Category Archives: Ponderings

Nothing like calling a spade a spade (ie, just saying what something is). And this is not the first time I’ve written about a company doing something like this. My problem with this one, however, is the strategy. It seems the Muh brand belongs to Arla, a rapidly growing Danish conglomerate that has been expanding a lot through mergers and … Continue reading →

I sense I may have stumbled across an example of fridges being sold to eskimos. In the land that can practically be considered the cradle of beer brewing, they are starting to make and market pale ale beers and Indian pale ales (IPAs). From the brewery of Riedenburg near Regensburg to Schönbuch near Stuttgart, Germany is adopting a beer from, … Continue reading →

Sometimes it’s the simple ideas that look like market winners. The latest Marketing case study was won by the group that came up with ChocCake. The brief was to attack a leading brand and you should guess which one it was when I reveal their slogan: “Have a BETTER break, Have a ChocCake”. The new product also nibbled away at … Continue reading →

Having observed Unilever gradually limber up to umbrella branding in 2008 and 2009, on pack and on TV, I have to admit I almost overslept P&G diving in at the deep end last year and declaring its huge portfolio presence. By the time the London Olympics happened in 2012, P&G were openly declaring their identity behind a myriad of brands … Continue reading →

A product I’ve not seen for a generation which may shock some readers outside Germany as much as it shocked me: bubble gum cigarettes. These were banned in the UK as it was believed they were encouraging the very people to smoke cigarettes who need protecting from the harms of nicotine most: children. The belief was that if children learn … Continue reading →

The case study winners from WO59 were going full whack for energy chocolate with a concept called Flying Knight. It offered a 2-in-1 USP, the “have a break, have a Kitkat” concept combined with the right ingredients to add a skip to your walk and keep you awake after a late night out. But the knight in the name was … Continue reading →

I seem to be an intensive poster on posters recently. Maybe a good idea, in case they get banned like in one city in South America. Here an example of two posters I spied in Berlin, again using QR codes, but this time much more sensibly. The reason I say this is that they both focus on getting the big … Continue reading →