’t fool anyone
and just may end up building your brand’s equity instead.
SIGHTINGS: Apple, Moleskine, Louboutin, Sketchers
FASTER, SOONER, NOW
Instant Information
Today, with more people connected via social media,
web, and mobile, the ability to connect anytime and
anywhere has exploded. Along the way, the timing of the
connection has become more relevant and rapid. People’s
expectations for access and information have gone from
faster, to sooner, to now. We share three examples from
transportation to customer service to marketing that are
delivering against this incredibly demanding consumer
desire. Given the demand, marketers need to understand
what information is relevant and at what point in time.
Satisfying that instant need is one way for a brand to foster
conversation and engagement with consumers. Consider
the various points of entry where consumers connect with
your brand. What do consumers want to know about your
brand at every moment? Brands that are agile and dynamic
will be able to create moments of irresistible choice for
consumers.
SIGHTINGS: Google, Fast Customer, QuickerFeet
WEARABLE TECHNOLOGY
Advances in Medical Monitoring, Diagnosis, and Treatment
Regardless of gender or age, many of us have wanted to
be like James Bond or Ethan Hunt in Mission Impossible,
having advanced technologies that give us powers beyond
what’s humanly possible. Today, coming to the market
are more personal technology solutions that are wearable
and made possible as inventors marry wireless technology
and cloud computing with advanced forms along with the
need for personal health solutions. These devices track
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SIGHTINGS 2011
an individual’s health status for purposes of medical
monitoring. All this advancement is arriving just in time
for the Baby Boomer generation, a sizable market that will
have rising health needs as they age. Look for wearable
technology to continue to be embedded in our lifestyles,
giving us all a chance to feel a little like James Bond.
SIGHTINGS: HP, Healthstats, Jawbone, Nyx Devices, Sensimed
INTERACTIVE ENTERTAINMENT
Choose Your Own Experience
In the early 1980s, interactive fiction came to the fore where
the reader made choices that influenced the outcome of a
story. Leap forward to today, where interactive is a marketing
buzzword that’s shorthand for consumer engagement,
typically with websites, social media, or mobile apps.
Consumers “interact” in a number of ways: registering,
voting, and liking, but the experience is static. Aside from
video games, little progress has been made on the ability for
the reader, participant, audience, or consumer to affect the
narrative. There is a nascent trend taking form in today’s
entertainment industry, as the examples here show. While
it may seem like the logical next step for the entertainment
industry to invite and cultivate consumer contributions, the
need for dynamic engagement is applicable to brands as
well. Today, brand users want to interact, influence and jointly
build experiences. Marketers need to reach out, embrace
feedback and allow consumers to help shape and co-create
brand experiences. The result will be a kinetic brand, a
brand dynamically and jointly developed with brand users.
SIGHTINGS: Toshiba, Intel
KNOWLEDGE FOR SALE
What’s Your Core Competency Worth?
The shift toward a “knowledge economy” has started
to change our business and consumer environment in
noticeable ways. Much more than a buzzword, the knowledge
economy, spurred by the down economy, is fast becoming
a reality. Brands are scrambling to get in on the action by
productizing their knowledge through new ventures that share
information, and consumers are looking for innovative ways
to acquire or share knowledge and skills. This trend can apply
to your business or yourself—consider the unique skills or
knowledge your company and brand might sell to leverage its
competency into a new market, or perhaps consider becoming
a part of the human knowledge library in your neighborhood.
SIGHTINGS: Disney, Apple, Best Buy, Google, The New York
Times, SkillShare, City Centre Library
MARKETING
JOURNEY-TELLING
J. Crew’s creative director,
Jenna Lyons (second to
right), and head of men’s
design, Frank Muytjens
(right), view sample fabrics
at the Crespi fabric mill. See
the “About a Thread Count”
episode by clicking here.
Telling the Product’s
Journey, From Concept to
Consumer
Recently, a number of brands have broken down
the walls between their product development
teams and the consumer to directly share a
journey that was once reserved for insiders, only.
Brands are inviting consumers to observe the
creation of their products through stories, which
often involve a considerable amount of
personality. We call this new trend “journeytelling.” The degree to which the stories are
told demonstrates a transparency that not only
creates brand differentiation, but also satisfies
the consumers’ desire for such transparency and
authenticity (Anthem Sightings, Volume 2, 2011,
“Zeal for Real”).
We find that several retail apparel brands are
using journey-telling, and the concept is being
applied to food brands, as well. The following
shares examples of brands that are effectively
telling the journey of their products and, in doing
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SIGHTINGS 2011
so, are demonstrating the proof points that create
differentiation and quality perceptions.
J. Crew
In early 2011, J. Crew, the American catalog
and retail brand, presented a series of online
videos called Made in Italy, short documentary
style installments following creative director
Jenna Lyons and her team in Italy. In the “About
a Shoe” episode, we watch Jenna working with
the Italian factory workers to choose the raw
materials to create new shoe designs. These minidocumentaries effectively reveal to the consumer
not only the product development team (they are
real people!), but also their relationships and
interactions with their suppliers (they are real,
too!) and the actual product creation. The video
zooms in to reveal close-up shots of the product
materials and actual craftsmanship, providing
powerful authentication of the product’s quality
and “made in Italy” claim. The “back-story,”
as posted on the J. Crew website, explains the
company’s reason for going to Italy and putting
such effort into the details of its products:
MARKETING
We like to go the extra mile to make sure
our designs have the quality, durability
and comfort to meet our particularly high
standards. We pair knockout design with
hands-on craftsmanship to make each
pair a true work of art.
Since the original “About a Shoe” episode, J. Crew
has gone on to create “About a Thread Count”
and “About a Print,” documenting their close
collaboration with different Italian mills to artfully
produce their shirts, suiting, and distinctive
printed apparel.
Anthropologie
Prior to J. Crew’s foray into the filming of
its product team in Italy, their competitor,
Anthropologie, launched Man Shops Globe, a
documentary series on the Sundance channel.
This television series follows Keith Johnson,
Anthropologie’s “Buyer at Large,” as he is tasked
with searching out-of-the-way antique shops,
flea markets, and art studios to find interesting
new furnishings, home décor, and accessories
for the retailer. Johnson’s finds can be found in
the Anthropologie stores as one of a kind pieces
used for display (and often for sale) and as
reproductions sold in the store. For example, a
recent episode found Johnson in Thailand working
with one of his product designers to find just the
right indigo fabric to create the company’s quilt
collection. Finding exotic, distinctive, artisan
items certainly adds to the charm and mystique
of the Anthropologie shopping experience, and
showcasing the story behind the products further
builds credibility for the brand. This buying
strategy appeals to the shopper that loves
discovery, allowing her to always find unique,
variable items within the store’s assortment
and bringing her back, knowing she’ll likely find
something new at her next visit. There’s added
benefit from a brand-building perspective in
that many loyal shoppers, upon finding these
unique pieces, will likely create valuable word
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SIGHTINGS 2011
of mouth buzz, generating additional awareness
and interest in the brand. Knowing the back-story
behind these one-of-a-kind pieces will make her
own storytelling about the piece that much more
compelling.
