The marketing tricks that have kept Barbie’s brand alive for over 60 years (2026-01-30T13:23:00+05:30)

Sameer Hosany, Royal Holloway, University of London Rejected by the toy industry at first, Barbie is now one of America’s most trusted brands. “She” – the 11.5 inch blonde doll, but also her brand persona – generated worldwide sales of around US$1.5 billion (£1.3 billion) in 2022, and has a brand value of US$590 million. Barbie debuted on March 9 1959 at the New York International Toy Fair as Barbie Teenage Fashion Model. Sixty-four years later, the doll continues to be the subject of cultural, sociological and psychological interest. By creating an iconic brand with special meaning for fans of all ages (Barbie is marketed to children aged three and older), toy company Mattel has successfully extended the lifecycle of the Barbie brand for well over half a century. Barbie is also a polarising figure. The brand embodies the notion of a “double bind”, celebrated as an inspirational role model while at the same time blamed for creating unrealistic expectations of women, particularly when it comes to how they should look. But while most toys remain popular for only two or three years, Barbie’s long-term success reflects Mattel’s responsiveness and adaptability to the changing cultural and political discourse in society and around this doll. So how has the company done it? A Barbie girl, in a Barbie world Research shows there are many ways to build and sustain brand characters, but Mattel has used a “multiply” strategy for Barbie. This has involved introducing other characters that play supporting roles in Barbie’s “world”. Over the years, these supporting acts were introduced to portray Barbie’s relationship with friends and family. First there was Ken (1961), Barbie’s boyfriend, then her younger sister Skipper (1964), followed by friends including Midge (1963) and Christie (1968), the first black Barbie character. The storylines and individual characteristics of these additional characters connect to Barbie’s persona and increase brand visibility. Mattel has also used storytelling tactics such as announcing that Barbie and Ken had officially broken up on Valentine’s Day in 2004 (they got back together in 2011). Such stories resonate with fans’ emotions, sustaining interest in the brand. These tactics typically work for a while, but how has Mattel sustained true brand longevity for this long? There are many strategies designed to revitalise mature brands. Mattel successfully extended Barbie’s brand to capture new audiences, drive growth and expand into new types of products beyond dolls. This is a risky endeavour if the brand is stretched too far. But Barbie’s brand has been successfully extended into other profitable categories such as clothes, accessories, cosmetics and entertainment (music, movies and games). And now, after several computer-animated, direct-to-video and streaming television films, Barbie’s first big budget, live action movie will be released in cinemas in July 2023. Early reports suggest the movie – helmed by Oscar-nominee Greta Gerwig, who also directed Little Women (2019) and Lady Bird (2017) – is likely to be rated PG-13. This is not the “universal” rating you might expect for a film about a popular toy. It hints at another strand of Mattel’s successful Barbie branding strategy: nostalgia. Life in plastic, it’s fantastic Alongside ongoing efforts to appeal to young girls, Mattel also deliberately targets older consumers. Specific objects – not just toys but clothes, food such as sweets, or even items like vinyl records – can give a physical form to a set of attitudes, relationships and circumstances for people. This evokes a powerful sense of the past. This kind of nostalgia generates trust and positive attitudes towards a brand, influencing consumer preferences when it comes to choosing between toys. In addition to the upcoming film, Mattel has attempted to capitalise on the nostalgia Barbie evokes in other ways. It sells more sophisticated designer and limited edition lines of collectible dolls aimed at adult fans, for example. These items are typically sold in speciality or boutique stores, and carry higher price tags than the average doll. Criticism of Barbie As Barbie’s brand has expanded and evolved, the doll has also encountered criticism. Over the years, Barbie went through many transformations to look more confident, and was marketed as having many life options, particularly when it comes to work. There are now Barbie dolls representing more than 200 careers – from astronaut, surgeon, paratrooper, game developer, architect and entrepreneur to film director and even US president. But critics have argued that these career dolls are a “misfire attempt at inspiring girls”. This negative perception of the brand’s moral vision is linked to the notion that Barbie is rooted in an ideal of femininity that still characterises women by their physical appearance. Barbie has been accused of promoting unrealistic body standards, stereotyping and objectification of women, as well as having a negative influence on girls’ self-esteem and body image. So, faced with declining sales and competition from smaller brands offering dolls with more realistic body types (such as Lottie and Lammily), Mattel launched “Project Dawn” in 2016. This included the launch of Fashionistas, a line of Barbie dolls with different body types (curvy, petite and tall) and abilities, skin tones and eye colours, as well as hairstyles and outfits. But research suggested that young girls aged between three and ten prefered the original tall and petite dolls. They were negative about “curvy” Barbie, and this doll also received intense public scrutiny. In 2017, Mattel took another significant step by introducing ethnically and racially diverse dolls of different nationalities, including the first hijab-wearing Barbie doll. However, this approach prompted criticism that Mattel was treating race and ethnic differences as “collectible”, and commodifying culture. Despite this, Barbie continues to be a toy that many children play with. The longevity and iconic status of the doll is a tribute to Mattel’s astute marketing and reinvention efforts. These have helped the brand remain relevant even now, 64 years after it was launched. Sameer Hosany, Professor of Marketing, Royal Holloway, University of London This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

