Following last night’s Fellows Dinner with Nicola Horlick, CEO, Bramdean Asset Management our chief executive shares his first thoughts on how marketing can represent itself better to the City.
1. We need to distinguish between the views and attitudes of FD’s generally and “The City”. FD’s may often be responding to what they see as the short term demands of the City, but some people in the City do get the role of marketing and brands, and value it. Martin Deboo at Investec, whose job is to follow the publicly quoted top consumer companies like Unilever and Diageo, went so far as to say that the City is conducting an “irrational love-in with marketing”… Martin’s view may be a bit rosy because of the companies he studies, but I do know that Diageo are particularly good (and unusual) in both measuring and communicating the value and health of their of their brands both internally and to the City. They are a particularly good company for us to follow and hold up as an example of best practice to the rest of the City.
In this post from the World Economic Forum, The Marketing Society’s President Amanda Mackenzie hears the prime minister explaining the UK’s commitment to Europe.
I realise last year I didn’t just wander in to sessions the way I should, so here I am, having just found myself in a room where Gordon Brown is chairing several African presidents and now we are waiting for Cameron to arrive. Should be fun.
And it’s only 11.30. Seen two of the best economists in the world speak, one ex and one current PM, discussed with one of the INSEAD professors how to help teach one of their courses. Oh, and a few journalist encounters to boot. Go Davos!
Joss Davidge, Business Director of brand experience agency BEcause, is always on the look out for marketing ideas that get people talking. This week he looks at two different campaign approaches that try to encourage drivers to slow down.
When campaigning to get people to change their behaviour there is a fine line between encouraging good, whilst condemning the fault. We all know that speeding is dangerous and there have been countless attempts to get people to slow down. This week I came across an interesting idea from the Ukraine that tried to shock speeding drivers by giving them a taste of what could go wrong. In contrast, it made me think of a campaign run by Volkswagen that centred more on rewarding those who obeyed the limit.
Pedestrian Ghost
Apparently Ukraine has the highest rate for pedestrian accidents in Eastern Europe. To show motorists the potential consequences of speeding, JWT Ukraine came up with this interesting concept. A customised manhole cover was placed on a zebra crossing that stretched across an inner city duel carriageway. If a driver exceeded the speed limit a mechanism started to blow up a human shaped balloon that inflated in front of the driver causing him to quickly apply their breaks. The real impact of this campaign followed online. One speeding driver caught the inflating ghost on a dashboard camera and uploaded it to YouTube. It quickly became popular as people questioned what it was. Furthermore it sparked a debate about the consequences of speeding and the fact that the “ghost” could have been a pedestrian.
John Gilbert, business analyst from JGFR,reviewsThe London Olympics Barometer winter report which has found that enthusiasm for the Games may be faltering, possibly due to disappointment with the ticket allocation.
For optimists 2012 has many positives going for it. Recently the Chinese have celebrated the start of their New Year – the Year of the Dragon that in Chinese mythology is the king of all animals and a symbol of power, strength and good luck. The stock market is off to a good start and Christmas holiday trading was not as bad as many predicted.
1959 was the year The Marketing Society was founded and the birth of modern marketing. Today, The Marketing Society is the most influential network of senior marketers dedicated to championing marketing in the UK. Fifty Golden Brands is our exploration of the changing role of brands since our foundation.
The UK’s first jogging craze was in full swing. And with jogging came the perfect companion – the Sony Walkman. It was revolutionary, changing the listening habits of the whole population, who could now live their lives to their very own soundtrack.
The Marketing Society’s President, Amanda MacKenzie is in Davos. Here is her first post with more to follow tomorrow.
Well I went to bed too far into the early hours to be awake again, but here I am knowing that if I don’t blog now for yesterday I will forget all that happened and it will all merge into a blur. And as I often say, no one dies of lack of sleep alone…
I met David Jones and Kate Robertson for breakfast yesterday. David is the global CEO of Havas and Kate runs EuroRSCG in the UK but they are most famous for setting up One Young World, a global initiative to bring young leaders of the world together . It’s an amazing project! David has also just published a book called ‘Who Cares Wins’. He works very closely with David Cameron.
As part of our partnership with Marketing magazine we spark debate amongst senior members of The Marketing Society. On this occasion, as governing body the RFU is taking a fresh approach, focusing on discipline, integrity and teamwork we ask if marketing can restore English rugby’s battered reputation?
No
Tim Ryan
Senior vice-president marketing, global catalogue priorities, EMI
The reputation of English Rugby, like any brand, relies on the product – if that is no good, the best marketing in the world will not make up for its inadequacies.
If the England team starts winning and playing exciting rugby again, the fans will engage, the media will gush again and the brand will strengthen.
Marketing a poor product – a national team or anything else – will serve only to waste time and budget. Sort the product out first.
This week’s Challenger Project by Adam Morgan discusses how well known brand Penhaligon’s are not shying from the longevity of their brand in their repositioning to a new audience.
Penhaligon’s used to be the place where one bought lavender scent for respectable aunts. Now, however they are looking to reposition themselves. I came across this in the back of a cab.
What I like about it is that they have not attempted to shy from the fact they have been around for years. They do, in fact, lean into that sense of age. They just combine it with The Axe/ Lynx Effect to get a bit of fresh grip on our jaded imaginations. Read the rest of this entry »
Global communications director at Jaguar, Ian Armstrong, was cornered by The Marketing Society’ at That’s What I call great marketing and shared his thoughts on what great marketing looks like…
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Our chief exec, Hugh Burkitt shares his thoughts on marketing to the City following our dinner with Nicola Horlick http://t.co/GVq26TQGJanuary 27, 2012 5:10
@amandamack6 Thanks for your blog, really exciting to hear what you are up to in Davos. We are looking forward to reading more soon. #wefJanuary 27, 2012 9:52
@THEMARKETINGSOC MEMBERS: A chance to win tickets to see Unilever's CEO Paul Polman if you complete our #digitalsurvey http://t.co/JmrqDVQdJanuary 26, 2012 7:17
Following last night’s Fellows Dinner with Nicola Horlick, CEO, Bramdean Asset Management our chief executive shares his first thoughts on how marketing can represent itself better to the City.
In this post from the World Economic Forum, The Marketing Society’s President 