Gap
Most recently, in Fall 2011 Gap launched a
campaign to announce its new “1969 denim
studio,” located in downtown Los Angeles, which
they describe as the “last stronghold for denim in
America.” The company’s print ads lead readers
to their Facebook page, which is at the heart of
this social media campaign. The print ad itself
tells a romantic story with copy and artful black
and white photography; it offers a glimpse behind
the scenes revealing not only the design team
Anthropologie’s “Buyer at Large” Keith Johnson (right) and
designer Anna Sui (left) shop a bazaar in Syria for hidden
treasures in the Sundance channel’s Man Shops Globe series.
MARKETING
but also some of the philosophy of the brand’s
approach to making denim. This campaign brings
much needed personality and style creds to the
retailer who has been struggling for years and
who continues to struggle as it looks for a way to
leverage its rich heritage in a way that is relevant
and compelling to today’s market. Time will
tell if this new 1969 denim studio will help Gap
recapture its cache and if it will stick around long
enough to become a permanent element of the
company’s offering.
Chipotle
The restaurant chain Chipotle Mexican Grill has
long been an industry leader in promoting locally
sourced, high quality ingredients. The company
is positioned around the concept of integrity,
which guides all of its product offerings. In fact,
according to its website, for them … “food with
integrity is a journey that started more than a
decade ago, and one that will never end.”
This philosophy spans from the sourcing of
the food chain’s ingredients, especially meat
and dairy, to their treatment of employees and
ultimately to their impact on the environment.
Most importantly, the company does an excellent
job of telling its journey-telling story in
compelling, often viral ways. A great example
Gap hopes its downtown Los
Angeles 1969 denim studio
will bring inspiration to the
design team there, while
at the same time help the
brand recapture its cache.
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SIGHTINGS 2011
is their recently released video, Back to the
Start, which portrays the story of a pig farmer
and shows how modern meat production works
contrasted with how it could be with organic,
local production. This is all done in a beautifully
animated video that includes a star-studded
soundtrack. When one watches this video and
takes in the story, there is no argument that
locally sourced, organic, humanely raised meat
products are of the highest quality, and that using
these ingredients and holding to these standards
sets Chipotle apart from the competition with
indisputable product differentiation.
As consumers have gained more power and
voice, one might think they’d disregard brands
altogether. But that’s not the case at all; instead
consumers are getting involved with brands more
than ever. This desire to connect and interact
with brands combined with consumers’ desire for
truthfulness and transparency makes journeytelling a compelling selling story. As marketers,
how can you leverage any “hidden” proof points
to bring your product story to life? Consider that
these “behind the scenes” glimpses could go a
long way to garner trust and credibility with your
consumers by creating stronger differentiation for
the brand’s product offering.
MARKETING
CELEBRITY MAVENS
You Want to Know What I Know
Jay-Z’s Life + Times lifestyle
website focuses on fashion,
design, sports, and music.
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SIGHTINGS 2011
+ Times (lifeandtimes.com), another lifestyle
website for a completely different audience
focused on topics spanning from fashion, design,
Over the last decade, famous people have
continued to gain prominence in popular culture, sports, and music. An addition to his other
and Americans love to follow their every move, be business ventures, which include Rocawear
it through People or via Twitter. Now more of these and the Roc Nation label, the website acts as a
personal branding tool, being positioned as his
stars are recognizing their degree of cultural
influence and are demonstrating they have points view of the world, giving viewers insight and
access to what he believes is worthy of interest.
of view and advice to share, becoming stars not
just in their core discipline, but mavens across a Jay-Z is in the know.
variety of lifestyle topics from fashion to food to
Heidi Klum also entered the space this year when
general living.
she announced her own dedicated channel on AOL
Beyond Oprah, Gwyneth Paltrow may have started (heidiklum.aol.com), building from the idea that
people want to know her secrets. She said that,
this new trend back in 2009 with her newsletter
and website, GOOP (www.goop.com). She started “During my 15 years in the business, I’ve received
so many questions on a variety of topics from my
it because she said her friends often asked her
favorite toothbrush to juggling family and a busy
advice for what to see and do in certain cities
work schedule. I’m bringing in the experts that
or at home. Her points-of-view aren’t always
have helped me over the years to help inspire
embraced by the masses with many critics
you!” Topics include Beauty, Fashion, Parenting,
teasing her for some out-of-reach recommendaand Relationships.
tions (such as $200 Orlebar Brown shorts
recommended as part of the GOOP Summer Kit),
What might this mean for marketers, especially
yet others appreciate her advice which ranges
from things to DO, things to GET, things to MAKE, now that Oprah is off the air? It could just be that
these new cultural influencers are the ones you
and things to BE.
need to start focusing on to get endorsements to
build consumer interest and drive growth.
Following suit, Jay-Z this year launched Life
MARKETING
THE RETURN
OF “THE MAN”
The “macho” male voice: If you’ve watched television
lately, perhaps you’ve picked up on this trend yourself
—Isaiah Mustafa as the Old Spice “Man Your Man Could
Smell Like,” Dos Equis’ “Most Interesting Man in the
World,” and most recently, the blacksmith cooking up
“liquid gold” in Velveeta’s Cheesy Skillets commercials.
These male characters have low-register, seductive
voices that seem directed to appeal to women or perhaps
just may be suggestive of a new male archetype that
has been reflected over the last few years—one of a
masculine, real, “I’m the man” kind of guy. While these
advertisements are largely humorous, they bear some
resemblance to the men we’d expect to see in current
TV dramas like Mad Men or the newly launched Pan
Am and The Playboy Club—shows that are set during
a time when it was a man’s world and men held the
power in society. Though the commercials are comical
in nature while the TV shows have a more serious
side, they both serve as reinforcement of the “man’s
man” in popular culture. These examples demonstrate
that for some there’s a yearning for that charming,
commanding, traditional lead male character to
reestablish himself in today’s society. This character is
perhaps compelling and alluring to those who wouldn’t
mind a transition back to traditional gender roles.
A
B
FROM TOP:
(A) Mothers stand dumbfounded as they watch Velveeta’s blacksmith
character cook up delicious meals with “liquid gold.”
(B) Dos Equis’ “Most Interesting Man in the World” is greatly admired
by all and his title endows him with privileges beyond the average
man—“When in Rome, they do as he does,” “He’s won trophies for his
game face alone.”
(C) Characters from AMC’s Mad Men, Roger Sterling and Don Draper, are
top executives who exemplify the men in power of the 1960s.
C
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SIGHTINGS 2011
MARKETING
WIN + WIN + WIN = WIN
The New Equation for Cause
Marketing
Chipotle paired up with
Willie Nelson and film
maker Johnny Kelly to create
a beautifully animated
video on the importance of
sustainable food production.
Watch Back to the Start by
clicking here.
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SIGHTINGS 2011
Cause Marketing itself is not news. A for-profit
company and a non-profit organization partnering
on a marketing campaign to benefit both parties
has been an effective tactic for years. Lately,
however, several brands have enhanced the cause
marketing equation in an enticing way. That is,
in addition to the brand + charity, these brands
have added a third and very relevant element—a
pop icon, often a musician or celebrity. It has
been debated whether or not consumers are
as altruistic as they may claim in surveys or
interviews. The reality might very well be that
consumers are just as concerned with “what’s in
it for me” as they are in “what’s for the greater
good.” Therefore, with this new equation of brand
+ charity + pop icon, consumers get the product
they are seeking, get to feel good about doing
good, and get to associate with or somehow
benefit from the connection to a personally
relevant pop icon. The result is a winning
combination for all parties involved.
Going back a few years, Product (RED) could be
considered a trailblazer for this new equation.
