Pepsi is working hard to attach their brand to popular fast food choices. The #BetterWithPepsi campaign is backed by a blind taste test claim that their fizzy drink goes better with Big Mac or Whopper burgers than rival Coca-Cola. Recent creative work has been superbly distinctive and provocative. Showing wrappers for Burger King, McDonald’s and... Continue Reading →
One of my most rewarding projects of late has been helping the Unilever ice cream business accelerate growth across delivery platforms such Uber Eats, Grab or Deliveroo and food-chain partners. Teams are dotted across the globe and manage digital communications to drive sales from their own virtual stores, grocery partners or from food-chain orders. Collectively... Continue Reading →
The return of Lifebuoy to the UK in the midst of a pandemic looks like a case of the right brand at the right time. Introduced in 1894 its mission and early advertising still makes some sense today. Today's challenge is establishing Lifebuoy as a major hand hygiene brand in a growing but crowded category.... Continue Reading →
There have been some successful leaders in 2020. This article features seven diverse winners - each offers some inspiration for brand and business owners in 2021... READ MORE: https://branduniverseblog.com/2020/12/30/learning-from-2020s-winners/
You may not have heard of the Indian telcom brand Jio but investors certainly have. The company has recently gathered $20bn from investors that include Google and Facebook. Jio is a company with lots of latent e-commerce potential. It has about a 45% share of Indian mobile phone users and via parent company Reliance... Continue Reading →
The launch of a direct to consumer website is not usually big news, especially during this pandemic, but PepsiCo's launch of Snacks.com and Pantryshop.com has gained attention with headlines such as "PepsiCo cuts out grocery stores." These simple websites don't look like a particularly big strategic play at first glance. In fact PepsiCo suggest they... Continue Reading →
Travel in general and TUI in particular are having a torrid time as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic. With a net loss of €763 million in the last 6 months TUI will soon cut around 8,000 jobs to reduce overhead costs by 30 percent. Alongside cost savings the company needs to attract hesitant consumers back... Continue Reading →
I feel some discomfort defining Banksy as a brand. On the important attributes I am on solid ground: the artist's work is distinct, recognisable, and consistently purposeful in message. However, I suspect it is a label that the anonymous street artist who has deemed commercial success "a mark of failure" would dislike a lot. Labelling... Continue Reading →
At a time when investors are hesitating, British ceramics brand Emma Bridgewater has secured an £8m investment to support growth. It is a big expression of confidence for the pottery company established in 1985 that has organically grown revenues beyond £20m. Like the company's ceramics this investment is eye-catching and led me to reflect on... Continue Reading →
Covid-19 has hurt the happy meal restaurant. About 25% of McDonald's restaurants are closed globally, including all of the 1,270 in the UK. Despite the sales impact the McDonald's brand looks set to emerge stronger post-pandemic. In recent weeks the global attachment to the brand born in 1940 has become very visible. McDonalds clearly has... Continue Reading →