British Rail wasn’t all bad. Sixty years after the brand launched we should remember its marketing successes (2025-12-24T12:39:00+05:30)

Lewis Smith, Brunel University of London, In 2025 Britain is marking the 200th anniversary of the modern railway. Many will be quick to celebrate the legacy of steam engines and the old red lion railway logo, but there’s one bit of Britain’s railway that perhaps doesn’t get enough praise – British Rail. Abbreviated to BR, the brand is 60 this year. BR officially began trading in 1965 and ended with the privatisation of the railways in 1997. But despite the brand coming to the end of the line, many of its iconic elements remain on the railways today. These include the “double arrow” logo, the font known as Rail Alphabet and a whole palette of colours and styles. State-owned Great British Railways, which is replacing Network Rail as the operator of most of Britain’s rail infrastructure as well as taking over the privatised franchise system, will unveil a logo in May. This may well incorporate the double arrow. The messaging is about the hope of “restoring pride” in Britain’s rail network. BR as an organisation, on the other hand, has an often controversial legacy. Those who remember it are quick to complain of late-running trains, high fares and a poor standard of service – including the soggy British Rail sandwich. This legacy is often politicised. One could equally argue that it was a cutting-edge business that served the people in times of dire economic crises, with recessions in the 1970s and 80s as well as the decline in manufacturing that led to widespread unemployment. The railways were nationalised under the 1947 Transport Act and managed by “British Railways”. Back in the 1950s, the railway had a poor reputation. As one survey respondent described, the railway was a “big, monolithic institution, not at all concerned with the welfare of the individual”. Trains were often late and dirty, the result of a lack of investment combined with the dying days of the steam era. Coupled to this, British Railways was hesitant about outside intervention, whether from managers, government officials or even passengers. Efforts to improve the railway began with the 1955 modernisation plan, which made a number of strategic recommendations. But by 1960 it had failed to deliver any financial benefits. For all nationalised industries in Britain, the 1960s were different. With the release of a government white paper in 1961, all the state-owned industries including gas, electricity and airways were set financial targets. One of the outcomes of this for the railways was Dr Richard Beeching’s Reshaping of British Railways plan published in 1963. It included a number of changes, including slashing the number of unprofitable routes. My recent research has examined BR marketing in the 1960s and 1970s, and found that this period represented one of great change in the history of marketing the railways. This included the introduction of the “British Rail” brand, with the publication of a corporate identity manual in July 1965. This represented management slowly opening up to recruit marketing and PR experts from the private sector, including from consumer giants like L'Oréal. Compared to other operators in Europe, BR received one of the lowest government subsidies. Over its operational life, BR fought hard to innovate in the market with the support and resources it had. It used new methods to locate and identify consumers, targeted advertising and services, and teamed up with private-sector giants like Kellogg’s and Persil with offers for discounted tickets. It also created new pricing structures, including Awaydays, Weekend Returns and Railcards. A fierce competitor As a nationalised railway, it might be easy to assume that BR had a monopoly and therefore did not have to compete. But this couldn’t be further from the reality. The car business was booming, with cheaper, more reliable models on offer. And, thanks to government infrastructure policy, more roads, car parks and fuel stations were being built. Other domestic transport like coaches (the National Bus Company was formed in 1968) applied constant pressure. And British Airways launched its domestic “shuttle” services between London and other UK cities in 1975, promising passengers they could just “turn up and go” without the need to book. This also marked a point at which marketing experts shifted their focus from places to people, identifying not only who wanted to travel but why. This included focusing on specific market segments by gender. In the 1970s, BR’s InterCity launched a TV campaign with the slogan “Travel Inter-City Like the Men Do”, which focused efforts on middle-aged women looking to travel to get away from their domestic duties. Rail travel could be a feminist issue too. Similarly, messaging for business travellers tightened. Before the 1960s, business travel was about luxury. Now it was about economic efficiency, where businessmen could work, eat and sleep on the train in advance of their meetings (none of which you could do if you were driving to a meeting). In the 1980s, before his horrifying crimes came to light, BR brought in TV star Jimmy Savile as the face of rail travel. Although hard to believe today, given what the public now knows about Savile, it was a coup at the time because of his media and business profile. But today, the railways are at a turning point. The government’s plans to nationalise railway franchises has prompted excitement from organisations like passenger group Bring Back British Rail. Let’s be clear: nationalisation on its own is not a silver bullet, though the BR case shows that it should be possible to have a nationalised industry that can serve the public interest and compete within the wider economy. Crucially, BR was an innovative marketer. What follows next should endeavour to be the same. Lewis Smith, Lecturer in Marketing, Brunel Business School, Brunel University of London This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Dimapur: DMC enhances market transparency with Digital Rate Board (2025-11-18T12:43:00+05:30)

