UPDATED - Ice cream - cure for the blues during recession?

After talking with a fellow colleague Christopher Lovell, there were a few developments that where taken into account. For instance, considering Hertbrand is an umbrella brand for a number of various sub-brands, could we not create innovation to roll out across ALL the sub-brands? Is there a way to boost sales during the summer months (or even when it snows?). Could a dying brand be rejuvenated somehow? (similar to Cadbury's successful Wispa campaign).

These considerations will be developed - watch this space.

Original post:

 

Probably not, but then again, this is only an early stage strategy idea for Unilever's oddly-named ice cream company, 'Heartbrand'. I'll be considering how to develop this deck further over the coming weeks - I'm sure there's an insight in here somewhere waiting to be scooped out (see what I did there?), refined and exploited.

 

 

 

What's already going down in the world of ice cream...

 

Lowest Common Denominator.

Has the bottom line in branding become lower in recent years after a spate of brand message butchery? Loveable old favorites like ‘Finger Lickin’ Good’ and ‘Probably the Best Beer in the World’ have been chopped into vague singulars, bent on reaching as many demographics as possible. The worst part is that many of these new straplines aren’t ownable for the brand in question - regardless of how pure the intentions. BMW cannot own the word ‘joy’, much like Coke can never own the word ‘happiness’ – they’re simply too indistinct and ubiquitous. The watering down of a message affects its ability to perform. Will future brand messages be nothing more than a single word? Will the magic ever return?

Comment: The names Brand...James Brand.

Saw the latest James Bond film and I must say...'why so serious?' On a serious note, I was on the hunt for the usual plugs and placements including an annoyingly obvious one which went something like this....

James (at bar): 'What am I drinking?'
Barman: 'It's got Vodka, Vermouth and Gordon's Gin in it'.

It's almost as bad as the Omega one in Die Another Day. Every single, possible, conceivable electronic product MUST be a Sony (but seeing as the film's distributor is owned by Sony I'm not surprised). Still, the film was really enjoyable and the fight scenes were unlike anything I've ever seen in a Bond film before. Go see it. But remember to turn off your brand new Sony phone, available in all good retail stores in time for Xmas....