Re: UKNM: The truth about Santa Claus?

[Lois Grayson]

Well I think that's just about wrapped it up re Coke and Father Christmas

hasn't it?


Sam you wondered about what it's done for UKNM - I think it's done a lot.


We're all striving to establish our own space in a seemingly limitless new

environment. Whether we're offering a category creating new product/service

or a me-too no.2 in an embryonic category, we need to brand WELL to get

enough momentum going to survive (accepting of course that the offering

deserves to survive). That means understanding what it's all about - the

psychology, the importance of cultural context, the heuristics (I love that

word), the mechanics of brand evolution, the nuances created by variations

of language and colour, the emotional as well as rational propositions. The

Coke/FC case study is a classic from all these perspectives and I could

deconstruct it (drunk in a pub of course) for hours and keep myself (albeit

no-one else) amused.


(Yes there are other ways to keep yourself amused for hours but that truly

is off topic)


Using the list to look into stuff like that might inspire us to dedicate

sufficient time and resources to do the branding bit properly before we get

carried away with the marcomms - and hence achieve something that'll still

be around years later and still be as significant as the Coke brand

undeniably is. In the understandable rush to market it's an easy trap to

fall into to make do with a snowflake brand 'just to get started '. It's

also ultimately a waste of time and money. Immutability is a fine

destination. You don't get there in 5 minutes by Tube.


Lois


PS Oh and has the person who thought the NMA article confused brand and

image ever heard of the phrase brand image?



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