Bialetti Un grande venditore Lesson from a great italian salesman

The concept of recreating the real taste of professionally made coffee to the home did not begin with Nespresso convincing us to become our own domestic barista. The octagonal  aluminium Moka  from Italy brought something near to the real taste of espresso coffee into Italian homes in the 1930s.  The stove-top pot produces coffee by passing boiling water pressurised by steam through ground coffee.

omino coi baffi - the little man with a moustache
 with hand raised ordering a coffee

Personalities in business are not new of course but there seem to be fewer 'characters' who are brand champions in the style  of Renato Bialetti.

The great Italian salesman and marketer died a few days ago  in Ascona, at the age of 93 and "fruits -of-success" would like to pay tribute to him and tell a little of his story which has a lesson relevant to today's sales professionals. 

Renato Bialetti, is the Italian entrepreneur known for having launched the Moka. 

While he lived in Omegna, Italy he was raised in a family whose business had been founded by his father Alfonso in 1933.  Renato started running the business in 1946.

Renato's mission was to make the Moka famous around the world and it started with a restyling of the design by launching the popular "omino coi baffi", a little man with moustache which is now the symbol of the Bialetti Moka worldwide.

The Bialetti Moka is now a global icon and an estimated 330 million have been sold worldwide. 

Obituary in the  London Times 24th Feb 2016

The Bialetti Moka Express was designed in Italy in 1933 by Luigi di Ponti, who sold the patent to Alfonso Bialetti, an aluminium vendor.The patent for the pot was acquired by Renato's father, Alfonso, in 1933.

The brewing process used by the Moka was devised by Alfonso. 

A soap story  

It was inspired by watching his wife Ada washing laundry in the fields of Omegna., on lake Orta north-west of Milan. 

Looking at the tub which had a central column that drew up a mixture of  soap and ashes when the water boiled- Alfonso realised that the method could be applied to making coffee.

Alfonso recognised the potential of the gadget – one of the first kitchen items to be made from aluminium - which promised to bring high-quality, espresso style coffee into homes for the first time. The principles improved on standard percolators where the circulated brewed coffee reduced its flavour.

Alfonso cast his octagonal 'caffetiera' in aluminium rather than steel. This gave a futuristic look as well as making it easier to mass-produce  using moulds.

But Alfonso struggled to market the aluminium pots on a large scale, only selling them at local markets around Piedmont.

By the time his son took over the company in 1947, only 70,000 pots had been manufactured.     But thanks to the younger Bialetti, the fortune of the Moka began to change.

The  Balietti Moka range on the shelves of the wonderful kitchen
 cookware department of Elphicks of Farnham

Renato launched a huge marketing campaign, renting billboards in major Italian cities and became a mascot for the brand, printing a caricature of himself on each pot.

Renato Bialetti’s temperament  was an unusual mixture of rigour and and imagination, exuberance and shyness, genius and recklessness.

A salutary lesson for us all

 Despite his success he kept his feet on the ground and like to tell of how he had once gone to a swanky car showroom in Milan and asked the price of a  Mercedes. 

The salesman had looked at his sober jacket, buttoned to the neck, assumed he was a chauffeur and asked when his master would pick up the car. Bialetti went next door and bought a Bentley !

Lesson :NEVER judge a book by its cover. – applies to show room selling and working off an exhibition stand today !

Renato Bialetti passed away on February 11, 2016. He was 93. After cremation, his ashes were placed in a large Moka Express-shaped urn. The urn was blessed in a funeral mass, then placed in Bialetti's family plot in Omegna, Italy.

Related links

7 marketing 'P's in a Pod Nespresso and the Vertuoline

#KeepitTea Keep it three #FindYourFlow Go man Go The Selling Power of threes

Whether you are communicating  in written or verbal English in your selling, it is very useful to appreciate the rhythm of the language as well as its meanings.
A particularly useful pattern is the rhythm of threes.

