Posted by: TonyFranco
on May 16, 2009
I'm completely underwhelmed by the launch communication for Magners Pear Cider - 'the only fruit that goes into Magners Pear Cider is pears' Is that it? It's like saying the only fruit that goes into orange juice is oranges. At best it's a reason to believe. It's certainly not a brand proposition.
And they take 40 seconds to say it in this irritating ad. Click here to view it. The consumer insight is very weak and there's no motivation to try it. Also I always thought pear cider was called perry.
Will it halt the Magners sales decline? I very much doubt it.
Posted by: TonyFranco
on May 14, 2009
One of my favourite blogs is by cartoonist and marketer Tom Fishburne. Click here to view it. Funny, insightful and he seems like a really nice guy too.
Posted by: TonyFranco
on May 8, 2009
I bought this week at a second hand bookshop in Devon on a rainy afternoon and found it very funny. It focuses on the life of an egocentric Marketing Director and the relationship with Pandora, his Lifecoach. It pokes fun at the way corporate life works and how marketing people destroy the English language with their made-up words and stupid phrases. Doesn't do lifecoaching any favours either. Recommended.
A similar book that I enjoyed was Matt Beaumont's e . This was written several years ago, before Blackberries when we were just discovering the joys of email. Its focuses on the life of an advertising agency who are pitching for the Coca Cola account and the emails that fly between the people who work there. Really funny.
I can also highly recommend anything written by a friend of mine Guy Browning. He used to write a column called Office Politics, which became a book. All the characters seemed to be based on people we worked with at our old agency Added Value. Check out Weak at the Top, too
Posted by: TonyFranco
on Apr 30, 2009
Drying your hands in public toilets is one of life's more unpleasant tasks. It takes ages, the driers don't work properly and you're worried about how hygienic they are.
However, Dyson solves these problems with this really cool hand drier the Airblade. Its a joy to use and whenever I see one in a public toilet my heart skips a beat (well, almost). Its been around for some time now so I'm amazed they're not everywhere. If you're looking to try one out I suggest you go to the toilets at Smiths of Smithfield or the Unilever Head Office at Blackfriars. Worth a special trip. Can't remember any other locations.
I love the way that Dyson always looks to solve problems through technology. It starts off looking people's everyday issues / concerns and then looking at ways to improve upon the current offering. As well delivering a great product its always beautifully designed. Fantastic.
This is the complete opposite to the mobile phone industry which simply invents stuff and hopes that people will somehow find a use for it. No wonder most people only use a fraction of their phone's functionality.
Posted by: TonyFranco
on Apr 30, 2009
Continuing on the cycling theme, I recently read about this new lightweight electric bike in the latest edition of Springwise. It a further attempt to encourage more people to abandon their cars and to take to two wheels instead.
The key advantage to this vs a normal bike is that the small electric motor means that you work less hard and don't arrive at your office feeling hot and sweaty.
Will it take off or will go the way of the Sinclair C-5? Not convinced it will hit the mass market. If you're keen on cycling I reckon you'd spend the £1 000 on a top quality 'real' bike. Alternatively you can pick up a decent Vespa for £2 000.
I think it depends on who the early adopters are. If it becomes popular with people who perceived to be too unfit to cycle properly - through age or obesity - then it will be deeply uncool to be seen with one.
However, anything that encourages people to leave their cars at home is a good thing so good luck to them.
Posted by: TonyFranco
on Apr 14, 2009
A lot of my mates are into cycling and the brand they always talk about is Rapha, a brand of kuxury cycling clothing. They always complain about how expensive it is, but it doesn't stop them buying it.
I think its a fabulous brand that has spotted the opportunity to make cycling clothing fashionable. Click here to view their website.
Cycling is clearly on the up. Its a cheap way to travel and an easy way to stay fit. Go to Richmond Park on a Sunday morning and you'll see literally hundreds of cyclists in their roadbikes and lycra - most of them 40 something blokes with very expensive bikes and enough cash to spend on cool clothing.
Rapha is a very ambitious brand and is looking to conquer the world, as witnessed by this article in the New York Times. With the Giro d'Italia and Tour de France just around the corner, the brand will no doubt receive a boost - particularly as Lance Armstrong is back racing again.
If you looking to buy a birthday present for a style conscious cyclist then I suggest you take a tour of the Rapha website. Guaranteed to make his mates green with envy.
Posted by: TonyFranco
on Apr 2, 2009
I reckon there are 2 types of marketing expert in the world.
1. The Methodologists
These are people who teach you how to do stuff and have turned marketing into an explicit business discipline. Want to write a marketing strategy? Here's the 6 steps involved. Want to capture a brand positioning? Here's the best tool, here's a great methodology. They follow on from the Philip Kotler school of marketing and are really useful people to turn to when you're looking to do your day to day job or are looking for 'best practice' in undertaking a specific marketing task. Kevin Keller, Tom Peters, David Aaker are good examples.
2. The Idealists
These are people who challenge the status quo. They are usually critical of classical marketing doctrine and put forward new ideas and new ways of thinking. Often they have engaging personalities, are great speakers and stray off pure marketing / business topics to make their points. The best examples would be Malcolm Gladwell, Seth Godin and Adam Morgan.
These are the guys I particularly like. Maybe its because I've been in the marketing business for some time and need fresh ideas rather than more models.
Seth Godin is always a great source of inspiration. I'm constantly amazed by the volume and quality of the output from his blog - click here to view it. To see him speak click here.
I'm always looking for fresh input, so if anyway has suggestions, then please pass them on.
Posted by: TonyFranco
on Mar 30, 2009
If you need a bit of fresh marketing thinking then I'd recommend that you have a look at Shoulders of Giants - click here to access the website. Its a fast and easy way to access latest marketing thinking from thought leaders all over the world.
It's founded by Mark Sherrington, who I know very well from my Added Value days, He's had a big influence on my marketing career and is someone who's always worth listening to.
