BrandIndex names Top 10 brands in the UAE

Emirates Airlines is the top brand in the UAE, up from its 4th place ranking last July, according to YouGov Siraj's latest BrandIndex, which measures brand health relative to consumer perception.

Nokia was knocked off the last quarter's top spot, to land on 2nd place where Google used to be. Google is now in 3rd place.

Automotives dominate the top ten, with four of them making it to the list: Toyota (5), Mercedes (6), BMW (8), and Lexus (10). (See chart below)

Two hundred brands are measured daily and reported fortnightly in each country across eight industry sectors including automotive, banking, property developers, dining, consumer electronics, internet, telecom and network providers, healthcare, leisure, and hospitality. Interviews have been collected since March 21 2009.

The biggest mover is Emirates Airlines, moving up by 9.2 points in overall index score. Tech heavy-weights Nokia, Google and Sony maintained positions relative to each other.

Toyota, Mercedes and Microsoft meanwhile maintained their exact rankings, showing stability in consumer perception.

In June, two malls in the UAE's top ten list: Mall of the Emirates and Deira City Centre. Now, only Mall of the Emirates remains as Deira City Centre slips out of the list with the addition of Lexus.

BrandIndex scores are aggregates of six profile indicators designed to measure the health of brand equity. These indicators are General Impression, Quality, Value for Money, Corporate Reputation, Satisfaction, and likeliness to Recommend. A brand’s level of exposure in the media, public eye, and word of mouth is rated through a separate indicator, labelled Buzz, which is excluded from the overall BrandIndex score.

Rank	Brand	Score	Old Score	Old Rank	Change
1	Emirates	72	62.8	4	9.2
2	Nokia	71	75.9	1	-4.9
3	Google	68	68.8	2	-0.8
4	Sony	65	67.2	3	-2.2
5	Toyota	57	56.2	5	0.8
6	Mercedes	56	53.8	6	2.2
7	Microsoft	55	53.1	7	1.9
8	BMW	53	50.1	9	2.9
9	Mall of the Emirates	49	51.9	8	-2.9
10	Lexus	45	42.4	11	2.6

Hopenhagen Sunbathing Flash Mob

Words of Wisdom

B2B Social Communications| DuPont's Social Media

In 2007, DuPont launched five videos on eight web blogs in a marketing program designed to increase share of voice for DuPont on the Internet and to introduce DuPont science to a younger, wired and online generation. The videos were made specifically for online audiences looking for stories told through video which are different and interesting.

Tapping into over 40 years of video archival footage, each video showcases how science from DuPont helps to protect people and how innovations developed by DuPont enhance people’s lives. The blogs offered a mix of general and targeted interest audiences.

Blogs were selected for this project because they reach a devoted, targeted audience and their audiences tend to talk to others about their interests, encouraging word of mouth.

Completing DuPont’s marketing pilot to the blogosphere, videoblogger Amanda Congdon was the on-screen host for the five videos. Amanda is best known for her work on Rocketboom, a popular news and entertainment videoblog. BlogAds and FM Networks assisted the project in distributing the videos.

The campaign delivered on three key objectives:

(1) increasing awareness for DuPont science,

(2) increasing positive sentiment for DuPont and

(3) creating stories sufficiently compelling to generate word of mouth.

BDI 9/16 B2B Social Communications Case Studies - DuPont

View more presentations from Business Development Institute.

The DuPont Science Stories campaign was one of three national finalists for the Online Media Marketing and Advertising (OMMA) Best Campaign in Social Media Award 2007.

Here is one of the five videos in the series. You can view all the videos in this series at stories.dupont.com, however, I cannot find any link to this anywhere on the DuPont website. I would like to think that if they hold up a two-year old social media program as a success, they would want to continue to tout that success by providing access to the video. Additionally some of the links no longer work, which is another indication that this campaign has been relegated to the backwater of the DuPont website. If you are presenting a case study of an old program, make sure you check all the links on an old page.

Blogger notes:

Too many industries still consider members of the retail distribution chain to be their customers. The businesses (especially manufacturers) in these industries put most of their marketing budget and effort selling to those who will sell their products. The end-user is almost an afterthought, even though the end-user is the one who creates the demand that retailers fill through ordering the brand the end-user wants.

It does no good if retailers buy your products, but they gather dust on the shelf because there’s no consumer demand – because you didn’t create any.

It does no good to compete on price point alone, because someone will always undercut you. Rock-bottom pricing isn’t always the basis of a consumer’s buying decision. Even Wal-Mart is positioning its brand as allowing consumers to “live better.” The mega-retailer is promoting the benefit of its low prices, not the feature of the prices themselves.

