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Author: Krikor

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By Posted on Posted in Brands, Packaging No Comments

Packaging is very important for brand, as well the linguistics and this is where sometimes some multinationals fail while choosing the right words or translating the exact meanings, but it gets worse when they write English words in another language and make it wrong.

This is the case for the below Gillette pack. A brand now owned by Procter & Gamble since few years.

1st, I don’t understand the need of Arabic language on a package sold in Europe. Maybe from cost side, some companies are trying to have multi-lingual packs to cut on the packaging and printing expenses.

On this package, the problem is the word “Blue” written in Arabic, even that the 3 letters are the right ones, but in Arabic you never write a text where the letters are separate, it is different from Latin letters. What is more absurd, that on the front, top left side “New” is written correctly and on the back, the full Arabic text is also written the right way.

It is really strange for a multinational with the size of P&G to make such a mistake, but still I don’t see any explanation from my side.

“Blue 3” is part of the product name and it is very crucial for its brand identity, as I said, in Europe maybe nobody will even notice this, but what about all the Arab countries where this product will be finding its place on the shelves?

By Posted on Posted in Extraordinary, Tools No Comments

A special edition knife and contains all 85 tools currently produced by Wenger which is the maker of the Genuine Swiss Army Knife.

The 85 distinct tools can be used in over 100 functions and it’s the World’s Largest Swiss Army Knife. It weighs almost 1.36kg.

The 85 tools are:

1. 2.5” 60% Serrated locking blade
2. Nail file, nail cleaner
3. Corkscrew
4. Adjustable pliers with wire crimper and cutter
5. Removable screwdriver bit adapter
6. 2.5” Blade for Official World Scout Knife
7. Spring-loaded, locking needle-nose pliers with wire cutter
8. Removable screwdriver bit holder
9. Phillips head screwdriver bit 0
10. Phillips head screwdriver bit 1
11. Phillips head screwdriver bit 2
12. Flat head screwdriver bit 0.5 mm x 3.5 mm
13. Flat head screwdriver bit 0.6 mm x 4.0 mm
14. Flat head screwdriver bit 1.0 mm x 6.5 mm
15. Magnetized recessed bit holder
16. Double-cut wood saw with ruler (inch & cm)
17. Bike chain rivet setter, removable 5m allen wrench, screwdriver for slotted and Phillips head screws
18. Removable tool for adjusting bike spokes, 10m hexagonal key for nuts
19. Removable 4mm curved allen wrench with Phillips head screwdriver
20. Removable 10mm hexagonal key
21. Patented locking Phillips head screwdriver
22. Universal wrench
23. Laser pointer with 300 ft. range
24. 1.65” Clip point utility blade
25. Metal saw, metal file
26. 4 mm allen wrench
27. 2.5” blade
28. Fine metal file with precision screwdriver
29. Double-cut wood saw
30. Cupped cigar cutter with double-honed edges
31. 12/20-Gauge choke tube tool
32. Watch caseback opening tool
33. Snap shackle
34. Telescopic pointer
35. Compass, straight edge, ruler (in./cm)
36. Mineral crystal magnifier with precision screwdriver
37. 2.4” Springless scissors with serrated, self-sharpening design
38. Shortix key
39. Flashlight
40. Fish scaler, hook disgorger, line guide
41. Micro tool holder
42. Micro tool adapter
43. Micro scraper-straight
44. Reamer
45. Fine fork for watch spring bars
46. Pin punch 1.2 mm
47. Pin punch .8 mm
48. Round needle file
49. Removable tool holder with expandable receptacle
50. Removable tool holder
51. Multi-purpose screwdriver
52. Flat Phillips head screwdriver
53. Flat head screwdriver bit 0.5 mm x 3.5 mm
54. Spring loaded, locking flat nose nose-pliers with wire cutter
55. Phillips head screwdriver bit 0
56. Phillips head screwdriver bit 1
57. Phillips head screwdriver bit 2
58. Flat head screwdriver bit 0.5 mm x 3.5 mm
59. Flat head screwdriver bit 0.6 mm x 4.0 mm
60. Flat head screwdriver bit 1.0 mm x 6.5 mm
61. Can opener
62. Phillips head screwdriver
63. 2.5” Clip point blade
64. Golf club face cleaner
65. 2.4” Round tip blade
66. Patented locking screwdriver, cap lifter, can opener
67. Golf shoe spike wrench
68. Golf divot repair tool
69. Micro straight-curved
70. Special tool holder
71. Phillips head screwdriver 1.5mm
72. Screwdriver 1.2 mm
73. Screwdriver .8 mm
74. Mineral crystal magnifier, fork for watch spring bars, small ruler
75. Removable screwdriver bit holder
76. Magnetized recessed bit holder
77. Tire tread gauge
78. Reamer/awl
79. Patented locking screwdriver, cap lifter, wire stripper
80. Special Key
81. Toothpick
82. Tweezers
83. Adapter
84. Key ring
85. Second key ring

By Posted on Posted in Products, Retail No Comments

The Shelf, home of brands and products, the oxygen of sales, those few centimeters from which products get their extreme mojo, brands their loyalty from millions of daily consumers and find their way into their shopping carts and it is these shelves that allows companies and brand owners to grow their businesses and increase their margins and profitability.

