Kevin Harrington // marketing // blog

Don’t get me started on car salespeople! I now know where some of the excess staff went when the world of estate agency contracted.

But look at bit deeper at the commercial world of the motor industry and there are some excellent examples of high quality marketing. One of my favourite recent poster campaigns, in fact it is current, is the one for VW BlueMotion: crisp, clear, on message and very much on brand.

There are several posters in the advertising campaign that reveal lengthy copy describing the benefits and efficiency of the brand’s BlueMotion technology. The text has either been crossed through or highlighted to leave just a simple statement. Click on the image here to see an example.

I think this advert would have been good five years ago, but it seems especially relevant today in our age of tag clouds and similar things.

For reference:

Format: Press and poster
Agency: DDB London  
Advertiser: Volkswagen 
Project title: Volkswagen Efficiency
Brief: Communicate that Volkswagen offers a range of technologies that lead to improved fuel efficiency.
Copywriter: Hunter Somerville
Art director: Graeme Hall
Designer: Pete Mould, DDB
Media agency: MediaCom

Is this a sign of the times; desperate telephone marketing? I’m receiving more rude sales calls now than six months ago.

The latest was to my mobile from 01792 862544, a company called Mobiles 4 You. Apparently they are based at Mobiles 4 You UK Ltd, 24 College Street, Ammanford, Swansea, SA18 3AF with Company No.06619827.

Mobiles 4 You make out they are working on behalf of Vodafone. To my knowledge they are not. I wonder if Vodafone realise this and appreciate the brand damage being done?

They start babbling in some unintelligible version of English and never listen to the reply. On their second call I asked the caller to remove my details from their database; he just hung up. Why would anyone buy from such a company?

Times may be difficult for some, or in fact many, vendors but surely now is the time to listen to customers and not talk at them and annoy them.

The next time your shiny white BMW gets covered in graffiti I suggest you thank Sytner BMW.

This fine example of a new BMW 635d was at the Big Day Out at South Hill Park in Bracknell this weekend. For some reason, best known to Sytner, they were inviting and allowing everyone to write all over their car (and a Mini that was also there).

I’m really not sure the artwork being applied to the car improved the brand image of Sytner or BMW. One thing is clear though; a number of locals were introduced to a new way to show their appreciation of BMWs.

How on earth would you advertise your services if you were offering circumcisions? This is a synopsis of a Facebook conversation. 

POST: Circumcision leaflets through your door as junk mail, welcome to London, E1. 

POST: Are they advertising that they come at a snip of the price! 

POST: 20% off if you buy before the end of June. 

POST: Don’t even joke – there is one of those little clip-art stars in the corner with the caption “Bookings being taken for this summer”. Seriously, who decides to be circumcised because of a leaflet through your door? 

POST: They have to advertise via leaflets as getting product placement on daytime TV is a little tricky. 

POST: It would probably do very well after the money saving section on GMTV! 

Well, it all made me wonder. What other obscure services do you think are difficult to market?

The Roald Dahl Museum is an excellent example of a destination attraction working well with a brand, in this case the children’s fiction works of Roald Dahl.

The museum is a wonderfully presented attraction that allows children and adults to see some of the life of Roald Dahl and also to experiment and enjoy making words into stories. Strangely their website does no justice for the museum.

The museum compliments the books of Roald Dahl and delivers a fun insight to the full list. Interactive, simple exhibits make this a big enhancement to the brand of Roald Dahl. 

The Roald Dahl Museum and Story Centre

81-83 High Street, Great Missenden, Buckinghamshire, HP16 0AL, UK.
www.roalddahlmuseum.org
Tel: 01494 892192

Roald Dahl’s works

The BFG
Boy
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator
Danny, the Champion of the World
Dirty Beasts
The Enormous Crocodile
Esio Trot
George’s Marvellous Medicine
The Giraffe and the Pelly and Me
Going Solo
The Gremlins
James and the Giant Peach
The Magic Finger
Matilda
The Minpins
Revolting Rhymes
Roald Dahl’s Guide to Railway Safety
The Roald Dahl Treasury
The Twits
The Vicar of Nibbleswicke
The Witches
The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and Six More

Yamaha West London

It’s funny when you spot a brand. We all tend to make assumptions based on our experiences.

When I saw Yamaha West London I immediately thought it was a keyboard or guitar shop. I then wondered why there was an MOT sign on the front of the building. It turned out it was a motorbike retailer.

Full marks to Yamaha for the consistent presentation of their brand.

How many consumer brands have product ranges as diverse as guitars and motorbikes? Loads when you start thinking about it: Hitachi (nuclear power stations to clock radios); GE; Sony. I think the difference with Yamaha is that they hold such strong brand positions with consumers in vastly different sectors.

BTW … West London Yamaha can be found at 138 Twickenham Road, Hanworth, Middlesex, TW13 6HD. www.westlondonyamaha.co.uk

Hertz blue key fob

If I were the guardian of the Hertz brand I’d be shaking my head. Surely the Hertz logo is yellow?

The Hertz Corporation (also known as Hertz Rent A Car or simply Hertz) is the world’s second largest car rental company, with 1,900 locations in the United States and 5,100 worldwide behind Enterprise, but is the largest general use car rental company in the world. Source: Wikipedia

Copenhagen

This blue Hertz key fob was with the key of a car rented from Copenhagen airport a few days ago.

Mind you, there are some funny goings on with brands in Copenhagen. Look at all the logos on this building! The building is Industriens Hus.