Product (RED) was launched in 2006 by Bono
in partnership with The Global Fund, a leading
organization sponsoring programs to combat
AIDS, TB, and malaria. Product (RED), which is
focused on HIV/AIDS programs in Africa, made
a splash with initial launch partners including
major brands like Gap, Nike, and American
Express. The model was revolutionary. More than
a cause marketing campaign, according to Bono
in an interview with the BBC, it is a “commercial
venture and not philanthropy”:
“Philanthropy is like hippy music, holding
hands. Red is more like punk rock, hip
MARKETING
hop, this should feel like hard commerce,”
Bono said.
Snapple and the Grammy award winning
American rock band Maroon 5 have partnered to
create a special edition iced tea, named loosely
Product Red wants to draw on the
after their hit song, “She Will be Loved.” This
branding expertise and commercial might
partnership will benefit Feeding America, the
of its corporate partners, with plans that
nation’s leading domestic hunger-relief charity,
hundreds of companies could offer “red”
by providing $250,000 or roughly 1,750,000 meals
branded products.
to those in need. The partnership of a beverage
brand like Snapple and the charity Feeding
While the actual impact of this campaign
America is an easy to understand alignment.
has been hotly debated, with claims that the
The additional element of Maroon 5 who actually
advertising spend far outweighs the charitable
contributions, the campaign continues to thrive. participated in the creation of the limited
Since 2006, the campaign has continued to grow, edition “Tea Will Be Loved” flavor completes the
equation as a perfect fit with Snapple’s fresh
partnering with additional brands and steadily
and lighthearted brand personality and its target
growing in awareness. Brands like Hallmark,
demographic, likely a conscientious millennial
Dell, and Apple have lined up to sell their (RED)
co-branded wares. In addition to Bono, celebrities with a sense of humor who enjoys trying new
flavor combinations. The limited edition is said to
including Penelope Cruz, Scarlett Johansson,
Alicia Keys, and many others have supported the be inspired by the band’s personality and thus
Product (RED) campaign. Consumers can choose reveals a new side of the band to its fans. In
addition, with the limited edition bottle, the consfrom a wide variety of Product (RED) products
umer will get to learn more about the band and
from brands they love, while getting the added
benefits of publicly (by flaunting the products) the charity through Snapple’s trademark “real
facts” located on the inside of its bottle caps.
contributing to the fight against AIDS and
associating with their favorite celebrities who As noted in our “Journey-telling” piece, Chipotle
are also actively involved in the campaign.
has long emphasized the importance of
Two more recent examples—Snapple and
Chipotle—stand out for how well the
brands match the musicians, in this
case, with the charity and with their
target market. In addition, the actual
music used in the campaigns is well
suited to both the offering and the
related cause, creating a cohesive and
thoughtful experience for the consumer.
The result is a campaign that is
perfectly tied together in a way that
makes sense for all parties involved.
Snapple paired up with the Grammy awardwinning band Maroon 5 to launch “Tea Will Be
Loved” to benefit Feeding America. The flavor
is a unique mash-up of each band member’s
favorite fruits.
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SIGHTINGS 2011
sustainable farming. Their latest campaign,
centered on a short animated film titled, Back
to the Start, emphasizes the negative impact of
factory farming accompanied by a soundtrack
with Willie Nelson singing excerpts from
Coldplay’s smash hit “The Scientist.” According to
the Chipotle website, the film tells the emotional
journey of a farmer as he slowly turns his family
farm into an industrial animal factory before
seeing the errors of his ways and opting for a
more sustainable future. Willie Nelson’s vocals
covering the familiar song by Coldplay creates
a haunting atmosphere for the prophetic story.
While the songwriter likely wrote the lyrics to
describe a human relationship, they align well to
the farmer’s story. In short, the farmer screwed up
beyond reason and wants a fresh start.
MARKETING
Watch Chipotle’s Back to the
Start video by clicking here.
As we watch the farmer rapidly expand his farm,
he seems almost overwhelmed by the growth:
I was just guessing at numbers and figures...
The scene continues on and the film depicts
a factory setting where the pigs are being fed
antibiotics and other unnatural feed. The lyrics
continue:
Questions of science; science and progress
do not speak as loud as my heart.
The second half of this lyric would suggest that
the farmer knows in his heart that the operation
is not right, and he feels a moral objection to the
progress.
I’m going back to the start.
This is perhaps the most meaningful lyric and explains the farmer’s ultimate decision to return to a
simpler, closer-to-nature approach to his farming.
The overall effect is an incredibly powerful story
told in a novel way. Ultimately, the restaurant
chain, together with Willie Nelson, hopes to raise
awareness around the negative impact of factory
farming and for Chipotle’s own Cultivate
Foundation. The consumer gets to download the
new song for a minimal cost, knowing the proceeds will go to the Chipotle Cultivate Foundation.
Other successful examples of this equation of
brand + charity + pop icon include:
• Louis Vuitton + Maddox Jolie-Pitt Foundation
+ Angelina Jolie
• H&M + Fashion Against AIDS initiative +
Selma Blair
• Botkier + Oxfam + Michelle Trachtenberg
• Gucci + Unicef + Rihanna
• Kiehls + JPF Eco Systems foundation + Brad
Pitt
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SIGHTINGS 2011
In considering these examples, we are not
investigating the impact of the cause effort for
the charity supported—that is a topic for another
day. Rather, we are considering the consumer’s
experience and how a brand can take a cause
marketing campaign to the next level by making
it as relevant as possible for the consumer, thus
building interest, purchase, and ultimately loyalty.
As you think of your brand, consider how this
might apply to your cause marketing efforts and
your target consumer? Are there opportunities for
your brand to associate or partner with musical
groups or other pop icons to better promote your
current CSR or cause marketing efforts and build
loyalty in return? Is there another way for your
brand to create a “win + win + win = win” situation to take your cause marketing to the next level?
MARKETING
BACK TO OUR ROOTS
Levi Strauss & Co.’s
“Ready to Work” campaign
juxtaposed hardworking men
and women to the durable
construction of its 505 jeans.
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SIGHTINGS 2011
Leveraging the Past to
Spring Into the Future
American brand, with jeans being sold globally as
an embodiment of America in their own right. But
as the brand entered the 21st century, it started
to lose relevance and the company saw profits fall
It’s not easy for a brand to stand the test of
dramatically from the mid-1990s–early 2000s.
time—both in maintaining relevance and
It was missing the mark with consumers and
realizing growth. Frankly, it’s more common for
wasn’t keeping up with trends, allowing the more
brands to lose their way, losing sight of the core
fashion-driven jean brands of the time, such as
of what made them great and falling into decline. Tommy Hilfiger and Diesel, to steal share.
