Brands

Egg-centricity

Posted on by Razor

A Christmas elf ‘teabagging’ a Barbie-type doll.

I remember spitting my tea out when I first saw Poundland’s #ElfBehavingBad campaign on Twitter. Surely they’d been hacked? Or perhaps it was a spoof feed?

Sure enough, there was the blue tick that confirmed its authenticity. At last! It was really happening. I’d patiently waited for the day a high street retailer would resort to bawdy behaviour – and here was my reward. I immediately embraced it before it would, inevitably, be taken away from us.

Fortunately, the ban came after Christmas so we managed to see the festive japes in all their glory. Only 85 people complained about the posts but it was enough for the ASA to take action and ban them from appearing again. The star of the show is currently serving time and thinking about his actions. (Nicely done, Poundland.)

Of course, nothing disappears from the internet that easily and we can still see what it was that got Elfie into trouble. Top-of-mind awareness, boosted sales, word of mouth, and a marketing campaign that didn’t cost the earth. Pure genius all round. Not all retailers could take this kind of risk. 

For Easter, they’ve introduced us to Bunny & Chick. I doubt that anything will shock the way that the naughty elf did – but I’m sure Poundland will give it their best shot. There’s still time. 

ps: I tried my best to write this without resorting to innuendo. It was so hard.

 

 

See you later, alligator?

Posted on by BigBrandIdeas

It’s not every day you see a brand do away with its logo. But, for the first time ever, Lacoste has done precisely that for an extremely limited edition collection.

Lacoste and creative agency, BETC Paris, recently teamed up with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) to help raise awareness of, and funds for, endangered species. Whilst the famous Lacoste crocodile isn’t endangered, there are many species that aren’t as lucky.

Across the collection of classic white polos, 10 endangered species have individually appeared where the croc used to be. Not only that, but the number of polos in existence (for sale) of each species corresponds to the number alive left in the wild.

For instance, the Vaquita (porpoise) range offered only 30 polos (specimens). At the top end of the scale, there were 450 of the Anegada Ground Iguana shirts.

That gives us a total of 1,775 polo shirts across the entire collection. That knowledge certainly puts things into perspective. Not only is this partnership raising much needed attention to the #SaveTheSpecies campaign, it’s genuinely creating a buzz, a collector’s item and (most importantly) a dialogue about the cause. With every polo purchased, the money goes towards preserving that species in the wild. And it goes without saying, the limited stock was snapped up almost instantly; pun intended.

In the past, I’ve questioned whether corporate social responsibility is something that big brands are merely latching onto, rather than truly standing for something. Some attempts of CSR seem disingenuous and removed from the brand – essentially just piggy-backing onto someone else’s social work. However, I think this is a great example of how to get it right. Lacoste has created something relevant, worthy and important. This campaign certainly gets the Razor approval. And it’s only the beginning – the partnership will run for the next three years. Good work!

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(Photo by Lacoste.)

‘Nothing beats a Londoner’

Posted on by BigBrandIdeas

An advert has generated a spirit I haven’t felt since the 2012 Olympics; one of genuine pride and excitement to be a Londoner. And I’m not even its target audience!

Nike wanted to reconnect with young Londoners to demonstrate that the American superbrand really ‘gets’ them and is aligned with their values. To achieve this, it created a three-minute film that tells the stories of everyday young Londoners aspiring to be athletes. There’s an obligatory smattering of famous sporting and musical cameos thrown in – but they are not the stars of this show.

Judging by the overall positive response on social media and the 2.8m views on You Tube since its launch six days ago, it’s clearly hitting the mark.

So why does it work? A myriad of reasons no doubt. I can’t speak for Gen Z but here’s what jumps out at me:

  • Celebration
    The focus is on young Londoners themselves, not on the Nike brand. The film not only showcases a diverse group in terms of ethnicity, but also in terms of the broad variety of sports covered and, importantly, who we see playing them (think gender neutrality). Nike is celebrating the diversity and individuality of London’s Gen Z through their athletic pursuits.

