Super 7 - Super Heroes - Brand Characters

I really enjoyed these brand characters recently, The Super 7 Lotto Super heroes. They put the average joe face on a super hero body. I believe the brand effectively created characters that clearly define their target markets, and since Lotto is national they have a wide variety of segments, so Super 7 created 7 super heroes in order to cover as much of the target demographics as possible. They give the viewers the feeling that if you win the super 7 lotto, you can have chance to be like them "super hero". Each character takes a different approach to their spending habits which I'll explain later. But they back up the visuals with catch phrases like, "Because you can!" or, "Unleash the Power of the Super Seven." These are all inspiring words making the viewer feel like they could do anything like these super heroes if they win the Super 7 Lotto. The characters also come off as amusing and funny which is also a good thing, and they look like regular people, so its easy to imagine yourself in their position. Heres the explanation for each character. 

A disciple of the school of the 2 Rs: Rest & Relaxation

- Relaxo honed his skills at doing nothing at a very

young age. He imparts his wisdom to SUPER 7 winners

to help them cope with being filthy rich. “You can’t

merely throw a SUPER 7 winner into a life of idleness”

quotes Relaxo. “You must acclimatize them slowly. No

more than 9 hours of TV a day to start off, then gradually

increase by 3 hours each day. Loafing around takes a

lot of hard work and practice.”

Sure he’s extremely good looking, but don’t let his

handsome exterior fool you. The Splurger is a voracious

shopper skilled at the art of retail. His credit card knows

no limits and he has the super human ability to carry 12

full shopping bags at once and still be able to open the

trunk of a car. It’s a skill most valuable to the SUPER 7

winner, and will be taught if they prove worthy. The

Splurger uses a firm styling gel in his hair so it stays neat

while he runs around and shops.

Making the transition to the world of the ultra-rich often

brings many questions to the SUPER 7 winner. “Which

fork do I use at fancy dinners?” “Ascot or bowtie?”

“Tomato? Tomato?” Quandaries such as these can only be

answered by one man - Professor Posh. Raised in the finest

finishing schools, he unravels the mysteries of high society,

imparting valuable knowledge to the SUPER 7 winner.

“Remember, crudités is just a fancy word for veggies &

dip,” muses Posh. Words from a great man, indeed.

Jesse Streets knew he was destined for a life in automobiles

when he discovered a birthmark in shape of a ‘58 Edsel

on his abdomen. Interestingly, the mark also resembled

the face of beloved president Herbert Hoover, but due to

his Canadian citizenship he chose the car route. Jesse

lives and breathes cars (not the exhaust, of course)

helping SUPER 7 winners with their exotic car buying

decisions. “The choice between Corinthian leather and

Peruvian nubuck can torment the unprepared car buyer,

I’m here to help.”

Though diminutive in stature, she has the power to

open packs of airline peanuts with a single rip - a vital

skill for the ever-traveling SUPER 7 winner. Her special

“tingly” senses can locate lost luggage, several continents

away - a power she learned in a relationship with

a web-slinging boyfriend who shall remain nameless.

“We’re still friends” she insists, “even though he took

my Steely Dan and Mini Pops albums.”

“It’s not easy being this beautiful,” claims 80-year old

Cosmetica. A veteran to the Super Seven force, she

exposes SUPER 7 winners to a world of age-defying and

beauty-enhancing secrets. “Money can’t buy you

happiness,” says Cosmetica, “but it can buy you microdermabrasion

surgery for a blemish-free complexion,

which in turn makes you happy.”

Once a lowly insurance clerk stuck in middle management,

a freak microfiche accident transformed him into the

being you see today. 2-Weeks-Notice-Man’s sole

mission is to help free downtrodden workers from the

shackles of upper management. He is imbued with

special powers. Most notably, a lightning fast 13

words per minute, which he uses ferociously when

typing resignation letters for SUPER 7 winners.

His only weakness is florescent lighting, which makes

him break out in a rash.

I believe that each one of these characters were effective during the marketing campaign of 2007-2009 and clearly define the target market and the possibilities if joining to the brand Super 7. 

Lays (Baked and Regular) - Brand Architecture

Brand Architecture is the structure a business chooses to organize a hierarchy of its brand properties. This allows the brand to arrange its brand positioning and products where they align to the appropriate markets. It allows the brand to update and change products within other categories without disturbing previous marketing investments. It also helps the target markets differentiate the brands products better due to the architecture structure the brand chooses. 

For an example the Frito-Lays brand has had encountered problems with markets being unable to differentiate the products from baked to regular and which product suited them. So by repositioning the Lays "baked" products in new packaging, they were able to organize the Architectural structure of the brand making the work easier when m

arketing its products. With this new organized hierarchy Lays is able to further the distance between Baked Lays and regular Lays, where it can move the brand into a more healthier category.

Here is the new packaging of the Lays baked goods, where you can see the differentiation between the Original Lays Products to the Baked ones. 

Apple (Brand vs. Product) - Brand Positioning

This may be a no brainer but I just wanted to talk about it because it interests me. I'm a huge Mac fan and an Apple "loyalist", but this feeling I get doesn't necessarily fall upon the quality but more of the brand positioning and how Apple wants "me" as a consumer to feel about the brand name. I believe that over the years Apple went above and beyond with their brand positioning, they have had the opportunity to rank themselves as the leader in technology but not necessarily focusing on the quality (don't get me wrong they are good quality) but focusing on the connection with the consumer to the brand.

