Follow The National Lottery’s example: Don’t rebrand, revitalise
Mark RitsonWhen brands struggle, marketers’ first thought is a rebrand or repositioning, but by going back to its roots you can boost sales and retain brand equity cost-effectively.
Mark Ritson – Brand Positioning
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John Lewis the landlord? Welcome to brand extension nirvana
Mark RitsonEven if John Lewis cocks up in its bid to rent homes to the masses, the blowback on its department store business will be limited – even non-existent – thanks to the magic of brand extension.
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Damaging brand image is rarely harmful because it matters so little
Mark RitsonMarketers should worry less about their carefully crafted brand image and take more risks because, as brands such as Porsche, Volvo and Ben & Jerry’s show, consumers don’t care about what they stand for.
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Interbrand’s ‘iconic moves’ invite ridicule for the discipline of branding
Mark RitsonInterbrand is a respected name in brand valuation, but its proposal to replace brand positioning with ‘iconic moves’ demonstrates a lack of strategic sense.
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The streaming wars will be the bloodiest battle in marketing history
Mark RitsonSit back, grab the popcorn and enjoy what will surely prove to be the most competitive commercial contest in marketing history.
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James Bond’s latest repositioning is a lesson to brands looking to adapt to a new era
Mark RitsonBy unveiling that 007 will be a black woman in the next James Bond movie, the producers of the franchise have learned a lesson all brands should take heed of – brands that want to stay relevant and true to their identity must continue to evolve.
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Will Carlsberg’s brave new strategy succeed? Probably
Mark RitsonCarlsberg has turned its famous strapline on its head to admit it is ‘Probably not the best beer in the world’, a move that recalls its heritage while achieving a much needed repositioning.
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Distinctiveness doesn’t need to come at the cost of differentiation
Mark RitsonDistinctiveness and differentiation are both integral to brand success so there doesn’t need to be a trade-off between the two.
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A true brand purpose doesn’t boost profit, it sacrifices it
Mark RitsonTime and again companies have proved unwilling to stick to their lofty purpose statements when it costs them money. For purpose to have any meaning, corporations need to put it before profit.
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Don’t just stand for something, stand against your competitors
Mark RitsonThere are two ways to position a brand – ‘about’ something and ‘versus’ something – and the most powerful examples of positioning do both.
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Stop propping up brand purpose with contrived data and hypocrisy
Mark RitsonChannel 4’s research claiming consumers want purpose-driven ads is the latest flimsy attempt to bolster a morally bankrupt concept that simply covers over corporate indiscretions.
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Lush’s moronic #Spycops campaign is a new low for brand purpose
Mark RitsonLush has only alienated consumers with its poorly judged #Spycops campaign, which has nothing to do with the brand as well as being of no benefit to society.
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Mark Ritson: Pret must bite the cost bullet if it wants to keep its ‘natural’ brand positioning
Mark RitsonPret A Manger has built a brand positioning based on serving natural food, yet the E numbers in its bread clearly undermine that, so it has to decide whether to change its processes or its advertising.
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Mark Ritson: Burberry’s luxury repositioning won’t work, it’s not in the brand DNA
Mark RitsonAfter dispensing with chief creative officer Christopher Bailey, new Burberry CEO Marco Gobbetti wants to take the brand upscale, but it goes against its history and traditions.
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Mark Ritson: People are not brands – no, not even me
Mark RitsonTo succeed professionally you need to be known by your audience and stand out from your competition, but ‘personal branding’ is not a real discipline and if you position yourself to fill a niche you’ll come across as a fraud.