  • Authenticity
    They’ve done a really good job of making it feel authentic; something we know Gen Z expects and demands of brands these days. The true-to-life locations (i.e. the streets of Peckham), the grainy texture of the shots (by using 16mm film) and the use of 258 real young Londoners all help to capture a genuine depiction of London youth culture as we know it.
  • Energy
    The pace of the film creates a momentum akin to the nervous energy you feel at the start of a match or when you’re about to perform; that sense of potential achievement when you’ve been working so hard to reach your goals. This inspirational energy is powerful and no doubt speaks to the aspirational and can-do attitude of London’s youth.

Nicely done, Nike. 

Same same but different

Posted on by Razor

‘Imagine you’re doing a weekly shop of supermarket own brand products.

At checkout, you’re allowed to exchange just one product for a branded label. Which would you pick?’

Last week we hosted a wonderful work experience student who asked us this question on her last day. It created quite the discussion amongst us – including whether we think Generation Z* are less brand loyal than Millennials…and I’ve been mulling this over ever since she left.

Now I have to admit that I only know a small handful of Gen Z’s. And the majority of my research has focused on Millennials and their predecessors, so I feel a little out of touch with this cohort!

What I can glean (and I’ve more to learn), is that Gen Z are set to be a super-charged version of Millennials and will pose a greater challenge for brands to engage and retain.

I say super-charged Millennials because in a lot of ways Gen Z are looking for the same things – only, seemingly, amplified tenfold! For instance, they choose brands that are authentic, they want fast and friction-free customer service across channels, they favour experiences over possessions, they’re driven by content that engages and entertains, and they feel empowered to create change in the world.

However, there are two fundamental differences (no doubt there’ll be more!) that mean brands will have to work harder and find new ways to market to these consumers to stay relevant:

1. Gen Z are the first true digital natives. They’ve grown up (almost from the get-go) with easy and immediate access to the internet and it’s become an integral part of how they live their lives. They’re addicted to tech. I’d argue that this means they’re:

  • Exposed to a wider variety of brands – which will likely engender a natural promiscuity in buying behaviour. Thus making it harder to generate loyalty.
  • Likely to tune out of lot of advertising and focus on what feels relevant to them. The rise of influencer marketing is a clear reaction to the demand from consumers – and most likely much of this cohort – for relevant, credible content that feels more authentic (even if it’s not!). And this is only likely to continue.
  • More focused on the present and judging brands on what they see and hear in the moment; placing less stock in brand heritage.
  • Looking to connect with brands that help them develop their own online image and enable them to connect with others through content and experiences.

2. They’ve grown up in the aftermath of the recession. They’re facing the prospect of huge university loans and a seemingly impenetrable housing market, which will no doubt make them more budget conscious. Brands will have to work much harder for a share of wallet.

So generating loyalty among Gen Z is definitely a challenge and brands will have to stay ahead in the marketing game to stand out from the crowd. Indeed, Gen Z is less motivated by loyalty programmes than Millennials, which means some brands may have to take a fresh approach to building loyalty with this generation.

However, it is clearly not an impossible feat. You only have to look at user numbers for Snapchat and Instagram or the success of brands like Nike and Forever 21 with this generation to see that loyalty is achievable.  The question is what are those brands doing exactly and how are they doing it? It’s time more brands tried to find out.  

*There are never clear cut dates for generations so, for arguments sake, let’s assume that we’re talking about anyone born between 1995 – 2012. 

Digital assistance for life

Posted on by Razor

‘She’s changed our lives for the better.’
‘I don’t know how we ever managed without her.’
‘She’s driving me mad!’
‘She doesn’t listen to me.’
‘I had to pull the plug on her.’

Yep. We’re in that new year/January wasteland where most of us are probably adjusting to the snazzy new gadgets we received for Christmas. (Or pets. At least one of the above sentences refers to a dog.) After playing with them during the holidays, it’s now time to settle them into our regular day-to-day routines.