Consequently, the shelf, leads to an endless hidden war game, not seen by the consumers, between the people behind brands and products to have better shelf positioning.

Everybody wants the best visibility and the largest displays, on flat shelf, all brands want to be on eye level, some multinationals pay tons of money to be on eye-level shelves and it is because of this brand positioning that retailers worldwide are taking advantage and imposing more and more tough conditions. Sometimes brand owners care more about the shelf than to book an order with the retailer.

That is why at one point in time, category management (now treated as a science in the retail industry) was founded and plannograms are created, to maintain order on the shelf.

This works perfectly if the category management (by brand or by product family) is applied strictly. Unfortunately not all retailers are taking advantage of this new science, which leads to big chaos on the shelves (in all categories of the store) and specially in basket freezers. Where merchandisers and salesmen of brands, visit the stores everyday and try to squeeze the competition and enlarge their visibility.

It is an on-going cat and mouse game I’ve been seeing almost all around the world, in local small supermarkets or in international chains.

Keeping in mind that retailers shuffle their assortments and plannograms every now and then, and make lots of changes, sometimes by kicking some products out of their stores or moving them to a different shelf level (eye-level, waist-level, knee-level and ankle-level), which can lead to a big sales drop as it can also lead to increasing the sales, depending on the reason of this change and the product in question.

No matter what you are selling on the shelf, the relationship between brand owners and retailers, is one of the most important influences on that placement.

By Posted on Posted in Brands, Culture, Products No Comments

The globalization of the world economy has triggered more and more companies to expand beyond their local markets. This is especially true for brands that already enjoy a good reputation in their country’s market.
Exploring foreign markets for these big or small players means that the brand equity accumulated over the years back home can be transferred to the new entities abroad.

Nevertheless, such expansion is not always risk-free unless the local culture is analyzed and understood in order to serve the best interest of the brand/products.

When Pepsi entered the Chinese markets, they discovered that their slogan “Come Alive with the Pepsi Generation” was literally translated in Chinese as “Pepsi brings your ancestors back from the dead” and as “Come out of the grave with Pepsi”

Another example is McDonald’s when they had their big India expansion, given the fact that India is a vegetarian country. McDonald’s had to build a primarily veggie-lover’s menu, with only a few exceptions, such as the Chicken Mahraja Mac.

The menu in India has absolutely no beef or pork on it, in deference to the local belief that cows are sacred animals. McDonald’s ability to adapt to this meat-less culture is extraordinary when you consider the fact that it is best known as the chain that sells billions of hamburgers a year.

To achieve successful product localization, companies needs to understand the language, customs and culture of the specific market they are targeting. Companies should carefully consider their product names which sometimes can have different meanings in other cultures, some colors can have different cultural significance and humor can hurt if not used properly.

Today, the biggest market where companies carefully localize their products is China.

Starbucks took their localization attempts in China one step further and released Dragon Dumplings with 5 tastes and colors, which represent 5 blessings: coffee stands for warm love, gold for bright future, green for persistence, rose red for good luck, and white for peace.

While Levi’s launched dENiZEN, the name of its new “global brand” aimed at Asian consumers. The collection, offering its own logo and styles, is primarily aimed at China but also available in Singapore and South Korea.

KFC added a traditional Chinese street snacks to its breakfast menu to suit local tastes. The fast food chain offers now shaobing, a type of sesame-covered flatbread, also rice congee and fried dough sticks.

Absolut Vodka localized its brand in China by releasing a limited edition bottle for this market, Absolut 72 Bian. The design of Absolut 72 bian was inspired by an ancient Chinese fable, ”Journey to the West”, a heroic story about the monkey king Sun Wukong, who acquires the power to undergo 72 transformations.

Entering new markets requires much more than a market entry strategy; it’s a real brand building exercise. Brand managers need to re-evaluate key components of their brand strategy to face the needs of the market and stand up to competition. This requires both time and investment and only the strong will survive.

