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UNIQLO at Cannes Lions Ad fest 2009

Happy brand birthday

This weekend I joined a bunch of MINI nuts at the Silverstone racing track to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the MINI brand. I am a lifelong advocate of MINI, having idolised its unique design from a young age, even before I got behind the wheel of a MINI city. For me, this was MINI nirvana, and a fitting tribute to one of the most iconic British brands around.

Celebrating a key brand anniversary is far from new in terms of marketing, as 360PRBlog and Promo Magazine both sum up nicely. There's no denying that it is a key point in the brand lifecycle and a perfect opportunity to create excitement and drive awareness.

Over the past couple of years there seems to have been a splurge in major anniversaries. M&S, Selfridges, Barbie, Sainsbury's, Lego, Virgin, Google and Guinness have all used their biggest birthdays to celebrate their heritage, drive awareness and reinforce brand loyalty with their core customers.

Here's a look at what three of them have been up to:

MINI United www.miniunited.com 

To celebrate 50 years in the making, this three-day event brought together MINI aficionados from across the world. The BMW-owned brand took over Silverstone (home of motor-racing) for three days of commemoration with plenty of products on show to dazzle its guests. For me, MINI is about fun, beautiful design and quirky coolness, and there was an abundance of this at the event.

The centrepiece of the venue oozed cool, with bar, DJ and lounge area looking out to the stage, where music legend (and MINI enthusiast) Paul Weller would later perform. The history of MINI was embodied by an outdoor museum of cars, including some bespoke designs, such as the MINI limo. Others also had the chance to show off and talk about their own car, on a makeshift stage. On the track, you could watch the professionals race their cars in true racing style, drive your own car round the grid, or watch the stuntmen in action. I'm planning my next MINI purchase already, so clearly it has worked wonders...:) You can check out more of my pics from the event on Flickr.

Selfridges www.selfridges100.com

This iconic UK department store hit the big 100 this year. To celebrate its centenary, the 'big yellow festival' has been running throughout May, so-called because of the trademark (pantone 109) yellow branding. Selfridges has been doing month-long themed events for a number of years now, and is arguably one of the best examples of in-store theatre. So it is perhaps not surprising that they would use their centenary for this month's experiential adventure. 

In-store events have centred on premium entertainment with DJs, fashion shows and cabaret dazzling shoppers. Six 'Selfridgettes' have been performing their own set of tricks, and there is also an exhibition showcasing the retailer's history. Over the course of the month, a host of celebrities have joined in to stir up publicity.

In true designer fashion, Selfridges marked the event by joining forces with some of the most prestigious designers and brands to create limited edition products, encompassing the trademark yellow. The line-up of exclusives includes centenary bags from Sir Paul Smith and Stella McCartney, the iconic Coca-Cola contour bottles in yellow, Blackberry smartphones with a £1,000 price tag, through to custom yellow Converse and a range of other luxury brand items. A special centenary magazine has also been created by Conde Nast.  

Selfridges has harnessed Facebook, Flickr and Twitter (although the latter is less prominent) to build the conversation around the brand event. Photos from events at the store can be found on these social networks. It's easily the most engaging element of their online campaign, although their website is pretty cool too.

M&S

Another British high street icon, M&S, hit the ripe old age of 125 years in 2009. M&S has already announced a few initiatives so far this year, but I imagine this will be extended with more as the year progresses. As with MINI and Selfridges, showcasing the brand's history is a key part of the story. M&S have created this website as a timeline. An archive exhibition has also been set up with the University of Leeds and a commemorative book and magazine are also now available to mark the occasion.

In product development, M&S has drawn inspiration from its origins to create a new collection 125, featuring vintage designs from various decades. On the promotional side, last week M&S went back to its origins by reinventing its penny bazaar, tying in its heritage with today's cost-conscious mindset. The “Don’t ask the price, it’s a penny” in-store promotion, gave bargain-hunters massive reductions on a range of products, reinforced by its TV ad campaign, which shows how the brand has evolved: 'Quality worth every penny.' The 125 campaign has also blended into its CSR strategy, aiming to raise £1.25 million for local charities in 125 days.

Although I have only showcased a few cases here, they outline the importance of birthdays as a marketing tool. A time to reflect on the past, and to look to the future by showcasing new innovations, whilst opening up the potential to generate considerable brand buzz. From a consumers' perspective, it is a chance to celebrate the brands they love. The M&S 125 years Facebook page is a great demonstration of the passion consumers have for M&S, now with over 12,000 fans. Definitely worth reading some of the great comments if you get a chance. 