No prizes for guessing what kind of gadget I’m referring to. The top app on Christmas day for Android and iPhone was Amazon’s Alexa app. While that doesn’t reveal specific device sales figures, it’s a strong indicator that smart speakers/digital assistants were the winning gifts for Christmas 2017. Other brands are, of course, available.

Having watched my friends over the past year adjust to having a virtual assistant in the home, I’ve noted several things – including:

  • How incredibly useful they are.
  • How IMMEDIATELY useful they become.
  • They have a bare minimum of settings.
  • They can do so much.
  • They adjust to accents.
  • They solve arguments.
  • My friends’ children ask these devices for everything – including food.
  • They don’t always work as planned.
  • They can do SO MUCH.

I, personally, don’t own one yet. I’m not even brave enough to install a smart thermostat at home. In fact, I’m one of those annoying people who would unplug everything if I could possibly get away with it. (I’m an anxious person – you get the idea…) BUT I’m intrigued to see how others go about their daily lives with them. As a sort of ‘laggard’, I talk to the early adopters and make my decisions based on their experiences. It’s for the best. Technological advances come so ridiculously quickly that most devices are considered out of date by the time I’m ready to buy in.

The other factor (which really doesn’t help my anxiety levels) is the privacy issue. Yes, Google knows everything I’ve ever asked it/written in Gmail/searched on YouTube. Facebook monitors me, Messenger listens to my conversations, and my phone has GPS. I’ve grudgingly learned to live with the price we pay for convenience – and I can switch them off around me when I feel like it. Having a device in the home listening to my conversations however is (currently) too far a stretch for me – even if it does have a mute button. I daresay I’ll change my mind further down the line but, right now, I live in a tiny flat and don’t have to stumble too far to switch the radio or a light on.

So if 2017 was the year that voice recognition hit the big time, what should we expect in 2018? More functions beyond the living room and kitchen for sure. Sleep technology is bound to be the next big thing. Your smart watch might be able to measure the quality of your sleep today, but how about app-enhanced beds for us and our pets tomorrow? Or bathroom solutions to control the length of our showers and water temperature? These can’t be too far away. In fact, I’m sure they already exist – I’m just too lazy to ask Google to verify. And I’ll be inundated with targeted ads for all sorts of tech wizardry if I do.  

Point is, it won’t be too long before the majority of our day-to-day tasks can’t happen without digital assistance.

What would make me cave in? Stuart Heritage summed things up in a way I can relate to:

‘You know how your heart sinks when you go to a shop and accidentally spend slightly more than £30, because it means you have to forego contactless payment in favour of manually entering your pin number with your fat cow hands like some sort of gormless circus monkey? That’s how it felt when I returned the Echo and reverted to digging out my phone, opening an app, typing some words, scrolling through choices and pressing play on my dumb anachronism of a Sonos. What had once been magical had suddenly become a chore.’

(If you liked that, give his whole article a read.)

While the tech isn’t suited to me (just yet), I’m genuinely excited to see how it will enhance the lives of the elderly and those with limited mobility. There’s a world of voice-controlled possibilities out there. 

All I want for Christmas

Posted on by Razor

As a keen observer of kids’ trends over the past couple of decades, Lesley Salem’s noticed very little shift in the play drivers behind children’s gift choices – particularly at Christmas time. Of course, technology is ever-present and impacting on toy design. However, much of what’s on this year’s wish lists are merely iterations of traditional play…

Promoting care and nurture

Kids develop their understanding of other’s needs, and demonstrate love and care, through role-play. Therefore, dolls and animals have always dominated in children’s play choices. AI and robotic technology have transformed the market, so today’s toys are able to learn, evolve, and be more responsive to their owner. Young children have animistic thinking and believe objects are living, so AI and robotics have created more realism and are able to inspire loving moments and emotional bonds with children by responding to touch.