The end-user is your customer. So build brand equity by creating awareness and a sense of community among consumers. Talk to them on blogs and social media outlets, but don’t “sell.” Get them to talk to each other about your brand. Meet them at shows and events, and – if you can – sponsor shows and events. Make your Web site an engaging destination for consumers to learn more and communicate.

Worry less about competitors stealing your ideas and beating you to market and more about competitors stealing your market share because they’re better at talking to consumers than you are. It doesn’t matter if that’s the way things have always been done. Things are now being done differently.

CASE STUDY PRESENTATIONS

• Case Study: Deloitte Recruits Socially
• Case Study: IBM Emraces Social Media to Connect w/ Businesses
• Case Study: Dupont Goes Social with Viral Webvideo
• Case Study:Social Media Soars Among BtoB Marketers
• Case Study: PB Customer Forums Delivers Service Socialy
• Case Study: HubSpot Customer Generates Leads
• Social Media & the WSJ Digital Network
• Case Study: Intuit Elevates the Covo. w/ Small Bus
• Case Study:Microsoft Ignites & Manages Social Buzz
• Case study presentations may also be accessed through www.slideshare.net/bdionline

AXA Insurance company[France]| EVOLUTION

Tronic conceived, directed and animated this spot to address the desire to remain relevant in a constantly advancing world. The spot highlights the rapid evolution of mankind by showcasing an origami man transforming himself into some of the most important inventions throughout history. Ending with a question mark and a resolve on the AXA logo, the spot informs the public that the future is uncertain – but AXA is present now and through any changes to come.

Limited Edition Halloween Pepsi Cans

Pepsi is just on a roll with their packaging: "We didn't want our cans to feel left out this Halloween, so we dressed them up, too. Look for these limited edition Pepsi cans in the Halloween Section of your local Walmart.

Olympics|Logo

Olympic Airlines, once the national airline of Greece, has recently been sold by the Greek government to a private investment group. The new logo and name (now shortened in the 1980s fashion to Olympic Air) are supposed to signal a change in the company's culture and offering. To that end the company has held a grand logo contest in the Olympic tradition of competition. Read on to see who took home the silver and bronze.

These two runners up received 4,992 and 2,472 votes respectively; the winning logo received 11,652 votes

At this point, logo contests are about as novel as air travel itself. If anyone has an excuse to put one on I suppose it's a company with 'Olympic' in the name. What makes this contest unique though — and the result so underwhelming — is that it's really more of a refinement contest. It's one thing for a company to invite their customers to help shape the future of a brand. But can you really expect a crowd of people to refine something? Would you hold a contest to restore a painting? Here's the criteria, direct from the source:

[The Olympic Air logo] Should retain the circle motif used in the old Olympic logo.
Could be designed using any font and any colors.
Should "give a nod" to the old logo, showing the development as well as the tradition of the airline.
Should be flexible and recognizable.
Should be modern, without being extreme.
Should not show its age.
Should be usable in all media, and in color as well as in black and white.

Not much to go by. Branding (the art and science behind logo development) is often more complicated than it seems. A project like Olympic Air raises a lot of important questions. As noted in the brief, the new logo must signal the precise amount of change (i.e., this is the same company you know and trust, but now we are different and better). It should respect or at least consider the company's brand equities and ensure legible reproduction across a range of media. Most importantly perhaps, the mark needs to be considered in the context of a larger system (how is it expressed on the web site? what does the livery look like?). These are hard issues to settle in a contest setting.

The winning logo designer and proud recipient of €20,000, Panos Triantafyllopoulos (aided by art director Aris Papathanasiou), had this to say about his work,

For the design of Olympic Air's logo, we chose the difficult path of updating the existing one. We did so not only with respect to the company's history but also to its future prospects. Letter by letter, we designed a more aerodynamic, modern version of the logo in deep blue. We replaced the black ring color with a dark blue and added the green color that is prevalent in Greek nature. We instilled depth and shine to the colors and surrounded them with a silver metallic outline.

The new design manages to retain the Olympic rings and definitely gives a 'nod' to the original logo. Is it modern without being extreme? I guess. Is it easier to produce than the previous mark? Not really. Then again, when people vote for a logo online they don't typically take those considerations into account. All said, the logo update turned out OK. The letterforms seem to be drawn and kerned a little better. The top serifs have been applied more consistently from letter to letter than the previous ones. The wordmark does seem a little leaner and more 'aerodynamic.' The introduction of green is an interesting choice. The rest (the letterform shading, the shadows in the rings, the blue shift and the tracking of the word 'AIR') is mostly competent, if forgettable. As it turns out, Olympic Air now uses the negative version of the logo with flat-shaded rings on their web site. This seems to erase much of what differentiated the new mark from the old one--something that could have been mitigated if the designer played a larger role in the process. Will people look at the new home page and realize the brand has changed? Only time will tell.