This is the challenge for historic brands, like
Levi Strauss & Co. and Lacoste, two examples of Many in the marketing world wrote the brand off.
brands that had significant success and became But after a decade of decline, Levi’s sales and
iconic brands, then lost their way, and are now on profits have started to grow after the company
a comeback. Each brand is findings its way again better understood the needs of its consumers and
by reaching back to their core, their history. They developed more relevant styles. Today the brand
are leveraging each brand’s past to spring into
is building off its upward momentum and rethe future. And for good reason—each brand’s
establishing itself as the brand we all knew and
rich past are assets unto themselves and ones not loved by associating itself again with workers,
many brands can claim.
connecting with consumers on a more personal
level. The brand has gone back to focusing on its
Levi’s started in San Francisco during the times
roots, owning its history, and reasserting itself as
of the California Gold Rush, making and selling
the brand created for the everyday hardworking
denim jeans for the “working-man” of the
man and woman.
mid-to-late 1800s. The denim pants were sold
in mining stores, worn by manual laborers,
Supporting the brand’s focus on workers,
and even favorites of the cowboys of the West.
last year, in conjunction with the release of
Decades later, Levi’s has become a quintessential their Workwear Series line of clothing for men
MARKETING
(featuring durable, wind and abrasion-resistant
fabrics in ready-to-work styles), Levi’s started
a relationship with the town of Braddock,
Pennsylvania as part of its “Ready to Work”
promotion. The promotion was just one component
of its broader annual “Go Forth” campaign. The
town has a history itself, having been the location
of one of Andrew Carnegie’s first steel mills. Over
time, the town lost its industrial base and now
35% of its population is below the poverty line.
Levi’s made a commitment to invest in the town’s
community center, public library, and urban farm
and documented the working spirit of the town’s
residents in 11 short episodes revealing the story
of the people of Braddock and their cause.
LEFT: Mayor of Braddock,
PA, John Fetterman, earned
a masters degree in
public policy from Harvard
University and first moved
to Braddock to work with
AmeriCorps in 2001. He
now earns $150 a month for
his part-time work as the
town’s mayor.
RIGHT: Levi’s Workshops
encourages everyone to “roll
up your sleeves, get your
hands dirty, and get down to
work,” teaching the basics
of print and letterpress,
film, and photography in
various cities around the
globe.
14
SIGHTINGS 2011
Levi’s continued its “Ready to Work” Go Forth
marketing program paying homage to working
artists through their Levi’s Workshops project,
providing temporary community-based venues
and equipment for collaborative learning on topics
like print and letterpress, film, and photography.
With their workshops, Levi’s encourages everyone
to “roll up your sleeves, get your hands dirty,
and get down to work” and gathers together
pioneers in the industry, experts, and community
and corporate partners to provide instructional
workshops to the public free of charge. Levi’s took
the Workshops global for the first time this year
in Berlin. Though it’s a far cry from the work of
cowboys and manual laborers, Levi’s has built a
connection with a new group of workers—modern
artists and creatives.
This year, in addition to these campaigns,
Levi’s extended its long-standing tradition of
creating “indestructible” denim products for
work by offering a new commuter line. With the
same amount of functionality as their denim
years ago, the commuter line offers bicyclists
the convenience of U-lock holders, reflective
tape trim, and pockets for phones and iPods.
Understanding that its core was focused on “the
working man,” Levi’s has experimented with a
unique offering that seems very on-brand. Though
the offering may appeal to only a small niche,
it’s a prime example that Levi’s has stood by its
mission to provide sturdy, functional clothing for
those people who don’t sit at a desk, non-white
collar workers that “get their hands dirty.”
A similar story of a brand leveraging its past to
pave the way for a more sustainable future can
be told about the Lacoste brand, a high-end
clothing line that originated from professional
tennis player René Lacoste’s need for better shirts
to wear on the courts. The cutting-edge shirts
were exported to the United States, advertised as
“the status symbol of the competent sportsman,”
and produced for tennis players and golfers
alike. However, during the 1980s “preppy” era,
the legendary shirt became so widespread that
bargain and high-end retailers alike were selling
them. Lacoste faced stiff competition from Polo
Ralph Lauren, and the popularity of the classic
shirt led to counterfeiting overseas that further
diluted the equity of the famous Crocodile. The
MARKETING
LEFT: René Lacoste first
created the legendary
polo shirt in an effort to
allow more comfort and
breathability on the courts.
RIGHT: Professional tennis
player and Lacoste tennis
ambassador Andy Roddick
partnered with the brand
earlier this year to create a
signature collection of tennis
shirts, shorts, and track
jackets.
shirts became ubiquitous, and Lacoste ultimately
lost its cache.
elegance and prestige it built for itself long ago
on the tennis courts.
Today the brand has gone back to its roots and
is re-establishing itself as a truly distinctive
premium brand offering sports inspired clothing.
Lacoste pulled back from bargain retailers and
has limited distribution to a few department
stores, higher-end retailers, and its own
storefronts. To reestablish the brand’s positioning,
the company currently sponsors world-class
athletes from the tennis world such as Andy
Roddick and golfers such as Cristie Kerr.
What can be learned from these brands? The
answer to a long-standing brand continuing to
grow its business and attract the ever-changing
consumer just may lie in its past. When trying to
re-establish and reinvent a historic brand, start
by recalling its roots, what it stood for at the
beginning. Go back and really understand the
core of what made the brand great in the first
place. Then, remember that with expansion comes
the risk of losing meaning. Avoid expanding too
quickly and losing sight of what led to success
in the first place. Finally, after understanding
the core of it all, extend wisely. Don’t be afraid of
casting the net and testing the waters with new
offerings, but keep the brand’s heritage in mind
ensuring the brand can maintain its credibility as
it extends.
More recently, the brand has used guerilla
marketing tactics to build its premium image by
outfitting concierge and wait staff at Manhattan
and Hamptons high-end hotels and restaurants,
such as Nobu. Speaking of this tactic, Charlie
Walk of RJW Collective, which works with the
brand, told The New York Times:
As a consumer, you’re sitting there
and Lacoste is all around you. But it’s
not in your face screaming to you that
there’s a branded moment here in the
middle of your meal— it’s an elegantly
disruptive activation.
By having the brand be at the right place in
front of the right people, Lacoste has been able
to reaffirm themselves as a premium brand
with today’s consumers, while maintaining the
15
SIGHTINGS 2011
Few brands can claim an over 100-year history
and even fewer have been able to claim success
then and now. Levi’s and Lacoste, despite having
departed from their historic roots for a period
of time, have both successfully found ways to
reinvent themselves in the 21st century to attract
discerning consumers and reclaim the essence of
what made them great in the first place.
BRANDING
LEVERAGING
BRAND EQUITY
Branding Strategy for Strong
Product Propositions
By using a Stonyfield
endorsement for Activia, the
product is positioned first
as organic and secondarily
as made with Activia’s
probiotic cultures.
Dannon has recently shifted its brand portfolio,
making branding decisions that imply their
brands can be better leveraged by applying the
brands’ equities—what these brands stand for
in the minds of consumers—to create stronger
product propositions. In the yogurt category,
Dannon has two master brands in its portfolio—
the primary Dannon master brand with significant
heritage in yogurt and Stonyfield yogurt with a
strong reputation rooted in its organic products
and company ethics. (Dannon has had a stake
in Stonyfield since 2001.) What Dannon is doing
with these equities is uncommon. The company
is applying the brands as endorsers on the same
Driver brand to create credible, differentiated
offerings. Two new brand launches provide examples that demonstrate what appears to be an
acknowledgement that in doing so their
equities can work harder for the company.
The first example is with Dannon’s
Activia Driver brand. In June, Dannon
launched an organic version of
this successful line. From a
branding strategy standpoint,
the company could have kept
the product endorsed by Dannon
and added an Organic extension
modifier. Instead, the company chose
16
SIGHTINGS 2011
BRAND TYPE DEFINITIONS
DRIVER BRAND: Delivers the greatest percentage of equity to the
offering, drives customer perception and purchase, and sets the
expectation for the actual brand experience. Visually, the driver
brand will be the predominant brand representing the offer.
