How Elvis Re-Branded Las Vegas
A lot happened in 1969 – the moon landing, Woodstock, the grisly Manson murders, the Stonewall uprising, etc. Perhaps less noteworthy, yet significant for a city known for entertainment, was Elvis Presley’s comeback 50 years ago at the International Hotel in Las Vegas. After a decade of artistic doldrums, boring movies and no live performances, he returned to the stage on July 31, 1969 with a memorable 4 week performance that not only reinvented his career, but re-branded Las Vegas. For strategic marketers, this experience provides some good lessons for successful re-branding. In the...
Read MoreA Branding Paradox: Build But Don’t Dominate
Marketers are encouraged to maximize the awareness, trial and usage of their brands. They also know that a brand is more than just a fanciful name. Insightful research and prudent positioning will make a brand “special” in the eyes (and hearts) of their target customers, offering a meaningful promise, a credible reason to believe this promise and a competitive edge. The name is the face of this brand positioning. Ideally it should be memorable and generate associations that can help create a special relationship with the customer. And the...
Read MoreLatest Trends & New Perspectives On Brand Risks
Branding is the core of marketing, yet it is a strategic discipline that has been dramatically impacted by social media in recent years. It has opened the door to a great variety of activism and disinformation and as a result, companies are facing new types of brand risks. In light of this surge of threats to brands, it is important to stay updated with the latest trends and new research that can provide insights to help protect (and ideally build) brands. A few weeks ago (May 22), Boston University’s Questrom School of Business held a conference on “Risky Business: Understanding &...
Read MoreHow Storytelling Can Enhance Authenticity For Purposeful Branding
Branding has evolved over time, opportunistically responding to what will best motivate customers and differentiate it from competition – from product branding, to rational branding, to emotional branding to today’s altruistic purposeful branding. With young consumers increasingly demanding brands give more back to society, the challenge today is to create a promise that can be trusted and delivered – with credible authenticity. This trend for brands to create and communicate their CSR (corporate social responsibility) promises reflects a growing decline in trust in business. The Edelman...
Read MoreThe Rise Of A New Type Of Brand – The Outlier
A good brand offers a relevant promise and a credible point of difference, its “reason for being”. What is emerging today however, is a form of branding that focuses so much on being different that this distinction often becomes the main focal point, instead of the promise or benefit. This is happening in politics where new candidates (i.e. “outliers”) strongly emphasize their stance as a unique alternative to established rivals. Similarly new business ventures are offering a better value choice compared to traditional brand leaders. Behind this political phenomenon of...
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