Nigel Hollis

How well are you being served?

Nigel Hollis — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 22:23:28 +0000

Over the last couple of weeks, I have had a chance to reflect on the value of branding to service businesses. Overall, service brands tend to establish weaker relationships with their customers than product brands. This makes them vulnerable when people have a less-than-positive experience.

New brands, old tricks

Nigel Hollis — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 11:54:05 +0000

For the last day and a half, I have been ensconced in an English country house hotel discussing the state of branding with senior executives from many of the best-known brands in the world. Our basic conclusion? The theory of what makes a good brand has not changed, but the practice of marketing has gotten a lot harder.

The IAA Think Tank, which was the first event of its kind held by the IAA, combined breakout sessions for an invitation-only audience with a conference open to all. The breakouts were held on Tuesday afternoon with the conference beginning that evening.

Spam

Nigel Hollis — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 20:10:00 +0000

No, not the digital kind. I am talking about the original Spam—the pink, processed meat product that comes in a can. Unlikely though it may seem in this age of organic foods and natural ingredients, AdAge reports that Spam, the brand, is thriving.

To my mind, this just goes to prove the power of an iconic brand.

What does the future hold for social networks?

Nigel Hollis — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 22:24:29 +0000

On May 26, the Frankfurter Allgemeine published an interview in which Google CEO Eric Schmidt admitted that social networks may not be a suitable venue for online advertising. While many of us have already come to this conclusion, Schmidt’s acknowledgement is newsworthy because it’s the first time that anyone with such status in the industry has conceded that some popular sites where people spend a lot of time may not necessarily be good places to advertise. So what does this mean for sites like MySpace, Facebook and Bebo?

Impressions of marketing in Kenya

Nigel Hollis — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 19:03:11 +0000

I write this from Nairobi, where on Tuesday night Millward Brown held the launch event for its new operation in East Africa, Millward Brown East Africa Ltd, a joint venture with Nairobi-based Scangroup. On my first visit to Kenya, I am struck by the blend of old and new, local and global, similarities and differences. Here are some of my impressions.

Like everywhere in the world, food prices are climbing in Kenya, helping to drive inflation to its highest level since 1994. When the mass of people spend up to 85 percent of their income on food, the consequences of rising prices are significant, possibly catastrophic.