New generations of internet technology are definitely making it mainstream – McKinsey recently weighed in on the usage of new media and Web 2.0 for business. From a branding perspective, they’ve highlighted that the interactivity of Web 2.0 taps consumer involvement that would otherwise be missing. Managing it requires extra work from a business perspective but the gains can outweigh the costs. Here’s their six ways to make Web 2.0 work: The transformation to a bottom-up culture needs help from the top. The best uses come from users – but they require help to scale. What’s in the workflow is what gets used. Appeal to the participants’ egos and needs – not just their wallets. The right solution comes... [Read more]

Round 1: Would you like to advertise with us again? I’ll have to think about it, cash is tight. Maybe next time. Round 2: You said you’d think about advertising with us – any conclusions? I just don’t have the money right now. Round 3: Would you like an ad at a discount? I can’t give anyone money! At all! Goodbye! – I’ve been talking to a lot of small business owners recently and they’re feeling that it’s like this – they have no money to spend and they have to battle the ad sellers coming to their door to try and win money. It shouldn’t be like this. Sure, money’s tight. It’s tight for everyone. But pushing people away does no good for either of you – it’s... [Read more]

Branding specialists like to talk about the ‘brand experience’. We like stories. We like adding new dimensions that competitors don’t have. When the Cola World gets it right… Singapore Airlines trademarked their smell, KFC trademarked their secret herbs and spices…now this. Coca-cola had been experimenting with the sounds of their product as blipverts in the Intrinsics campaign; 5 second ads with simply their logo and the sound of a Coke being opened or someone going ‘ahh’. Now they’re using the sounds in order for the ‘Crave’ spot above – after all, if a jingle can be associated with a product and get stuck in your head, why not the sound a product makes? When the Cola World... [Read more]

Budapest's first pop-up story: Paul Frank They’ve been around for a while – in concept at least. But the ‘pop-up’ store seems to be picking up popularity and ironically could be here to stay. Some of these are travelling displays of new product and partnered artists, others are surprise sales in odd locations. What they have in common is that they’re only around for a limited time. Brands like Puma have been using travelling pop-up stores to get buzz and introduce new features whilst only having to pay rent and staff costs for a short time. Having the store only open for a short time creates exclusivity…which British magazine Monocle has used to cement their luxury branding. On the other hand, the pop-up... [Read more]

What could a small business owner possibly learn from looking at one of the most hyped social media platforms? The big news has been filtering through interviews and blogs: Twitter, previously free, now has a strategy to make money. Lesson 1: You can have a great product that everyone loves, but it won’t make you a living unless you’re monetizing it in some way. The problem for them is just that; currently, all services are free. Lesson 2: Once prices are set at a certain level, the product is depicted as having that value. It’s difficult to raise prices significantly without getting complaints. The founders currently propose to charge for companies who are currently using Twitter. Lesson 3: If they’re making money out... [Read more]