Digital Rate Board installed by Dimapur Municipal Council (DMC) at New Market, Dimapur on November 17. (DIPR Photo) Dimapur, (MExN): The Dimapur Municipal Council (DMC) has officially launched its Digital Rate Board, displaying updated pricing information, offering customers real time access to essential rate details at New Market, Dimapur on November 17. The inaugural programme marked a significant step towards enhancing transparency and accessibility of market rates for the public, stated a DIPR report. In a short speech CEO, Thungchabemo Tungoe, emphasised the Dimapur Municipal Council’s commitment to modernising public services and this small initiative shows that Dimapur is progressing. Today digital rate board install at three places in Dimapur is a beginning and will be installing more in other areas. He said, “information of prices for consumers shows that DMC is for all fairness and accountability and in align with advancements of technology have brought some changes in DMC area.” He urged other counsellor to initiate such small changes and make their presence be felt and take Dimapur city forward. He mentioned that the digital system is designed to enhance transparency and reduce confusion and with the installation it will showcases daily rates, category-wise pricing, and other key service details in a clear, easily readable format. He also informed the business house that their products and services can be advertised and through the digital board chart, the DMC can earn revenue too. Not only the business house but if there is important events or programmes, one can reach out to DMC to display their publicity. He also mentioned that is for the first time digital chart has been installed and the DMC will do more out of the revenue that they generate, and are ready to take the initiative with the cooperation of the counsellors. Delivering the keynote address, Neingutoulie Kenguruse, Convenor of the Market Review Committee (MRC), highlighted the importance of digitisation in streamlining market operations and ensuring that consumers receive accurate, updated price information. He informed that the market regulations and price control branch of DMC is pleased to set up Digital Board in three main market - Supermarket, New Market and Murki Pati with a view of helping general public efficiently and to know the rate of daily essential commodities for fair, transparent business in the city. For business promotion, one can advertise their business at minimum rate and that revenue will help maintain the board to beautify the Town, he said. Taking the opportunity, he requested all the business establishment to beautify and decorate their shops during the coming festive seasons and make Dimapur a beautiful place. The Digital Rate Board was formally inaugurated by Chairperson, Hukheto Yepthomi, who noted that the initiative reflects DMC’s broader goal of improving public convenience through technology-driven solutions. He thanked and expressed the initiative of the DMC for taking the project with their limited resources. He hoped that this installation of Digital rate board will help people know what to pay for which items and to prevent items from getting sold at high prices. For complain & redress, contact: 9862929908, 8837207162, 7005697120, 7085473756.Defaulters- Rs 3000 (Retail), Rs 6000 (Wholesale) Dimapur: DMC enhances market transparency with Digital Rate Board | MorungExpress | morungexpress.com

Florida Man Deploys ‘Subliminal’ Advertising to Incite Happiness Through Viral Sign-Hanging Campaign (2025-09-19T14:03:00+05:30)

credit – the Happiness Experiment, retrieved from Facebook “That’s 602,” says Gary King, climbing down from a ladder propped up against a telephone poll, a red and white sign reading “HAPPINESS” newly affixed to its side. “All I’m doing is subliminal experiments using one word, one word. This word has been around forever but where do you see it? You don’t.” King has been hanging metal Happiness signs all over St. Petersburg, Florida, since 2019. It’s all part of The Happiness Experiment, a sociology project to subtly influence the population of his hometown through subliminal advertisement. Profiled in Fox News 13’s “Extraordinary Ordinaries” segment with Walter Allen, King says six proven sociological effects go into his work, the most powerful of which is what advertising companies have done for a century. By putting their logos everywhere, their products remain at the front of your mind. But what if instead of selling soft drinks or fast food, the goal of that advertisement was to put a smile on your face? That’s King’s mission. But as joyful as Gary King may seem driving around his home in his F150 wearing his official Happiness Experiment t-shirt and ballcap, the crucible of this happy work was the darkest depths of despair. In 2012, his son Brian took his own life, leading King into a spiral of unhappiness that almost resulted in him doing the same. The Happiness Experiment’s first test subject was none other than King himself. Today, King revels in messages received from Floridians who see the signs all over Florida and are affected by them. “I first saw the happiness experiment TB signs on the day of my miscarriage last year. The signs reminded me that it was all going to be okay, and that I could find happiness during and after this,” read a letter he received. In another letter, a woman bearing the burden of severe bipolar disorder almost ended her life—from the edge of the very same bridge King’s son Brian used to end his. But on her way there she saw one of the Happiness signs and turned around with fresh perspective. Perhaps that’s why King said the greatest gift he ever received was his suffering. Florida Man Deploys ‘Subliminal’ Advertising to Incite Happiness Through Viral Sign-Hanging Campaign

Kia Motors roadshow in Zunheboto town receives positive response (2025-07-30T11:43:00+05:30)

