You might want to turn the volume down when you play this clip!
Thursday 18 October 2007
Wednesday 19 September 2007
"Brands should add value"... yeah yeah... but what is value?
I was forced to crawl out of bed early today to hear a lecture by our college head, Gordon Cook, and while grumpy, there were a few interesting things I managed to pick up.
First of all, brands should not just be found in the marketing department - without brands a business could not run. They should be the centre of the business, the so-called "organising principle." And this is a problem in thinking that I have come across with my college mates - they see campaigns in terms of only advertising and I can't wrap my head around the fact that if you find a problem, instead of fixing it with whatever means would do the job best, you have to come up with some message about it instead which doesn't actually solve the problem...
Second, he gave a marvelous example. If you have a friend that lies or, at least, over-emphasises the truth and tells grandiose stories, what are your feelings towards them? There's no trust and you get irritated don't you? Now, what about a friend who's honest, who acknowledges the truth and is somewhat modest? A genuine and authentic person? He's more than likely to be a good friend or yours, isn't he? So then why are there so few authentic brands? Why do we include "puffery" in advertising?
This idea was also brought up last night when I was chatting to Trevor Mitchell from CapsuleCreative (and a big shout out to him for all his help and innovative ideas!) and he said that he sees a brand as a person and when you're doing work for it, it helps to think in terms of this person; would he really do this? Would he visit this venue? Would he wear this? etc etc.
Thirdly, our head said brands need to create and add value - this is the purpose of business and brands. And to do this, he thought that we needed to change the way we see branding... every brand should have an embedded social value (not just an added-on CSI component that is done with completely the wrong motives, i.e. more sales); "brands do more talking to people than religions do... than politicians do..." and impact both society and human behaviour. He argued could they not then be used to make real progress, to unlock human potential, to make us better people, to really add value? I'd like to think so but then I'm just an idealistic student...
First of all, brands should not just be found in the marketing department - without brands a business could not run. They should be the centre of the business, the so-called "organising principle." And this is a problem in thinking that I have come across with my college mates - they see campaigns in terms of only advertising and I can't wrap my head around the fact that if you find a problem, instead of fixing it with whatever means would do the job best, you have to come up with some message about it instead which doesn't actually solve the problem...
Second, he gave a marvelous example. If you have a friend that lies or, at least, over-emphasises the truth and tells grandiose stories, what are your feelings towards them? There's no trust and you get irritated don't you? Now, what about a friend who's honest, who acknowledges the truth and is somewhat modest? A genuine and authentic person? He's more than likely to be a good friend or yours, isn't he? So then why are there so few authentic brands? Why do we include "puffery" in advertising?
This idea was also brought up last night when I was chatting to Trevor Mitchell from CapsuleCreative (and a big shout out to him for all his help and innovative ideas!) and he said that he sees a brand as a person and when you're doing work for it, it helps to think in terms of this person; would he really do this? Would he visit this venue? Would he wear this? etc etc.
Thirdly, our head said brands need to create and add value - this is the purpose of business and brands. And to do this, he thought that we needed to change the way we see branding... every brand should have an embedded social value (not just an added-on CSI component that is done with completely the wrong motives, i.e. more sales); "brands do more talking to people than religions do... than politicians do..." and impact both society and human behaviour. He argued could they not then be used to make real progress, to unlock human potential, to make us better people, to really add value? I'd like to think so but then I'm just an idealistic student...
Tuesday 11 September 2007
Chatting to Joshin from iKineo
In my pursuit to understand people's perceptions and Levi's Pocket Blue Festivals, I chatted to Joshin Raghubar from iKineo - the project managers for the festival - and he had a few interesting things to say...
Firstly, the target market was the creative community because they were interested in the content, loved mulitmedia applications to play with and more importantly because of their vast social networks - these guys are the igniters.
Secondly,apparently the project was to illustrate the new Nokia phone but didn't really have a commercial objective and it sounds like Levi's just contributed merchandise and cash and yet got a lot of mileage out of the project - it was named the Levi's Pocket Blue Festival and the designers had to use the jeans in their videos.
Thirdly, his perception of the brand essence of Levi's was "hard working and stylish" - quite different from "Original" (what they were trying to achieve). Just shows you that the brand essence is really up to the consumer - Levi's can only try create it through their efforts but don't have control (I think this is why everyone punts "single mindedness").
