Playgroup | Helping brands build genuine brand equity

Is it any wonder that Coke Plus has been a disaster? Until read this article I for one, had never even seen it in the shops.

http://www.marketingweek.co.uk/cgi-bin/item.cgi?id=61881&d=254&h=5&f=3&nl=BN&ln=08060801

As part of the ‘functional drinks’ category, I understand that soft drinks market has had to respond to the health conscious consumer by removing artificial additives and preservatives, but adding vitamins to Coke?  I think most would pick up a smoothie or a juice instead? The rest of the standard Diet Coke ingredients probably counteract the goodness that has been artificially added! 

Another example of a brand trying to pull the wool over the eyes of the consumer - this really isn't a healthy option. Once again the consumer has not fallen for it, with shocking performance as the sales figures show.  I am sure it wont be long before it is removed entirely from the shelves.

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I just watched the new Orange ad which will launch their new positioning ‘I am’

Take a look at the ad here www.youtube.com/watch?v=e1hhN-hy66c

Personally I like it, it is an innovative approach, it is not ramming the brand down the consumers throat , instead it uses an abstract and thoughtful style. 

The message is that you 'are' all the people that you have come into contact with – they make you who you are. I guess Orange are the best network providers to put you in contact with all of these people ;-)

On a practical note, I wonder if the market is ready for this - will they simply think –what’s the point? It doesn’t tell you anything about the produce or service? 

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What do employers want? 

Employees that go the 'extra mile'

What do employees want?

Work and jobs they enjoy and feel are worthwhile, for a company they believe in.

The two go hand in hand, if employees have what they want, then they will deliver above and beyond their requirements i.e. employ their discretionary effort driving towards meeting business objectives more effectively.

To achieve this level of employee engagement, employees want to be satisfied at the psychological level. There is an intangible psychological contract which is the agreement of effort required to meet the expectations of the other party (employer and/or employee). Stimulating this can be more influential than the formal contract in affecting how employees behave from day to day.

To stimulate discretionary effort, employees must understand the bigger picture and how they and their work contribute to the business goals. Communication must be open, and two-way dialogue encouraged to build trust between employer and employee. Recognition and an appreciation culture are also key to delivering psychological satisfaction at work. When implemented successfully, these elements result in employee satisfaction and therefore increased productivity.

An Internal Communications Strategy including a Reward and Recognition Programme are practical applications to achieving employee engagement. The strategy must communicate the bigger picture and business goals, help ingrain a consistent culture in line with the brand values, and encourage appropriate behaviours throughout the business.

Communications need to:

• Grab attention – cut through apathy created by communications overload
• Explain how employees work contributes to business strategy
• Encourage employees to contribute and feed in their opinions upwards
• Inform of, and involve in, organisation activities and change
• Motivate action or behaviour change.

Top level benefits seen by stimulating employee engagement are:

• Improved business results through an alignment of goals between employees and the employer.
• Brand strength – engaged employees will help promote the organisation via positive word of mouth. The organisation will be a place employees want to work and will attract the best talent.
• Through commitment employees will deliver consistent quality output which helps protect the brand.

The root of employee engagement is the satisfaction of employees psychological needs. A strong brand and values that align with those of the staff, along with a culture supported by communications developing trust and appreciation are the first steps to achieving employee engagement.

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It might appear that we have changed; for some people, embracing social networking seems like unnatural behaviour.

Truth is, that human nature hasn’t changed a jot; it’s just that some of us have been more receptive than others to the changing environment around us. Technology has transformed this environment and it allows us to satisfy our basic in built needs more easily.

Referring to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs - after physiological and safety needs, the third level of the human need is for love and belonging. There are all manner of ways that humans can aim to satisfy these needs, but technology has increased the channels that we have access to making it so much easier.  We can join communities, share, build relationships and connect. And the more we get the more we want and so it is escalates....

So why am I writing this blog?  Because I want to participate as a member of the Playgroup community, because I had a thought and wanted to share it and because I want to connect with other like-minded people.

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Anyone in the office will tell you that I am not McDonalds biggest fan, I even boycotted Pret when I found out that McDonalds had a 33% share of their business - how could Pret be associated with McDonalds and still hang on to their healthy, environmentally friendly image? Anyway, since Pret sold that share to Bridgepoint earlier this year I am relieved...I can go back in and enjoy their lemon drizzle cake once more. Don't worry this is not going to be a rant about the long list of reasons why you should not to buy McDonalds but actually in recognition of some great initiatives that help position them as an employer brand of choice in their market.

Most recently I was reading that McDonalds have embraced web 2.0 with their employee audience. Employee engagement is a hot topic right now and innovative two way internal communications are a key method to achieving it. Channel M is an internal blog system for US and Canadian McDonalds employees. It allows staff in their 15,000 locations to stay in touch allowing conversations and topics to be discussed between stores and HQ.

HQ can gather valuable input from those dealing with their consumers on a day to day basis, which in turn they can use to develop their future communications. From the employee point of view, the enablement of sharing, being listened to, feeling that your input counts and the openness of communication between management and staff breaks down the hierarchy and is key to a motivated and happy workforce.

Other things McDonalds have initiated recently are the launch of the designer uniform. It was termed a ‘mark of respect’ to the staff. Bruce Oldfield was commissioned to design the uniforms, he created them with the employee in mind, aiming to make staff ‘feel good’ in their role and also improve the image of working in a fast food chain.

