Why is it that even some of the best brand strategies don’t make it off the page?
All too often, we hear from clients that the execution of their positioning bears very little resemblance to the carefully crafted version in the positioning model.
Having invested precious time and dollars in developing a strategy that’s spot-on for the brand, the most frustrating outcome is when the positioning is brought to life in a way that seems to emphasize a completely different facet of the brand. Read more…
Jerry Clode writes for AdAge Global: Brands in China are looking for more rebellious figures to create aspirational messages for their affluent young white-collar targets. The recent collaboration between Nescafe and popular writer, blogger and social critic Han Han is an interesting example of this dynamic.
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The stats are ugly. According to 2008 statistics, 12 million women in sub-Saharan Africa are HIV positive. And in that year alone, an estimated 1.9 million people contracted the virus. By 2015 15 million children will be orphans. And then there is India. And China.
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In 2002, Microsoft undertook a project to continue to expand its role as a major player in the consumer market by creating, developing and marketing a new software platform. Thus began a 5-year collaborative effort between Cheskin Added Value and Microsoft culminating in the 2007 launch of Microsoft Surface.
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We define your brand character and use it to mobilise your brand.
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Good digestive health. One part complicated science, one part endless embarrassing euphemisms about fiber and keeping your gut healthy. For Yakult, being the pioneer in the burgeoning probiotic yoghurt drink category in Germany was no guarantee for success.
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Over the last five years, sustainability has been growing in awareness on the marketing agenda, and in prosperous times it appeals to the self actualisation tier of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. However, what happens to these ideals and aspirations of a ‘kinder’ way of living in a recession? Two key components to concentrate on for your brand’s survival in these uncertain times are value and brand experience. There will always be a role for ‘pay less promotions’ (‘basic’ range or product bundling) but savvy consumers are also looking for value delivered through a greater emotional involvement and experience. We believe sustainability can deliver on both. For example, E.ON’s “see the energy you use” campaign delivers on both saving consumer’s money and a differentiated sustainable brand experience via their website. To achieve this Holy Grail, brands need to find that elusive “sweet spot” where the brands’ values, value proposition and sustainability strategy overlap.
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Traditionally, market research has been about force-fitting customers into a demographic category that can be easily explained with charts, graphs, and clinical definitions. This approach is not only distant and disrespectful of the true needs of the individual; it is also alienating to designers. Effective brand innovation marries research with the design process. Read more…
The Opportunity
Electrolux has always been about “clean.” They needed a new name and a newer vision that would carry them forward and allow them to expand in the US.
Our Contribution
Cheskin used a variety of approaches to understand the meaning behind cleaning for consumers. Through in-depth customer interviews and ethnographic techniques, as well as interviews with our client’s management, a deeper core concept became clear.
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