2023 IN REVIEW: TOP POSTS (PART1)
As 2023 draws to a close, it’s time to look back at some highlights from the 52 blog posts we’ve published in the last 12 months. We’ve picked the most popular post from each month, based on the number of views on Linked In. In this first of two posts we look at the top posts from January to June.
JANUARY: STRETCH TO REVITALISE YOUR BRAND LIKE ITV
We started the new year looking at a new launch: ITV’s streaming service, ITVX. It is a great example of an established brand using strategic stretching to revitalise itself. Having been lucky enough to work with the ITV team on the brand revitalisation strategy in 2021, it was exciting to see the work showing up in the marketplace. It was even more exciting to post later in the year on the positive early results of the launch, with streaming hours up +56% in the key 16-34 age group. ITVX was awarded Media Brand of the Year and the ITV team was named Brand Team of the Year.
FEBRUARY: CREATE A REPLICABLE ACTIVATION PROPERTY LIKE INNOCENT’S BIG KNIT
This post on Innocent’s Big Knit campaign was one of the most popular in our history, with over 36,000 views on Linked In. We celebrated 20 years of the Big Knit, having first posted on the brilliant brand activation campaign back in 2007, here. The campaign is still going strong, with people knitting little hats for the smoothie bottles and 25p from each one sold donated to Age UK to help keep old people warm at winter. “It not only continues to have impact and value, it has more and more impact and value as time goes on,” reported head of brand Emilie Stephenson.
MARCH: BOOST YOUR BRAND STRATEGY CAPABILITY
In March we shared results on a Gartner CMO survey on the most important marketing capabilities. Brand strategy came out on top, beating more fashionable topics such as digital marketing. Why? Because, a strong brand strategy increases the effectiveness of the whole marketing mix. It drives effectiveness by improving clarity, cut-through and consistency. If 2024 is the year you plan to boost the brand strategy capability of your team, check out the upcoming 2024 edition of the brandgym Mastering Brand Growth Program here.
APRIL: ENSURE BRAND CONSISTENCY TO AVOID MISTAKES LIKE BUD LIGHT
April’s post looked at the brutal backlash to Bud Lite’s campaign with transgender social influencer Dylan Mulvaney. Sales of the beer dropped 17% and $6 billion was wiped off the value of parent company Anheuser-Busch. The issue here wasn’t the campaign per se. It was more the lack of coherency with the majority of the marketing for Bud Lite, which focused on masculine sports and pastimes. Furthermore, the company’s leadership back-tracked and apologised, rather than sticking to their guns. If you want to ensure your influencer campaign is a hot not a miss, check out this earlier post on Insider Tips on Influcer Marketing.
MAY: AVOID DITCHING BRAND ASSETS LIKE LAND ROVER
Jaguar Landrover’s brand portfolio strategy create plenty of debate when we posted on it in May. The upmarket car maker announced plans to drop the Land Rover brand to instead focus on Range Rover, Defender, Discovery and Jaguar as part of a “house of brands” strategy. The company name itself will also drop Landrover, changing to the anonymous JLR. We questioned the decision to ditch the Land Rover brand asset given the strong awareness and equity in the brand, including a liking level equal to Ferrari!
JUNE: REVITALISE YOUR BRAND LIKE K-WAY
The resurrection of an old and outdated brand is a daunting challenge at the best of times. For clothing brand K-Way, a phoenix-like revival was literally needed. A fire razed the French-based factory to the ground in 1992, destroying all the product and also the brand’s historical archives. This post looked at how the brand pulled off the perfect balancing act of freshness and consistency. Product focus remained on rain-proof outerwear. Freshness was injected via more stylish designs and colabs with fashion-forward brands including Veuve Clicquot.