The new advertising campaign for Unilever's PG tips brand of tea ,starring Monkey, is a three word slogan "Keep it Tea". ( Keep (1) It (2) Tea (3)

Why the pattern of threes resonates so well,  is not known for sure , but it could be due to the early Christian writings and the dogma of the Christian faith of the Trinity that became embedded in the langauge.

God the Father (1), The Son (2) and the Holy Ghost (3)

This pattern of threes is sown in much of the popular liturgy e.g. The Gloria Patri finishes - .... as it was in the beginning (1), is now (2) and ever shall be (3)

in St Paul's famous letter to the Corinthians 1 :13 on Love "  Faith (1) Hope (2) and Charity (3)

In spoken English the pattern of three often occurs in basic narratives of jokes.

" There was an Englishman (1) , an Irish man (2) and a Scotsman (3)......

Selling Political campaigns

When political slogans are required to build a campaign the patter of threes again comes to the fore.

President Modi at Wembley Stadium 13th November 2015 

Whenever we talk about rupee bond, we always remember James Bond. If James Bond provides us with entertainment, Brooke Bond tea provides with freshness. In that order, it's (1.)James Bond, (2 )Brooke Bond, (3.)Rupee Bond.

 This applies to spoiler campaigns also such as Alistair Campbell's negative ABC Anyone (1) but (2) Corbyn. in the Labour leadership Campaign of 2015. Whether it worked- we will find out this Saturday !


The Republican Party across the pond is known by the three letters Grand (1) Old (2) Party (3) GOP. Its opposition derides it by describing its membership as  male (1), pale (2) and stale (3)- here we have both rhythm of thees  and a Rhyme!

Barack Obama's Presidential 2008 Campaign  " Yes (1) We (2) Can (3)" , " Labour (1) isn't (2) working (3) " for the Conservatives in 1979 - strictly speaking 4 words but to the ear 'isn't' is one word.

Lucozade'e patter of three slogan 'Find your flow'

Power of threes in Marketing

The pattern of threes has been used in brand slogans 

• Snap (1) Crackle (2) and Pop (3) - Kellogg's Rice Crispies
• Exceedingly (1) good (2) cakes (3) - Mr Kipling
• Afore (1) ye (2) go (3) -Bell's Scotch Whisky
• Finger(1) Lickin' (2) good (3) -KFC
• Work (1) Rest  (2)and Play (3) - Mars
• Never (1) Knowingly  (2) Undersold- (3) John Lewis

In the  rebranding field we have seen Google's new logos makeover in 2015 Tap (1) Type (2) and Talk (3)

Pattern of Threes in Social Media e.g Twitter and Facebook Posts in 'Brand Bolt'

Tweet by Usain Bolt after his 100m Gold medal at the 2015  World Championships in Beijing

Thanks for the love and support my FB peeps..

 TeamBolt all day everyday ‪#‎Blessed (1)  ‪#‎Thankful  (2) ‪#‎ForeverFaster (3)

‪#A ‎Thankful Usain Bolt  tweet after winning World Championship Gold for 200 metres  27^th August 2015

Unshakeable (1)

Unbreakable (2)
Unstoppable  (3)

‪#‎YouAreGodAlone

‪#‎Blessed

In Business Journalism

The pattern of threes is often used to craft an article. For example from last Friday's  Business section, London Evening Standard the "Confessions from the City" column used the pattern of threes to book end an article on an insider's amusing perspective of the pitches of restructuring /turnaround firms. The author commented on a competitor's pitch using business bullshit in an opening pitch.

" We'll think the unthinkable (1) , we'll say the unsayable (2) do the undoable (3) - we're contrary thinking revolutionaries" Despite this fluent dross this competitor won the contract. In such assignments a struggling company can be charged an eye watering £1,000 an hour !

The article concluded with a classic rhythm of threes summary joke.

" Basically , restructuring experts  have a lot in common with a rhinoceros.

They are extremely thick skinned (1), their judgement often turns out to be short sighted (2), and they sure charge a lot ! (3). 



 Find Your Flow is Lucozade's rhythmic three slogan.

