Earlier in the week, in Honesty in Blog Product Reviews, we talked about the proposed amendments that the FTC is considering which brought into question blogger product reviews. Let’s consider just how great that influence is on consumers’ purchasing decisions. As blogging became more mainstream and credible, the concept of web log suddenly morphed into more of a blog-like magazine. The tone stayed the same in most cases, but the content got more serious, more useful and more frequent. What began as one consumer simply sharing a random product experience with other consumers quickly ballooned into established and trusted bloggers being sought out by advertisers to frequently provide reviews on their blog. A recent workwithoutboss.com... [Read more]

The quick but healthy lunch destination Lettuce Eatery recently rebranded as Freshii. They needed to be consistent with their offering, and by expanding to provide snacks, wraps and soups, a name change is in order. Proprietary research at Name Development shows that “more than 300 companies in the US change their name over the course of a year because they have outgrown it.” NameWire.com, Name Development’s blog, reported on the reason to rebrand. “The name change is mainly due to Matthew Corrin, who originally wanted to be the “Starbucks of Salads,” but slowly widened his positioning to offer healthy meals and snacks. In short, he outgrew his name.” But some are wondering if the new name was a good... [Read more]

Often when faced with the task of purchasing a high-end product, many consumers jump online to find out what’s available. Brands, models, features and price points are all considered and compared, culled from company and store websites around the web. In my case, after a thorough spreadsheet is created with the various product specs, I often still don’t have a decision made. That’s when I start searching through online reviews of the top 3. Now that particular behavior is just me – I’m sure most buyers don’t build a thorough spreadsheet and some might possibly even go straight to the reviews. Ah the power of peer reviews. Where there are no loyalties to any one brand in particular, where anything goes, where... [Read more]

A recent article written by Allen Adamson for Forbes.com illustrates the differences between Facebook and Twitter in managing your brand. While he doesn’t prophesies about which will exceed the other in popularity, he does believe that, “Twitter and Facebook can both play a role in a branding strategy. Having said this, I also think that just as users think about Twitter and Facebook differently, so too should companies as they go about their branding efforts.” The key to both tools, he explains, is that they enable companies to listen to their audiences, the importance of which we’ve talked about on Brand Curve.He takes this a step further by talking about the quality of what you listen to. To establish a brand promise... [Read more]

The trends identified in this year’s Millwood Brown Optimor Brandz Top 100 are VALUE, VICE, AT HOME and WIRELESS. Value is not surprising given this economy. Though luxury brands have a great opportunity for creativity, it’s the value brands that have an easy job at capturing customers, getting that repeat business and securing their brand names. “Brands that represent good value for money have done well, this is about quality as much as price, for example Wal-Mart (+19 percent), ALDI (+49 percent) and Auchan (+48 percent). H&M (+8 percent) is now the number one apparel brand.” The vice brands are fun to watch from the outside but I really wonder if the Malboro execs sit around the boardroom table calling themselves... [Read more]