我好奇故我在

Brand = Expectation + Experience

自從有次跟前老闆EVE聊天，發現這個品牌定義很好：消費者對品牌會有期望(可能是來自同業的比較，能是來自廣告主的自我宣傳)，再加上實際體驗(包括親身求證、使用，或是別人意見)。

今天意外發現42 Entertainment公司，主要操刀創意者，不是傳統廣告代理商出身，而是待過Disney，深深瞭解觀眾經驗(audience experiences)的重要性。

也又發現Disney Institute (迪士尼學院)，有針對商務人士推出品牌課程，可以一邊度假一邊學習，其中一個上課大綱就是:
Distinguishing brand vs. branding (區隔 品牌 vs. 作品牌)
    * Examining the brand: customer perceptions and experiences
    * Revealing the truth: the brand as customer stories
    * Establishing activities and tactics for effective branding
    * Avoiding negative influences on your brand

回味一下2001 Disney老廣告吧
以下摘要Disney 成功經營品牌因素： ...繼續閱讀

我是因為看不懂這廣告，所以去找了資料，才了悟。
(source: got milk? case histories)

WOW，"got milk?"這個campaign從1993年至今，都是同一家Agency Goodby, Silverstein and Partners (GS&P)作的。廣告主加州乳品加工協會(California Milk Processor Board)。在當時大家都知道牛奶很營養，可是對牛奶的認知就是平淡無聊的飲料，所以銷售量下滑。

One rule of thumb in fast-moving packaged goods is that it's easier to get current customers to consume more than it is to convert new users. Based on this logic, Manning and Goodby quickly agreed that their best hope of reviving sales was to prod this 70% to increase their consumption.
對於變化快速的飲料市場，與其開拓新客源，不如鼓勵既有的消費者增加消費量。當時，有70%的人宣稱自己有喝牛奶，因此TA決定對這群人說話。

Goodby's team fielded qualitative research and learned that many consumers indeed linked milk with sweet, sticky snacks. Pushing further, the researchers flipped around the question: how do people feel when they're eating something that demanded milk to wash it down, but don't have milk in the house? Focus group respondents placed in this situation were upset, they felt deprived. They were able to convey viscerally the feeling of having a brownie or cookie remnants stuck in their throat, calling out for a gulp of milk to cleanse the palette.
根據當時Goodby的質化市調，很多的消費者都會將牛奶跟甜食、或黏的點心一起使用。最後，研究員反問一個問題：當人們吃東西需要牛奶沖下去肚裡時，但是家裡沒有牛奶的時候，人們會覺得怎樣？FGD訪談的消費者回答他們會感到很沮喪。他們可以十分傳神的描述當食物卡在喉嚨裡的感覺，需要喝牛奶來清理味蕾。

Manning 's research showed that 88% of milk was consumed in the home. He and Goodby agreed that their milk deprivation ads would incorporate this reality.
另外，根據調查有88%是在家裡喝牛奶的。

Goodby and his team used this consumer insight as the spark for what came to be called the deprivation strategy: rather than selling milk as a complement to certain foods, instead the strategy became to remind milk drinkers of the anxiety and disappointment that came when milk wasn't available at crucial moments. Working to distill this milk-deprived emotional state into a phrase that everyone might instantly understand, Goodby coined the campaign's well-known grammatically-challenged tagline, "got milk?"
因此，策略走向為：提醒消費者沒有牛奶時，會產生的焦慮跟失望。

The first, Aaron Burr, became one of the most popular ads of the early Nineties. Burr featured an odd and seemingly irrelevant situation for milk deprivation: an iconoclastic history nut who fails to win a prize on a call-in radio show on history trivia because his mouth is glued shut with a peanut butter sandwich.
第一支在1993年很受歡迎的廣告Aaron Burr。一位歷史學家在一個看似不相關的情況下，接到廣播call-in有獎徵答電話，但是他的嘴因為充滿花生三明治，所以他沒有辦法回答清楚。利用這樣情景呈現缺乏牛奶的困境。
PS：這一支背景是講美國歷史上，兩位有名政治人物Alexander Hamilton和Aaron Burr 的死亡決鬥，最後前者槍亡。