I just find it so interesting how people see the same thing in different ways... it's all about interpretation and the individual's experience I suppose...
Firstly, the target market was the creative community because they were interested in the content, loved mulitmedia applications to play with and more importantly because of their vast social networks - these guys are the igniters.
Secondly,apparently the project was to illustrate the new Nokia phone but didn't really have a commercial objective and it sounds like Levi's just contributed merchandise and cash and yet got a lot of mileage out of the project - it was named the Levi's Pocket Blue Festival and the designers had to use the jeans in their videos.
Thirdly, his perception of the brand essence of Levi's was "hard working and stylish" - quite different from "Original" (what they were trying to achieve). Just shows you that the brand essence is really up to the consumer - Levi's can only try create it through their efforts but don't have control (I think this is why everyone punts "single mindedness").
I just find it so interesting how people see the same thing in different ways... it's all about interpretation and the individual's experience I suppose...
Check out the films (which are downloadable - gotta love that "democratising film" concept) at http://www.pocketbluefilms.com/
Thursday 30 August 2007
A chat with the brand manager of Peroni at SABMiller...
A while back I chatted to Lee-Ann Botha, the brand manager of Peroni at SABMiller, for a varsity project and I gained some rather interesting learnings:
- A brand is something which a consumer can relate to and which stands for something in their hearts and in their minds; they are like people – you either want to be associated with them or you don’t.
- Branding is so important – one could say that consumers buy the brand, not the product; they buy what the brand says about themselves and they justify this through product attributes – the reason behind the reason is that they are badging themselves. A big part of branding is telling others about yourself – it’s a way to say “this is me: this is who I am”. There is a message to it.
- The most important marketing principles are to be single-minded, relevant, differentiated and credible (in other words, deliver on your promise).
- One needs to know how to connect to consumers; if one connects with the consumer, one has them hooked for life. One connects by really knowing the consumer and what they are really buying in to.
- You want people to either love the brand or hate it – because it means that they have some feeling toward it and that it means something to them.
- The best chemist can invent the best drug in the world, but without marketing, he will sell nothing. But the worst chemist, with good marketing, will sell everything (or at least more).
Wednesday 29 August 2007
Levi Strauss: something unexpected
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Now, I've always thought that Levi's was an expensive brand that all the preppy people would wear and was the icon of consumer culture. However, in my research for my thesis and my job as a "cultural observer" at Instant Grass, I discovered a whole new side of Levi's. Check out the following sites and see for yourself...
www.lvc4u.co.za/
www.pocketbluefilms.com/ http://www.oppikoppi.co.za/blogs/oppikoppi/pages/levi-s-174-is-proud-to-sponsor-printslam.aspx http://www.myspace.com/levisyoungguns
http://www.theloop.co.za/
Intrigued by these efforts and seeing the brand in a whole new light, I called up Mike Leslie from Levi Strauss South Africa and had a brief chat to him...
Apparently, one of the reasons Levi's supports music is because it's a "Lifestyle Amplifier". Although the trends in music may change and there are many genres that appeal to different people, music will always be important to the individual. Also, music and the music scene reflect the brand essence of Levi's, namely, originality with the extended values of a youthful spirit, freedom of expression, courage and rebelliousness.
It came out that Levi's realised that in order to make an impact and to resonate, they had to take a holistic approach and thus was born Levi's Original Music. It's about getting involved in the music industry and supporting up and coming talent with a focus on the night of the performance and the experience. These normally occur at intimate venues with the effort ultimately aimed at the audience. However, Leslie said that the loyalty of the artists is crucial; relationships are the most important things and at Levi's, they view their artists as their friends. By building those relationships, he says, it enables you to do and achieve things that you couldn't do otherwise and to do it with credibility.
When asked what he would like people to take away from the campaign's promotional efforts, he said that, obviously, the Levi's brand, which you can't communicate through an ad or TV, but more important than this, is the interaction which must add value. It's something that's "real to you." He said that there are essentially two goals to all their efforts: first is the brand and second is contributing to building a sustainable music industry which resonates with the audience. He says that they "don't want to be a logo on a poster" but rather to add real value. He says that this is more of a task but creates real meaning.
