ioana
in quest for genuine
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About Me
- Name: ioana
- Location: Bucharest, Romania
I experiment with myself and the world around me. I always seek for that small sparkle of what's real and authentic in things, people, nature...
Archive
Thursday, April 26, 2007
BRAINreserve
This is the name of a very cool marketing boutique consultancy from NY. It’s been for awhile on Tom Peters' list of Cool Friends, but except from reading excerpts from EVEolution, I haven’t really bothered to learn more about Faith Popcorn’s work. She’s been called “the Nostradamus of Marketing” by Fortune Magazine for her visionary work on defining and using trends that influence consumer behavior. I read a bit through their website today, and from the 17 trends defined on the website I can identify with all! Wow, that is something, I am usually more circumspect!
Here are my top 3 favorites:
Here are my top 3 favorites:
- EVEolution! Of course, I’m a woman so this will surely be my number 1! Don’t frown, I’m not talking about extreme feminism here, it’s not a trend focusing on WOMEN, but on the FEMININE. It’s a way of being (yes, in majority for women :)) that influences marketing and society from a hierarchal model to a relational one! Just think of the great campaigns from Dove – Real Beauty (and their skyrocket sales figures), of Motorola’s repositioning towards women (same effect), of Sprite’s addressing young girls after a veeeery long time of only talking for the boys.
- Pleasure Revenge – the “ah, I don’t care” trend! It’s about indulging yourself with you “bad habits” – one too many glass of vodka, a huge stake, a chocolate spree a 2am! Vices become ok as long as you don’t do them on a daily basis. What can I say, I sure love that vodka redbull during the weekends, and sometimes I just can’t resist a big-yummy-chocolate cake. But in the rest of my time I stay away from any alcohol and from sweet bombs!
- Vigilante Consumer – how the CONSUMER finally can influence and control the market through pression, protest and politics. I guess we’re all sick and tired of large companies hurting the environment, exploiting cheap labor force, or of dirty-lying-cheating-hypocrite politicians. Finally we have a voice strong enough to make it heard out there, we have the power to create or destroy the brand, using our most powerful tool: the INTERNET!
You can read about all the trends at the bottom of the page:
http://www.faithpopcorn.com/
Thursday, April 12, 2007
Employer branding – there is no escape!
I’ve been moving myself lately towards a more strategic approach on our company’s brand. I just passed three months since I’m working here, and I got a good hand on the operations aspects. So I felt now it is the good time to challenge my colleagues and my own ideas of how we want to build our brand.
I started with defining the brand essence: ”A polished Brand Essence should be maintained in such a way that it has 100% recall amongst the whole business team. Because then it will influence every (branding) value judgment they make, be this communally or individually. Therefore, in the process of defining Brand Essence recognize that "it is not an advertising slogan, nor a description which will change with every communication. Essence should be a long term positioning which changes rarely and is more like a mission statement for a brand. For this reason, brands with strong Brand Essences tend to have sought the most fundamental consumer needs and sought to own them". Read the full article here.
Even though brand building was my initial focus I somehow slid towards employer branding. I have to confess I’ve been a bit shocked to learn that even today so many companies focus on the brand only from a sales perspective, leaving out the vital market of future employees. Just yesterday I read an article in a Romanian business magazine where they gave an estimation of how only 7-9% of the companies in Romania larger than 20 employees know what employer branding means, and even less work with it. I would disagree in the estimated percentage because from my work with companies in AIESEC I’ve experienced many companies familiar with the subject, but all in all, the percentage still remains surprisingly low.
What’s even more interesting is to see how these companies have to face a recruitment market that more and more has the spotlight on Generation Y (including me). Until 3-4 years ago companies here didn’t even have to bother about recruiting young talents: the country was full of smart, talented youngsters, willing to work day and night and sacrifice their personal life on the corporate altar. But today, it’s a whole new deal! All the Recruitment Managers I know are complaining about the “arrogance” and “infatuation” of the young people, of how they ask about the payment from the begging of an interview and walk out of it when this is low, and of how they threaten to resign only 6 months after being hired.
All true...but what will you do when this is your market? Markus Buckingham has a very interesting article on engaging the Generation Y, and this is how he characterizes us: “They are the most rewarded, recognized, and praised generation in living memory. So they walk into the workplace feeling massively entitled. After six weeks on the job, they expect a promotion.”
