2012 Brand Marketing Recap – 34 Brand Stories That Got People Talking
December 21, 2012
What brand marketing tactics were hot in 2012 and which were not? Which brands were doing cool things in 2012 and what trends changed the way brands are marketed?
These questions and more have been answered over the past 12 months here on Corporate Eye, and now, it’s time to recap some of the most interesting brand marketing stories of 2012.
Follow the links below to read about brand marketing stories that got people looking, listening, sharing, and talking in 2012.
Hot Brand Marketing Stories of 2012
- Cross-Platform Hot Topics for Brand Marketing Executives
- Brands Take Notice: American Moms Are Active and Influential Online
- The Evolution of Influence in 16 Minutes
- Store Brands Continue to Gain Popularity While Names Brands Lost Customers
- How Brands are Connecting Outdoor Advertising to Facebook
- Data: The Missed Marketing Opportunity
- Moving Beyond Data Paralysis in Marketing
- Fewer than Half of Companies Are Prepared for a Social Media Threat
- Twitter Advertisers Can Now Target Based on Location and Interests
- Consumers Cannot Identify Olympics Brand Sponsors
- 10 Brands that Will Die in 2013 – Does Anyone Care?
Brands Doing Interesting Things in 2012
- The Real Reason Red Bull Stratos Was So Successful
- Skechers Launches Creative Rewards Program with a Crowdsourcing Twist
- Huffington Post to Manage Content Sites for Brands
- Coca-Cola Takes Content Marketing to a New Level with the Content 2020 Project
- BP to Launch Ads to Boost Positive Brand Sentiment
Brand Identity Work in 2012
- Kraft Launches a New Logo that Looks Like the Old Logo
- 2016 Rio Olympics Logo – An Improvement over London 2012
- Rebranding for ITV Brings a New Logo Design
- SketchUp Shows How to Rebrand after Google
- New Logo and Colors for Air New Zealand
Brand Marketing Infographics
- 94% of Consumers Think Businesses Should Give Back
- 4 Ways Brands Can Use Big Data to Optimize Marketing Results
- 1 out of 2 Consumers Think Brand Facebook Pages Are More Useful Than Websites
- What the Media Wants from Brands
- What’s Next for Branded Apps?
- What Consumers Want vs. What Executives Think Consumers Want
- PPC Accounts for Only 6% of U.K. Search Clicks
- How Well Do Consumers Know the Olympics Brand?
- Brands Sponsor Athletes from Great Britain at 2012 Olympics
- Nestle Responds to Child Labor Violations
- The Big 3 of Luxury Brands
- Facebook Helps Brands Drive Growth in Emerging Markets
- Viral Spread of Ads 2006-2011
What do you think were the most interesting brand marketing stories of 2012?
Image: Felipe Wiecheteck
Quantifying and Visualizing Logo Trends
July 26, 2012
Thinking of using a leaf in your brand’s new logo design? You might want to think twice about that decision, because it’s not unique. That’s according to data from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office as analyzed in James I. Bowie’s new blog, Emblemetric, which uses quantitative analysis from USPTO data to decipher and report logo design trends.
Nearly 3.8% of logos use a leaf in their designs (that includes generic leaves only, not specific types of leaves such as maple leaves or elm leaves). The trend of using leaves in logo design picked up steam in 2000, and today, leaves are considered a visual shorthand of an eco-friendly brand message. However, the use of leaves in logo design is even more popular in specific industries such as agriculture, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and beverages (approximately 10%-13% of logos in these industries use leaves in their logos). Even the advertising industry is above average in its use of leaves in their own logos (approximately 4%).
Bowie also researched the use of color in logo design. He found that most logos include the colors blue, red, or green. Red took the top spot in the beverages and hospitality industries while blue is most popular in the chemicals, insurance, medical, and pharmaceutical industries.
More interested in the geography of logo trademarks? Bowie has analyzed that, too. He wanted to learn if logos differ based on the location of the companies and organizations they represent, and his research found the following geographic breakdown of U.S. logo trademark share:
- West = 23.5%
- East = 21.6%
- South = 20.3%
- Non-U.S. = 18.1%
- Midwest = 16.5%
Bowie found that logos in the west are far more likely to use basketballs than any other region while logos in the east are more likely to use marijuana plants and surfboards. In the south, logos are more likely to include tobacco leaves, and logos in the midwest are more likely to include corn stalks. Foreign logos are more likely to include alcohol bottle labels than in any U.S. region. You can get all the details about these logo color trends by region here.
So far, Bowie’s blog is interesting and entertaining. I’m patiently waiting for the swoosh and circle analyses – two of the most overused elements in logo design, in my opinion. What trend in logo design is most intriguing to you? Leave a comment and share your opinion.