Consumer-preneurs

We’ve all heard the line…the consumer is in control now…consumers are more empowered and they are calling the shots. This remains true, but in the downturn, where there is so much uncertainty, some of this control has been taken out of their hands, especially as regards employment and finance. Consequently, they are channelling their energy into specific areas where they do have a greater degree of control. Here are some observations where they are asserting control:

- Reigning in expenditure: It goes without saying that this is a top priority. Consumers are flexing their muscle to find bargains and brands that offer real value. Many are exploiting the army of tools online to help them make better choices, compare prices, and seek cheaper options. New start-up, Hunch.com goes one step further by aiming to help consumers make better decisions. Effectively, it aims to enable consumers to "get as good a decision as if he/she had interviewed a group of knowledgeable people or done hours of careful research online." We're having a play, so we will let you know our experiences.

- Enhancing the wage packet: Whilst making cost-savings is a key part of the equation, consumers are also looking at ways to make extra money. TRENDWATCHING.com's latest briefing looking at SELLSUMERS embodies this trend. Reflecting a broader entrepreneurial mindset, there are a host of examples in this briefing highlighting where consumers can increase their weekly budget from sub-letting physical spaces, energy and turning hobbies into a product or service. One of our observations is consumers sub-letting cars in urban cities. In our local neighbourhood, where most people commute by train, sharing cars is not only cost-effective but greener. It takes the concept of Streetcar a step further.

- Slowing down in an era of change: Travel publisher Alastair Sawday observes a more conscious decision-making process. This applies to looking for cheaper options, as well as removing excess. He notes that whilst consumers are travelling less, there is a need to travel better. In terms of food, eating less, but eating better. And in an age where excessive consumerism is being frowned upon, to consume less and recycle.

In February, The National Trust announced it would be creating over 1,000 allotments from its land, as more consumers look for a cost-effective, and also a greener solution to obtaining organic and locally-produced vegetables. London is also pushing the 'slow down' message as part of its Slow Down London campaign. It offers consumers a week of free entertainment to help them relax and be calmer in an era of so much change. The campaign runs from April 24th to 4th May 2009. 

- Transparency & social responsibility: Although premium products, such as organics and green options may be too expensive for some right now, there is still expectancy over transparency and honesty. The requirement to know the story behind how products are made and companies operate remains important, no matter what pricing is attached to the brand. Major UK retailer, Sainsbury's Basic private label range has pushed the message that 'low price, does not mean low quality,' explaining on pack how they manage to keep their price lower. Together with promotional campaigns, this approach has been used to boost sales of the range by 60%.

40% of shoppers decide in-store

A new global study by Ogilvy Action indicates that 39.4% of US· shoppers wait until they're in the store to decide what brand to buy; about 10% change their minds about brands in the store; 29% buy from categories they didn't intend to buy from; and almost 20% leave a product they'd planned to buy on the shelf. In all, the study found 72.4% of shoppers make one of four major purchase decisions in the store – but not across all of their purchases.

The two factors cited most by shoppers in the study as influencing impulse decisions in-store were sampling and product display, ranking ahead of price, even in this time of grocery price inflation.

The new study up-dates and adds detail to the oft-cited (and often unattributed) statistic that shoppers make 70% of brand decisions in-store (1995 study for the Point of Purchase Advertising Institute by Meyers Research Center in the USA).

Written by Sarah Dorey

Comparison shopping sites popular with cash-strapped consumers

A recent survey conducted by E-consultancy and DoubleClick shows that the number of online purchases that have come through comparison sites, aka comparison shopping engines, has increased in the last 12 months, accounting for about 10% of retailers’ online sales. Cash-strapped consumers are using CSEs at a growing rate, making it increasingly important for retailers to have a visible presence on these sites. The report found that most retailers use several CSEs, with 63% of those surveyed using Google Shopping/Google Base. Kelkoo, the next most popular is used by around 50% of retailers, while Shopzilla, PriceRunner and Shopping.com are each used by about 30% of retailers. Google Shopping was regarded as the most easy to use site and the best for quality of traffic.

Amazon and Ebay are used by a minority of retailers (41%) and social shopping sites such as Jellyfish, Kaboodle and Twenga have yet to make an impact with online retailers.