Many people believe that the IPod products do so much more than other mp3 players and what not, but it's not all necessarily true, there are many other products out there with the same capabilities (excluding some applications) that people are neglecting by the tyrant Apple. People talk about technology but Apple was a marketing company, thats how powerful of a brand Apple is. Apple has positioned itself through marketing as the power house of imagination, design and innovation! And some people would say without the brand Apple would be dead and useless.

So this is just a clear example of how much brand positioning has an effect on the consumers rather then the product itself. People take the image of the brand and develop the connection for the status that the brand has to offer and use that to base their spending habits. Apple has done this effectively and has gained many loyal consumers. 

Character (Pretty Cool) - Brand Character/Story

Check It!

http://www.characterweb.com/who.html

I had no idea that a company like this actually existed; I always thought that the company itself did it internally. But I have come across a website of a company that will take the brand and generate brand characters and stories for companies. But it was cool to come across a company that specifically focuses on developing characters and stories for brands. It exposed me to a new section and direction for my future career. I have always taken an interest in developing characters since I have always been a drawer.

 

The company Character is experts in story and character building for companies. They work with companies from animation, filmmaking to brand building and new product development. They have worked with some of the worlds largest brands such as: Walmart, Head & Shoulders, Pringles, McDonalds and Old Spice. Character has brand strategies that are known throughout the world. Even complimented by many Brand Directors for i.e. “I’ve been with Unilever for some 28 years and attended numerous marketing-strategy workshops. But the one led by
the Character guys was the most powerful.” – Geoff Wilson, VP Marketing, Unilever Asia & International Brand Director. 

 

I just thought this idea of company focusing on brand characters and stories was real interesting, and maybe a direction I would like to pursue in.

 

Some characters that they have created and assisted in development:

-       Chester Cheetah Cheeto’s

-       Green Giant

-       Cap’N Crunch

-       Mr. Clean

-       Charmin Bears

Gotta Love the Nike Kicks! -- Brand Loyalty

When I'm shopping for shoes, I know exactly what type, style, color and comfort I want.... Nike! That's right I get pretty dissapointed when settling for anything other then Nike's caressing the souls of my feet and toes. And the thing with Nike they come in various styles depending what the day holds for you, you can wear them according. When I'm going for a jog, I got my Nike Airs on. When I'm just walking around and not doing much and chilaxing I got My Nike High Tops. But then there are times in the summer, where I want my ankles to breathe so I just turn to my Nike Low tops or maybe my Nike sandals. And as I said they come in different styles, where they even make Skater shoes! And I bought my first pair on the New York trip last year and loved them, the comfort, style, originality.

So pretty much what I'm saying is that I can never go wrong with Nike. I can depend on them in all aspects such as: durability, originality, etc. But thats one of the best things about Nike, its the originality. They have sop many designs and color patterns for their High Tops (my favorites) that you can feel like you really stand out with them, or maybe they can even help express your originality. Like take a look at these ones. These ones are for women, but I'm pretty sure you get my point on creativity and originality. But the also have other ways for self expression, they have shoes devoted to countries Where you can express your pride by wearing them. I may not be swedish but I have boughten the swedish shoes because I like the colors for them. But here's an example. I mean, it comes to a point where you would think they are going to run out of ideas, but I dont think it's going to happen. I mean with Nike the possibilities are endless. I believe they really knew how to define their target audience and showing the clear benefits of these sneekers by just looking at them "Stand Out!"

Yes, Nike has become a huge part of my life because I pretty much take them wherever I go. So its almost as if they are a part of me. So yes, In the end I am definately brand loyal to this product. I depend on them, and I love them. I feel that Nike understands me and is providing shoes just for me. So as long as I feel this connection with Nike, I will keep purchasing the shoes because I am loyal to this brand.

Vanilla Coke???... Where Did you GO!!! - Brand Extension

Vanilla Coke, in my opinion, was one of the best brand extensions/line extensions that has ever walked this earth. I don't know what it was, Coca Cola with a little shot of Vanilla in it, it was heaven! I was skeptical at first when I tried it, always being accustom to the regular coke, I tried it and it was love at first sight. I would go out of my way just to satisfy my craving. It was the top selling 20oz soft drink in the first four weeks after the product Launch and seemed like it was going to continue to boom, so what happened? 

But then it disappeared, gone, no longer there, vanished without a trace??? What was it? What drove it off the shelves, there was no possible way of it not being popular it was a big hit amongst my peers in high school. So what happened? Did the excitement really leave? Was there an error in the ingredients where it was harmful to us? Or was Coca Cola too afraid of the cannibalization effect that it may have on the company because it is that good!!!!? 

So I did a little research for those who are as curious as I am. I first chose to view other blogs and forums to find the answers, and located many people like me. This is what I found.

From searching these blogs and forums and even Facebook, I have found no real solid answers, I just found: I miss it, Bring it Back, Lets start a "Bring-Back Campaign", and so on, and so on... 

So now I had to search into a more reliable source. (Wiki-Pedia)

It said that the Coca Cola Company had doubts about the future for Vanilla Coke due to the decline in sales of 2004 of 35 million from 2002's 90 million. Apparently this brought Coca Cola's Stocks down by like 1%, I just blame it on the company, not the Vanilla Coke itself. 

So they closed it down on a doubt! That's it! But they are exploring new ways on how they will re-market the product and that it will be made available again, but when? They don't know yet. I still think they could have just kept Vanilla Coke and just make new campaigns. 

But thats my BrandStand on this Brand Extension, how fear of cannibalization and how companies have to make the right decisions when coming to a discontinuation of a product or not, even if there are some "Die Hard" fans. 

Oh Vanilla Coke...... We Miss You!