Zunheboto : Kia Motors, which made its debut in the Indian automobile market in August 2019, officially entered the Nagaland market in August 2024 with its dealership located at 6th Mile, near NSC Indian Oil Petrol Pump in Dimapur. As part of its state-wide outreach strategy, the company has been organizing roadshows and promotional campaigns across Nagaland, with a specific focus on engaging potential customers at the district level. One district that has drawn particular attention is Zunheboto, where company officials reported “an overwhelmingly positive response from residents.” Speaking to the media, the team leader from Kia highlighted that customers from Zunheboto have shown keen interest in Kia’s offerings, and reportedly, there have been no complaints or negotiation issues raised so far. “This,” the company stated, “reflects a strong potential market and an encouraging reception for their vehicles in the district.” “Our goal is to provide not just vehicles, but safety, comfort, and convenience. We're pleased to see the level of trust and interest shown by the people of Zunheboto,” the team leader remarked. Kia’s recent promotional efforts include showcasing upcoming models like the Kia Klavis EV, scheduled for launch later this month. While product highlights such as electronic stability control, parking sensors, and ADAS features were part of the demonstration, the broader objective remains to connect with communities across Nagaland. The company's roadshow strategy, according to representatives, “is not just a marketing campaign but also a response to the unique logistical and communication challenges of reaching remote regions.” It was stated that “by visiting districts directly, Kia aims to build trust and offer firsthand interaction with prospective customers.” In addition to vehicle demonstrations, Kia is also promoting “customer-friendly services such as wireless software updates via Kia Connect 2.0, smart access through mobile apps and digital keys, and service support through the MyKia app.” However, the company clarified that “while it offers car exchange services, vehicles from Ford, Renault, and Chevrolet are currently excluded from this policy.”Regarding financing, the team shared that government employees are eligible for a low down-payment scheme subject to salary verification, while in-house financing is available for all customers with proper documentation and a guarantor. Kia Motors roadshow in Zunheboto town receives positive response | MorungExpress | morungexpress.com

Do you know what part of your marketing spend is actually working? (2025-07-14T12:11:00+05:30)

Image: Willie Lawless/ Networld Media Group A panel at the Restaurant Franchising & Innovation Summit in Myrtle Beach will look at how brands are wasting their marketing money and how to get the most out of their ad spend. By Mandy Wolf Detwiler — Managing Editor, Networld Media Group Restaurant franchises are still struggling with a century-old marketing dilemma: knowing which half of their advertising spend is actually working. A session at the upcoming Restaurant Franchising and Innovation Summit, titled "Stop Wasting Marketing Dollars: Optimizing Media Spend for Restaurant Franchises," aims to tackle this challenge by exploring data-driven strategies to maximize ROI and customer engagement across all levels of a franchise organization. The Summit is being held in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, March 11-13 and brings together restaurant operators and owners for a two-and-a-half-day workshop designed for education and fellowship. Session speakers include Samantha Hebel, director of marketing for Hungry Howie's Pizza and Subs; Erin Levzow, growth advisor for Batch & Box, Andy Linke, senior director of marketing for Ziggi's Coffee and Frank Solis, senior director of marketing for Taco Cabana. Corbett Guest, president and chief strategy officer for Imaginuity, serves as moderator. Imaginuity is sponsoring the session. Linke said in an email interview that restaurants tend to spend excess money on tech that doesn't talk to each other. With advancements in technology come more tools and new tools, Linke said. "Often [new tools] they are to make one task or one person's job easier. But with each new tool comes a larger and larger tech stack which creates the need for more resources to manage it and find the single truth from all the data." Levzow said restaurants often spend excessively by not tracking results effectively and failing to evaluate the ROI on the various platforms, services and management tools in use. "I recently was speaking to a brand that had 10 to 12 different platforms and all the systems were not even speaking to each other let alone tracking results without cannibalizing the other one. Tech consolidation could lead to significant savings by streamlining these resources, ensuring better investment returns, and creating more efficient operations," Levzow said. To harness customer data for improving targeting and conversion rates at the brand, regional and individual franchise level, Levzow recommends restaurants have all customer data set up in a customer data platform/data warehouse and parsed out for appropriate targeting. "If you can get 80% of your customer data in a usable format, you can target efficiently and cost-effectively at every level, from the brand to individual franchises, maximizing conversion rates and enhancing customer engagement." Linke said marketing is never a one-size-fits-all and restaurants need to measure and work with what's best for the organization. "Having a reliable loyalty/ customer capture program is important," he said. "It's always easier and cheaper to retain customers than it is to acquire but you need the right data and insight to do so effectively."The summit will be held at the Marriott Myrtle Beach Resort and Spa at Grand Dunes. Register here for the event. It is a Networld Media Group event, which also owns the Fast Casual Executive Summit and the Pizza Leadership Virtual Summit. Do you know what part of your marketing spend is actually working?

