Marketing 2.0

BP's Negative Brand Equity

Here's a good post I came across from the Branding Strategy Insider. The author defines negative brand equity - the phenomenon that is occurring right now for BP. That's when the brand actually has a negative impact on the business. Right now, BP is the poster child for the evil corporation based on the ongoing spill in the Gulf, along with the Obama Administration's efforts to vilify the company and deflect any criticism that might come their way. Speaking of which, Pres. Bush was publicly crucified for not effectively completing the Katrina recovery efforts in the first week or two after the storm. Pres. Obama waited over 50 days to meet with BP and received very little criticism. The difference? Obama had more positive brand equity working in his favor along with a fawning media. You see the same phenomenon with Apple and Steve Jobs. The antennae problem with the new iPhone could have become a big crisis, much like the unintended acceleration issue for Toyota. Apple and its CEO got relatively little heat in comparison because of the company's incredible brand equity and Jobs' image as the iconic master of cool technology. So, the message for companies, CEO's and Presidents alike is that brand equity really matters. It's especially important in a crisis situation. The positive equity that you've built up with customers, the public, and the media can make all the difference in surviving the crisis.

Negative Brand Equity: A BP Death Sentence?: Branding Strategy Insider: "

Facebook's 500 million strong

Facebook recently achieved a milestone of 500 million users. Here are some fun facts about the makeup of that massive social network courtesy of Macworld.

Fun facts about Facebook's half-billion users | Social Media | Macworld: "

YMCA to Become Simply ‘the Y’

In an effort to simplify their brand name, the YMCA will now be known simply as the Y. This is not exactly a radical change as most people already referred to them by this name. Radio Shack shortened its name to the Shack last year and corporate villain British Petroleum became just BP a few years ago. In the case of the Y and BP, consumers already used these names so the change was evolutionary. Marketers have to be careful not to sacrifice brand recognition and awareness. When I hear the Shack, I think of a bar or restaurant — the Crab Shack or something on that order.

Following a Trend, YMCA to Become Simply ‘the Y’ - NYTimes.com.

Wenlock the Walking Willie?

 Today's questionable design features the 2012 Olympic Game's official mascot. The branding strategy insider comments that Wenlock (the mascot's name) resembles a certain part of the male anatomy. What do you think? If there is a connection maybe Cialis could become an official sponsor.

Brand Design: A Penis For London's Olympic Games?.

Savvy Scan - Very cool mobile app!

Take a look at this mobile application. It allows you to scan the barcode of a product in a retail store and then get comparison pricing from other local retailers on the same item. 

Mobile Marketing: Is Channel More Important Than The Product Itself?Thoughts from Ogilvy’s Rory Sutherland

Here's an interview with Ogilvy's Rory Sutherland on mobile marketing. I posted it here because I think there's one great insight to consider - is the channel more important than the product itself. Read and decide for yourself.

MobiAD » Mobile Advertising News » Mobile Marketing: Is Channel More Important Than The Product Itself?Thoughts from Ogilvy’s Rory Sutherland.

Facebook Will Allow Users to Share Location

Adding location data to mobile and social networks is one more enhancement of the pervasive computing experience. But is it going too far?  Do you want your Facebook friends to view your location? Hopefully, they learned from the mistake that Google made with its Buzz feature. Users should have to opt in to ad the location function to their Facebook accounts.

Facebook Will Allow Users to Share Location - Bits Blog - NYTimes.com.

History of CBS Logo

This short video clips discusses the genesis of the CBS logo. It illustrates the idea that good designers borrow concepts from all types of sources. The late Lou Dorfsman appears in this video and talks about the inspiration for Bill Golden's design.

How to Use Twitter for Marketing & PR

Hubspot provides a short but concise guide to using Twitter for marketing and PR. It seems that many companies are jumping on the Twitter bandwagon but how many are using it effectively? There are some good applications suggested here.

How to Use Twitter for Marketing & PR .

On the Eve of Apple's Tablet

 Once again, the Apple new product hype machine is in full overdrive. On Wednesday, the company is holding a special event to launch new products. This event is widely expected to announce the launch of a tablet computing device. Rumors have pegged it as a multi-media interface for music, movies, e-books and other digital content. The screen size has been estimated at 10 inches and the price point somewhere between $800 - 1,000.

The biggest question to me is what niche in Apple's product lineup will the tablet fill? The iPod touch and iPhone are already multi-functional devices, albeit with small screens. If the tablet is essentially a larger version of theses products, what's the point? Who wants to lug around an iPhone, Macbook and Tablet? No. I think there's more going on here with digital media.

 Amazon has demonstrated the feasibility of e-book readers with its Kindle device. Despite the clunky appearance, the concept of downloading books, newspapers and magazines to a digital reader is appealing to many people. I suspect that this is the focus of the Tablet - a better designed version of the Kindle with additional capabilities to play movies and music, sort of an all-purpose personal media device.

What's most interesting to me is the evolution of digital content. This is why the iPod has been so successful over the past decade for Apple — it combines storage, an easy user interface, and the iTunes content delivery system. Wouldn't this type of ecosystem be great for traditional media like newspapers or magazines? How about textbooks? There are so many opportunities for innovation and a company with the cachet of Apple can ignite and accelerate development by providing the coolest delivery platform.

 

Stay tuned for Wednesday's big launch. If you want to follow it live go over to Engadget or MacLife.