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Proctor & Gamble, with the help of Weiden & Kennedy, has launched…

Proctor & Gamble has launched a new packaging, advertising and social media around one of America's oldest and most classic brands, Ivory Soap. This is another great example of brand renovation - taking what already exists and is fundamentally true about a brand, and renewing it to be more appealing in today's world. With existing equity in the brand, renovation is often more cost efficient and effective in building sales. As soaps have become more specialized and targeted to specific audiences and genders, Ivory has posed the following question in its advertising, "At what point does soap stop being soap?" Good point! But of course the big question here is...does Ivory Soap still float?

Home Renovation or Brand Renovation. It’s Time.

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You all know the feeling. There's a room (or in most cases more than one) in your house that needs some renovation. You think about it every time you walk into that room. Something just isn't right. It could just need a different color of paint. Maybe the fix could be as simple as rearranging some of the furniture. Or, it could be to the point where it's time to call in the pros and do a complete overhaul. Whatever the case, the room feels old and out-of-date, and if it's a more public room like a kitchen or living area, you may even avoid having guests in your home.

OK, so you know there's a need. Now it's a matter of getting started. Often times, other priorities just get in the way. Things like "I don't have the time," and "I don't have the money right now," and "it's just a huge hassle," get in the way. But the sooner you can get started, the better it will all be, and you'll find yourself saying, "why didn't we update this earlier?" I know I've said those exact words after every home project I've ever done.

And here's the fun part - whether you do it yourself, or call in the pros, even the most basic renovations will make a huge difference. You'll be excited. It will feel right. And you'll want to tell everyone you know about the work. You'll want to show it off.

This feeling is true for your house. But it's also true for most brands. You have a foundation. You have lots of good things to build upon. Talk to your customers. Do some research. Look around. Ask questions. And find out what you can do to renovate your brand.

Is It Time for a Brand Makeover?

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I just read a good article in the Washington Post titled "Business finds they can't grow without branding." That struck me as a very obvious, "duh, no kidding" title, but then it got me thinking. We all talk about the changing marketing landscape and how things are evolving so quickly, but are we really slowing down long enough to honestly determine if our branding is still relevant?

I like the tagline change for Honest Tea. As the article states, they changed the line from "Be Real. Be Honest." to "Nature Got it Right. We Put It in a Bottle." The old tagline feels forced and more old school - we're just going to tell you who we are and pound it into you. The new line sounds more like a conversation which certainly fits better in today's social media world. This is just one example, but I like the change and I like the fact the brand seems nimble enough to stay relevant with the times.

So, if you haven't done so already, take the time to ask yourself if your brand is staying authentic with consumers. Are you old school? Or, are you a brand people want to have a conversation with? A small makeover may be all that's needed. Or, you may find you need a more complete renovation. Either way, stay current and your customers will stay current with you.

Calling All BlackBerry Users

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So what's up BlackBerry users? Still hanging on? The Wall Street Journal reports "Research in Motion Ltd. lost another marketing manager, the latest in a series of defections as the BlackBerry maker struggles to refresh its product line." Is this a case of too little too late? Reports indicate next-generation BlackBerrys and PlayBooks are coming soon, but will it be enough to save this brand?

It's certainly not a huge surprise, but this example once again illustrates how quickly the brand life cycle can be in the world of technology and communications. It wasn't that long ago that having a BlackBerry was the rage. The company I worked for at the time supplied all employees with the gadgets - a great business tool, especially for e-mail! Enter the iphone. The thing flat out works. I made the switch from BlackBerry to the iphone and so did the company I mentioned above.

Assuming BlackBerry moves quickly, I personally think they have a good chance of surviving. They have a good base of "business" users. Hopefully, they are talking with those users and listening to what they want and can renovate their offerings to meet those needs.

Yes, I'm a hypocrite as an iphone user, but I still love healthy competition and want to see this once healthy, almost dominant brand, keep the "crackberry" culture alive. What are your thoughts? Will BlackBerry survive? What would you do if you were their CEO?

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Hard to Beat a Great Pair of Levi’s 501s

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I love the fact that I work in a professional industry where I can wear jeans to work. In fact, to be one of the cool kids, there's almost an expectation that I "have to" wear jeans to work. I can think of worse problems. Anyway, as we all know, it's hard to beat putting on your favorite pair of jeans and for many years, my favorite choice was a well-worn pair of Levi's 501 button-up jeans. Ah, yes.

But somewhere along the way, Levi's started to fade out of fashion in favor of more trendy brands. Levi's, founded in 1869, always known for their classic look and feel started to chase this high-fashion trend. Like a lot of consumers, I too moved away from Levi's because they just didn't fit (sorry, bad pun) for me when they started to lose the essence of what they were all about. They had a great history, solid products and incredible brand equity, but they were losing all of that fairly quickly.

Fortunately, they were able to renovate their brand and make it fresh, authentic and believable again. Rolling out the "Go Forth" campaign positioned them well with a new audience and returned the brand to it's roots. Images of hard-working people and a strong sense of Americana reflected the brand essence and resonated with people, especially in a time of economic uncertainty.

Often times, we are lured into chasing current trends in whatever category we're in and adapt our brands to fit that trend. But all too often, these brands begin to lose relevancy and don't fit the brand perception that was built over many years. When that happens, consumers don't quite know what to believe and begin to lose interest and trust in those brands. Maybe we just get antsy as marketers and feel compelled to change. And certainly today's performance expectations demand constant growth. But in cases like Levi's, what consumers want and need is right in front of our face. It was there all along. The challenge is to keep what's good and true about the brand, and tell that story in a new, exciting and relevant way.

Thanks, Levi's. Still loving those 501s.

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