So in your commercial communication why not ' find your flow' and give it a go, try the rhythm of threes and see it pleases ;) .

Related Links

Six types of effective business narratives


Classic Speech Openings and Closings

Taking and Answering Questions after your presentation

Logo Makeover lessons from Google in refreshing your sell

So we are into the last quarter of the calendar year. Pupils in the state sector are back to school. Time for fresh thinking.  Time to repaint. Time for a makeover.

The Designer Lo Min Ming has worked for the likes of Google, Dropbox and Microsoft

“The key to a good logo, is making it distinctive, memorable, and recognisable"

Google logo cut and pasted 

and processed on painting mode on Nikon Coolpix

After 17 years GOOGLE has refreshed its logo  which is now part of a new identity family that includes the Google dots and 'G' icon.

Users now require a world of seamless computing across the huge number of devices they have and  the different kinds of inputs (such as tap, type and talk).

To make a strong first impression on consumers, businesses need a logo with impact.

Despite the importance of a logo,  Many smaller businesses often struggle to design a memorable one ,with their limited budgets compared to the likes of Google.

A 2014 study from a cloud-based platform solutions provider Endurance International Group  discovered that 15 % of small businesses with five employees or less have no logo at all, with 56 % of businesses having designed their own logos without any professional help.

Google logo cut and pasted and processed

 on painting mode on Nikon Coolpix

A logo which stands out and a Web presence  makes an impression are an important part of building your brand.

The research revealed that more than a quarter of small businesses were planning on changing their logo  in the net quarter. 

(The study was based on surveys of 491 small businesses with fewer than five employees. )

Businesses  should choose a design that has staying power, but it's important to be open to subtle changes over time.
 Brands may need to refresh their logo as the company protects, expands, and develops new audiences – As your Brand evolves  you need to protect your Brand’s DNA. Don't lose sight of what makes your brand recognisable – whether it’s a signature colour, graphic or font.

 3 tips.

Google logo cut and pasted and processed on painting mode 

on Nikon Coolpix

Ask your audience. Social media makes it easy to communicate directly with your customers. Engage them in the process by asking for their input and even allowing them to judge potential designs.

Keep it simple salesperson. A complete brand overhaul may alienate some of your  customers, so less is more when it comes to a makeover. Focus on one or two elements and make subtle changes.

Communicate the change. To avoid confusion, the refresh should be consistent at every touch point or moment of opportunity with your customers.

Ensure a seamless experience by communicating the change well in advance with your employees and updating marketing materials.

Remember  

“Design is thinking made visual.”  Saul Bass, Logo Designer

Related Links

Re-brand and brand extension Coca Cola

Brands and Puns

Brand name wars

London 2012 Design Festival

Know Punny Business . Puns to sell and promote your business name

330,000 businesses were started in 2014 according to UK government statistics.

 How do make your business stand out head and shoulders above the crowd ?

HeadcasE Barber shop, Farnham, , Surrey

Nectar Business, the points-collecting card service, surveyed  2,000 people.  It found you’re more likely to talk about quirkily named small businesses than ones with anonymous, descriptive names.

 24 % chose The Codfather, a fish and chip shop, as the business with the best quirky name.

 Curl Up and Dye, hairdressers, and

Back to the Fuchsia, florists, were both picked by 23% of people.

Other high-ranking names included a sandwich shop called

Arnie’s Sarnies – You’ll Be Back,  

a florists called Florist Gump

and a Welsh fish and chip shop called A Fish Called Rhondda.

You can probably guess what these businesses do

Jean-Claude Van Man,

Alan Cartridge

and Jason Donervan?

 Blindspot in Downing Street of Farnham Surrey
specializes in made to measure window blinds

44 % of people  said they would strike up a conversation over a pun in a business name, compared to 19 % for ordinary names more often use for solicitors, accountants and advertising agencies. Other popular pun named enterprises included:-

Bits and PCs for computer repairs,

 Doggy Style for dog grooming and

Barber Blacksheep the hairdressers.

