In an unprecedented era of innovation and value creation leading brands are taking ‘out-of-the-box’ thinking out of the cliché pile and making it a way of life. Lateral Thinking™ is one approach I use that enables breakthrough, creating a lens that helps marketers see hidden opportunity.
Ever since the massive success of the Intel Inside initiative, the power and potential of ingredient branding has been well understood. As the name implies, ingredient branding means giving a component of a product its own brand identity. It can be a tantalizing proposition for those looking for new ways to differentiate.
Some years ago, I hosted a blind tasting beer party where everyone voted for their favorite and least favorite beers from a collection of microbrews and mainstream brands. Although there was no clear winner, there was definitely an outright loser.
Ever since the global financial crisis, global markets seem to have become more volatile. Oil prices rise and crash; China’s growth soars and slides. When market dynamics are this dramatic, how should you look to effectively develop a brand? Do you go with the ebb and flow, or act as a beacon of constancy?
Coke’s new campaign direction feels like a push back towards product-focused advertising. The decision to move away from the more abstract concept of happiness towards a campaign that focuses much more specifically on the taste and the bottle begs the question: are marketers trying to be too clever? Have we forgotten that we’re here to sell?
