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Forget all that spin about listening to customer complaints: it looks like the real reason Tropicana killed off its rebranding push after only two months is because sales dropped by 20% during that period, while some big competitors posted double-digit gains. We have a feeling Tropicana is going to end up in a lot of business and marketing textbooks in the future. [AdAge] (Thanks to Ross!)
Should an energy drink be allowed to brand itself with the name of an outlawed drug? A state lawmaker in Oklahoma says no, especially not when kids can buy it, and he’s trying to get the drink pulled off of shelves in the state.
Supposedly, Kellogg’s “brand reputation” is in the gutter after canning Phelps over the pot photo, slipping from #9 to #83 in a list of 5,600 companies. We’d believe it more if this “reputation index” chart from Vanno, a brand index company, didn’t look like someone was given PowerPoint and 3 minutes and told to produce some convincing evidence for a press release.
The Wall Street Journal’s “Deal Journal” blog says that the owner of the car dealership that serves as the backdrop to A&E’s “King of Cars” will close his Hummer dealership and begin selling “Smart Cars.”
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NBC and General Mills are planning on launching a “Biggest Loser” line of food this fall. The idea of someone sitting at home watching that show while munching a “Biggest Loser” energy bar is deeply depressing. [Entertainment Marketing Letter]
Companies spend a lot of money on marketing, but ultimately, a brand is what people think it is. Meet Brandtags.net — a site where you can tag brands with one word or phrase that best represents how you feel when you see their logo. It seems that Dell has its work cut out for it–some of the top tags people are using for that brand include:
Muji is a Japanese store that is, um, all the rage in NYC right now, apparently.
Ars Technica reports that “42 percent of adults in the UK feel that their trust in a brand would be greatly reduced by receiving a phishing e-mail claiming to be from that brand, according to an online survey conducted by research firm YouGov.”
Even though the Gap was kind enough to address (er, refute) our reader’s observations about the Gap’s general state of crappiness, we haven’t forgotten that the store isn’t doing so well sales-wise, and it is therefore our sad duty to inform you that same store sales are down 7%.
Faye over at “The Dollar Stretcher” doesn’t wait for desirable coupons to appear in the weekly circular. She writes directly to her favorite brands asking for coupons. The results are surprising.
Since September, I have been sending emails and making toll-free phone calls to manufacturers who make the products we like. The email I send is nearly the same for each company. First, I let them know how much our family likes their product. Then I mention that I am a stay-at-home mom who needs to stick to a budget. Next, I politely ask if they have any coupons available. Finally, I thank them again for such a great product. Here are the results of my little coupon request experiment:
Coke isn’t the only soda in the Coca-Cola corporation’s life. Check out these other brands listed in Coke’s 2003 annual report.
Gross sales of its Barbie line rose 3 percent domestically and worldwide during the quarter.
Reynold’s Wrap is the best thing since sliced bread, according to a new survey.
This Gapingvoid cartoon was inspired by a page on the Oglivy & Mather website, it’s an actual quote.
It’s not only dogs, it turns out brands aren’t people either.
Although we don’t intend to make this a regular feature just yet, we spotted a rash of Consumeristy links over at Digg that we thought we’d pass on.
The oval is the go-to shape for logos looking to vaguely state, “We’re ready to take you in a lazy orbit around our life-giving brand.” In honor of Intel’s new logo, Hurty Elbow has collected a couple dozen logos for you to peruse and confuse into one conflicting jumble of brandiness.
We know the chances of this actually working are slim-to-none, but as burgeoning sneaker junky, we’ve got to mention it. Someone has created an online petition requesting that Nike create the future high-tops worn by Michael J. Fox in Back to the Future II. They look strangely hip these days, and it’s actually possible to affordably recreate the glowing Nike logo from the movie. (The powered lacing might be a little bit more difficult, but it’s probably not unpossible, either.)
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