Franco & Co. Blog

Innocent Drinks is one of the most talked about and admired brands within marketing circles. Its story is very compelling. No wonder marketing folk, many of whom work for very boring companies, love it. We all know the brand off by heart:

• co-founded by youthful bright entrepreneurs and run with a personal touch
• ground-breaking, quirky design and non-conventional communication style
• a simple and very on-trend brand proposition
• a strong and authentic ethical stance
• premium quality (and premium priced) products

Of course, Innocent were not the first to take this individualistic, ethical way of  running their business. There was the Body Shop, the early incarnations of Virgin and of course Ben and Jerry's.

And today many other categories have their own versions of the Innocent marketing mix. In the personal care / cleaning categories there's Method. In clothing, there's Howies, in snacks there's Burt's crisps and of course, there's Coco de Mer in the market of er...erotica.

What intrigues me is:

• can the ethical vision of a brand survive the vision of its originators?
• can a brand maintain its integrity as it grows?

Evidence so far suggests that they can't. Body Shop was never the same in the post-Roddick era , especially now its owned by L'Oreal, its polar opposite. Equally Ben and Jerry's, now under the control of Unilever has lost its magic, so has Green and Blacks now that Cadbury owns it. Of course, the multinationals will claim that nothing has changed, they're managed as standalone companies and they've retained their integrity, etc. They would say that, wouldn't they?.

So let's see what happens to Innocent. In 5-10 years time once the owners have decided to pack it all and the company has ‘gone Global' with the help of Nestle / Pepsico / P & G, will it still be knitting woolie hats via an army of volunteers and giving 10% of its profit to charities? I'd love to think it would be....not sure it will though.

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With sales of over £500 million and over a million machines sold, Nespresso has been a phenomenal success. At the heart is a superb product, backed by a brave and ambitious marketing plan that has been brilliantly executed.

- an innovative channel strategy whereby the coffee capsules were only sold on-line and not via the normal supermarket channels

- partnerships with machine manufacturers to develop a range of co-branded machines retailing from £99 - £699

- the creation of flagship stores in prestigious locations

- Hollywood glamour via the endorsement of George Clooney

- Presence in top restaurants (Sketch, the Fat Duck)

All this from an organisation best known for selling jars of instant coffee, petfood and chocolate bars through supermarkets. Bravo.

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Somebody's probably written about a book about this already, but here's a few reflections from this side of the pond.

Lesson 1 Clarity of Positioning, Clarity of Message

Obama stood for one thing - Change - and this was the message he hammered home throughout the Campaign. He avoided negative campaigning focusing instead on his own message. His slogan ‘Yes We Can' was a clear and consistent call to action, an invitation to embrace the change he stood for. It comes through loud and clear in his victory speech.

Lesson 2 Tell a Compelling Story

The Obama life story has been well documented, not least in his own book, Dreams From My Father and he drew upon his personal experiences in all his speeches. It demonstrated his substance. People responded to it at an emotional level. It became the bedrock of his broad appeal.

Lesson 3 Impeccable Presentation

This operated at 2 levels. Firstly, his remarkable oratory skills attracted huge crowds and admiration from all over the world, drawing comparisons with other great speakers such as Martin Luther King. Secondly he dressed immaculately and never put a foot wrong with the sharp suits and good taste worthy of an iconic, charismatic leader.

Lesson 4 Use the Power of the Web

The centrepiece of his communication strategy was barackobama.com. It was used to ask for donations, create databases, post messages, showcase his speeches. It was easy to use, interactive and engaging. He also used a whole host of other ‘social media' - text messaging, twitter alerts and email to communicate to his followers.

Lesson 5 Get Advocates on Your Side

Obama had a diverse and powerful set of supporters, willing to sing his praises. They came from the world of music (eg Jay Z, Springsteen) popular culture (eg Oprah) and most importantly The Clintons. In addition, his supporters worked tirelessly on his behalf and were critical in mobilising the masses to vote for him.

Lesson 6 Money Talks

Everything was made possible with the vast resources he had at his disposal - a result of his phenomenal fundraising. He clearly outspent his opponent and had a much higher share of voice throughout the Campaign. When you're up against a tough opponent and the stakes are high, don't be afraid to spend big.

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