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Advertising

Emotional vs. rational benefits: getting the mix just right

When it comes to marketing premium brands, there’s usually no shortage of RTBs (Reasons To Believe) to choose from. Although brands in commodity categories are sometimes challenged to differentiate themselves, the premium brand(s) in any “vertical” should carefully choose which RTBs make it to the front lines of consumer messaging. Whether or not emotional or [...]

Advertising

Premium Brand Communication 101

Premium brands distinguish themselves from the competition not only in their products, but also in the way they communicate with their customers. One good example of this is in e-mail marketing. Although e-mail is growing and consumers are likely to opt-out if they feel the messages to be irrelevant or impersonal. There are more than 200 billion email messages sent each day, and of the 91% of consumers who opt out or unsubscribe to emails, 46% are driven to brand defection because the messages are simply not relevant.

Advertising

Starbucks Apologizes for Great Branding

In the last few months, there has been much ado about Starbucks’ rebranding some of its stores to strip away their corporate identity and revamp the locations with local character. According to an article in The Seattle Times, some stores—including the one featured in the article—will include alcohol, live music, and many other elements that [...]

Advertising

Can Social Media Harm Premium Brands?

Some Premium Brands are fearful of joining the social media dialogue. “What if someone says something bad about us?” If you’ve ever thought this, then keep reading.

Advertising

I Am Premium, Hear Me Roar-Part 2

Not cowering to the pressure of the recession, Volvo delivers premium peace of mind

Advertising

Who is a premium consumer?

Is it based on income? Is it based on loyalty? You might be surprised…

Grocery

Premium Brands and Pricing Wars

I’m observing some dangerous practices among desperate marketers these days—constant, deep discounts to the trade. While everyone is asking for great deals, there’s also danger in lax pricing. There’s a great risk that, unless a premium brand continues to communicate its brand value, the consumer who buys "on deal" all the time won’t be willing [...]

Energy & Utilities

Premium Commodities

What does it take to make a commodity premium? It takes more than differentiation, it takes differentiation that matters to the customer. Marketers deal every day with putting a message out there for consumers to bite down on, but the commodities that can demand a higher price—and even invoke brand loyalty—are the ones that know [...]