CO-DRIVER BRAND: Exists in a multi-branded offer with each
brand delivering relatively equal amounts of brand equity to
the offer. Visually, each brand will equally represent the offer.
SUB-BRAND: A multi-branded offer that combines a driver
brand with a modifier to create a distinctive variant of the
driver brand. While most of the equity accrues to the driver
brand, the strategy is to also build equity in the sub-brand
itself. Visually, the driver brand and modifier will equally
represent the offer.
ENDORSER: Provides assurance to an offering; a product
brand acts as the driver brand. Visually, the endorser brand is
subordinate to the driver brand, which dominates the offer.
EXTENSION/VERSION: Differs from a sub-brand in that an
extension is designed to accrue equity solely in the driver
brand by extending, refreshing, or evolving the brand into new
categories. Visually, the driver brand dominants the offer with
the extension/version being subordinate.
INGREDIENT BRAND: Adds perceived value to the offering
to which it is added. Another brand is the driver. Visually,
treatment of the ingredient brand varies based on the
communication as it is generally not a part of the visual identity
of the driver brand. It can dominate the offer when the focus of
communication is on the value added by the ingredient.
to leverage the brand that has equity and credibility in the organic space and has launched the
brand with a Stonyfield endorsement. In doing so,
the product is positioned first as organic and secondarily as made with Activia’s probiotic cultures.
BRANDING
A
E
C
B
(A) Stonyfield launches a
standalone organic, Greek
Driver brand, Oikos, in 2007.
(B) Stonyfield adds its
endorsement to the Oikos
Driver brand in 2009.
(C) Dannon enters the Greek
yogurt segment with Dannon
Greek in 2010.
(D) This year, Dannon’s
Greek yogurt offering
becomes Oikos from Dannon.
(E) Oikos from Stonyfield
maintains design equities.
D
Greek yogurt is another segment where Dannon
has made a recent branding strategy change.
Interestingly, this new category or innovation was
not originally launched by the parent company,
Dannon. Rather, Stonyfield was the one to take a
lead in this segment back in 2007. At the time,
Stonyfield launched the item under a new brand
called Oikos, perhaps thinking that the new brand
would have more credibility with its Greek-origin
name. Yet, it seems the Oikos Driver brand didn’t
quickly build the awareness and strong equity
that Stonyfield had garnered over the years—just
two years later in 2009 Stonyfield added its
endorsement to the brand, as it remains today.
Over the last two years, the Greek yogurt segment
has grown significantly, now making up 20 to 25
percent of the $4 billion U.S. retail yogurt market,
a dramatic shift from just a few years prior.
Dannon and Stonyfield’s Oikos have less than 2%
share of this segment, significantly lagging the
segment leader, Chobani. The Dannon master
brand first entered the space in 2010 with Dannon
Greek, using Dannon as the Driver brand and
“Greek” as an Extension modifier. But now, the
company is re-launching the product, leveraging
the Oikos brand and using Dannon as an
endorser instead.
er equity in the space than Dannon Greek had. So
despite retailer needs driving the decision, it may
just be the wise branding choice to compete more
successfully in this now highly competitive market.
When it comes to the consumer, all these quick
changes may be confusing. Yet, Dannon appears
to be taking actions to lessen a possible negative
impact. For one, it’s putting significant support
behind this Dannon Oikos launch with a strong
taste claim against the market leader. The
package design transition has also been managed
to maintain key equities, such as the strong blue
color, a clear Dannon equity, a similar Greek
pillar image on the front of the package, and a
consistent spoon visual on the package’s top. The
Stonyfield endorsed Oikos has also maintained key
visual equities from the seaside visual and the
Oikos and Stonyfield brand marks.
What’s the lesson for marketers? First, know your
brands and their equities—what is their value and
meaning in the marketplace and in the hearts and
minds of consumers? Second, treat these equities
as assets and leverage them as such. Third, don’t
be afraid to switch it up. Innovate and learn along
the way. Be iterative, as Dannon is showing here.
Don’t walk away from innovations that might not
be working for a brand. See if there is a way to
The change has been partly driven by retailer
improve the consumer offering—from the product
needs, according to Dannon. As the category
itself to its positioning. In Dannon’s case, they
expands, retailers won’t be able to accommodate seem to be betting that these new branding
as many Greek brands in the space; Dannon
decisions will be considered stronger product
consolidating its efforts behind Oikos will help in propositions in the eyes of the shopper at the shelf,
this effort. In making this change, the company is leading to share growth. Time will tell if these
putting its efforts behind Oikos as a Driver brand. moves were the right ones, or if Dannon will need
Since it’s the third largest Greek yogurt competitor to go back to the drawing board once again.
today, this action implies that Oikos has a strong-
17
SIGHTINGS 2011
BRANDING
DESIGN
A
MAKING IT
TRULY YOURS
B
C
It’s something many brands desire and has the
potential to become one of your brand’s greatest
equities: indelible product features that consumers can
instantly associate with your brand. Think Apple’s white
headphones—the person standing across from you on
the subway doesn’t need to be flashing the Apple logo
on the back of her iPhone for you to know what’s in her
purse. Unique product features that are consistently
executed serve as an efficient, powerful tool to increase
brand recognition, especially when it comes time to
extend your brand. Moleskine did this beautifully when
the brand released its reading collection earlier this
year. The elastic enclosure present on all of its notebooks
was applied seamlessly onto the new messenger bags
and laptop cases, creating a consistent look and feel
across the brand’s product portfolio. But creating a truly
ownable product feature isn’t easy. Take for instance
MBT’s revolutionary balance shoes, which quickly saw
Sketchers’ Tone-Ups steal share. Or, the classic red
soles from Louboutin that recently had its trademark
protection cancelled due to the “overly broad” nature of
the trademark. Despite the obstacles, brands looking to
find that indelible product feature should build it into
the product line from the start, creating an element
that can truly be owned even if it were to be copied.
When done right, the copycat doesn’t fool anyone and
just may end up building your brand’s equity instead.
FROM TOP:
(A) Apple’s white headphones have become a signature product feature
for the brand.
(B) Moleskine leveraged the elastic enclosure feature from its notebooks
when the brand extended its product portfolio to include laptop and
carrying cases.
(C) Louboutin was unable to hold onto its trademark protection for its
hallmark red soles.
18
SIGHTINGS 2011
INNOVATION
FASTER, SOONER, NOW
Instant Information
Today, with more people connected via social
media, web, and mobile, the ability to connect
anytime and anywhere has exploded. Along the
way, the timing of the connection has become
more relevant and rapid. People’s expectations
for access and information have gone from
faster, to sooner, to now. Consider these three
examples from transportation to customer service
to marketing that are delivering against this
incredibly demanding consumer desire.
Credit: Faster, Sooner, Now is
a song by David Gray.
As the name implies, Google
Live Transit Updates provides
real-time departures and
arrivals conveniently layered
onto its maps’ interface.
19
SIGHTINGS 2011
(from a current database of over 2,000) and
provide a contact number for a call back. Fast
Customer is the go-between that reaches out to
companies on the consumer’s behalf and alerts
the consumer when a representative is available
to speak.