美國汽車產業哀嚎遍地，隨著最大的GM通用汽車，以及Chrysler相繼宣告破產，更是令人膽戰心驚。那誰是老大呢？Ford現在是製造商的第一名，第二名是Toyota，第三名是Nissan。

因此有blog來檢視Ford的品牌策略，讀來有趣，分享如下：
(source: http://www.brandingstrategyinsider.com/2009/05/fords-fruitful-brand-strategy.html#more)

講一下背景，現在的CEO是波音出身的Alan Mulally，我那時在business week有看過他的專訪，他說汽車跟飛機一樣，都是講要省油(其他的我忘記了><)，就是說他覺得這兩種交通工具有很多共同點，所以他的管理經驗可以移植過來管汽車。

Ford chief executive Alan Mulally is famous for one of the first decisions he made after joining the automotive company in 2006. Barely three months into his tenure, Mulally borrowed big, using his company as collateral. At the time, the decision raised eyebrows, but it is now widely regarded as a masterstroke. The $26bn he raised, when financing was still cheap and available, has enabled Ford to avoid bankruptcy or the need to seek government handouts. It has also led to a growing recognition that, compared with ailing rivals Chrysler and General Motors, Ford is in much better financial shape for the long haul.
他一上任不到三個月，就跟銀行借大筆錢260億美元($26bn)，當時很多人都存疑，但是現在大家認為他很有遠見作的好，因為那時候的融資環境比較好。所以也就避免掉其倒閉或是要跟政府要錢的命運。

Mulally certainly deserves credit for his savvy financial decision-making, but it is his brand strategy that is at the heart of Ford's positive outlook. Ford is a salutary example of one of the hardest lessons of brand management - one that I continue to struggle to get through to MBAs and executives. It is not about creating brands any more, it's about culling them. While this is not a difficult lesson to explain, to accept that you should kill off some, perhaps most, of your brands to help your company grow is a counterintuitive step many marketers simply cannot contemplate.
雖然他的財務決策很好，但是Ford之所有會有很好的展望是因為它的品牌策略。重要的不是創造一堆品牌，而是剔選出好的。也就是說你可能需要殺掉一些品牌以保持公司的存活。

Yet Ford illustrates the perils of pluralism and the potential salvation that comes from reducing the brand portfolio. Once upon a time, when cars were still a relatively new invention, Ford enjoyed that most focused and parsimonious of brand architectures - a branded house. However, acquisition and expansion ensured that, like most companies, Ford grew this portfolio and gradually lost its focus. One of Mulally's first decisions at Ford was to sell off many of these additional brands - Land Rover, Jaguar and Aston Martin have all been divested, and Volvo is now up for sale, too. They are all fine brands, but not part of Mulally's vision for Ford, and were, therefore, a dangerous distraction from the core business.
曾經一度，Ford透過併購或擴張也是有很多品牌，但是也失焦了。因此CEO Alan Mulally決定賣掉一些額外品牌，譬如Land Rover, Jaguar, Aston Martin，和Volvo。因為這樣的決定，使得福特專注於核心生意，也只有維持一個Ford品牌。

Mulally was not finished there, though. When he arrived, Ford was manufacturing 97 distinct models. Using the same focused approach, Mulally has whittled that down to 40.
而且不止這樣，還將福特原有97車型減為40種。

Fewer models means better economies of scale and significantly improved profitability, as well as enabling better marketing support for the remaining products and a more coherent segmentation, targeting and positioning approach.
比較少的車款代表可以有較好的經濟規模以及獲利，並且行銷支援也會夠。

(source:http://www.brandingstrategyinsider.com/2009/05/keys-to-designing-a-name.html#more)

Q: Are there styles or patterns of logos that are more popular today? Or that have fallen out of favor?

今日哪種logo設計比較受歡迎？或是已經失去光環？

Yes, avatars and unique graphic symbols that can be brought to life on the Internet are not a fad but a growing trend. Logos are evolving from being representative of the product or company into personalities that can be marketed through merchandising and media efforts. We are recommending logos with brighter color palettes because of the Internet and other alternative media communications.