Image: Joanna Kopik
Google Breaks Web 2.0 Logo Design Trend with New Chrome Logo
March 19, 2011
Over the past decade, more and more companies have been investing in logo redesigns in order to create logos that seems more modern and digital. The glossy, 3-dimensional redesigns have been called the Web 2.0 logo redesign trend. However, that trend might be coming to an end if a new design for Google’s Chrome brand is a sign of things to come.
The Brand New reports that the new logo was first sighted on Google’s Chromium site earlier this year. It’s expected that the logo will eventually make it’s way to other Chrome-branded sites, services, and products.
The highly-stylized Web 2.0 Chrome logo debuted when Google’s web browser was launched in 2008. Two sides of the new Chrome logo debate are forming. One side likes the change to the simply style and matte colors, while the other thinks the new logo is a step backwards.
I have to admit that I’m on the side of this debate that prefers the new, simpler design, and it performs slightly better in a one-color test. I’ve never been a fan of the Web 2.0 logo redesign trend, so my curiosity was piqued when I heard about this new Chrome logo. However, it still includes shading and color use that implies the 3-D, Web 2.0 trend. In other words, Google couldn’t completely get away from the Web 2.0 logo design trend in this new attempt.
It will be interesting to see if Google goes through with rolling out this new logo. And if Google does replace its Web 2.0 Chrome logo design with a simpler version, will it be the first in a new logo design trend? Will other brands ditch the Web 2.0 glitz, too?
Only time will tell. What do you think of the Web 2.0, 3-dimensional logo design trend? Love it? Hate it? Has it run its course? Leave a comment and share your thoughts.
20 Must-Read Branding Articles of 2010
December 20, 2010
2010 has nearly reached its end, so it seems to be an appropriate time for a 2010 branding recap. Following are links to 20 must-read branding articles that I published here on the Corporate Eye blog in 2010. You can use the concepts, trends, and theories discussed in these articles as you develop your marketing and branding strategies for 2011. Note — this list is in no particular order.
- 5 Tips for Branding Success
- Are All Brands Global in the 21st Century?
- The Ultimate Brand Champion – Hugh Hefner of Playboy
- Are You Talking to the Right People About Your Brand Online?
- Branding from Within – The Importance of Internal Brand Building
- 2010 – The Year of Brand Transparency, Honesty and Trust
- The Oprah Effect
- 10 Brand Stories that Made Headlines in 2010
- The Importance of Internal Brand Advocates
- 10 Big Buzz Brands of 2010 for American Consumers
- How Customer Service Affects a Brand
- Brand Confusion Always Benefits the Category Leader
- Branded YouTube Channels to Benchmark
- Brand Museums and Factories Become Popular Tourist Destinations
- 5 Rebranding Mistakes to Avoid No Matter What
- Tiffany – Brand Longevity in a Blue Box
- 5 Corporate Brands that Know How to Merchandise
- Calculating the Value of Facebook Fans
- Put Your Brand Through the One-Color Test
- Consumers Want Incentives from Brands to Become and Stay Fans
Image: stock.xchng
2010 – The Year of Brand Transparency, Honesty and Trust
February 1, 2010
Earlier this month, I wrote an article that was published on Entrepreneur.com where I listed 10 marketing trends for 2010. The top trend on that list was transparency and trust (which includes honesty), and that trend should define 2010 for brand strategy.
The question is – will companies actually follow the trend like they should? Some will, but unfortunately, more will probably not.
So why are transparency, honesty and trust so important for brands in 2010?
It’s simple. Consumers aren’t naive anymore. There was a time when consumers believed the marketing messages in ads. There was also a time when many people believed in political propaganda, but thankfully, with advances in communications and technology, more people than ever can see through those skewed messages. The same holds true with advertising claims.
Banks have collapsed, economies are faltering or failing, auto manufacturers took multi-billion dollar bailout packages, and many consumers have lost their last hopes that the pie-in-the-sky claims made in ads are even remotely true.
And that’s why transparency, honesty and trust are so important for brands in 2010. Give people something to believe in. Create expectations for your brand in consumers’ minds that they can believe and rely on. Then, deliver on those expectations every time and in every customer interaction.
Make them believe in your brand through truth, not veiled propaganda.
Yes, I’m a copywriter and I’m saying this. It might seem like a contradiction to say I’m a copywriter and promote a brand strategy of transparency, honesty and trust in 2010. However, successful copywriters, brand managers, and marketers understand that the world has changed thanks to communications and technological advancements like Twitter, social networking, online video, and more. Brands that stretch the truth are called out faster than ever and word of a brand’s dishonesty will spread faster and farther than you can imagine.
Of course, there are exceptions to every rule, and you need to analyze your brand, audience, competition, and so on before you modify your own brand strategy for 2010.
In fact, that’s a great area for discussion here on the Corporate Eye blog. What brands, industries, categories, etc. would fare better to avoid embracing the transparency, honesty and trust trend? Can you think of any? Leave a comment and share your thoughts.
Image: Flickr