Aggressive marketing has driven the rise of the double-cab ute on New Zealand streets — time to hit the brakes? (2025-06-05T13:25:00+05:30)

Kirsty Wild, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau and Alistair Woodward, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau “Explore your inner beast.” That was the slogan used last year to sell the Ford Ranger. At 2.4 tonnes, that’s a lot of “light” truck, but the stakes are rising. This year, the 3.5 tonne Ram 1500 “eats utes for breakfast”. Super-sized light trucks have landed in Aotearoa New Zealand. Eight out of the ten top-selling passenger vehicles are now utes or SUVs, with two-thirds registered for personal use. According to the Household Travel Survey, many journeys previously made using much smaller cars (such as shopping trips) are now made in these vehicles. And despite the recent protests from farmers and tradies about the so-called “ute tax”, the double-cab light truck has become very much an urban vehicle. When we looked at the marketing videos for these vehicles in New Zealand, utes or pickups enjoyed the most “masculine” marketing strategies. Themes of dominance and violence are strong: vehicles have names like “Raptor” and “Gladiator”, and are referred to as “muscular” and “beasts”. Much of the advertising involves images of aggressive driving — skidding and jumping, with the vehicle generally shot from below, travelling fast at the camera. SUV marketing is slightly more unisex and emphasises safety, luxury and envy. Trucks versus cars But here’s the problem: climate change is also super-sizing, as the recent extreme heat wave in the Pacific Northwest of the US and Canada and severe floods in Europe and elsewhere have reminded us. Light trucks on city streets are bad for the climate in two ways. Due to their weight and size, they emit more CO₂ than other vehicles: in a year’s typical driving, 100 Ford Rangers would emit 90 tonnes more CO₂ than the same number of Toyota Corollas. And large vehicles affect the urgent shift to low-carbon modes of transport, by obstructing footpaths because they’ve outgrown car parking, making cycling and walking more difficult and dangerous. Cyclists and pedestrians struck by one of these vehicles are roughly twice as likely to die or be seriously injured compared with a crash involving a small car. Nature as marketing tool Ironically (but deliberately), nature and the ability to connect with the countryside are an enduring marketing theme for selling large four-wheel-drive vehicles to urban dwellers. As cultural historian William Rollins has pointed out, SUV marketing has exploited and twisted a “developing environmental consciousness” into demand for high-emission vehicles. In the process, time needed to develop cleaner vehicles was lost. In New Zealand, the shift to larger SUVs and utes has largely wiped out the fuel efficiency gains made over the past ten years. Globally, the SUV market was the only industry sector last year where CO₂ emissions continued to rise despite the pandemic. The growth in SUV sales has been identified as the second-most-important reason why CO₂ is continuing to rise. Not a new story But this isn’t a new story. Detroit auto journalist Keith Bradsher’s 2002 book, High and Mighty: SUVs – the world’s most dangerous vehicles and how they got that way, documents the now familiar risks: high emissions, deadly to other drivers and pedestrians, and prone to fatal “rollovers”. He also provides an extraordinary ethnography of the advertising strategy that formed around these vehicles — some of which now rival the size of a WWII tank. Marketed at our “reptilian” instincts for safety, dominance and connection to the natural world, it had a strong Hobbesian flavour. Life – particularly city life – is nasty, brutish and short. One must dominate or be dominated, even on that trek to the supermarket in search of cat food. Bradsher’s interviews with marketing executives revealed a deliberate strategy to market these vehicles to consumers with higher levels of egotism, insecurity and status anxiety. New Zealand research with SUV drivers has also shown they were more likely to agree with the statement that “most people would like a vehicle like mine”. Auto industry goldmine New Zealand has been a dream market for urban light trucks. With weak emission standards and vehicle safety ratings that prioritise drivers over other road users, the regulatory frameworks have created an environment ripe for vehicle super-sizing. This, too, is a familiar story. The American pickup famously came about as a result of a trade war with Europe that locked foreign competitors out of the US market. The all-American pickup truck came to enjoy a range of exemptions from environmental and safety regulations. Since then they’ve been a gold mine, with profits on SUVs and utes much higher than on cars, and the auto marketing machine swinging in heavily behind these vehicles. Around 85% of Ford’s ad spend is now devoted to SUVs and utes. The US$35 billion global auto marketing industry is now largely focused on selling them, including into emerging markets in India and Brazil. Change is coming Big-budget marketing campaigns for these high-emission vehicles are now becoming a flashpoint over the role of the advertising sector in climate change. UK organisation Badvertising, which has called for an ad ban on the dirtiest third of these vehicles, argues advertising should be “named and shamed” like other industries that indirectly contribute to climate change (such as banking and investment). But the advertising industry itself may be part of the solution. Creatives working with governments on ambitious decarbonisation targets are speaking up about the “tide of misinformation” they face from corporate advertising. While marketing spends may still be weighted heavily in favour of the auto industry, there are ways of promoting smaller, cleaner, safer vehicles: make planetary health warnings compulsory in all advertising of high-emission products ban the marketing of the dirtiest third of those vehicles bring forward New Zealand’s import ban on those same vehicles from 2035 to 2025 establish low-emission zones in cities ban marketing of diesel vehicles that don’t meet latest European emission standards. And finally, a big one: adopt new advertising codes of ethics to end the promotion of high-carbon lifestyles and products. Mia Wisniewski, Master of Public Health candidate at the University of Auckland, contributed to the research for this article. Analysis of SUV/ute advertising themes in New Zealand was undertaken as part of her MPH thesis. Kirsty Wild, Senior Research Fellow, Public Health, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau and Alistair Woodward, Professor, School of Population Health, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Consumers are wise to ‘woke washing’ – but truly ‘transformative branding’ can still make a difference (2025-05-19T13:30:00+05:30)