Kingston University’s marketing professor  Dr Jaywant Singh, says that brand names are central to a business’s identity.

“Quirky or idiosyncratic brand names are highly suggestive and are capable of leaving strong memory traces.  Customer associations with such brand names are often instrumental in generating recommendations,” 

THE TRADITIONAL PLAICE, Downing Street , Farnham, Surrey

Will we see in future a Solicitors practice rebranded  as Sue , Grabbit and Run  I wonder ? 

Related links

Brand masters Coke -Coca Cola Life

Re- branding a Soap Opera

nectar small business awards

Life’s a soda now. Have Brand Masters Coca-Cola got it right again?

Have Coca-Cola got it right again ?

After a 13 year reign as top brand in the world, last year Coke was superseded by Apple. Well that is how the consultancy Interbrand measured things last year.

How most of us would like to get it as wrong ( I write ironically) as Coca-Cola !

For me they are still the Brand Master when half the world has yet to make its first telephone call , although I guess the current usurper  Masters at Apple may have something to say about that.

I was reminded that even the great Coke occasionally does get it wrong when I came across a product in the Coffee shop attached to the Loyola University, Baumhart Campus, in Chicago where  I was teaching just a couple of week’s ago. One of the Coke brands that does well in the the states but bombed in the UK.

 A marketing launch story of some 10 years ago in the UK.

Dasani

or 6 weeks of Marketing Hell in early 2004

You would not think that Coke selling branded water would cause it problems.

Dasani was launched in the UK on 10 February 2004. After some unfortunate instances in the launch e.g. Early advertisements referred to Dasani as "bottled spunk" or featured the tag line "can't live without spunk". 

These slogans were used  oblivious to the fact that ‘spunk’ is slang for semen in the UK. 

This was shortly followed  by an article in  the trade magazine The Grocer  mentioned that the source of the Dasani brand water was in fact treated tap water from Sidcup, on the outskirts of London , which followed by a lampooning press who associated this with a well known successful comedy episode of Only Fools and horses saw Dell Trotter tried to promote “Peckham Spring Water” for the mains tap. Unfortunately rather than laughing with the UK public laughed at Coke.

 On 18 March 2004, UK authorities found a concentration of bromate, a suspected human carcinogen, in the product that could be considered harmful if consumed in large quantities. Coca-Cola immediately recalled half a million bottles and pulled the "Dasani" brand from the UK market

That was then –  but remember most marketing case studies are written with hindsight ( case study 20/20 vision) It is surprisingly easy to get cultural vocabulary wrong on the international marketing scene,  misconstrued press articles can be costly and then if the product has some 'teething' problems...

Corporate Resilience

But Coke are bold and good at picking  themselves up, dusting themselves off and starting all over again.   ( for fans of the 1936  movie Swing Time)

Well for you fellow Brand managers out there -maybe tracking the ups and downs of Coke’s newest drink product would make useful learning without the commercial risks they have to take.

Obligatory Blog photo selfie.
 (No bottle of Coca-Cola Life) was harmed
 in the making of this selfie

First thing I notice is the change of brand colour. GREEN but coke is red and always has been surely?

 I mean it's like saying to Ferrari drop the red, to Virgin scrap the red, to Santander give up the red, to Vodafone bin the red.

I mean you don't mess with the Brand's flagship colour! or do you ?

Well things change. sometimes imperceptibly.

 Just Google 'Coke logos' and designs and see how over the years there have been many changes.

The latest addition to the family – Coca‑Cola Life – is now in  UK shops. It's Coke’s first lower-calorie cola sweetened from natural sources.

Coca‑Cola Life is made with a blend of sugar and stevia leaf extract, and contains a third less sugar and a third fewer calories than Coca‑Cola

Coca‑Cola = 42 calories per 100ml

Coca‑Cola Life = 27 calories per 100ml

Coca‑Cola Zero = Less than 1 calorie per 100ml

Diet Coke = Less than 1 calorie per 100ml

Brand masters Coke  are  constantly innovating and creating products . 

