Simply Orange Branding

Today Simply Orange setup a tasting bar outside of Grand Central. Not only was it a nice morning treat, but it was a very unique giveaway stand. The stand was complete with banners, logos and a very simple untreated wood counter, designed to look like the crates holding the many fresh oranges surrounding the stand. I thought it was a great touch for the brand promise of natural, simple and fresh.

Then I began to wonder if Simply Orange had managed to implement this brand feeling on other consumer touchpoints - and they did. When I went to the website it had the same image of fresh oranges and an simple untreated natural wood in the foreground serving as a tabletop for the Simply Orange drinks. What a great user experience to continually see reinforcement of the brand promise through visual and design cues. Only problem with the site - the annoying bird chirping that automatically plays on open. Unless you are in the music industry and users are coming to buy your super sweet music, no brand should have music or sound effects autoplaying in the background of their site.

Veuve Cliquot - An Accesible Luxury

Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin is a high-end champagne product in the LVMH Group. Clicquot was founded in 1772 by Philippe Clicquot-Muiron as a wine-making business and was taken over by a widowed woman in 1805 (veuve translates to widow in French.) This woman, Madame Clicquot, is responsible for the initial positioning of the brand. The brand continues to embody the values of Madame Clicquot including modernity and audacity blended together with an emphasis on quality and expertise that are second to none.”

This mission is truly applied throughout all the brand touch points. The merging of historical experience with innovation is done really well, allowing them to maintain the status of an established authority in viniculture while still being accessible to consumers. They enjoy the benefits of a long history without becoming an outdated luxury brand.
   
Visually, Veuve Clicquot stands apart from other champagnes with its signature orange color. Similar to the Tiffany blue box, the Clicquot orange packaging has become a symbol of status and is easily recognizable at public events and on consumer displays in liquor stores.

The Veuve Clicquot website further reinforces the brand as the leader in champagne and a top authority on wine making and tasting. There is a series of videos showing how to properly store the champagne, open and taste it.

Veuve Clicquot is involved with many new media initiatives as well as co-branding opportunities to remain top of mind with luxury consumers, particularly the younger demographic interested in art and design. Some partnerships have included a champagne bar at Harrod’s in London, collaborating with top designers on innovative box types and wine storage devices, and inviting top bloggers for tours and tastings.

The melding of old and new allows Veuve Clicquot to appeal to those aware of its history and status, as well as to those who may not. The brand has achieved the difficult task of interesting the future generations, while not alienating the current elite. They have made this champagne the most accessible and recognizable “luxury” champagne.

Sidewalk Chalkboard Ads - The good and the bad

There is a flower shop right outside of where I exit the subway every morning that uses a sidewalk blackboard with promotional messages. Recently, the cleverness of the messages and quality of the design has gone down significantly, so I can only assume that the witty copywriter no longer works there. For a brief time, it would really brighten my day after riding that miserable subway and even once convinced me to use their services.

When done well, a sandwich-board-style chalkboard or message board can be a cheap easy way of targeting local customers. Just as with all other marketing messages, you should add your brand's signature touch or flair to this basic promotional medium.

Good use of sidewalk chalkboard ad space from a flower shop:

Questionable use of sidewalk chalkboard ad space from a dive bar:

Dunkin' Runs on Neon

Dunkin' Donuts has done a great job with rolling out their latest campaign 'America Runs on Dunkin'. I thoroughly enjoy their commercials. But, what has struck me most recently, was that they have somehow accomplished gaining a sort of brand ownership of their instantly reconizable neon pink & orange colors. I first noticed this when I was sent an invitation from a magazine that had used the same colors in their layout. My first thought was "Why did they use Dunkin' Donuts' colors?" Maybe soon we'll call these hues, 'Dunkin' Pink' and 'Donut Orange', just like we all lovingly refer to 'Tiffany Blue'.