Posted by: Paul.Christ
on Nov 10, 2009
Maclaren's Stroller Recall: A Stumbling Response Online (Time)
When managing marketing decisions there is always the risk that something unforeseen can damage the reputation a company has spent years building. Here is story where that may just be the case. Maclaren is a well-known manufacturer of baby strollers that is well regarded for producing quality products. But the company faces a very large recall of its strollers (over 1 million) because of serious injuries that have occurred to young children.
But to add to their problems Maclaren has had difficulty handling the recall and especially with their ability to handle requests made to their website. Several consultants say the fact they are in the children's market makes things even more difficult.
"Anything relative to child safety tends to be off-the-charts viral," says Pete Blackshaw, a brand consultant for Nielsen Online. According to Blackshaw's data, new mothers are three times more likely than others to use social media and start blogs.
As of Monday afternoon, a Twitter account called @MacLarenStrolle was linking to Web pages that don't exist. Another, @maclarenbabyUK, posts links to new Maclaren products, but there were no posts addressing the recall.
What will Maclaren need to do to regain customer’s trust and how will this likely play with retailers handling their products?
Posted by: Paul.Christ
on Oct 28, 2009
The Keys to Brand Success (Millward Brown)
For the last few years the guys at Millward Brown have been producing insightful marketing content and this story (in PDF format) continues the good work. It covers the factors that set brands apart and hopefully make them distinctive such as the brand name, logo, packaging design, etc. But not only does the story cover the factors important to branding, it also looks at the psychology behind these factors and how these affect customer decision making.
In reality, the process of unlocking brand associations is more complex than simply matching up brands with words, shapes, or colors. In many cases it is not the individual elements of a brand’s presentation that are important, but the way these work together.
Do major Internet companies that offer online services, such as Google and Facebook, need to focus on branding issues in the same way that consumer products companies, such as Procter & Gamble and General Mills, look at branding?
Posted by: Paul.Christ
on Oct 13, 2009
Brands Seek Fans on Facebook (BrandWeek)
Facebook continues to draw interest from marketers, though some seem more interested than others in using it for promotional purposes. As discussed in this story, several major brands have jumped in with both feet while others seem to only be dipping their toe lightly into the sea of social network marketing.
Brands are finding themselves in a position similar to that of the new kids at summer camp: they're anxiously looking for friends. In the world of social media, the potency of a person's network has always been key. Now, this virtual popularity contest has been joined by advertisers, who are scrambling to build fan bases they hope to mobilize on behalf of their brands.
Are companies the story identifies under “Missed Opportunity” really as bad off in their Facebook presences as the story suggests?