The introduction of Coca‑Cola Life is part of their commitment to offer a variety of drinks, so there’s something to suit every “ lifestyle and occasion.”

The Coca‑Cola range now, it seems, has something for everyone: Coca‑Cola, lower-calorie Coca‑Cola Life and two no-calorie options, Coca‑Cola Zero and Diet Coke.

Following 5 years research In Argentina Coca-Cola Life was launched first in June 2013, followed by a roll out in Chile in November in the same year.

It is the first version of the soft drink to be produced with stevia and sugar as sweeteners.

 Coca-Cola Life was launched in the USA, Frontier of Mexico and Sweden, in September 2014; and is undergoing trials in the UK as of August 2014.

POP in W H Smith store

So why have Coke launched this new cola?

 They know there are consumers who are looking to reduce their calorie intake without compromising on taste and there is growing interest in new ingredients, such as stevia leaf extract, that provide sweetness from natural sources.

The launch of Coca‑Cola Life is also the latest in a series of initiatives  to promote well-being and help address obesity in the UK.

 It is just one of the ways we're providing consumers with soft drinks for every lifestyle and occasion, so that consumers can make choices to meet their individual needs.

Stevia sweetener has already been introduced into Sprite, reducing its calories by 30% compared with its previous recipe

Bottles and Cans of Coca-Cola Life in their
distinctive green packaging in a Sainsburys Store

Coke has been steadily reducing the calories of some of their other popular brands, Lilt, Oasis and Fanta, by 56%, 35% and 30% compared with their previous recipes

They have been Increasing marketing investment for their low- and no-calorie colas, Diet Coke and Coca‑Cola Zero

Broadening thier packaging range to include smaller portions with the addition of a new 250ml can

Investing  some £20m to help inspire 1 million people to get active by 2020 through physical activity programmes such as Coca‑Cola Zero ParkLives

This summer they  launched Coca‑Cola Zero ParkLives: a nationwide programme of fun, free, family activities in the heart of local communities – the parks!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ZXhphlJI7A

In their first year, they have teamed up with local councils in three cities: Birmingham, Newcastle and the London Borough of Newham.

This will be  expanded with the programme to work with more UK cities in 2015, with the aim of inspiring even more people to get active.

“From Tai chi to Rounders, Zumba to Table Tennis, there’s something for everyone, and the activities on offer have been informed by local research. The sessions are taken by local session leaders and, what’s more, they’re completely free to join!”

Coke believe that leading an active lifestyle is one of the most important things you can do for your health and happiness.

 Earlier this year, Coke made a pledge to get one million people active by 2020, and Coca‑Cola Zero ParkLives is a key part of this commitment.

They’ll be working with the national physical activity expert ukactive to closely measure the impact of the programme and ensure it makes a positive difference in each city.

So brand managers ,keep an eye out and learn from THE Brand masters at Coke - even if your have to do so surfing on your new Apple i-phone 6 launched in the UK today!
  

Selling Biscuit occasions through Biscuits Re-branding

How often do you engage in a biscuit occasion ?

warmth, comfort, sociability, sharing  - occasions and childhood memories

United Biscuits - who own brands such as Jacobs and McVitie's - is in the midst of spending  £12m in a re-branding the business.

Chief executive Martin Glenn said  the campaign came about after a year of research that found biscuits evoked childhood memories, "images of warmth, comfort, sociability, sharing".

"The challenge we've got at McVitie's is that, whilst we're the biggest in the UK, we're facing a lot more foreign competition... so we need to up our game."

 

Fruits of Success' Little Bogdan
was an audition hopeful for
 the Advertising campaign (not)

Fluffy kittens, corgi puppies and orange-eyed tarsiers are being used to help sell more Digestives and Jaffa cakes by United Biscuits ahead of a likely sale this year by its private equity owners.

Biscuit Heritage 

The 160-year-old McVitie’s brand  relaunched with a £12m advertising campaign, focused on “sweet” animals that Martin Glenn, chief executive, said was aimed at “supporting our efforts to drive growth for the category”.