Amanda Spry, RMIT University; Bernardo Figueiredo, RMIT University; Jessica Vredenburg, Auckland University of Technology; Joya Kemper, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau, and Lauren Gurrieri, RMIT University With brands increasingly engaging in social change campaigns and leveraging their influence to be “purpose-led”, the time has come to ask a couple of big questions: is this a viable strategy, and how sceptical should we be of so-called “brand activism”? In recent weeks alone, Ben & Jerry’s has launched a new ice-cream flavour called “Change is Brewing” to support Black-owned businesses and raise awareness of the People’s Response Act, proposed legislation to establish a new public safety agency in the US. Lego declared it would promote inclusive play and address harmful gender stereotypes with its toys. Mars Food rebranded Uncle Ben’s rice to Ben’s Original in response to criticisms of the racial caricatures in its marketing. At the same time, businesses have a chequered history when it comes to engaging with societal problems, from self-serving “box ticking” corporate practices under the guise of social responsibility to shifting responsibility to consumers to make ethical choices (such as reusable coffee cups). More recently, “woke washing” has seen brands promoting social issues without taking meaningful action. Consider fast fashion brands that promote International Women’s Day while simultaneously profiting from the exploitation of female workers. Change from within How then can brands legitimately shoulder responsibility to support or promote societal transformation? Our research introduces the idea of “transformative branding”. This involves companies working with customers, communities and even competitors to co-create brands that lead on both market and social fronts. Transformative branding can be achieved by for-profit organisations, not-for-profits and social enterprises. The common factor is balancing business and societal goals to create change from within the market system. Marketing concepts with a social edge have proliferated in the past 50 years, but finding actual solutions has been less successful. We ask how corporations can act to genuinely contribute to society and show how transformative branding can help brands shoulder that responsibility. Beyond making money Transformative branding works via two main market-shaping elements: leadership and collaborative coupling. These enable companies to partner with stakeholders to change their business landscapes. First, leadership involves building a vision for the transformation. This requires leaders to think flexibly and creatively, work to long time horizons and stay attuned to changing ideologies. This involves fundamentally re-imagining what branding can do – beyond making money. Second, collaborative coupling involves implementing this vision across the different dimensions of the brand. Key to this is mobilising stakeholders, including customers, employees, investors, suppliers, governments, communities and competitors. When the brand and its stakeholders collectively throw their weight behind the goal of transformation, it signals commitment, distributes expertise and resources and establishes legitimacy. Leadership and collaborative coupling work together to change the business environment. Our research shows this has ripple effects, creating opportunities for transforming economic, regulatory, socio-cultural and political environments. Transformative branding in practice Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard is a good example of transformative branding at work, particularly in his candid admission that the notion of a fully sustainable business is “impossible”. Instead, Patagonia has reframed its priorities around responsibility, with Chouinard re-imagining the brand as a solution to environmental degradation. This vision is central to the brand’s iconic “demarketing” campaign, “Don’t buy this jacket”, which aims to shift the consumption ideology from purchase to repair. More recently, Patagonia’s “Buy Less, Demand More” campaign and its “Worn Wear” scheme for used apparel have brought the notion of a circular economy into the company’s strategy to promote a culture of reuse rather than always buying new. Dutch chocolate brand Tony’s Chocolonely demonstrates collaborative coupling in its campaign to clean up production and supply chain practices in the chocolate manufacturing industry, and to eliminate illegal child labour and modern slavery. The company’s “open chain platform” helps all industry players, including competitors, to foster equitable and transparent supply chains and ensure a living income is paid to cocoa farmers. The brand actively erodes its own potential competitive advantage in the process. Staying sceptical But transformative branding is complex and dynamic, and authenticity is paramount. For instance, earlier this year, Tony’s was removed from watchdog organisation Slave Free Chocolate’s ethical producers list over its partnership with a major chocolate producer being sued for allegedly using slave labour. Tony’s responded by claiming it was important to educate and inspire business partners and competitors to adopt ethical principles and practices. This complex and often slow process of negotiating what it means to be ethical is all part of transformative branding. It adapts to the differing goals and values of many stakeholders. And while transformative branding offers a path towards a more sustainable and equitable future, we should continue to cast a critical eye on brands claiming to be a force for good, challenge them and hold them accountable where necessary. Amanda Spry, Lecturer of Marketing, RMIT University; Bernardo Figueiredo, Associate Professor of Marketing, RMIT University; Jessica Vredenburg, Senior Lecturer (Assistant Professor) in Marketing, Auckland University of Technology; Joya Kemper, Senior Lecturer in Marketing, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau, and Lauren Gurrieri, Senior Lecturer in Marketing, RMIT University This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Marketing Communications’ Role In Business Success (2024-07-03T12:06:00+05:30)

