Top 10 Brands

The latest annual Interbrand report on the Best Global Brands says that ideas like trust, loyalty, familiarity and innovation matter more -- not less -- in an economic brown-out.

Here are the Top 10 brands according to Interbrand:

1.Coca-Cola
2. IBM
3. Microsoft
4. GE
5. Nokia
6. McDonald's
7. Google
8. Toyota
9. Intel
10. Disney

It is better to build your brand than to tear down others'

I thought this was a meaningful quote in a BrandChannel.com article about comparative advertising.

"Tearing down other brands is not brand building. When a brand begins to define itself by its competition, it loses some control, and can easily suffer the consequences when that competitor brand updates, improves or proves it false."

Comparative advertising definition: An advertisement in which there is specific mention or presentation of competing brand(s) and a comparison is made or implied.

Please welcome and patronize my new affiliates

Sony unwittingly teaches us a lesson about branding

There is an article at BrandChannel.com entitled, "Will Sony's Brand Revival Salvage Its Reputation?" that discusses Sony's tarnished reputation and diminished brand equity. The company has experienced some hiccups and problems while its competitors have come on strong. Amazingly, the article quotes senior executives at Sony stating that they are ready to "reinvent [Sony's] marketing" and that "[Sony] cannot just rely on the brand to sell products."

I find that statement amazing.

Great brands are not built on great marketing. Any brand equity built upon mere marketing will fade quickly. Great brands are built on real benefits delivered to customers.

Consumers want superior products and services and prefer brands that evolve and continue to keep promises...and consumers want those promises to be meaningful to them. In a day and age where just about every product category is crammed full of competitors who are pushing all products into a fast slide toward commoditization, it is more important than ever to build your brand on very real differences that matter to consumers over the long term. Sure, people might buy your product once but once they've experienced it that product had better live up to their expectations of the brand if you are hoping they are willing to pay a premium for it and make a repurchase decision.

Marketing is not going to solve Sony's problem. And what about this "can't rely on the brand to sell products?" Excuse me, the brand IS the problem in this case and if you cannot rely on your brand to sell product then why not just take your name off of it and OEM the product for somebody else?

Once a brand stops delivering on its promises then it will go into decline. If you promise leadership (however you define it) then lead. If you promise innovation then be truly innovative. If you promise quality then you darn sure better have higher quality than everyone else in your category.

Once people have set expectations about your brand you cannot relax. You must go about understanding what those expectations are and then deliver on them every single time. Falling short on customer expectations and then just tweaking your marketing isn't going to fix anything unless your new marketing goal is to lower those expectations. And if this is where Sony's is heading then they are further devaluing their brand and accelerating its demise.

New FTC social media endorsement law kicks in on Dec. 1, 2009

Starting on Dec. 1, 2009 all those who are paid to blog or promote a product or who receive products or other considerations for their testimonials or endorsements must clearly disclose the relationship. If you blog, are involved in social media or write reviews or recommendations you need to familiarize yourself with the new law.

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More info. at ftc.gov or read the actual guide.

Is Social Media a Fad?

Social Media has changed the way your customers communicate, shop and do business.

Will you meet them where they are, or leave it to your competitors to build brand loyalty with one-to-one relationships?


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And from The Onion, Pepsi to stop advertising: "You can't taste an ad, anyway"

Pepsi To Cease Advertising
'We Know It's Good, And That's Enough' Says CEO

September 28, 2009 | Issue 45•40

John Tantillo To Kick Off Brand For Breakfast On November 18

John Tantillo, nationally known marketing and branding expert and Fox Forum columnist, has announced the first event in his Brand For Breakfast series for small business owners and professionals. According to Tantillo, the aim of the breakfasts is to show non-marketers the necessity of marketing their brands and their businesses and to equip them with the tools to make immediate and lasting changes to their operations.

“'Brand for Breakfast' is a way for me to share with a smart, engaged and select audience marketing as marketing is meant to be —not gimmickry, but something founded on the reality of your business that will build your business if you learn and follow its rules,” Tantillo said.

Tantillo, known as The Marketing Doctor, holds a PhD in research psychology and is credited with coining the term “The O’Reilly Factor,” used as the title for the Fox commentator’s show. Tantillo is regularly called on by the media to apply his experience in psychology and marketing to everything from politics to celebrity brands. He has a reputation for identifying early trends and shifts in the political, cultural and corporate marketplace. Tantillo was one of the first commentators to draw attention to the recent trend of creating an advertisement for the sake of generating controversial coverage and ensuring many more impressions than a typical media buy. He named the phenomenon “adpublitizing,” since it harnesses traditional advertising to publicity.

For Tantillo, the Brand for Breakfast series is the next chapter in something of a personal crusade to rescue marketing from what he sees as its chronic mis-representation.

The Brand for Breakfast event will be held between 8am and 10am at Etcetera Etcetera, 352 West 44 Street, New York, New York on November 18, 2009.

Register online at http://blog.marketingdoctor.tv

The cost of the seminar is $75 and may be paid to the Marketing Department of America Ltd. through PayPal when registering online.

For any questions, contact Rolf Graber: 212-679-5700, rgraeber[at]mdaltd.com

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Does the hard sell work on social networks?

According to Brian Morrissey at Brandweek I think the answer might just surprise you.