For a little more than 15 years ago the Internet became available for the general public. A combination of technical development and a standardization of communication between computers set it all off. Â Also, not to neglect Cern‘s need to display their spending and progress towards their stakeholders and sponsors.
At that point of time the Secretary of Communications in Sweden, Ines Uusmann were quoted incorrectly by saying that the “Internet is just a hype”. It would become her Famous Last Words. What she actually said was that the general surfing on different home pages would end and a more focused behavior would follow. She was right. Just as she was when she initiated a fast development of broadband, covering most of Sweden.
Thne the Internet boom arrived. Followed by the IT-bubble that bursted into nothing. Many sites like boo.com were just launched too early. The customers weren’t ready to shop their clothes on the web. Yet. It takes about 10 years to make money on a new invention or behavior. At least if it costs money. For freebies the change goes much faster, ask Mark Zuckerberg about it.
So far it has been said the the Internet doesn’t work for brand building communication. Many have tried but actually none of the brand building campaigns placed on advertising space on any website has produced any ROI. It has been explained that the users are different to the viewers. That we sit in a different position in from of our computer compared to what we do in front of the TV. Actually I think that neither the clients or the agencies has been knowing how o face the challenge. Because it has been several successful brand campaigns on the internet, but they have all been viral.
One excellent example is the interactive YouTube-campaign for Tipp-Ex where you as the user can change the end of a film clip.  Another one is the splendid films from BlendTec that are claimed to given the company’s sales a boost with over 700% (and why would they lie about it??).
But…the campaign that changed the course of branding history is probably the Old Spice campaign “What you’re man could smell like”. It has actually converted Procter & Gamble from  on-line marketing and branding-in-traditional-media-kind-of-corporation to what they call digital branding.  Or as P&Gs head of global marketing  Mark Pritchard echoed: ”Digital marketing is the past. Brand building in the digital world is the future”.
IKEA is one of Sweden’s most famous brands. Their stores are widely popular all over the world and the fact that all product names are in Swedish doesn’t seem to bother anyone. As a principle they only sell products under their own brand. The exception to this rule has been the Swedish stores outside the cashier’s line. Inside that store – customers all over the world has been able to buy Swedish candy, crisp bread, pickled herring and the world famous snaps – all original brands.
That is no more.
The products in the Swedish store are now to be sold under IKEA´s own brand. A decision consistent with their general brand strategy. From a purely business perspective it is probably the right thing to do. The revenue IKEA gets from selling other brands in a small store is probably not even noticeable in the annual report.
My question is more on a brand level. Is it possible to stretch the IKEA brand from beds and laundry baskets to crisp bread and pickled herring? Honestly – I don’t think so. The brand is an emotional thing. A painful lesson Melitta learned when they tried to sell vacuum cleaner bags with their brand on the package. Business wise that looked like a dream – but it turned out to a financial black hole.
Personally I think IKEA goes to far. The IKEA brand loses the dimension being a Swedish mass culture embassy and the stores becomes a bit boring. And I don’t think my friends in France, Switzerland or the U.S. are as thrilled by crisp bread from IKEA as they were by the original from Leksands Knäckebröd with the red Dalahorse on the package.
For ten years ago I would have been laughed at if I had written this. Time changes. Today nobody laughs at Apple. Â I think their websites are an excellent evidence how confidence looks like – as well as the absence of the very same.
You would argue and say…”well it’s just like Apple…” and maybe it is. But it’s also the confidence of doing just enough. No boosting or bragging. It’s sophisticated, approachable and very easy to find your way.
Now take a look at Microsoft. Loads of stuff screaming out “HEY LOOK ALL THE THINGS WE GOT FOR YOU!” It’s nothing wrong with it, but it’s “it” isn’t there. Just as with the brand.
If we go beyond products and services we reach the brand promise. What do I actually get when I buy the one or the other. The sad thing is that nothing of Microsoft’s enormous sales and volume is visible at a glance on their site. While Apple’s  just oozes success.
So what’s the difference? Well I would say it’s Apple’s use of white. Knowing that you don’t have to sell on every pixel (or second, square mm…) is something only the winner can do.
And people always joins the winner.
The most traditional coffee brand in Sweden has launched a new line of dark roasted coffee. Obviously they cannot just be sitting on their butts as the Swedish coffee market turns continental with darker and more tasteful blends. In today’s Resume we could see the TV commercial for the launch:
Sure, the film is a great production and a bit funny. But who are supposed to like it? The ones that enjoys commercials like these are usually equipped with a liberal mindset and laughs at commercial. These are the ambitious ones and they drink dark roasted coffee. But they would never look at Gevalia. That brand is not on their radar. Gevalia’s position is no 1 among those who has a cup of coffee as a social thing – not for their own pleasure.
So what should Gevalia have done? Easy. Created a new brand. Then the ambitious and strivers of Sweden would have looked their way. As it is now, I fear that Gevalia’s regular customers are just confused.
A short business trip to Strasbourg made me take a flight to Frankfurt. At the train station at the airport I got to see this campaign for a hotel booking portal called HRS. The size of these ads where impossible to miss, just at the photo on the ad as well.
This ad would have been impossible to even think of in Sweden. Obviously it wasn’t that hard in Germany. Now I won’t go into a debate of moral or obvious difference in culture. Nor will I go down the good or bad lane. Ad serves a purpose – to increase sales for the client company. In short and long term. The long term thinking usually ends up under the headline “brand”. I can see how the agency and client came to this conclusion of the campaign.
1. Probably most users of the website are men.
2. Men are (still) most frequent on airports since they do (still) do most of the business travelling.
3. Most men like blond women with big knockers, fake or natural usually doesn’t matter.
- “So. Let’s make an ad with a lightly dressed women with big knockers telling that she is using our site”
(Applause).
Actually…taken moral aside – it makes all sense. But how will pictures like this affect the brand?
…well even though the model grabs my attention I can’t help thinking that the hotels on this site is of an certain character. Can you? It helps awareness…but how about knowledge and preferences? And likability? I can”t help thinking the hotels in this site is of an certain character. But that’s me…and my moral. Even though the model obviously grabs my attention.
So this is the new take on Swedish Design? Is this the friendly car Volvo? What were you thinking? This is so terrible I don’t have words for it. And even worse – it will ruin the brand. Volvo goes vulgar. Good night.