He has embarked on what the group said would be a record level of capital investment this year, of more than £50m, compared with £38m last year.

The private equity companies bought United Biscuits for £1.6bn eight years ago – an investment horizon that is longer than the norm in their industry. They sold the KP snacks unit last year for an undisclosed price, thought to have been £400m.

Money in Biscuits

Jeff van der Eems, chief executive of the international division, said: “The sale of KP Snacks in 2012 has allowed us to focus on our core businesses of McVitie’s and Jacobs, and to expand our international operations which we hope to account for 20 % of sales in three years.”

Mr Glenn has since regrouped the group’s products into two divisions – sweet products under the McVitie’s label; and savoury biscuits, such as Mini Cheddars and Carr’s, under the Jacob’s brand of crackers.

United Biscuits is the second-largest biscuits group in the €12bn industry, with a 7 % market share, which is less than half that of industry leader, Mondelez. The maker of Oreo and TUC biscuits has 17 %, according to Euromonitor.

In the UK, where 90 % of households buy its products, United Biscuits has a 40 % market share.

But it has had a tough recession in the face of “difficult market conditions” for at least the past three years as consumers focused on “value”, the company said.

Broken Biscuits

The market is fragmented, highly competitive and is having to address consumers’ increasing health concerns.

Marc Kennis, analyst at Rabobank, which recently issued a report into the sector, said biscuit makers faced volatile wheat and sugar prices and hard bargaining retailers.

“This creates substantial uncertainty in the variable cost base for manufacturers, who have limited room to pass on any price increase to customers due to intense competition and the sheer size of food retailers. Biscuit companies are caught between a rock and a hard place,” he said.

What have fluffy kittens or a tarsier got that
a baby meerkat has not ?

The quirky campaign, the biscuit makers’ biggest investment in media, highlights the occasions in the day when its biscuits are eaten and the feeling people get from eating them.

One Grey London created spot for Digestives shows a family settling down to relax with a biscuit before a Corgi puppy emerges when the packet is unwrapped.

 Another for Chocolate Digestives sees a group of nurses settling down for a tea break and being confronted by kittens when they reach for the biscuits,

A third for Jaffa Cakes shows a young man confronted with a Tarsier when opening a pack (see ads below).

The Biscuit Mix for Marketing

The TV campaign is supported by GreyPossible created digital activity, including the launch of a new McVitie’s website, social media and press. The campaign will also see an extensive in-store campaign created by Dialogue London. 

The McVitie’s logo features prominently in all 'executions' and all packaging has been redesigned to give the name more prominence.

Brands including Club and Penguin will be brought under McVitie’s later this year.

It is hoped the ‘family of brands’ strategy will create a halo effect and boost sales across the portfolio.

United Biscuits wants the campaign to help it achieve its ambitious target of claiming a 30 % of the sweet biscuit market for McVitie’s, up from the 21% it enjoys at the moment by capturing more of the 7 billion “biscuit occasions” it says take place in the UK every year.

At an event in London to mark the launch of the campaign, Glenn said the relaunch of McVitie’s is an example of how the company is “re-energising” to “take our place on the world stage”.

The firm plans to employ the same master brand strategy to Jacob’s later this year , with savoury brands such as Cheddars and Mini Cheddars joining the likes of Cream Crackers under the Jacob’s

Back in the day... 

In my childhood I remember the Lincoln Cream biscuit . The Lincoln cream had a  pattern of dots on the top in concentric circles. The McVitie's version had the word 'Lincoln' embossed on to the biscuit at the centre. I wonder whether its return is in the United Biscuits re-branding plan. Little Bogdan will be up for acting in any advert for Lincoln Creams !

Related "Tea and Biscuits" selling skills links

Tea time personality matrix

sweeet ™ campaign videos You tube - United Biscuits

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KOmIDhBDoww

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/weird-news/video-mcvities-puppies-kittens-biscuits-3131269

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1BCieS2Opco

Selling a renewed EastEnders brand Less Albert Square more Canada Square

Dominic Treadwell-Collins, BBC TV  EastEnders' executive producer, wants Albert Square to look like a real-life east London neighbourhood in 2014. ( I am not sure it ever was that!)

