11/22/2010 09:31:38 AM 
This weekend in NYC, there was a "Pop-Up Flea Market".
It was an idea that combines the notion of temporary space with the opportunity to seemingly purchase low cost/used items.
The reality was somewhat different- it was a pop-up store for men's apparel and footwear and featured a mix of small hand crafted brands with big brands like Levi's and LL Bean.
It was a microcosm of the problem that big brands have when trying to be small.
Of course, they wanted to be present in the company of small, hand crafted brands, but they were anything, but the disconnect was obvious, not just in the way they displayed their merchandise- more money/investment and marketing, but also with the staff- on one side owners and craftsmen who made the stuff and the other, hired guns and marketing people.
There's no way of faking this stuff- if you want to be a part of the small batch/hand crafted movement you can just do it by association, you've got to really do it.
It's clear that consumers understand the difference between fake and real in this case and only the genuine article will suffice.
Brands trying to operate in this space, need to do it with a degree of authenticity and since the consumer seems to be crying out for products that are crafted and often made by hand in the US, what's stopping you from really doing it?
Think of a near world future where the big brands have an ecosystem of premium sub-brand partners who are supported and funded by the parent, but act nothing like it. They are allowed to craft and create autonomously, but the linkage and reference points are known and made clear to consumers.
Posted by Ed Cotton
10/12/2024 03:27:27 PM
I just noticed a Tweet from Dan Pink- it was another one about The Simpsons and Banksy, but his description seemed so apt- "A Cultural Cage Match" is exactly what it was and a way really powerful stories are created.
I remember ad legend Jim Riswold stopping by the agency and talking about mashing culture and using his famous Bugs Bunny meets Michael Jordan Nike ad as an example.
Jim's point was that when you take disconnected cultural icons and bring them together, you create fire.
Another example of a CCM is Sesame Street taking on Old Spice
Posted by Ed Cotton
08/06/2024 10:12:05 AM
The downside of mass is that you lose your cool pretty fast. While domestics have experimented with more upscale/premium lines and a little bit of packaging innovation, they haven't really exploited the opportunities that exist with packaging. With the US design and art community often seen as being at the forefront of trends, it seems an obvious opportunity for the big domestics to work with these guys.
Heineken in Europe has done a lot of the work in this space, with the latest being a collaboration with Parisian packaging design legend Ora-Ito.
Of course, the other mass brand to do lots of cool stuff with graphic designers, was Coke.
Packaging seems like such an easy way for a mass brand to do something interesting and surgical to push into cooler spaces.
Posted by Ed Cotton
08/12/2024 11:13:57 AM
The Hundreds
Via PSFK
Now is not the time to flaunt and display your logo.
What's next, the demise of the car badge?
Posted by Ed Cotton
08/02/2024 03:30:51 PM (4)
(4) For the last six months, it's been the talk of the town and way beyond, because it shows an almost telepathic understanding of what the twenty-something crowd is looking for from food right now.
Here's how it works.
MSF "leases" a Chinese restaurant on Mission Street for two nights of the week and invites guest chefs to come in and create menus and prepare meals.
What Can Brands Learn from MSF?
1. The Power of Surprise
MSF is based on a pretty smart assumption, people like to try new restaurants all the time, which makes it hard for a single concept to gain traction and gain a group of loyal customers. In a world of hyper-instant gratification, people are constantly demanding for and seeking out the new.
How does your brand surprise its audience?
What are you doing to prevent brand fatigue?
2. Partnerships and Collaboration
MSF partners with a Chinese restaurant to host the events, it gets access to its kitchens and staff and it also partners with guest chefs every night. MSF is really a facilitator to the process.
Who is your brand collaborating with to add value?
3. Understanding the Audience
MSF gets who it's audience is and what they want. They know this is an audience that is easily bored and is looking for culinary surprises. They know they are prepared to trade off ambience for food quality.
Does your brand know its audience?
Do you know what they are looking for from you now?
4. The Concept of Value
MSF gets value right. This is of course not about low prices, but instead the combination of price and quality. The interesting items on the menu are priced perfectly to acknowledge the audiences understanding of value. There's no sense you are paying for the priviledge of eating there.
Does your brand have its pricing right?
Do you know what people are prepared to pay?
Do you have value add and do you know what it's worth?
5. Giving Back
MSF gives back profits to local organizations and non-profits giving diners another reason to eat.
What is your brand giving back?
How are your causes tied to your brand?
How open are you about your contributions?
6. A Story
MSF has enough layers to build a great narrative including its original incarnation as a taco truck.
What's your story?
How do you share it?
How are you building on it?
Posted by Ed Cotton
07/20/2009 05:32:07 PM
Nokia is a really smart organization which has become truly global by listening to user needs especially in the developing world, but it's in trouble.
It's nice to tick the box in the C21st marketing text book and make some effort to be open, but if it doesn't drive business success, then it's simply a nice to have.
Can Nokia turn its openness into something more powerful?
It's certainly one area that they lead Apple, a company that's widely recognized as being controlling and secretive.
However, Nokia needs to turn its openness trait into something more powerful.
Could Active Openness help Nokia to become the "people's phone company"
By listening more and opening up more it could seize some advantage, but it needs to make this openness bigger, more active and more broadcast worthy. Simply seeing what Nokia employees are doing is no good if you can't interact. Also, if you don't having a rich understanding of the potential of mobile technology, it limits your ability to participate.
Nokia can do one thing that Apple can't, it can educate and invite a global audience inside its company. It can embrace the whole idea of openness and invite all kinds of audiences to help make a truly mobile life a reality for the globe.
While Apple will continue to control and dictate, Nokia has the opportunity to provide an alternative point view, one that's powered by a broad community who are working together with the corporation.
Nokia has a real chance to bring the idea of openness to broad media and encourage two way dialog, debate and discussion about the future of mobility.
Of course, it's obvious Nokia needs killer products, but Active Openness could help them engage.
Posted by Ed Cotton