Next Big Brands // Random Thoughts
by Josh Levine
In a recent article, the Financial Times argues that the next big brands are likely to come from Asia, not Europe or the US. They might be right, but their logic suggests they don’t really understand branding.
The article talks about Burberry opening a new store in Singapore, its sixth, with the suggestion being that brands who want to be successful in the future are going to have to dominate Asia. While it’s true that Asia is a key market and the consumer population alone makes them crucial for brands, what the writer doesn’t seem to get is that successful brands today are built on much more than just opportunity. They are built on possessing a rich understanding of their customers, on knowing how to weave into their lifestyles, on employing conversation-worthy customer service, and on “getting it” when others don’t.
Asia has a huge population, which gives them purchasing power and the ability to manufacture goods cheaply. But brands built just on manufacturing and distribution are the ones who are struggling. They are the past. The future will be dominated by brands built on marketing. And let me be clear, I mean marketing, not advertising — on giving people real reasons to care about them. And they might come from anywhere.
Luxury Marketers Get Personal
by Michal
The informal environment allowed salespeople to schmooze with prospective customers. "In this economy, people want to give their money to people they like," says Josh ...
Marketing Playlist for week of 7.20 // Reading for Rebels
by Josh Levine
Top 5 things you should be reading this week: Small Businesses on Twitter — I don't know why they're surprised. Small companies are usually the ones who ...
MySpace // Don’t Believe The Hype
by Josh Levine
Social networks are not brands... A recent TechCrunch article quotes MySpace CEO Owen Van Natta as saying “Our users don’t know if we’re a social portal, ...
Marketing Playlist for Week of 7.13 // Reading for Rebels
by Josh Levine
Here's what we've been reading (and digging) this week: Reverb: The Real Secret to Marketing With Social Media - Fast Company Reverb’s not just an indie-rock word, ...
Vistage // Down With Us
by Josh Levine
Fortune Small Business has an article about the seven things that kill small businesses, naming problems with accounting, pricing, hiring and firing, lack of standards ...
Email Marketing // Random Thoughts
by Josh Levine
At a client session this spring I spoke about email marketing. Not the kind where you buy a list and use Constant Contact or some ...
Mine Magazine Part 2 // Don’t Believe The Hype
by Josh Levine
Second issue of Mine came today. Let's see if they did any better than the first issue... My name in the Lexus ad upfront: check. By ...
Make $ on Twitter? // Random Thoughts
by Josh Levine
While we're on the subject of Twitter and how to do things that aren't stupid, let's check out Amanda Palmer's story, "How an Indie Musician ...
Marc Cuban is a Rebel // Down With Us
by Josh Levine
Marc Cuban called me this morning to ask for my advice on his new ad campaign. Well, not exactly, but he did ask the question ...