Great communication is at the heart of any successful marketing team or campaign. The entire point of slogans, media and messages is that you are communicating to others what your company can offer them and why choosing what you can bring to the table has the unique power to improve their life. Marketing can make all the difference in how fast a company grows and how well its brand gains recognition. Understanding the basics of marketing communications is a requirement for anyone who wants to gain insight into how the world of business works. Understanding these principles can help create business plans and strategies that save a lot of time and money in the long term. Here are a few of the principles all professionals need to brush up on in the business world of today. Social media in today’s digital age Any business that does not make the most of its social media presence is missing out. To be competitive in any business, you need to maintain some level of social media presence. Posting regular messages and content will keep your audience engaged and make it far more likely that they will reshare your information or recommend your products and services to others. Social media advertising and marketing are extremely effective because if you do it well, customers and potential customers will work to market your product or service to countless others. The use of influencers is another popular approach that uses social media. An influencer is someone who produces content such as blog posts or videos that they share with their followers. An influencer sometimes operates within a niche, but that is not always the case. The advantage of working with an influencer to market your products is that you gain access to their large following that is open to listening to what they have to say and acting on their recommendations. Typically, influencers are given your products or services in exchange for an honest review and an agreed-on commission rate for any business you do as a result of their work. For example, if you make outdoor gear, you would find an influencer that travels and hikes or camps a lot and give them a selection of your products. You might offer them 5% of the revenue they generate for your business. Influencers with more followers and fame may need more enticement than those with smaller followings. Of course, another advantage of using influencers is that you often do not have to pay out a lot to get them to help you. Free products and a commission mean they are incentivized to be as successful as possible. Consumer interaction and customer service It is much easier to communicate than it used to be. As a result, customers have high expectations when it comes to engagement and interaction with the companies they go to for products and services. Responding to questions and comments on social media is important and shows customers you care. Customers are often more outspoken online than they would be in person and their comments reach far more people than if they state them privately to someone at your company. Approaching negative feedback with a comment on how they should contact you so you can make their experience better is a great idea. Thanking those who respond with positive feedback shows that you are paying attention to your customer base and that you value their opinions. Customer service standards must be high. When marketing a product or service, it is important that you are clear on how customers can receive answers to questions or talk to someone if needed. A contact form on the website, live chat during business hours and a thorough frequently asked questions area on your website are all helpful. Fast response times are also important. Do not make response time promises that you cannot keep. It is far better to indicate that inquiries will receive a response within 24 hours and respond much sooner than to promise 12 hours and not respond until the next day. Customers appreciate it when you are faster than the allotted time but slower is never good. During high traffic times, you might want to put out a notice that wait times may be longer just so customers know what to expect. Attending events and selling merchandise is another great way to interact with customers. Conventions, fairs and other large events can be a lot of fun and introduce your brand to many new people. Even those who are aware of your brand may come away with a more positive view after interacting personally with your team. Free trials and samples help engage customers Convincing people to spend their money can be harder than you might think, especially if you make a product or provide a service that is really nice or helpful but may not be 100% essential. Offering free trials or samples can help others learn to trust your business and see for themselves that you have a lot to offer them that can make their life easier or more enjoyable. If trials and samples are not possible, then consider offering a substantial discount on first-time purchases. A discount of 10-20% off is often enough enticement to attract new customers. Adding in a free sample with a first purchase can also be helpful, and offsets the cost somewhat since you are gaining some business regardless of whether the customer returns. Rewards programs Plenty of companies successfully use reward programs to promote customer loyalty. Grocery stores are a great example of businesses that use points that can be used for discounts on groceries or gas. Cosmetic companies sometimes offer free products ranging from trial sizes to full sizes. Other businesses have rewards programs that customers initially pay a fee to join but receive the fee back in savings within a purchase or two. For instance, Barnes and Noble has a program for regular customers that offers a percentage off each purchase and free shipping on all orders on their website. Subscribe and save programs can encourage customers to commit to a regular purchase. Chewy is an online supplier of pet foods that offers 5% off subscribe and save orders. This not only offers savings but is the ultimate convenience for shoppers who sometimes find themselves forgetting to shop for items that they use regularly. Analyzing engagement data You need to determine where you should concentrate your marketing efforts and budget to achieve the best results. Analyzing how much business you are generating via your various marketing channels is important when planning out any future marketing campaigns. Analytics are typically easy to access thanks to online tracking. Facebook ads, Twitter and Google Ads all have analytics that you can easily view to see how your marketing efforts are performing. It is important to consider many factors when analyzing performance. For instance, are you reaching the same demographics? Is your budget for advertising larger for one website or service than another? Sometimes the answer may be that you need to change your marketing materials on a certain platform rather than stop advertising there entirely. This is why it is so important to make sure that you are making an honest comparison when