While the prior examples speak to timely
information and time efficiency, the next example
speaks to where real-time and real place can
add up to real value. Taking applications like
Yelp Monocle and FourSquare to the next level, an
Australian based company, QuickerFeet, recently
launched a new iPhone app that instantly pings
Perhaps the most obvious use of real-time or
consumers about marketing and promotional
immediate data is within the transportation
industry. Anyone who has ever waited for a bus or activities based on the users’ location. The
train would willingly embrace data that would let activity could be an in-store event, price reduction
them know when it will really arrive compared to or a new item now on shelf. Retailers buy into
the program to reach consumers that are in the
when it is scheduled to arrive. Recently, Google
launched a new service to do just that with Goog- vicinity and reach them in real-time. For the conle Live Transit Updates. In partnership with trans- sumer, there is no sign-up, no check-ins or emails
it agencies in four major U.S. cities (Boston, Port- necessary—it’s just accessed through the app.
land, San Diego, San Francisco) and two European
cities (Madrid and Turin), Google will provide real- It’s clear that the expectation for timely
time departures and arrivals via your smartphone. data across a range of goods and services is
increasing. Marketers need to understand what
Another equally frustrating, consumer time waster information is relevant and at what point in
time. Satisfying that instant need is one way for
is finding a live customer service representative
a brand to foster conversation and engagement
to simply ask for
with consumers. Consider the various points of
information or to
entry where consumers connect with your brand
resolve an issue.
from information seeking to consideration,
Tackling this head
from browsing to buying, from using to troubleon is a new app for
iPhone and Android shooting, and maybe even from storing to
disposing. What do consumers want to know
devices from Fast
about your brand at every moment? Brands that
Customer. The app
lets users enter the are agile and dynamic will be able to create
name of a company moments of irresistible choice for consumers.
INNOVATION
WEARABLE
TECHNOLOGY
Advances in Medical Monitoring,
Diagnosis, and Treatment
Regardless of gender or age, many of us have
wanted to be like James Bond or Ethan Hunt in
Mission Impossible, having advanced technologies that give us powers beyond what’s humanly
possible. Today, in case we all aren’t feeling wired
enough, be prepared for technology to get even
closer to you—coming to the market are more
personal technology solutions that are wearable.
“Wearable technology” is not new—some may
view the Nike+ running shoes or even a pacemaker that’s inserted into one’s body as wearable
technology devices. We’re witnessing further
advancement in this space as inventors marry
wireless technology and cloud computing with
advanced forms and the need for personal health
solutions. These devices track an individual’s
health status for purposes of medical monitoring.
The simplest, in terms of format, was launched
in May of this year by HP and Singapore-based
Healthstats, the BPro(R) Radial Pulse Wave
Acquisition Device, which tracks blood pressure
via a watch-like device. This device is using
wireless technology to transmit data to a cell
phone and to a cloud system that healthcare
professionals can monitor remotely. Information
is also shared back with the patient himself,
providing alerts if the data shows abnormalities.
The device allows real-time, more accurate
monitoring that provides for better analysis and,
therefore, treatment.
Jawbone’s “Up” device is both stylish and functional: the device will track what you eat,
sleeping patterns, and movement 24 hours a day to monitor the variables that impact
various health conditions.
20
SIGHTINGS 2011
Providing similar functionality but designed in a
more elegant fashion is Jawbone’s “Up” product
announced in July and scheduled to be released
later this year. Seeing itself as a brand that
supports the mobile lifestyle, the company is
setting its sights on using mobile devices to help
consumers live a healthier one. Similar to its cell
phone headsets, with its “Up” product Jawbone
has created a sophisticated-looking accessory
that has both form and function. The wristband
will track what one eats, sleep patterns, and
movement 24 hours a day to help monitor the
INNOVATION
factors that impact lifestyle diseases such as
heart disease, diabetes, and some forms of
cancer. The device will be complemented with a
mobile app that can analyze the data and provide
motivational messages tailored to one’s goals.
On the horizon next year is Nyx Devices’ Somnus
Sleep Shirt, which will likely change how sleep
tests are conducted into the future. The company,
in collaboration with Massachusetts General
Hospital, created a technologically advanced
shirt to track sleep patterns throughout the night.
It’s been developed as a complete system—the
shirt has respiration sensors embedded into it
to measure breathing and the “SleepLogger”
accessory powers the sensors and records data
for up to five nights. When charged, the device
automatically transfers data to the Nyx website,
allowing the data to be analyzed.
The BPro(R) Radial Pulse
Wave Acquisition Device from
HP and Singapore-based
Healthstats tracks vital
stats and can transmit the
data directly to healthcare
professionals to monitor
remotely.
21
SIGHTINGS 2011
A more sophisticated technology that is still
developing is a digital contact lens, or a “smart
lens,” as it’s been dubbed. When worn, it can
track health information and vital signs through
the eye and then transmit it wirelessly through
radio-powered sensors. Again, the data can
be transmitted to one’s doctor for constant
monitoring of eye health. Researchers are also
testing drug-delivery systems for the eye via this
device. The first on the market is called Triggerfish
by Sensimed, a company spun-off from the Swiss
Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne.
The Sensimed Triggerfish Sensor is a single use contact lens that
monitors fluctuations of introcular pressure and sends information
wirelessly to a recording device.
Going beyond health, the smart contact lens is
the kind of device that can start to bring the
future into focus. Babak Parviz, a researcher at
the University of Washington in Seattle, is working
on inserting displays onto the lens. What they
envision for the future is a digital translation of
the world in front of a person delivered via the
contact lens. “Smart lens” is apt, as it could
become the next evolution of the smartphone.
As has been proven for centuries, advances in
technology make more advances possible. As we
can see with these examples, wireless technology,
along with other advances, is making more
possible monitoring and treating health concerns.
All this advancement is arriving just in time for
the Baby Boomer generation, a sizable market
that will have rising health needs as they age.
Look for wearable technology to continue to be
embedded in our lifestyles, giving us all a chance
to feel a little like James Bond.
INNOVATION
INTERACTIVE
ENTERTAINMENT
Choose Your Own Experience
You may recall back in the early 1980s a series
of children’s books, Choose Your Own Adventure,
where the reader made choices that influenced
the outcome of the story. It was one of the most
popular kids’ series at the time—it sold well over
250 million copies and gave rise to a new term
—interactive fiction.
Leap forward to today, where interactive is
a marketing buzzword that’s shorthand for
consumer engagement, typically with websites,
social media or mobile applications. Consumers
“interact” in a number of ways: registering,
voting, clicking, purchasing, and liking, but the
experience is static. Aside from video games,
what progress has been made on the ability for
the reader, participant, audience or consumer
to affect the narrative? There is a nascent trend
taking form in today’s entertainment industry.
Emmy Rossum stars in the first-ever social film experience, The
Inside Experience. Intel and Toshiba partnered on the film and
allowed viewers to influence the plot through social media.
social film experience, The Inside Experience,
blending film and social media. Tech giants Intel
and Toshiba partnered together to present a video
horror story online where viewers influenced the
plot. The project was created to be an interactive
This summer, Francis Ford Coppola went on a
limited city tour with his new film, Twixt. This was social experience and also smartly showcased
the new laptop from the two companies. The
not the standard red carpet premiere, instead
story begins with a young woman, actress Emmy
it was billed as a live, interactive experience.
Coppola, based on how the audience responded to Rossum, who awakens to find herself confined in a
the movie on any given night, was able to modify room, armed only with her computer. Viewers are
the story by deleting or adding scenes, changing asked to aid her escape using Facebook, Twitter
and YouTube. Audiences interacted in real-time,
the flow of events and by using varied music.
and it took about ten days for the narrative to play
This summer also saw the launch of the first-ever out, ultimately producing a completed film.