Popular examples include Luvabella Doll which has over 100 phrases and different facial expressions, Zoomer Chimp and FurReal’s Roarin’ Tyler the Playful Tiger learn commands and tricks over time, encouraging longevity of play. These kind of toys are not ‘just for Christmas’.

Promoting fantasy play and safe risk-taking

Some parents might feel uncomfortable purchasing toy weapons but it’s natural instinct (particularly for boys) to enjoy fantasy play involving weapons and super hero role play. It’s critical to their development with regards to safe risk-taking. It also allows kids to feel empowered in a world where they have little control.

Nerf guns continue to storm in sales but desire for action and love of cars are combined with this season’s Nerf Nitro LongShot Smash. Kids can design their own stunts and fire foam cars with powerful, high-performing Nerf blasters. The set includes two foam cars, plus a long-jump ramp for long-distance jumping challenges. Lazer X is another game expected to do well this Xmas and is a twist on laser tag. The set is designed for two players. Each player wears a chest plate that has energy for 10 lives. The experience is likened to being inside a video arcade game with various features that stimulate the senses.

Star Wars continues to be a popular franchise and with Hasbro’s Bladebuilders, users can choose between being a goodie or baddie and customise their weaponry in over 100 different combinations.

The joy of the unexpected

More than ever, kids love games that have an element of surprise or randomness in them to provide unexpected, shared experiences. Combined with humour, games like Pie Face and Toilet Trouble (both by Hasbro), work on the principle that after some time, one unlucky player will either get whipped cream or toilet water splashed on their face. Other toys are also tapping into the idea of surprise. L.O.L. Surprise! by MGA Entertainment is expected to surge this Christmas. Kids are encouraged to peel through layers to reveal treats and accessories before reaching a mystery doll in the middle. As there are so many different combinations, this has also increased its value as a collectable. Then there’s Hatchimals Surprise by Spin Master Toys; small eggs that hatch over time to reveal a unique animal inside.

Promoting skills

The lines between education and entertainment have merged, so edutainment is an important trend to the toy industry. LEGO Boost allows kids to build and code interactive, motorised robots and models with distance, colour, and tilt sensor technologies.

Mattel’s Bloxels allows kids to create and animate play spaces, characters and objects, enabling them to become the artist, game designer, storyteller, programmer, publisher and player in their very own virtual reality.

Cozmo by Anki joins a range of friendly robots that explore the environment, repeat phrases said by their owner, and show off their epic moves. Kids can take advantage of Cozmo’s Code Lab feature which enhances its movements, actions, and animations. SAM Labs is a bit like Meccano for the internet generation. It teaches kids how to code and also develops STEM skills. It includes a light sensor, a tilt sensor, a motor and buzzer.  

Little stars

Kids are growing up in the selfie era, following YouTubers and watching talent shows, so it’s no surprise to see a rise in toys that promote kids’ starring performances. DreamWorks’ Trolls Selfie Karaoke Mic Stand and VTech’s Kidi Super Star are definitely something the parents can mess around with when the kids have gone to sleep!

What about gender neutral?

With all the chat this year on the importance of promoting gender neutrality in play, there’s little evidence of this in toy packaging this Christmas. Cars, weapons, and gaming toys still feature traditional ‘boy’ colours and male models whilst dolls and performance toys come in pinks and purples with female models on the packaging. The reality is, from our research, that whilst girls are more open in their play choices, boys are very traditional and steer clear of anything that has a hint of ‘girl’ on it.  Media, parents, schooling and other cultural/socialisation mechanics have a long way to go to make play more gender neutral.

*Lesley Salem heads up Razor Kids, our specialist kids and family unit. You can reach her on [email protected] .

Appointment to view

Posted on by Razor

‘Seriously. Do you guys schedule time to watch TV commercials?’

That’s what our intern, Ashley, asked us this morning with a bewildered look as we gathered to watch the new M&S Christmas offering.