analyzing analytics from different channels. Data analysis and mining Thanks to easy access to electronic records and data along with fast computer processing, it is now possible for data analysts to analyze vast volumes of data to find answers to questions that are of the utmost value to marketing teams. By analyzing large volumes of data, businesses can gain insight into larger trends that may otherwise have been overlooked. Data can also be used by marketing teams to predict future outcomes if certain decisions are made. Data analysis allows marketing teams to learn as much in-depth information about their target demographic as possible so marketing campaigns can be tailored to form a fast and lasting connection with future customers. Strategy matters A good marketing strategy can make or break a business. It is important that marketing teams are smart about what strategies they use for any segment of the population. This means keeping up with current trends in all areas of life so you have a feel for what is resonating with people at the time. Keeping your marketing strategy up to date helps avoid offense as well. A marketing mistake that is deemed offensive can have a major impact on the company. It is harder to repair a reputation after a misstep than it is to cause offense if marketing teams are not careful. Planning out strategies step by step well in advance is important as it allows adequate time for review and improvement. One marketing strategy for general use is a great idea but it is important that you approach each demographic you are trying to reach with a customized strategy for some marketing campaigns. Striking a personal note with potential customers increases the odds that they will form a lasting connection with your company or recommend you to others. Empathy and ethics Mutual empathy is important when it comes to marketing communications. Businesses need to empathize with what their target demographics are dealing with in their lives. This allows for relatable marketing messages that resonate well with the customer and create a lasting impact. Ethical business practices matter a lot to customers in today’s world. You must show that your company operates ethically. Charitable contributions and certifications such as being Free Trade Certified or Organic can all be used to market your brand and attract customers who want to feel good about the companies they are giving their business to. Communications is an in-demand profession There are more businesses and start-ups every day. Of course, there are also plenty of businesses that are constantly looking to expand and grow into new areas and niche markets. Earning an online Master of Arts in Communication from a reputable institution such as St. Bonaventure University can help prepare you to create marketing campaigns that lead to wide scale brand recognition and success. The SBU Communications Master online program involves 100% online coursework and can be completed in as little as 22 months. Students learn how to interpret data and create amazing marketing campaigns no matter what industry they find themselves working in. Students can choose to specialize in either content marketing or integrated marketing communications. The principles of successful marketing communications Embrace your unique selling points Being distinctive increases your odds of attracting any customer. This can seem challenging if you are producing a common product and especially so if you are producing a premium version of a common product. When creating a marketing strategy, it is important to ask company stakeholders what makes them unique or what main aspects of their vision they want to highlight to stand out to their customers. Offering premium quality may be one of these principles. A good example of a clothing company that has mastered standing out is the company Universal Standard. They highlight in their marketing that they offer clothing in the widest range of sizes available from a commercial clothing company. Inclusiveness in a premium clothing brand makes them stand out from companies offering limited sizing in all or some of their styles. Increase your reach If your company has been limiting its advertising, then you will likely benefit from advertising in a way that reaches more people. Social media advertising on platforms such as Facebook makes it easy to specify the markets that you want your advertising to target. Of course, the more people you are likely to reach, the higher the cost, but this can be a very good use of your advertising dollars. Whatever you can do to reach out to more people in a positive way is good marketing. Samples and trials are something to consider. Partnering with another company can be helpful as well. If you create a product or service that complements another firm’s offerings, then you may be able to help each other to dramatically increase the reach of both companies. Grab attention as quickly as possible There is a lot of advertising out there. Your ads and content need to catch the eye of potential customers and draw them in. Evaluate if your advertisement would stand out if there were two or three more ads from other companies right beside it. If the answer is yes, then you are on the right path. At the same time, it is essential not to have too much going on in your ads. A busy and cluttered look will detract from your message. No one is going to spend five minutes trying to make sense of an ad or decipher just what you are trying to sell. Be consistent with your overall message and image While ads and content need to be fresh and original, some things need to be the same. Your logo, slogan and overall brand image need to be consistent. If you want your customers to see your company as offering fun products, then all your ads and images need to portray that in some way. There is still a ton of room for creativity and fresh marketing, you just need to be sure that things are not so different that a previous customer couldn’t tell it was the same brand. Familiarity fosters trust and brand loyalty. This is how some companies become household names that practically everyone can recognize just from their logo even if they are not consistent customers. Conclusion Marketing communications are important to the success of any business. Without good marketing, a business can truly struggle. Understanding as much as possible about your customers and engaging them in a meaningful and relatable way is how businesses rise to the top of their market niche.Communications experts are in demand at practically all companies. Now is a great time to earn your degree and get started in an exciting new career helping businesses succeed.Marketing Communications’ Role In Business Success - HR News