http://www.design4brand.com/blog Design 4 Brand Tue, 11 Nov 2008 21:26:46 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Now that the election is over and we can all calm down a bit, it's time to reflect on the learnings on brand strategy from the Obama and McCain campaigns. No matter which candidate you favored, there are distinct differences in how Brand McCain was managed versus Brand Obama. Here ... http://www.design4brand.com/blog/corporate-identity/5-brand-strategy-lessons-from-obama-and-mccain.php Boost Mobile, a unit of Sprint best known for its teen positioning ("Where you at?" campaign) is changing its positioning to a value message, according to Todd Wasserman in BrandWeek. Facing strong pricing competition from the likes of Cricket and Tracfone, Boost is reducing its rates from 20 cents to ... http://www.design4brand.com/blog/brand-development/boost-mobile-shifts-brand-positioning-to-value-is-that-smart.php If you are a local government or publicly-funded organization, or a non-profit entity, then now is the time for you to create a compelling brand or refresh the one you already have. Brand is all about relationship and both the economic conditions and the high mistrust of government means that your ... http://www.design4brand.com/blog/uncategorized/brand-strategy-critical-for-local-government-service-providers.php In the words of Jerry Seinfeld, "What's up with Microsoft's corporate brand identity?" The new ad campaign with Misters Seinfeld and Gates is remarkably unfunny, unconvincing, and just boring. And I'm a great Seinfeld fan. But who wants to see Bill Gates nerdily shake his suburban rear end? I don't mind ... http://www.design4brand.com/blog/corporate-identity/microsoft-brand-campaign-misses-the-mark.php Some colleagues and I were discussing the branding of the Green Works cleaning products when I was in New York last week. As you may know, Green Works is the eco-friendly brand by Clorox. The question was whether Clorox was literally too harsh of a master brand for a group ... http://www.design4brand.com/blog/uncategorized/sometimes-a-parent-brand-needs-to-play-second-fiddle.php Taking green energy products and technologies to market has a unique set of challenges. Many companies have an unrealistic expectation of market penetration (build it and they will come). Yesterday I attended a symposium on entrepreneurial opportunities in the green market, sponsored by the Oregon Entrepreneurs Network. It was time well ... http://www.design4brand.com/blog/product-management/green-energy-solutions-face-challenging-market-dynamics.php Notice how many brands are promoting "green?" That can be good news for consumers, and hopefully the planet. But it could be bad news for you if you want to bring a green product to market. The market is so inundated with organic, local and sustainable products that consumers are beginning to ... http://www.design4brand.com/blog/product-management/are-your-customers-lost-in-a-green-fog.php When the new WalMart logo appeared a few weeks ago, many of us speculated as to its intended meaning. What was that starburst all about? My belief is that it has to do with repositioning the WalMart brand against competitors such as Target, who allow WalMart to hold the low-end ... http://www.design4brand.com/blog/corporate-identity/rollout-of-new-walmart-brand-all-backwards.php     An international brand always has to determine how to capture the hearts and minds of customers in local markets while maintaining its corporate identity. I think the folks at Coca-Cola have done a marvelous job of doing just that with their sponsorship of the Olympic Games in Beijing. They've always ... http://www.design4brand.com/blog/corporate-identity/coke-uses-social-media-to-balance-global-and-local-branding.php Every brand needs to do four jobs for its customers: functional (what the products do); emotional (how I feel when I use the products); economic (do I feel this is a good use of my dollars); and social (help me feel connected and socially responsible). The social value of brands has ... http://www.design4brand.com/blog/corporate-identity/brands-benefit-from-promotion-of-social-values.php