Another string to their bow came from them becoming one of the first companies in the UK to be given Awarding Body status by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA). This enabled them to award accredited qualifications, equal to GCSE's, A levels and degrees, to employees for the first time. The qualification aims to give official credit to training which otherwise would not be recognised outside of McDonald's and demonstrate how the workplace can be part of employees' continuous learning.

So a big well done McDonalds, they are definitely ticking a lot of the right boxes. They are listening to their workforce, investing in making their roles something they can be proud of and translating their practical experience into something of value not only to the individual but also something that is industry recognised.

I am sure employee satisfaction scores will be well on the way up... but I still wont be popping in to buy a burger any time soon!

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MySpace have been the first to launch a data sharing initiative ‘ Data Availability’, allowing MySpace users to share their profile data with other websites of their choice.  With information security the immediate concern, MySpace are working hard to reassure people their data is safe.

While a good idea in that its is a quick and easy way to keep your information up to date on multiple sites - at the same time it is gives corporates free access to your information.

Facebook have been quick to announce their version of the tool with Facebook Connect, while Google have launched Friend Connect.

You can read more here:

Brand Strategy

Techcrunch

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I was reading how the functional foods market is in decline for the first time. Previously a huge growth area, with a new products appearing on the supermarket shelves left right and centre - they gave consumers a quick fix, a short cut to the health benefits they wanted without too much effort involved.

We could have predicted this decline was coming; it doesn’t take long for consumers to become cynical.  As consumers, we don’t want claims to be plastered all over packaging and advertising – we are savvy and can make our own minds up about a brand.

The growing trend looks to remain with the natural option e.g. the super foods, organic products and fair trade options. A best example I can think of is the well quoted story of the Innocent brand. Its honest approach is reflected through its product development and marketing strategy – being genuine is key to their success.   

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I am usually trying to do myriad of things at any one time.  I hate leaving things for tomorrow that can be done today and generally try and cram as much into 24 hours as possible – the main reason is because I can and want to get the most out of every minute of the day.  24 hour convenience stores, my mobile strapped to my ear every time I am on the move, night buses, last minute flights to European cities for the weekend, social networking allowing me to stay in contact, talks I can listen to on my ipod on the go because I can’t find time to sit and read an article……these are all things that allow this lifestyle to exist.

Also, I recently I took up the challenge to travel to 30 countries by the time I am 30.  Why does that motivate me? It’s ridiculous, I mean, I love to travel (think I am up to about 20 countries), but it’s about meeting new people, experiencing different cultures and learning about the history of a place - not checking places off a list!

Developments in digital media and 24/7 services do allow us ‘achieve’ more.  But while life is in fast forward, you have to make a conscious effort to take the time to observe, enjoy and experience the little things in life that can easily get missed in a blur.

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Consumers need to want to be associated with their brands, creating that pull is key.  This creates a connection and is the start of an ongoing dialogue, a conversation between consumer and brand.

This conversation has to be genuine too. We are much more picky these days, so we increasingly need to really believe in the brands we buy.

What’s does the brand believe in? What is its stance on key issues? 

In order not to trip themselves up, brands must to be truthful in everything they communicate.  As we become more and more savvy, if they aren’t true to us we will see through the puff before long – and eventually this will causing long-term damage to the brand.

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Rock a bye baby is an edgy baby fashion brand. Check out these baby clothes for the parents and babies rebelling against mainstream pastels. The designs are inspired by pop culture and they are definitely different!

http://www.rockabye-baby.com/home.html

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Corporate philanthropy began with companies taking actions to benefit the local communities which they operated in – giving back to local schools, hospitals etc… However with employees and consumers becoming more sophisticated when choosing their brands and employers – company’s activities in this area are on a whole new level.

Companies are taking on bigger issues such as climate change for example. This is sure to enhance the corporate brand value and reputation as a by-product. Whether the corporate agenda is a genuine one or not, we are increasingly reviewing company activity in socially sensitive areas and using this as decision making criteria when choosing the brands we work for and buy.

However, as everyone continues to jump on the bandwagon, we might start to question and challenge how seriously brands are really taking these social issues. Is it really central to their strategy when it comes to packaging, product development and supply chain etc...?

Any action that is taken at the corporate level to tackle social issues is obviously positive and we shouldn’t knock it - but the pressure is still on as our expectations continue to rise.

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Is being green, just the new black?

The Anya Hindmarch ‘Im not a plastic bag’, driving a Prius are examples of us externally displaying our commitment to doing out bit to save the environment.

But behind closed doors, is the fridge stacked with super foods including blueberries shipped straight from Chile to our supermarket shelves? Are the Australian wine bottles stacking up? But is that OK, because at least they are going to be put out for recycling. Does thus make us feel better for having them flown from the other side of the world?

Is the harsh truth that for many, they want to do there little bit and want to be rewarded for doing so, do we want a pat on the back for their actions.

The challenge is to make these ‘compromises’ we are making to our daily lives a way of life. Buying organic from the local farmer, public transport instead of driving to work, but, how far are we really willing to go? We work hard Monday to Friday and earn our rewards – if only a holiday to the Norfolk cost had the same appeal as the beaches of Fiji.

Is the answer that we let our brands do the hard work for us? We are increasingly discerning when choosing between the brands we choose to buy and the brands we work for – our values need to align.

For example Marks and Spencer and their Plan A, they will work with customers and our suppliers to combat climate change, reduce waste, safeguard natural resources, trade ethically and build a healthier nation. They claim 'We're doing this because it's what you want us to do. It's also the right thing to do.'

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