RIM to Blackberry: is it worth the Risk?

So RIM are officially Blackberry and I am in two opinions about the move.

Pro Blackberry:
RIM or Research In Motion initially were what their name implied, research, innovation & change. Blackberry is arguably their most successful brand, and not many would deny. Unfortunately of late, they haven't been able to keep up to their namesake and put their everything into a final last try the BlackBerry Q10 & Z10. This name change refers to the ultimate commitment a company can make to the brand, to show that they have complete faith in it. Literally a company going down with its flagship.

Con Blackberry:
Research in Motion as the name implies is not directly related to the telecommunication world, well if you ignore the Blackberry association. The name is innovative, and if there was a shift in resources to research & development from a technical perspective there is certainly hope for the brand. RIM were certainly one of the most innovative brands of their time, and with a shift in perspective it is possible they may regain it. However by committing to a name shift, they are certainly putting all their eggs in one basket, and is it really worth the risk?

Best Superbowl ad?

What is your favourite SuperBowl ad?

I think my personal favourite is Coca Cola, engaging, catchy, and just beautiful.

SodaStream Effect - Superbowl

SodaStream's ad for Superbowl is short and sweet, certainly not in the league as the other major brands but it certainly deserves a special mention, because the heart of the message is not about how fabulous the product is, and how much you will love it, but "if you care about the bubbles, set them free". The use of SodaStream saves up to 2000 bottles, which is great for the environment, and great for people. So by using the product you're just being a good citizen. Just simple.

Volkswagen Superbowl - Get in Get happy

So being happy means being Jamaican...or at least that's what Volkswagen is saying in their Superbowl commercial.
While I like the concept and the relation between driving the 'Love Bug' and putting a smile on your face, but was the accent really necessary?
Not to sound racist... but really?! Enough said

Virgin Atlantic - Fly in the Face of the Ordinary

It is very rare that you find a campaign which is original, witty, surprising and above all engaging, and it comes as no surprise that Virgin Atlantic has managed to achieve all of the above through their latest campaign ' Fly in the Face of the Ordinary'.

Based on the premise that the airline crew and staff are nothing short of super heroes in your service what better way to achieve an un-paralleled flying experience?

Touching upon Virgin's USP's the campaign accurately reflects their positioning, perfectly captured in the tagline 'Fly in the Face of the Ordinary', it is again just another reminder why Virgin is one of the world's most successful brands.

How does Kellogg's Special K make you feel? Emotions Sell

One country (Israel) is finally taking a stand against the false beautifying or photo shopping of models' images which decorate fashion magazines as well as banning those models who are below a BMI of 18.5. This is a bold move for any country to make against the 'glorifying of the skinny' and the question is how long will it last?

One of the main reasons behind this ruling is the self-esteem issues many young girls face which can lead to a variety of psychological and behavioural problems, so does the enactment of this law signal a changing trend in advertising for beauty products? 

Traditional advertising naturally positioned the products to reflect the benefits they could provide to the user. They could make them fairer, or skinnier and generally help them to be more attractive. But with an increasing amount of criticism against such advertising, which aimed to encourage sales purely on the fact that people's appearance needed improvement, some change would be in order. 

The latest campaign of Kellogg's Special K cereal reflects this change. It's not about how much you weigh, or what's your size. An individual should not be defined by a number, instead its about you feel. Confidence, pride, self - esteem this is what counts, and Kellogg's Special K can help you achieve that. So the product still makes you look better, but now also helps make you feel better. Emotions sell. 

Initially started by Dove's campaign for real beauty, which changed the advertising rule book, it seems likely that more products will adopt this positioning to garner a better public image and reputation, and eventually trust.

Branding in 2013

The New Year has dawned bringing with it a flurry of new resolutions and predictions, and this is not any different in the advertising and marketing world.

There has long been a shift towards digital marketing rather than traditional marketing, however 2013 may see a return back to the basics where traditional marketing will play a bigger role. Integrated marketing looks at using several marketing channels, be it digital or traditional, in co-ordination to spread a unified message. With an audience whose attention is being increasingly fragmented among multiple devices such as laptops, PC, mobiles & tablets, it is important that marketers utilise all the information they have about their customers to help target them better. 

This is where 'Big Data' steps in. Big Data aims to collect any information about customers from multiple sources, including social media, to track their behaviour, interests, friends, connections, what they search for, their buying behaviour etc to paint a complete picture of the customer. However this has to be implemented and utilised successfully by marketers to prevent it from becoming just another industry buzz word. Big Data is very useful in understanding customer behaviour and is not only restricted to digital marketing but can be used in traditional marketing as well to target them based on their social behaviour, such as where they shop, eat and socialize with their friends. In targeting customers in all areas there is an increasing chance of the message being sent across and received. 

However customers as well are becoming quite clever with the latest in marketing techniques and have a refined understanding of their own value. They know the price marketers are willing to pay and won't come cheap. Instead more browsers are offering a service to increase privacy options while online, so while marketers want to find out more customers want to reveal less, and the battle goes on.

And the new year would not be complete without the mantra of MOBILE, MOBILE, MOBILE. 

Mobile is the future, where customers want to carry all their information with them on the move, so mobile and tablets, usually synced with their laptops through could sharing services, is the future. People are constantly connected bringing increasing opportunities for targeting. It is an essential and integral feature which cannot be missed. So to re-iterate the main trends for marketing in 2013 are:

• The convergence of Digital & Traditional Marketing
• Big Data
• Customer Control
• Mobile
• Integrated Advertising

Ref: 'Branding in 2013: Convergence, Content, Gaming, Big Data and other trends' by Barry Silverstein for Brand Channel