22
SIGHTINGS 2011
INNOVATION
Perhaps the most ambitious project to date
involving consumer participation was this
season’s TV series, Bar Karma. Viewers provided
input on nearly every aspect of the show: plot
lines, character development, set decorations,
and music. The idea was the brainchild of Will
Wright, creator of the Sims video games. “People
are expecting their entertainment to become more
engaging, more interactive, more participatory,”
said Wright. After an initial contribution from
about 2,000 people, the public was invited to
join in. Using the web or smartphone apps, users
could submit dialogue, introduce new characters
and storyboard the plot with supporting music
and set pieces. There is a governing board, which
includes Wright, which reviews all the inputs.
Participants whose contributions get chosen are
recognized with on-screen credits.
While it may seem like the logical next step for
the entertainment industry to invite and cultivate
consumer contributions, the need for dynamic
engagement is applicable to brands as well.
Today, brand users want to interact, influence and
jointly build experiences. Marketers need to reach
out, embrace feedback and allow consumers to
help shape and co-create brand experiences. The
result will be a kinetic brand, a brand dynamically
and jointly developed with brand users.
23
SIGHTINGS 2011
INNOVATION
KNOWLEDGE FOR SALE
Disney Institute’s Jeff Soluri
takes participants of the
leadership course on a tour
of a textile services facility
to help them understand the
skills necessary to run such
a large operation.
What’s Your Core
Competency Worth?
to monetize their core competencies, while
consumers look for innovative ways to acquire or
share knowledge or skills.
The shift toward a “knowledge economy” has
started to change our business and consumer
environment in noticeable ways. Much more
than a buzzword, the knowledge economy is fast
becoming a reality, and brands are scrambling
to get in on the action by productizing their
knowledge through new ventures that share
information. This trend is spurred by the down
economy that is forcing companies to “innovate
or die,” literally. In this case, companies are
innovating by selling what they know, generating
additional revenue streams. For consumers, as
well, the down economy and high unemployment
rate means the competition is fierce for fewer
and fewer jobs, forcing people to find ways to
differentiate themselves. Developing new skills
is often the answer, but few have the money to
go back to school. Thus we see brands extending
into new and interesting businesses, looking
Disney was one of the first to capitalize on this
concept back in the 1980s with the creation of the
Disney Institute. Pivoting on Disney’s expertise in
creativity, according to the website, the Disney
Institute offers services around the areas of
“leadership excellence,” “people management,”
and “inspiring creativity,” among other topics.
The promotional video for Disney Institute astutely
explains: “Behind the magic of everything Disney
does are sound business strategies proven by
decades of success.” So why not capitalize on the
success Disney has had by sharing the knowledge,
and charging a fee? Judging by their esteemed
list of Fortune 500 clients, the trademarked
“D’Think” must be working.
More recently, technology retailers have made
a shift to expand beyond selling hard goods
into service. These retailers have seized a
growing opportunity to share their knowledge of
consumer electronics, but in this case directly
with consumers. Given the rate of technology
development today, the average consumer often
can’t keep up. Many feel overwhelmed and even
intimidated by basic consumer electronics like
cell phones and DVRs. Both Apple and Best Buy
capitalized on this reality with the Genius Bar
and Geek Squad, respectively. These companies
make their trained technicians available for
appointments in-store or even in-home to help
consumers with their electronic devices.
Building from these examples, we find Google, the
preeminent go-to source for information online,
24
SIGHTINGS 2011
INNOVATION
taking advantage of the concept of productizing
knowledge. At the bottom left hand of the
Google.com browser, there are “Advertising
Solutions” and “Business Solutions” links to
educational information. Google is leveraging
its authority and credibility to deliver extensive
resources to help individuals and businesses
better utilize the Google suite of products. “Learn
with Google” is a beta website (www.google.
com/ads/learn/) offering tips on how to start,
market and grow a business utilizing Google tools
including lessons, online classrooms and even
seminars.
When thinking of other major companies and
brands that curate, disseminate and share
knowledge effectively, major media companies
come to mind. The New York Times is doing
just that. For The New York Times, innovation
is essential as the print news industry slowly
becomes obsolete. According to the website,
“Building on The Times’s decades of active
involvement in education, The New York Times
Knowledge Network offers a wide range of
distinctive adult and continuing education
opportunities, including online courses, programs
and Webcasts.” This Knowledge Network offering
has an educational spin and is focused more on
an adult continuing education premise. In keeping
with the traditional New York Times content, the
educational offerings range from “art to business,
writings to politics and journalism to science.”
Not surprisingly, the topic with the most courses
offered is “writing and journalism.” As the
readership for the actual newspaper continues to
dwindle, this new knowledge offering will likely
help to strengthen The New York Times relevance
beyond just being a news source, while also
ultimately keeping the company afloat.
On a more individual level, we find people
organizing themselves to share what they know
—sometimes for a profit and sometimes just for
the greater good. The first example is SkillShare
25
SIGHTINGS 2011
—“classes to learn anything from anyone”—
specifically offline. The organization describes its
vision as: “To transform every community into a
campus and every neighbor into a teacher and
student.” Or more specifically, according to Mike
Karnjanaprakorn, one of the founders, SkillShare
is in the business of “democratizing learning” to
make it affordable and accessible for everyone.
In a similar vane, the City Centre Library in Surrey
British Columbia has started a “living library”
and will literally loan out people in place of books.
The library recognizes that people offer a great
wealth of knowledge. Through this program,
library patrons can make an appointment of 30 to
45 minutes to speak with volunteers with personal
expertise on a number of topics. Given the speed
and ease with which one can find information
online, it remains to be seen if this approach
takes hold. But for those who prefer a human
touch, this option could be quite attractive. These
final two examples seem to be a response to the
impersonal nature of information acquisition
brought forth by the Internet and suggest that
people are yearning for more personal connections
and interpersonal exchanges as they acquire
knowledge and skills.
All of these examples clearly demonstrate that
there is a demand for knowledge and skills
offered in new, innovative ways. Whether one is
seeking skills to run a company or whether the
interest is more personal in nature, there are
a growing number of ways to buy or otherwise
obtain knowledge. Given this growing demand,
as you think about your own business, consider
the unique skills or knowledge your company
and brand might sell to leverage its competency
into a new market. If not your brand or company,
perhaps you’ll consider becoming a part of the
human library in your neighborhood.
SEE & BE SEEN
SIGHTINGS OF INTERESTING TIDBITS
UPDATES ON OUR
TRENDS FOR 2011
Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness
Serial entrepreneur Jonathan Kaplan recently opened a grilled cheese
restaurant called The Melt in San Francisco. Why grilled cheese?
“... There’s a lot of memories and there’s a lot of happiness in the
very simple grilled cheese and soup.” Meanwhile, Febreze also turned
to happiness for its “Breathe Happy” campaign earlier this summer.
NO FREE TV
Apple will no longer be renting out single episodes of television shows
and instead will only offer episodes for purchase. The company made
the move in light of understanding consumers’ desire to watch their
favorite episodes whenever and however many times they please.
THE UNEXPECTED
NEW CUISINE
FLUEVOGERS LOVE THEIR SHOES
John Fluevog reached out to its most loyal fans, Fluevogers, and asked
what the brand meant to them. The brand then took the top 100 responses
and created a beautiful word cloud graphic which they’ve brought right
back to their consumers visiting their storefronts. The graphic itself is
modeled after a style of shoe currently sold in-store. The window display
is both a tribute to John Fluevog fans and to the unique style of its shoes.