See, the thing is that we are the new world, and like it or not, we’re slowly taking over. And in our world, branding is essential! We want to be in love with the products we buy, the things we do, the company we work for! We avoid dull and grey companies, and go for the crazy-uber-cool ones! And heavens protect you if you make us believe you are like that and then you don’t live up to the expectations!
So you see, there really is no escape, brand or die! :)
I started with defining the brand essence: ”A polished Brand Essence should be maintained in such a way that it has 100% recall amongst the whole business team. Because then it will influence every (branding) value judgment they make, be this communally or individually. Therefore, in the process of defining Brand Essence recognize that "it is not an advertising slogan, nor a description which will change with every communication. Essence should be a long term positioning which changes rarely and is more like a mission statement for a brand. For this reason, brands with strong Brand Essences tend to have sought the most fundamental consumer needs and sought to own them". Read the full article here.
Even though brand building was my initial focus I somehow slid towards employer branding. I have to confess I’ve been a bit shocked to learn that even today so many companies focus on the brand only from a sales perspective, leaving out the vital market of future employees. Just yesterday I read an article in a Romanian business magazine where they gave an estimation of how only 7-9% of the companies in Romania larger than 20 employees know what employer branding means, and even less work with it. I would disagree in the estimated percentage because from my work with companies in AIESEC I’ve experienced many companies familiar with the subject, but all in all, the percentage still remains surprisingly low.
What’s even more interesting is to see how these companies have to face a recruitment market that more and more has the spotlight on Generation Y (including me). Until 3-4 years ago companies here didn’t even have to bother about recruiting young talents: the country was full of smart, talented youngsters, willing to work day and night and sacrifice their personal life on the corporate altar. But today, it’s a whole new deal! All the Recruitment Managers I know are complaining about the “arrogance” and “infatuation” of the young people, of how they ask about the payment from the begging of an interview and walk out of it when this is low, and of how they threaten to resign only 6 months after being hired.
All true...but what will you do when this is your market? Markus Buckingham has a very interesting article on engaging the Generation Y, and this is how he characterizes us: “They are the most rewarded, recognized, and praised generation in living memory. So they walk into the workplace feeling massively entitled. After six weeks on the job, they expect a promotion.”
See, the thing is that we are the new world, and like it or not, we’re slowly taking over. And in our world, branding is essential! We want to be in love with the products we buy, the things we do, the company we work for! We avoid dull and grey companies, and go for the crazy-uber-cool ones! And heavens protect you if you make us believe you are like that and then you don’t live up to the expectations!
So you see, there really is no escape, brand or die! :)
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
If I were the Easter bunny, what would you ask from me?
I spent Easter in the good old fashioned way: at home, with family and friends. I had a lot of heartfelt conversations these days, most of which with people my age or slightly above. It’s incredible how closely connected I felt with them, talking about life and search, individuality and authenticity. They are my old high-school fellows, whom I haven’t seen in years, and haven’t talked to about life in even more!
I was surprised to learn that they are not concerned only about work, money and statute, like I’ve found many youngsters to be, but ache to discover more about themselves, about the core of their being, and the world surrounding them. I also remembered my past year, which was exactly these – ache and search, stumbles and falls, breaking me and then remaking myself. I know how tough the way can get...
So if I were to be the Easter bunny, I’d like to bring you confirmation. Confirmation of the beauty that exists within you, of how valuable you really are, and of how exciting life is if you allow yourself to leap into it. And also confirmation that the ache and the depression leads to your authentic self...and it’s pretty much the only way I know that really gets you there...
I was surprised to learn that they are not concerned only about work, money and statute, like I’ve found many youngsters to be, but ache to discover more about themselves, about the core of their being, and the world surrounding them. I also remembered my past year, which was exactly these – ache and search, stumbles and falls, breaking me and then remaking myself. I know how tough the way can get...
So if I were to be the Easter bunny, I’d like to bring you confirmation. Confirmation of the beauty that exists within you, of how valuable you really are, and of how exciting life is if you allow yourself to leap into it. And also confirmation that the ache and the depression leads to your authentic self...and it’s pretty much the only way I know that really gets you there...