Brand Building

2018 marks the fifth US summer of Coca-Cola’s “Share A Coke” marketing campaign, when the soft drinks giant releases thousands of limited-edition bottles showing names, places, occasions, or even song lyrics. It’s probably the most famous, and longest running, mass personalisation campaign in the world, and Coke have regularly credited it with big returns. Back in 2014, following its successful launch, the Ogilvy-run campaign was linked to Coca-Cola’s first sales increases in a decade.

As the USA celebrates the 4th of July, we look at how brands and advertisers can handle the hot potato that is patriotism.

With Amazon investing heavily in private labels, brand marketers are feeling the heat. Here's how to manage own-label competition.

Marketers don't need lectures on short-termism; they need solutions. Here's ours.

In this year’s Super Bowl commercials, Amazon’s Alexa lost her voice. In the real world, she’s louder than ever. The Amazon Echo, and other voice-activated home assistants like Apple’s iPod Home, are enjoying a surge in sales. Mass adoption isn’t quite there yet, but it looks likely, if not inevitable.

This time last year, almost nobody was talking about a “plastics crisis”. This year, it’s the hottest of topics. But how did the plastic waste issue finally get onto the public radar, and what lessons can communicators learn from it?

We often talk about the 3 qualities that make for great, profitable brands: Fame, Feeling and Fluency. If your brand comes to mind easily (Fame) it’s a good choice; if your brand evokes positive emotion (Feeling) it’s a good choice; if people recognise your brand and its assets quickly (Fluency) then it’s a good choice. But how to nurture these qualities in your communication?

We pose the question: Does a strong brand mean a company can get away with being downright average when it comes to advertising effort?

The latest wave of our automotive tracking study shows the emissions scandal still clouding VW's German prospects. What does it mean for the future of German cars and alternative technologies?

How do you launch a new brand? We answer one of our most frequently asked client questions. A look at early stage brand growth through a Fame. Feeling and Fluency lens.