Celebrating 11th Anniversary in Al Balad newspaper

“Benefiting from the name of the newspaper, Al Balad (The country), an ear panel was booked as a continuation of the publication logo on the anniversary campaign launch date creating a bold statement “The Country is Celebrating”. As a revealer, an inside half page was booked on the same day carrying Spinneys logo, offers and 11th year anniversary logo. Also see Celebrating prices.”

Client Name: Spinneys Supermarket
Media buying concept: Marketing Department of Spinneys
Campaign creative work: Team Y&R, Lebanon
Media booking: Media Associates

EPA| Lines, Crosses, Circles

Advertising Agency: AlmapBBDO, São Paulo, Brazil
Chief Creative Officer: Marcello Serpa
Executive Creative Director: Marcello Serpa
Creative Directors: Luiz Sanches, Dulcídio Caldeira
Art Director: André Gola
Copywriter: André Godoi

"Australia"Golden Targets PR awards winners revealed

The winners of The Golden Targets, the Australian PR industry’s main awards event, have been revealed.

They were announced at the Public Relations Institute of Australia conference in Brisbane.

The winners were:

Arts

• COMMENDED: 100 Faces, 100 Stories commissioned by Commonwealth Bank of Australia – Liz McLaughlin from Horizon Communication Group (NSW)

Business to Business

• HIGHLY COMMENDED: Clarius Skills Index – Chris Newlan from Lighthouse Communications Group (NSW)

• COMMENDED: Identifying the Gap: The Telstra Productivity Indicator commissioned by Telstra Enterprise & Gov. – Kieran Moore from Howorth (NSW)

• COMMENDED: Profile of Nursing Workforce in 2020 commissioned by Kronos Australia – Adrianne Kern from Text 100 Public Relations (NSW)

Community Relations

• WINNER: Delivering Eastlink commissioned by SEITA, ConnectEast, Thiess John Holland – Jo Weeks from SEITA (VIC)

• WINNER: The Vision Van commissioned by Novartis Pharmacuetical – Anne-Marie Sparrow from Cube PR (NSW)

• HIGHLY COMMENDED: Gap Creek Road Upgrade commissioned by Brisbane City Council – Donna Marshall from Marcom Communication (QLD)

• HIGHLY COMMENDED: Landsborough to Nambour Rail Project commissioned by DEP of Transport and Mains Roads – Marissa Brazier from Bayley Willey Holt Pty Ltd (QLD)

• HIGHLY COMMENDED: Re-inventing Jezzine – By the People, For the People commissioned by Jezzine Barracks Community Trust – Jo-Anne Modesti from The Phillips Group (QLD)

• HIGHLY COMMENDED: The Ring Road – Linking our Communities commissioned by QLD DEPT of Main Roads – Mary Balfour from Balfour Consulting Pty Ltd (QLD)

• COMMENDED: Futures Plan 20 – Georgina Inwood from City of Canada Bay (NSW)

• COMMENDED: Guiding Bass Coast Towards 2030 commissioned by Bass Coast Shire Council – Tricia Tsondropuro from Socom (VIC)

• COMMENDED: Queensland’s Solar City – Shining a Light on Sustainable Living commissioned by Ergon Energy – Allison White from Ergon Energy (QLD)

Consumer Marketing and Social Marketing – new and/or existing product or service including prescription medicines

• WINNER: Visit Scandinavia commissioned by Scandinavian Tourist Board – Susanne Carpenter from Carpe Diem PR & Events (NSW)

• HIGHLY COMMENDED: Orchestrating a Paradigm Shift in the Treatment of Type 2 Diabetes commissioned by Allergan Aust. – Kirsten Bruce from VIVA! Communications (NSW)

• COMMENDED: How do you like your Vegemite & One Billionth Jar Campaign commissioned by KRAFT – Richard Amos from Royce Communications (VIC)

Corporate Social Responsibility

• WINNER: Leighton Contractors Develops Safer Young Drivers – Eva Ford-Murphy from Leighton Contractors (QLD)

• HIGHLY COMMENDED: Amcor – Corporate Social Responsibility – Simone Ferrier-Clingan from Amcor Limited (VIC)

• HIGHLY COMMENDED: Sony Ericsson time2rock: Volunteer Now to Rock Later commissioned by Sony Ericsson – Michelle Hutton from Hill & Knowlton (NSW)

• COMMENDED: Transform Homelessness Campaign – Amanda Little from Edelman (NSW)