"It should feel more like London. It's been frozen in aspic for too long," Treadwell-Collins told the  Radio Times.

(As an EastEnders  fan, I am not sure one does freeze something in aspic , I think you ‘set’ something in aspic but maybe there has been a new product placement deal from the likes of Dr Oetker or Knorr  with a new frozen aspic product that I have missed.)

Will there be a City trader 'gentrifying' Albert Square ? 

Sadly the BBC no longer sets out to educate ( using conventional use of metaphor ) or inform so much nowadays but  just concentrates on entertaining.

 "Sharon said recently that she's looking to be a landlady and as a result you'll see the edges of Shoreditch creeping into EastEnders. It's got to reflect the modern world."

EastEnders fans are still getting used to the arrival of hard guy Danny Dyer as the Queen Vic's landlord, cast against stereotype as a modern dad at ease with his son's homosexuality, had better prepare for some more upheaval.

The BBC plans to refresh the long-running soap out of its 1980s feel to reflect more closely the 21st-century reality of 'gentrified' east London, even promising to introduce "the edges of Shoreditch" to the show.

Research in refreshing the brand

Last week the EastEnders writing team visited the Hackney square used as the inspiration for the show's location when it began in 1985, at the start of a four-day story conference to thrash out plots for the next three months.

The Beeb do know a thing about branding  and re-branding  remember how they refreshed Dr. Who. 

A brand is a name or symbol which is used to identify the products of a specific firm.  Brands give products or services an identity or "personality". 

One of the challenges  for EastEnders will be to update the soap but not lose its personality.

Strong Brand names can also enhance the image of the parent company and enhance the image of the parent company and enhance consumer acceptance of new products introduced under the same name.

The brand name provides implicit assurance that the quality will remain unchanged over time.  Brands make buying decisions easier for customers and viewing public (TV  licence payers). 

They ensure that buyers can repeat orders of products they prefer - evidence of BRAND LOYALTY or fan base..

Will anyone  from  'sarf' of the river  or  Canary Wharf visit Albert Square ? ( Photo taken from Greenwich Canary Wharf in centre background)

Brand images also help to differentiate competitors.  Consequently, price comparisons become less critical in consumers decisions and other differences enter into the evaluation process. Eastenders constantly has to compete with 'the Street', Emmerdale  etc.

Consumers also feel more secure and confident with a familiar brand.  Distinctive brands can provide the centrepiece around which marketing strategies are developed.

What makes a good Brand name?  East Enders like Ronsil does what it says on the tin.

In general the characteristics are the following:

·         It should suggest something about the products/services benefits.

·         It should be short and simple.

·         It should be easy to spell, read and pronounce.

·         Pleasant sounding.( Maybe not for gritty EastEnders)

·         Distinctive and memorable.

·         Suitable for new product versions or enhancements which may be added to the product range later.

·         Legally available (copyright and patents).

Five Levels of Brand Familiarity

·         Brand Insistence - consumers are absolutely loyal and will accept no substitutes.

·         Brand Preference - target customers will usually choose one specific brand over others.

·         Brand Recognition - exists when consumers remember the Brand name.

·         Brand Non-Recognition - consumers do not recall the Brand name.

·         Brand Rejection - consumers recognise, but refuse to buy specific brand.

·         Some Types of Brand are classified  according to Origin

•          Manufacturers/National Brands.
•         Dealer/Private Brands usually created by Intermediaries such as retailers.
•       Family Brand - same brand used for different products e.g.:  Distribution labels - or own label.
•      Individual Brand - usually assigned to each product when there exists significant variation in product type and quality.
•         Licensed Brand - a well established brand name which other sellers pay to use.  This allows the seller the advantage of existing brand recognition and preferences.
• 
  

I hope they pull off the re-branding of EastEnders and not make it too  WestEnders ! 
 ( Other "soaps" are available)