‘Of course we do. This is our Super Bowl – except it’s not all crammed into one day.’

Strangely enough, I’d never consciously thought about Christmas ads in this manner until I said the above words out loud. But it’s true. They’re the closest thing we have when you take into account the kind of effort and money that goes into producing and airing these (mostly cinematic) numbers. Not to mention all the build-up to each of them. And I’m not just saying this because I’ve worked in media and with brands most of my adult life. My non-media/marketing pals are also eagerly waiting to find out which character/song they and/or their children will fall in love with this year.  

Unlike during the Super Bowl, we’re pretty safe in the knowledge that our (mostly) quintessentially British brands will be vying to charm us with magical moments, feel-good factors, and the kind of Christmas that is likely to be unattainable for a large chunk of the population. While those ads might have made me cringe in previous years, I’ve realised that one way to counter the hopeless feeling I get from reading about current affairs is to embrace this escapism for a wee while.

So bring it on, retailers! Spread some joy. And let’s hope this isn’t the year that some of you have decided to go all political on us, Super Bowl style.

The story so far (click on titles to watch):

Aldi: #KevinAndKatie
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Asda: #BestChristmasEver 
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Argos: #ReadyForTakeOff 
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M&S: Paddington and the Christmas Visitor 
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Tesco: Everyone’s Welcome
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Vodafone: A Christmas Love Story (multi-episode) 
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Nowhere to hide

Posted on by Razor

Brands used to be in the power seat. And that seat was enclosed within a black box where they were able to carefully curate the image they promoted to the outside world – ultimately shaping consumer perceptions.

Trendwatching’s recent report on ‘Glass Box Brands’  makes for a thought-provoking read on how that power has shifted and what it means to be a brand in today’s world.

The rise of transparency, user-based journalism, social media – and consumers’ increasing need for connectivity – has led to the black paint being scrubbed away to reveal ‘glass box brands’. In this guise, everything a brand does – both externally and internally – has the potential to be visible to the hearts and minds of consumers, readily scrutinising everything they see and hear about what brands are up to.

The report calls for brands to think (if they haven’t already) about how to deal with this increased level of scrutiny, particularly in terms of increasing public interest in a brand’s internal culture.

Although we agree that brands would do well to take a more 360-degree approach to nurturing brand image, past and present events suggest that if a brand plays a fundamental value and convenience function in the lives of consumers then we (as consumers) will be more willing to turn a blind eye to any of their indiscretions. We may wrestle with how the likes of, say Amazon, Starbucks, and Uber operate, however we won’t always vote with our feet. 

BUT we are seeing a shift…  

“The truth is that there is a high cost to a bad reputation.” Not our words, but the words of new Uber CEO, Dara Khosrowshahi, in an open letter to his employees following the recent Transport for London ruling that denied them an operating licence.

What we’ve seen is Uber’s tone go from arrogance to humility. Khosrowshahi followed up with an open letter to London apologising and promising that his company will change. Music to consumers’ ears.

Michael O’Leary, CEO of RyanAir (notorious for his aggressive nature) also changed his tone in recent times. The airline ‘messed up’ their rosters and many flights were cancelled affecting more than 700,000 passengers. In comparison to his previous outbursts, he’s been uncharacteristically remourseful towards his passengers.

Is this a sign of things to come? Probably. It’s fine in consumers’ eyes to come along and shake things up. That’s what challenger brands do. However, when you’re successful and suddenly playing in the big leagues, things inevitably change. Consumers will scrutinise you and expect a decent level of customer service and ethics – in addition to the value and convenience you’ve been offering them. It would be absurd to disregard outsider opinion and expect no fallout. In Uber’s case, TfL pointed an uncomfortable spotlight in its face. If their response is anything to go by, we should eventually have more trust in them – not just in their reliable product but their reputation too.

Genuinely confusing

Posted on by Razor

‘Authenticity’ is one of those words. Marketers are obsessed with it. Consumers refer to it all the time…but what does it really mean?