有的，avatar和獨特的圖形圖案，特別是可以在網路上很生動的使用，這將是一個趨勢。LOGO將會從代表產品或是公司，演化成個性化，而可以透過商品化或是媒體來作行銷。因為網路與其他媒體的關係，我們會建議LOGO要用明亮色彩。

Another popular trend for older products is to borrow retro looks from their past. Many older product identities can be made new and relevant for today’s consumers.

另一個潮流是走復古風。將以前古老的產品識別重新包裝，使之與今日消費者產生關連。

Q: Has the universality of the Internet changed the way you create designs?

...Multi-dimensional and animation capabilities go far beyond what the printing press can produce. Print medium will be here for a long time but it’s no longer the lead delivery vehicle of branding. Communicating through the Internet and other new media are what new designers are being trained for.

網路上的多維度與動畫能力，遠超過平面媒體的能力。

 

 

中國奢華品牌
China Luxury        
By Design: Luxury Brands in China
by Laura Fitch
May 18, 2009 issue

這一篇挺有趣的!

Luxury goods consumers in China rank third in the world behind the Americans and Japanese, spending an average of US$ 6.5 billion a year. While the financial crisis has convinced many in the US and Japan that they can do without that Fendi bag, similar decreases in consumption of luxury goods in China have yet to appear.
中國精品消費者於世界排名第三，僅次於美國與日本，每年平均消費65億美元。當金融危機使得美日許多消費者覺得沒有Fendi包包也可以過活，而在中國的精品消費現在才開始出現相似的消退。

Market research by Euromonitor shows 80 million Chinese migrating into the middle class bracket as of January 2007. By 2020, that number is expected to hit 700 million. White-collar urban residents earn upwards of US$ 12,500 a year. Though low by American standards, this income level in Mainland China means an employee can scrimp and save enough for a Gucci wallet, a Prada belt or a pair of Jimmy Choos.
根 據Euromonitor的市場研究有八千萬中國消費者在2007年一月晉身至中產階級。在2020，預計數字會達到七億。白領都會者一年賺超過美金 12,500。雖然對於美國的標準而言是低，在大陸的收入水平來說意味著一個員工為了一個Gucci包包、一個Prada腰帶，或一雙Jimmy Choo鞋子，需要相當地節省開支。 ...繼續閱讀

Polaroid
touched up
by Barry Silverstein
May 4, 2009 issue

http://www.brandchannel.com/features_profile.asp?pr_id=437

Truly iconic global brands are those that embed themselves in popular culture. They are the brands that become part of our language, such as “Please FedEx that package” or “I need a Xerox of this page”—phrases, by the way, that give trademark attorneys fits because they turn valuable brand names into generic throwaways. The maker of Aspirin, a medicine trademarked in 1899, could do little to protect its trade name once it became a widely accepted generic term.
真正具有代表性的全球品牌是已經跟流行文化緊密結合一起。這些品牌都已經成為我們(英文)語言的一部份，像是請FedEx這個包裹，或是我需要Xerox這一頁──順便一提，這個情況帶給專利商標律師苦惱，因為他們將有價值的品牌名字轉成日常可隨時使用的用語。

One of those iconic brands is Polaroid. Inextricably linked with instant photography, “a Polaroid” can be thought of as both instant camera and instant film. The Polaroid brand was born in 1948 and quickly became a symbol of a generation that craved instant gratification. They got it with Polaroid, first through a photo that emerged from a secretive sandwich that needed to be pulled apart and waved (almost like a magic wand) until the photo mysteriously appeared. Later, with product improvements, the photo simply emerged from the camera and began developing right before the consumer’s eyes.
其中一個代表性的品牌是Polaroid(寶麗 萊)。寶麗萊緊密地與即時顯影相連，被認為是立即的照相機以及底片。寶麗萊品牌誕生於1948，並且很快的成為想要立即滿足一代的象徵。他們拿著寶麗萊得 到立即滿足，從一個看起來像很秘密的有多層物，吐出一張照片，需要用手拉出來並且揮一揮(就好像揮魔術棒)，直到這張照片神秘地出現影像。之後隨著產品的 改良，這個照片可以從相機中直接出現，並且在消費者眼前顯影。 ...繼續閱讀