Looking at Pocket Blue Films and why this was a Levi's initiative, it became clear that it was a means of translating originality, realness and giving a true "sense of value" into actuality. The way it came about was when Trevor Mitchell from CapsuleCreative approached Levi's with the concept of "democratising film". Levi Strauss took it from there and involved top fashion designers and young film makers. Apparently, this will be happening again towards the end of this year (look at for it!).
They're also doing something called "pop up retail"; this is essentially a mobile store and is evident at lvc4u.co.za. Apparently all they did was hand out business cards and you had to go on to the website to get the address of this Levi's vintage clothing store (which was an apartment turned into a store).
Another initiative they're looking at (and what seems quite interesting) is a music web magazine found at www.levi.co.za/musicmag which features local music content, gigs, and the profiles of young artists. It was created by chatting to the youth (through Instant Grass) and the artists.
When asked how they come up with the awesome concepts that they run with, Leslie said that it's because they're really involved in the scene and the ideas pop up naturally and from all over. He said that it's about "living it instead of trying to brand it." Mike Joubert, the Levi's MD at the time, gave his staff not only the freedom but the encouragement to do this.
What I found most interesting about their efforts is that they are enabling people to self-actualise - musicians to play to an audience, filmmakers to shoot their films, print makers to exhibit - and in such a way that they are not a large corporation dolling out the cash but rather are entrenched in the music industry and engage with their audiences on an equal level with the same goal - to disrupt the status quo and support the creative spirit. I am very excited to see what comes out next.
www.lvc4u.co.za/
www.pocketbluefilms.com/ http://www.oppikoppi.co.za/blogs/oppikoppi/pages/levi-s-174-is-proud-to-sponsor-printslam.aspx http://www.myspace.com/levisyoungguns
http://www.theloop.co.za/
Intrigued by these efforts and seeing the brand in a whole new light, I called up Mike Leslie from Levi Strauss South Africa and had a brief chat to him...
Apparently, one of the reasons Levi's supports music is because it's a "Lifestyle Amplifier". Although the trends in music may change and there are many genres that appeal to different people, music will always be important to the individual. Also, music and the music scene reflect the brand essence of Levi's, namely, originality with the extended values of a youthful spirit, freedom of expression, courage and rebelliousness.
It came out that Levi's realised that in order to make an impact and to resonate, they had to take a holistic approach and thus was born Levi's Original Music. It's about getting involved in the music industry and supporting up and coming talent with a focus on the night of the performance and the experience. These normally occur at intimate venues with the effort ultimately aimed at the audience. However, Leslie said that the loyalty of the artists is crucial; relationships are the most important things and at Levi's, they view their artists as their friends. By building those relationships, he says, it enables you to do and achieve things that you couldn't do otherwise and to do it with credibility.
When asked what he would like people to take away from the campaign's promotional efforts, he said that, obviously, the Levi's brand, which you can't communicate through an ad or TV, but more important than this, is the interaction which must add value. It's something that's "real to you." He said that there are essentially two goals to all their efforts: first is the brand and second is contributing to building a sustainable music industry which resonates with the audience. He says that they "don't want to be a logo on a poster" but rather to add real value. He says that this is more of a task but creates real meaning.
Looking at Pocket Blue Films and why this was a Levi's initiative, it became clear that it was a means of translating originality, realness and giving a true "sense of value" into actuality. The way it came about was when Trevor Mitchell from CapsuleCreative approached Levi's with the concept of "democratising film". Levi Strauss took it from there and involved top fashion designers and young film makers. Apparently, this will be happening again towards the end of this year (look at for it!).
They're also doing something called "pop up retail"; this is essentially a mobile store and is evident at lvc4u.co.za. Apparently all they did was hand out business cards and you had to go on to the website to get the address of this Levi's vintage clothing store (which was an apartment turned into a store).
Another initiative they're looking at (and what seems quite interesting) is a music web magazine found at www.levi.co.za/musicmag which features local music content, gigs, and the profiles of young artists. It was created by chatting to the youth (through Instant Grass) and the artists.
When asked how they come up with the awesome concepts that they run with, Leslie said that it's because they're really involved in the scene and the ideas pop up naturally and from all over. He said that it's about "living it instead of trying to brand it." Mike Joubert, the Levi's MD at the time, gave his staff not only the freedom but the encouragement to do this.
What I found most interesting about their efforts is that they are enabling people to self-actualise - musicians to play to an audience, filmmakers to shoot their films, print makers to exhibit - and in such a way that they are not a large corporation dolling out the cash but rather are entrenched in the music industry and engage with their audiences on an equal level with the same goal - to disrupt the status quo and support the creative spirit. I am very excited to see what comes out next.