Let’s start with the dictionary. Oxford defines it as, ‘of undisputed origin and not a copy; genuine’.

However, this doesn’t quite cover the full extent of its usage. Because, like charisma (that other indefinable quality), authenticity comes in many, and sometimes contradictory, guises. For example, a recipe can be said to be ‘authentic’ if it adheres to tradition, but so can an artisanal, ‘craft’ brewer tearing up the rule book. 

Confused? You’re not the only one.   

But if we track its many, and varied, guises we might come closer to understanding what it’s all about. So, like a Victorian naturalist surveying their butterfly collection, here’s a few choice specimens of ‘the authentic’.

The genuine article

Brands have been exploiting our desire for the ‘real thing’ for decades, either through design cues (official-looking stamps/crests, evocations of provenance etc.) or by, quite literally, telling us.

1990-Can-t-Beat-the-Real-Thing

The fruit of human labour

‘Handmade’, ‘handcrafted’ and even ‘handbaked’ (?!)… all signifiers that the product was made by an actual person. But why do we care? Yes, it implies a certain degree of quality – but the fact that it was touched by human hand is also used to suggest that it’s in some way more genuine, more real.

Bloom

The passion play

Many brands talk about how ‘passionate’ they are about what they do. However, this is where it all gets a bit problematic. Consumers frequently mistake the authenticity of the maker for the authenticity of the product, which is not the same thing; they may be genuinely passionate about what they do but that doesn’t mean that what they produce is authentic.

Nonetheless, brands have been profitably mining this confusion for years (and thereby entrenching it further): witness the amount of packaging telling you how much ‘love’ has gone into the product.   

Skoda

The honest approach

There are honest brands which quietly go about their work and then there are honest brands which actively make a virtue out of it. They come in strident, anti-bullshit form or through gentler appeals to transparency and integrity (Honest Tea). However, as in Oasis’ case (below), being honest is not the same as being genuine.

Oasis

This is really just the tip of the iceberg as far as authenticity in branding is concerned.

As I’ve hopefully shown, it’s not without its contradictions. The fact that authenticity applies differently to product (i.e. ‘made to the authentic recipe’) as it does to brand behaviour (e.g. tone of voice and personality) can make for a confused, if compelling, mess. 

But one that ultimately still proves winning with consumers.

Game of phones

Posted on by Razor

What a weird and wonderful 10 years it’s been. The iPhone was first released back in June 2007 and shaped the world of mobile as we now know it. Over 81% of people in the UK now has access to a smartphone device. The smartphone has shifted the way we interact with each other – and how businesses interact with us.

Whilst social media began on desktop, its transfer to mobile continues to rocket as more and more people own smartphones. Social media (in at least one form) is almost something the majority of us cannot live without. To put its rapid rise in perspective, Snapchat was born in 2011 and now has more than 20,000 snaps sent per SECOND by its users. That is over 1.7 billion per day!

It’s not new news to us but, ultimately, this technology has changed the way we see/view advertisements. For instance, despite not having a TV set in my own home, I still get push notifications, forced ads on YouTube, sponsored ads on Insta, brand stories on snapchat…the list goes on.

Recently John Lewis became the first company within the UK to use Facebook 360 adverts to allow customers to view collections in full view. Whist browsing kitchens/rooms, customers can zoom, click-and-buy items easily. With the increase in popularity of live streaming, started by Periscope and growing with the introduction of Facebook and Instagram Live, I wonder how long it will take big brands to step into this marketing space too?

We are seeing smaller brands already using live video through social media platforms to their benefit, so it can’t be long ’til the big boys follow suit.

And while we are not there yet, virtual reality no doubt will continue to grow. Just think of the immersive experiences brands can deliver through this medium.

It’s impressive how far the smartphone has developed in the last 10 years and how brands have, and are, changing with them. I wonder what will happen in the next 10?