Made in Japan: The Culture Behind the Brand
日本製造：品牌背後的文化

by Chauncey Zalkin
April 13, 2009 issue

(http://www.brandchannel.com/start1.asp?fa_id=473#author )

我大概主要意思都翻譯出來了，這篇文章寫的不錯。

Historically, in a simpler time before the jet age, Japan was geographically isolated, surrounded by treacherous seas and formidable fault lines. Mountains cover three-quarters of Japan. Earthquakes and challenging terrain are constant reminders of nature’s strength and have contributed to the importance Japanese people place on having a dependable, manageable social system. Japanese people value the group over the individual, and the society consequently possesses an enviable system of organization and an ethos that gave rise to innovative brands and services. The branding world has taken notice.

歷史上而言，在有噴射機時代之前，日本是一個孤立的島國，被海與斷層包圍，超過四分之三是山。地震與高原等自然的力量提醒了日本人一個獨立運作社會機制的重要性。日本人重視團體大於個體，而因此社會享有令人羨慕的組織系統以及民族特質，這些推動了創新的品牌與服務。

Lesson 1: Consideration of the Group
Kuuki wo yomu means to “read the air”—to get a sense or feeling of group sentiment. In a recent social experiment, Japanese and Western participants were shown a picture where an individual stood in front of a group and were asked to describe the situation. The Japanese test takers “read the air,” meaning they considered the facial expressions of the group behind the individual, whereas westerners focused solely on the expression of the individual to make their assessment.

第一課：考慮團體

Kuuki wo yomu意思是「閱讀氛圍」，即感受出團體的意見態度。在一個最近的社會實驗，日本與西方的受測者觀看一張一個人站在一群人前面的圖，並要求描述其情況。日本受測者描述為「閱讀氛圍」，意思就是他們考慮個人集體所形成的團體的臉部表情，然而西方受測者只注意到個別的表情。 ...繼續閱讀

Can Brand Loyalty Be Bought?

可以買到品牌忠誠度嗎？

這篇文章如果五顆星，我大概只會打一顆。不過，既然我已經翻了，就貼出來。

原文網址 http://www.brandchannel.com/start1.asp?fa_id=475#author
by Barry Silverstein
April 27, 2009 issue

The classic brand loyalty program offers a combination of rewards and recognition. The bottom-line objective of the program, however, is retention—to ensure that a customer continues to purchase a product or service and remains loyal to that particular brand. First airlines, and then hotels, used loyalty programs to offer incentives to frequent travelers, but today brand loyalty programs are just as common in financial services and retail.

典型的品牌忠誠度計畫常是獎勵與表彰的結合。然而，最底線的目標就是保留住客戶，確保顧客持續購買產品或服務，並且維繫對某個特定品牌的忠誠。首先是航空公司，後來是旅館，都使用顧客忠誠計畫提供給經常旅行者誘因，而今日的品牌忠誠計畫在金融服務跟零售業裡非常普遍。

One of the fastest-growing brand loyalty markets is financial services. Credit card companies in particular have adopted the rewards model with increasing frequency. In some cases a credit card will be linked with a specific airline; in other cases, the credit card rewards its “members” with miles that can be used on any airline. Some credit cards also offer merchandise, cash back or other incentives that build up with credit card use. Some even promise customers they can get preferred seating at events or restaurants.

品牌忠誠計畫市場，其中之一成長最快的就是金 融服務業。尤其是信用卡公司愈加頻繁地採用酬賓模式。在有些例子裡，一張信用卡與某特定航空公司作結合，在其他例子裡，信用卡用「可適用於任何航空公司的 哩程數」獎勵其會員。有些信用卡提供商品、現金回饋或是其他誘因來促使消費者使用信用卡。有些甚至承諾客戶他們可以在某些活動或餐廳得到想要的座位。 ...繼續閱讀