Brand expert

Krafty Cadbury – a sign of the times that swings over our heads

Posted Thursday 3, February 2011 by: JJG

Cadbury brand owner, Kraft has kept true to character by putting profits before criticism in the knowledge that today’s consumers will put up with just about anything in a climate of fear and uncertainty.

Kraft has cut the size of many of its Cadbury brand chocolate bars – whilst keeping confectionary prices at pre-size reduction costs.

For example, a squatter version of Cadbury Dairy Milk bar has two less chunks, but still costs £1 at the till.

Toblerone has removed an entire ‘mountain’ from its bar.

Similar cuts have been applied to British brand favourites such as Mars, Snickers, Yorkie and Rolo.

Posted in Brand expert, brand uk, Branding, Cadbury brand, Kraft food brand | No Comments »>

Dreaming of a happy 2011

Posted Monday 3, January 2011 by: JJG

I have reached that age when it’s really difficult to sleep through the entire night in just one drop of the eyelids. When I was a fit and slender boy  – long, long ago – I lived with my family in a bungalow.  At night from my room I could always hear the sounds of [...]

Posted in Brand expert, brand uk, government branding, Misc | No Comments »>

Are social marketing brands killing society?

Posted Wednesday 6, October 2010 by: JJG

Annually, the average couple sends 1,002 texts and approaching 400 emails to each other.

Whilst startling, from a marketing point of view, none of this really comes as a huge surprise.

Branded technologies and services such as Skype and FaceTime from Apple appear to offer society great opportunity to communicate effortlessly and capably – even across continents. However, as is so often the case, appearances can be deceptive.

Posted in Brand expert, Branding, social media branding, Tech brands | 2 Comments »>

Top ‘cool brands’ of 2010 announced

Posted Tuesday 28, September 2010 by: JJG

Aston Martin, the iconic British sports car manufacturer, has been named coolest UK brand in the annual CoolBrands survey. Pioneer of punk Vivienne Westwood is ‘en vogue’ topping the list of fashion brands with BBC iPlayer named coolest website. Factors taken into consideration when judging the brands included, style, innovation, desirability and originality.  The process [...]

Posted in Apple brand, Brand expert, Branding, iPad brand, Misc, retail brands, social brands, social network sites | No Comments »>

How Apple handles iPhone 4 media backlash

Posted Saturday 17, July 2010 by: JJG

Hats off to being so brave, confident and assured.

The rest of the conference saw Steve Jobs drawing on facts, rather than hearsay. The result? He silenced the doubting thomases of the press but more importantly fused social media techniques with hard core PR business savvy.

You can see the facts and the rest of the conference at:

http://www.apple.com/antenna/

Brandforensics comment: At last a brand which combines brand essence of originality with straightforward communication. Brilliant.

This is exactly the sort of the out of the box – beyond boring best practice – thinking that marketing students deserve to be taught and marketing professionals need to take on board.

Time to throw out the old best practice and bite into a new apple.

Jonathan Gabay

Posted in Brand expert, iphone4 brand, Labour party branding | 1 Comment »>

BP – More pressure for the British brand name that has become synonymous with Bad Publicity

Posted Saturday 17, July 2010 by: JJG

What started as a better week for BP, ended with another potential PR disaster.

On a positive note, the brand finally plugged its oil well in the Gulf of Mexico which, for three months had relentlessly spewed millions of barrels of global bad PR.

President Barack Obama sounded a note of guarded optimism:

“We’re moving in the right direction, but I don’t want us to get too far ahead of ourselves,” he warned reporters at the White House.

However, just as the company sealed leaks in the Gulf, other PR slicks appeared in the press.

Reportedly in order secure drilling rights, BP approached the British government to sign a prisoner-transfer agreement with Libya.

BP strongly denies the claim.

Posted in BP brand, BP PR disaster, Brand expert, Misc | No Comments »>

BP chief sails off to the sunset.

Posted Sunday 20, June 2010 by: JJG

BP’s (British Petroleum) Chief Executive, Tony Hayward, demonstrated extraordinary lack public relations brand astuteness over the weekend of 19-20 June when he was spotted on ‘Bob’, his £182,000 co-owned Farr 52 racing yacht. Mr Hayward was enjoying time off at the JP Morgan Asset Management Round the Island Race held at the Isle of Wight, off the south coast of England.

Posted in Advertising, BP brand, Brand expert, Branding, British brands | No Comments »>

How political brands can be trusted

Posted Wednesday 14, April 2010 by: JJG

We are born to trust. For example, to have faith that a mother will provide milk. It is after all, instinctive. However, as we we grow older that same parent will teach us to be wary of the world – not to trust everything or every person.
 Yet, when society trusts itself, wonderful things happen. [...]

Posted in 2010 election branding, Brand expert, Branding, Gordon brown brand, government branding, Labour party branding, Politics, politics on twitter, UK party politics branding, web 2.0 UK general election | 1 Comment »>

Does the Conservative party’s rebuff at Labour’s poster campaign achieve little more than further confusion?

Posted Sunday 4, April 2010 by: JJG

The UK Labour party’s latest political poster featuring David Cameron as the fictional TV series character, Gene Hunt has been lambasted as an ‘own-goal’ to the party.

Within hours of the design being revealed, The Conservative’s aimed to turn the Ashes-to-Ashes debacle into a blue-streaked phoenix flying the flag for Tory principles.

Posted in 2010 election branding, Brand expert, Conservative party branding, david cameron brand, Gordon brown brand, government branding, Labour party branding, political branding, Politics, UK party politics branding | No Comments »>

Another tiger emerges from the woods? – Brand John Terry vs brand Woods.

Posted Monday 1, February 2010 by: JJG

ust as brands are recovering from their association with Tiger Woods, sponsors are grappling with allegations concerning the England football team Captain John Terry who is alleged to have had an affair with the partner of his former Chelsea team-mate Wayne Bridge

Posted in Brand expert, football brands, John terry brand, sports brands, Tiger Woods brand | 8 Comments »>