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Branding and Internal Communication
In the I-HR newsletter, moderator Beth N. Carvin asked if the idea of branding could be used, effectively, to improve productivity and retention. This is an expanded version of my response to her question:
Yes, I think you can use the idea of...
I'm Talking, But is Anyone Listening?
Internet marketing is a wonderful thing, but it has it's drawbacks. For instance, if you own a brick and mortar store you have a *physical* presence that gets noticed. Customers will find you purely by chance by walking or driving down the...
Marketing Revolution with Blogs and RSS
Do you know that there is a marketing revolution happening online this very moment? Before that, let's go back in time and take a look at the major revolution or 'waves' that has occured when the Internet became a business or marketplace. First...
More Than Just a Logo: Creating Your Company's Corporate Identity
A client of mine once called after I had given a presentation to
him about his company's brand. He was calling to say we needed
to change the shade of taupe we had all agreed upon for the
firm's logo.
I was surprised to hear this busy man...
The 12 Reasons Why Most Ads Fall Flat On Their Face, Costing You A Fortune Instead of Making You The Money You Deserve!
1. You think you need ‘Image’ or ‘branding’ advertising because that’s all the so-called ‘top guns’ use in their advertising. You don’t use direct response advertising they don’t and you’d think they know best.
2. You never offer compelling...
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The super brand Marlboro
The Marlboro cigarettes story began in 1847 and was marketed mainly to women in London. This marketing strategy did not go over so well. In the 1920's, Marlboro cigarettes were then introduced to the American market as the cheap Cigarette of choice for women. It was also advertised as a mild Cigarette.
The Marlboro Cigarette brand never gained sufficient traction amongst smokers and was eventually taken off the market during World War II. Marlboro cigarettes were reintroduced in the 1950's when many consumers began to concern themselves with the health aspects of smoking. At the time, most cigarettes were non-filtered. The Marlboro cigarettes branding position as a women's Cigarette had also been reevaluated and so it was decided to market Marlboro cigarettes at men, rather that women.
The 'tattooed man' campaign got under way in 1955 - the images of a leaner, healthy Marlboro cigarettes smoker and laid-back outdoorsman commenced. Only very masculine men were used in ads to promote Marlboro cigarettes -- often these were Naval officers or cattle ranchers. Following this, in 1954, the cowboy was created and became the most popular Marlboro cigarettes character ever. By 1963, the Marlboro cowboy became the sole character in the selling of Marlboro cigarettes. In
1972, Marlboro cigarettes have become the most popular in the world and have remained in that position for most, if not all, of the time since.
In 1980 in the Superman II film: Lois Lane lights up. In fifty years of comic book appearances, Lois Lane never smoked. For a reported payment of $42,000, the company purchases 22 exposures of the Marlboro logo in the movie featuring the children's comic book hero, and Lois Lane, strong role model for teenage girls, gets a Marlboro pack on her desk and begins chain smoking Marlboro Lights.
At one point in the film, a character is tossed into a van with a large Marlboro sign on its side, and in the climactic scene the superhero battles amid a maze of Marlboro billboards before zooming off in triumph, leaving in his wake a solitary taxi with a Marlboro sign on top. The New York State Journal of Medicine published an article titled "Superman and the Marlboro Woman: The Lungs of Lois Lane." Throughout the 80s, Superman II is frequently re-run on TV in prime time.
The transformation of a brand from a failure and one meant only for women to that of a best selling brand, which stood for male machismo, and ruggedness underlined the resilience of the Marlboro brand.
About the Author
The super brand Marlboro
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