Emergency/Crisis Communication

• COMMENDED: Emergency Response to Victorian Bushfire Crisis – Brendan Carroll from Alfred Health (VIC)

Environmental

• HIGHLY COMMENDED: The Big Light Switch – Elizabeth Graetz from Three Plus (QLD)

• HIGHLY COMMENDED: Chocolate Murray Cod commissioned by Waterfind Environment Fund – Anna Jackson from Ball Public Relations (SA)

• COMMENDED: MobileMuster Guinness World Record Campaign commissioned by AMTA – Peter Lazar from Professional Public Relations (NSW)

• COMMENDED: Sustainable Futures Forum commissioned by AIIA – Gabriel Wong from Max Australia (NSW)

Government Sponsored Campaign

• WINNER: Prove That You Love Me commissioned by Darwin City Council – Tracy Jones from Creative Territory (NT)

• HIGHLY COMMENDED: Victoria’s New Graduated Licensing System commissioned by VIC Roads – John Scully from VICRoads (VIC)

• HIGHLY COMMENDED: Big Country Big Opportunities – Jane Machin-Everill from Department of Education and Training (WA)

• COMMENDED: Relief in Sight commissioned by AusAID – Angus Braithwaite from AusAID (ACT)

• COMMENDED: Advanced Technology Trials commissioned by Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government – Terri-Helen Gaynor from Reputation Pty Ltd (NSW)

• COMMENDED: Premier’s Active Families Challenge commissioned by DPCD – Melanie Wilkinson from Fenton Communications (VIC)

Health Organisations

• WINNER: Blood Watch – The Transfusion Question commissioned by Blood Watch – Melanie King from 303 (NSW)

• HIGHLY COMMENDED: Social Network is Livewire for Sick Kids commissioned by Livewire – Kieran Moore from Howorth (NSW)

• COMMENDED: Launch of KIDS ABSORB YOUR DRINKING commissioned by Drink Wise Australia – Lelde McCoy from The Reputation Group (VIC)

Internal Communication

• WINNER: Take 2 Safety Communication Campaign commissioned by Leighton Contractors – Vivian Lim from Leighton Contractors (QLD)

• HIGHLY COMMENDED Employees ‘Invest in the Rewards’ Share Plan Campaign commissioned by Ausenco Limited – Helen Besly from Rowland Pty Ltd and Paula Lammey from Ausenco (QLD)

• COMMENDED: IAG: Building the Corporate Office – Louisa Mackay from IAG (NSW)

Investor Relations incl. Merger Acquisition Communication

• WINNER: Cape Lambert Iron Ore A$400mil Asset Sale commissioned by Cape Lambert – Peter Harris from Professional Public Relations (WA)

• COMMENDED: Manchester Unity – HCF Merger – Robyn Sefiani from Sefiani Communications Group (NSW)

Issues Management

• COMMENDED: Xstrata Zinc’s McArthur River Mining Temporary Mining Closure Puts Jobs and Community at Risk commissioned by Xstrata Zinc – Helen Besly from Rowland Pty Ltd (QLD)

Low Cost/Pro Bono

• COMMENDED: Make a Date with Amy commissioned by CEO AiMIA – Michael Henderson from Spectrum Communications (NSW)

• COMMENDED: Hailey Turner for ‘The Best Job in the World’ commissioned by Best Job In the World – Margaret Lawson from Cole Lawson Communications (QLD)

Public Affairs

• WINNER: Keeping the Wheels Turning For Queensland Volunteers commissioned by Queensland Meals On Wheels – Margaret Lawson from Cole Lawson Communications (QLD)

• HIGHLY COMMENDED: Toowoomba Bypass Petition Campaign commissioned by Toowoomba Regional Council – Penny Townley from The Phillips Group (QLD)

• COMMENDED: From $0 to $3 Million in 6 Months commissioned by Exec.DIR LCC Q – Elissa Jenkins from Lifeline Community Care Queensland (QLD)

Recovery Communication

• COMMENDED: IAG: The Road to Recovery commissioned by IAG – Carolyn McCann from IAG (NSW)

Special Event / Observance

• WINNER: Celebrating 160 years of The Royal Melbourne Hospital commissioned by Melbourne Health – Catherine Lander from Melbourne Health (VIC)

• HIGHLY COMMENDED: The Consecration of Bishop Kay Goldsworthy commissioned by Anglican Diocese of Perth – Marie Mills from Mills Wilson Communication Consultants (WA)

• COMMENDED: Bidwill Blitz Build commissioned by Habitat for Humanity Australia – Emma Jane Granleese from Weber Shandwick (NSW)

TBWA getting aggressive with Saatchi