“A DAY MADE OF GLASS”
Corning Incorporated has given us a peek
into what the world of Minority Report might
look like in our present day and age—and
it’s quite impressive. The company released
a video called “A Day Made of Glass... Made
possible by Corning” highlighting various
future uses of interactive glass panels. The
video itself has garnered over 15 million
views. It’s clear that whether they be used
on our refrigerator doors or our windows, the
possibilities seem endless for high-tech glass.
Watch the video by clicking here.
26
SIGHTINGS 2011
Stop reading now if you’re
decidedly grossed out by
bugs, because this sighting
most definitely is not for you.
Entomophagy, or put simply
insect-eating is an unexpected
trend that has reached North
America. As Dana Goodyear
of The New Yorker reports,
insect-eating has gone from a
challenge on Fear Factor to a
winning dish on Top Chef Masters. Though still nascent, insect-eating
has piqued the curiousity of many and may soon find its way into the
mainstream. So whether you’re eating for novelty or eating for protein,
you may soon be able to have bugs for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or dessert!
Anthem Worldwide, the brand development division of Schawk,
Inc., is an integrated global network that provides innovative
solutions to articulate, unify and manage brand impact. Anthem
creates compelling brand experiences by aligning its strategic,
creative and executional talent worldwide with the business needs
of companies seeking a competitive advantage. Anthem offers a
full range of branding and design services. For more information
on Anthem, please visit http://www.anthemww.com.
To learn more about Schawk, please visit http://www.schawk.com.
Schawk invites Industry Thought Leaders to participate in
BRANDSQUARE, a one-of-a-kind, exclusive online marketing
community. Visit http://brandsquare.com.
Contact:
Kathy Oneto, Vice President, Brand Strategy
[email protected]
27
SIGHTINGS 2011
© 2011 Schawk, Inc. All Rights Reserved. No part of this work
may be reproduced in any form without written permission from
the copyright holder. Schawk is a registered trademark of Schawk,
Inc. The Anthem logo is a trademark of Schawk, Inc. All other
trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
WORKS CITEd:
to Benefit Feeding America.” Press Release. August 22, 2011.
JOURNEY-TELLING
Stone, Amy. “Helping Hand.” British Vogue, October 15, 2008. http://www.
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Brady, Shirley. “Gap’s New Global Brand Story: Denim, Design, Food Trucks
and a Dog Named Louie.” Brand Channel (blog). August 1, 2011. http://
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Chipotle. “Chipotle: Videos.” http://www.chipotle.com/en-US/html/
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Jawbone. “Jawbone Unveils Vision to Help People Live a Healthier Life: Up
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BACK TO OUR ROOTS
Wollman, Dana. “Jawbone Branches Out from Audio Products, Teases ‘Up’
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Braddock,_Pennsylvania.
INTERACTIVE ENTERTAINMENT
Sundance Channel. “Man Shops Globe.” http://www.sundancechannel.
com/man-shops-globe/.
Kealoha, Ami. “Levi’s Commuter Series.” Cool Hunting (blog), May 3, 2011.
http://www.coolhunting.com/style/levis-bike.php.
“Choose Your Own Adventure.” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Choose_Your_
Own_Adventure.
CELEBRITY MAVENS
L.A. Johnson, “Mayor takes need Braddock’s story nationwide,” Pittsburgh
Post-Gazette, http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09058/952020-56.stm
“Coppola to take interactive ‘Twixt’ film on tour.” Boston.com. http://
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Sche, Margaret. “Gap 1969 Los Angeles Design Studio.” The Sche Report
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Shayon, Sheila. “Chipotle Scores Sustainable Hit with Willie Nelson’s
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“Gwyneth Paltrow In Harper’s Bazaar UK: ‘People Are So Mean To Me’.”
The Huffington Post, January 31, 2011. Updated April 2, 2011. http://www.
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AOL. “Heidi Klum and AOL Announce Exclusive Original Web Content
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GOOP. http://www.goop.com.
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Life+Times. http://www.lifeandtimes.com.
Perpetua, Matthew.“Jay-Z Launches New Pop Culture Site Life + Times:
Rapper’s Latest Venture also Shows Off His Taste in High-End Products.”
Rolling Stone, April 6, 2011.http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/jayz-launches-new-pop-culture-site-life-times-20110406.
THE RETURN OF “THE MAN”
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images/7684556/title/mad-men-season-3-promo-photo.
Cheesyskillets. “Kitchen :30 Velveeta Cheesy Skillets.” http://www.youtube.
com/watch?v=O9kDXpvkpFM&feature=relmfu.
Dosequisbeer. “Dos Equis Most Interesting Man in the World On Speeding
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Lee, Louise. “Can Levi’s Be Cool Again?” Bloomberg Businessweek, March
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Levi Strauss & Co. “Levi’s Workshops,” http://workshops.levi.com/.
Levi Strauss & Co. “Annual Reports.” http://www.levistrauss.com/
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Liedtke, Michael. “Levi’s has best year in decade.” SFGate.com, Februrary
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Newman, Andrew A. “Lacoste Recasts Itself in Its Own Prestige.” The
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Socialite Life. “Andy Roddick: Fragrance Sprayer.” http://socialitelife.com/
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Yates, JW. “Lacoste and Others Battle Counterfeit Fashion Apparel.” BMS
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blog/bid/32469/Lacoste-and-Others-Battle-Counterfeit-Fashion-Apparel.
LEVERAGING BRAND EQUITY
Hughlett, Mike. “Yogurt Giants Battle Greek Invasion.” Star Tribune, July
27, 2011. http://www.startribune.com/business/126037778.html.
Lukovitz, Karlene. “What’s Behind Dannon Greek’s Oikos Rebranding?”
Mediapost, August 11, 2011. http://www.mediapost.com/
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WIN + WIN + WIN = WIN
“Product Red.” Wikipedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Product_Red
Stonyfield. “Stonyfield Introduces Organic Activia.” Press Release. June
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“Snapple and Maroon 5 Release New ‘Tea Will Be Loved’ Iced Tea to Benefit
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home/20110822005332/en
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MAKING IT TRULY YOURS
Alohaishoppe. http://www.alohaishoppe.com.bd/detail_product.php?id=25
Louboutin. http://us.christianlouboutin.com/.
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FASTER, SOONER, NOW
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the Best Stuff on Earth Just Got Even Better.” Press Release. March 5,
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WEARABLE TECHNOLOGY
Snapple. “Snapple and Maroon 5 Release New ‘Tea Will Be Loved’ Iced Tea
28
SIGHTINGS 2011
“Look into my eyes: Biotechnology: Smart Contact Lenses Exploit the
Unusual Characteristics of the Eye to Diagnose Disease, Deliver Drugs and
Connelly, Brendon. “Coppola to Go on Tour With Twixt, Film Different Every
Night, Edited in Realtime.” Bleeding Cool (blog). July 23, 2011. http://
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KNOWLEDGE FOR SALE
“IBM Global Services.” Wikipedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IBM_
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“Knowledge economy.” Wikipedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knowledge_
economy.
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SEE & BE SEEN
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NPR Staff. “Entrepreneur Bets on Happiness With Grilled Cheese.” NPR,
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