Wednesday 08 August 2007
Within The Doors Nightclub
"You know the day destroys the nightNight divides the day
Tried to run Tried to hide
Break on through to the other side
Break on through to the other side
Break on through to the other side, yeah
We chased our pleasures here
Dug our treasures there
But can you still recall
The time we cried
Break on through to the other side
Break on through to the other side"
- THE DOORS
This is where The Doors Nightclub in Edenvale got its name; from the band and from the concept that, as you walk through the doors, you could leave your troubles and worry behind and actually just focus on having fun. Walk in and you will be greeted by a neon entrance full of paintings and graffiti, each with their own story, and a crowd of people that have often been mislabeled and misunderstood. And it is this uniqueness that has ensured that it has had such a passionate and loyal following of regulars for the last 17 years of its existence.
I had the pleasure of chatting to Brad (as he likes to be known), co-owner and manager of the club the other day and got some interesting titbits (I'll be short and sweet)...
What came out was that this club meant so much more to the people who frequent it than just another place to get pissed and laid... it had become a part of their lives. Brad said that many people had said to him that they actually wouldn't know what they would have been doing if The Doors wasn't there.
As such people are extraordinarily protective of this club - they regulate the crowd; they invite people like themselves who they think would enjoy the place, they point out to the bouncers those who are causing trouble (and I've seen a crying girl go to one of the burly, but compassionate bouncers and complain about a guy who dived at her). Apparently, Brad has learnt never to judge a book by its cover and takes pride in the fact that if you go to The Doors, you can chat to fifty different people that night and every single one will have a different story and view of the world (Brad being one of them as you will clearly pick up as you chat to him). The people there, on the whole, are free thinkers and genuine.
Management has always seen The Doors as a place where people could come and have a rad time and the club is set up like that... it has many different levels and areas which you can visit depending on what you're looking for. The heart is the dance floor and radiating out from this frantic point, the vibe becomes more chilled and quieter. Things stay similar so people know what to expect - Tuesdays are students' nights with free entrance and a free drink, on Friday 13 people can expect a dress-up party; these are things which Patrick Hanlon, author of Primal Branding, would call "rituals" and are, he writes, a part of what creates very strong brand loyalty.
The Doors has a long history and many stories - it has seen the likes of The Offspring dancing with the crowd and no one bothering them, the guys from Seether helping do the paintings, Live, REM, Metallica... And despite it's long music history, it's the only place I know that collects clothing, canned food, etc., for charity and where people actually go all out to dress up for the themed parties...
It also became clear that these places are a personification of the person behind the scenes and the people who frequent it...
I love it.
Ok... seeing as my thesis is all about the experience and the ability for brands to help people express themselves or to feel a sense of belonging, I'm going to try chat to some people who love The Doors... that'll be coming shortly.
P.S. Just for your own interest's sake read the forum pages on The Doors Nightclub website... there's just a snippet of what i found on there below:
"WOW! I see that there are still a number of narrow minded folk who think that they speak on behalf of everybody who listens to anything non mainstream. I dont go to the doors because of the size of the bouncers, the influx of rave bunnies or kids...i go there because its fun.
The majority of people go there to hang out with their buddies and listen to decent music. Who gives a shit if theres jocks or people wearing Nike T's or whatever? People reckon the jocks cause kuck but i dont know so much, i think its the folks who think they dictate what a rocker is meant to stand for and is allowed/supposed to wear who stir the shit. Not always no, but more than half the time. The thing i like the most about Doors is that the majority of their patrons dont think like some of the people on this forum, Nazi mentality- Pink shirt = Jew, Nike tackies = Jew anything not dressed in black = Jew and must be killed. Get the picture??
I thank fugg that there are stations such as tuks and uj, music doesnt belong to any fan and its no ones call to say who is or isnt allowed to enjoy it. People enjoy what they enjoy for their own reasons. Simple. If you go to the doors to judge other peoples dress code or age or whatever youre clearly there for the waaaaaaaay fuckin wrong reason. PS Ian, the people who supported Man U two Years ago still support Man U. They won the title remember?!!
Rock,Jock and Rave the fuck on!
Fuck man, i swore i would make another speach until the G8 was over."
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