Meanwhile Verdict Research reports that online retailing now accounts for 6.7% (£19.4 billion) of all retail spend in the UK and predicts that online spend will increase to £44 billion by 2012. The same reports states that loyalty to retailers is generally 10% lower than in physical shops, making good service, low prices and ease of navigation crucial in ensuring that customers come back to your site.

Written by Penny Crossland

Eco-friendly fashion

Oxfam has recently opened its first fashion boutique in London, capitalising on the trend toward vintage clothing and sustainable fashion in one fail swoop. With the support of former Top Shop director Jane Shepherdson and students from the London School of Fashion, the collection spans ‘Loved for Longer’ donated fashion, Fair Trade, organic, recycled and restyled clothes and accessories.

Sustainable fashion is now very much in vogue (excuse the pun) with all the main magazines leading articles on the subject. Larger retailers are becoming more keen to bring in new product lines that offer organic, fair trade, or other eco-innovative elements. According to Drapers, the first masters degree in ethical fashion has just landed on British shores.

'Make your mark in fashion' recently challenged 14-30 year olds to form a team and create a new range, to complement and enhance an established sustainable fashion label. The three finalists will be showcasing their collections in an exclusive catwalk show during London Fashion Week in September 2008.

If you want to read up on the issue of sustainability in product development, Trendwatching looks at the influence of the green mega trend in their latest briefing 'eco-iconic', with some great brand examples. Or try PSFK or the 'make your mark in fashion' link above.

Brands on social networks

A few snippets from a report by digital agency Tamar contrasting the creation of unofficial brand groups on social networks with official branded content

- Only 30% of major financial organisations have an official online presence on the social media scene, but 80% are the subject of unofficial consumer groups

- In travel, few brands have pursued an official social media strategy on leading sites, but all leading brands have a lot of consumer support via unofficial groups.

- Retailers were found to be well entrenched with social media. All major brands have an official presence on a least one major social network. But retailers are also the focus of a lot of commentary from consumers, with a high proportion of unofficial groups.

The 2008 Social Media Sectors report, from digital agency Tamar, compared the number of unofficial consumer groups on Facebook, Myspace and Bebo with the top ten retail, financial and travel brands. You can read their blog here

Not so much doom and gloom

As the topic of recession continues to gain ground in the media, it’s good to see some positive trends. Below we highlight some companies that show signs of bucking the trend with strong sales results, or committing to significant business expansion. 

Retail: Consumer confidence in the UK high street has undoubtedly weakened, but some brands are shining. No-frills fashion brand Primark has defied weakening high street sales, with an increase in revenues of 25% to £899 million for the first quarter of 2008. Although its credentials have taken a beating on the ethical front, price-conscious consumers are undoubtedly attracted to this brand. House of Fraser, the UK department store has just embarked on a major expansion programme to move the brand upmarket. It’s new store in Belfast is now its largest and is part of some £60m being ploughed into stores.

In line with the general positive trend twoards internet advertising, e-Commerce is expected to remain healthy. According to a recent global survey conducted by The Nielsen Company, over 85 percent of the world’s online population has used the Internet to make a purchase, up 40 percent from two years ago. In the US, Forrester Research reports that online retail sales (excluding travel) will rise 17% in 2008 to $204bn. Tesco's latest results show that it's online retail business is one of its strongest areas. Internet sales now contribute 4.2% of Tesco's group profits and 3.1% of sales. Profits from Tesco's online foods sales were up almost 50% on sales that grew 31% and a customer base of more than one million active users that was up 20%.

Travel & tourism: In travel and tourism, although the World Travel and Tourism Council recently cut its projections for global tourism growth to 3% for 2008, with $8.4 billion expected in revenues, that is not deterring some. Sheraton has announced plans for its largest expansion in North America, where some £2bn will be spent on new hotels.

There is also still much confidence in business travel. A recent Barclaycard business survey with 3,000 business travellers, found 33% plan to travel more in 2008 than they did in 2007. Over three-quarters anticipate travelling the same amount or more due to general business or overseas expansion. However, economy travel will become more common due to cost-consciousness and the ongoing shift towards low-cost airlines. The annual survey saw EasyJet’s share increase from 7% to 15% and Ryanair from 3% to 8% year on year. BA remains the number choice with 28% of survey respondents.

Sources: Travelmole, Barclaycard business travel survey, Internet Retailing