Recommended reading: Ritson’s Nike response and living fearlessly
Marketing Week reviews the latest books, blogs and industry articles for marketers.
This is not a question of brand purpose. This is a question of targeting
by Mark Ritson
Nike’s decision to feature American football star Colin Kaepernick in its 30th anniversary ‘Just Do It’ campaign has been met with fierce criticism, with opponents threatening to boycott the brand and even burning its products. Marketing Week columnist Mark Ritson has taken to Linkedin to argue why Nike’s ad is not an example of brand purpose but of classic brand positioning instead. He also explores why the sportswear giant has won big on brand positioning with this campaign, but has lost half on targeting.
READ MORE: Mark Ritson on why this is not a question of brand purpose, but a question of targeting
Join the Brand
by Norty Cohen
Consumers thrive off familiarity and having a sense of belonging, argues Norty Cohen, who in in his latest book explores how businesses can transform consumers into loyal fans. But, he insists, this takes patience. Cohen suggests you don’t need a big budget to be a big winner as he draws on research and delves into the minds of ‘brand fans’ to help make sense of how they amplify businesses and build long-term equity. Here he also addresses concepts such as turning fans into ‘superfans’, while laying out what marketers can learn from these loyal consumers’ journeys.
We are in an efficiency bubble
by Will Lion
Is the marketing realm living in an efficiency bubble? Will Lion seems to think so. In a recent blog post, BHH London’s head of new products questions whether modern marketing is defined by “perfection of means and confusion of ends”. He says marketers are perhaps looking for both efficiency and effectiveness but their continual quest for efficiency distracts them from effectiveness. Lion explores numerous ways in which people can escape the efficiency bubble, following the motto: “efficiency is nice, effectiveness is just so much better”.
READ MORE: Will Lion on why we are in an efficiency bubble and how to get out
Advertising industry is mirroring global politics – Retreating into localization
by Marco Bertozzi
In this piece, Spotify’s VP for Europe Marco Bertozzi, compares the advertising industry to the political landscape, suggesting that it is too retreating into localisation. He explains that major events such as Cannes have experienced a pushback from agencies and clients, triggering the idea that the industry may be going down a path of localisation. Bertozzi questions whether Cannes is now 100% an international event that hardly any local market people go to and highlights that advertising is in danger of becoming an industry that does not embrace, value or support international collaboration.
The Discomfort Zone
by Farrah Storr
People have a tendency to avoid uncomfortable situations, whether that’s putting yourself forward for a new challenge, asking for difficult feedback or public speaking. But Farrah Storr argues that it’s only when people really push themselves and come out of their comfort zone that they can reach their full potential. Throughout the book, Storr, who is the editor-in-chief of Cosmopolitan, draws on examples from her own life as well as from those who are at the top of their careers.