By Posted on Posted in Brands, Licensing, Retail No Comments

Every day, a battle is fought in the carts and aisles of the supermarkets all over the world. Brands fight for shelf space and wish to find a spot in the shopper’s cart.

Licensing means renting or leasing of an intangible asset. Examples of intangible assets include a song (Somewhere Over The Rainbow), a character (Donald Duck), a name (Michael Jordan) or a brand (The Ritz-Carlton). An arrangement to license a brand requires a licensing agreement.

A licensing agreement authorizes a company which markets a product or service (a licensee) to lease or rent a brand from a brand owner who operates a licensing program (a licensor).

The main reason companies choose to brand license their products is to differentiate them from their competitors’ products. When executed properly, licensing allows a product to leverage an existing brand’s attributes while mitigating some of the risks associated with building a new brand from scratch or the cost of deploying additional media against a current brand.

The primary reward of licensing can be summed up in one word: leverage. Leveraging another brand through licensing reduces some of the risks and costs associated with building a brand from scratch. While large CPG firms dedicate years—and millions of dollars—to developing and launching a new brand, most of new products launched in supermarkets still fail despite that considerable investment.

10 Benefits Of Brand Licensing – Source: Branding Strategy Insider

1. Brand Managers to extend their brands with minimal investment. Through the licensing arrangement, third party manufacturers are responsible for everything from product development to inventory management to store replenishment.

2. The brand to obtain supplementary marketing support. For the right to use the brand in their category, the manufacturer must agree to spend a percentage of their net sales on marketing. This marketing commitment not only supports the category licensed, but can be significant to the overall brand.

3. Trademark protection in the category. For a brand to benefit from trademark protection in a particular category, it must be actively sold in that category. If the category lies vacant, others may claim rights to use the mark. Extending a brand into a category via licensing helps brand owners meet the commerce standard.

4. Increased consumer connections and insights in the categories being licensed. Extending a brand via licensing offers thousands of incremental opportunities to connect with consumers. By inserting a survey inside the licensed package or a toll free number on the exterior, a brand owner can gain many additional insights about the brand.

5. A brand to gain incremental shelf space. If a brand owner chooses to extend a brand via licensing into a new category, the brand gains tremendous additional exposure in those categories in every retail store the product is sold. When sold into major chain retailers, the brand can gain thousands of additional feet of brand exposure in each category.

6. Entrée into new distribution channels. By licensing the brand to a manufacturer which currently sells into a retail channel where the brand currently does not have a presence, the brand can gain access to that channel via the licensing relationship.

7. The brand to enter new regions. Similar to new channel access, a brand can gain entrée into new regions via a manufacturer which has a presence in regions where the brand is currently not sold.

8. Access to patented technology. Many companies which choose to license brands offer proprietary innovation to the brand owner. When the patented technology reinforces the brand’s position, the new product offered can be met with tremendous consumer appreciation and pent up demand.

9. Knowledge transfer from the manufacturing partners who license the brand. A licensing arrangement provides the opportunity for the brand owner and the manufacturer to share insights and knowledge across multiple disciplines including product development, marketing, R&D and sales.

10. The brand owner to capture royalty revenue through the manufacturer’s sales of licensed product. This symbiotic relationship helps to create new products for the marketplace that consumers crave. For every dollar in revenue generated by the manufacturer, the brand owner receives a percentage in royalty payments, most of which go straight to the bottom line.

-Pete Canalichio, Chief Brand Licensing Strategist, The Blake Project

By Posted on Posted in Drugstores, Poland, Retail 2 Comments

The drugstore industry in Poland is getting more and more exciting with the arrival of a new player, hebe and the opening of their 1st store in Warsaw (Al. Jerozolimskie 11/19) on the 24th of May 2011.

Hebe is the drugstore project of Jeronimo Martins in Poland, where they also operate Biedronka, the 1,600 point-of-sale hard discount chain.

Before discovering what hebe means, I thought that it is the combination of the first 2 letters of health and beauty, then to find out that hebe drugstores got their name from the name of Greek goddess, in the mythology that is the epitome of eternal beauty.

hebe is a unique combination of the highest standards of service, leading brands and best prices on the market. – says Pedro da Silva Pereira, Country Manager of JM Polska.

The store is spacious, compared to other drugstores, there is enough room between the shelves and the different categories, they are using shelves management system for well-ordered displays, excellent lighting reflecting on the white tiles. They have a very beautifully designed shopping baskets, but store security did not allow to take photos.

Their 1st leaflet has a totally different design than the competitors and is printed on very high quality paper, offering many promotions and a discount voucher of 10PLN for every purchase of 40PLN.

By Posted on Posted in Poland, Retail, Supermarkets No Comments

Tesco Polska is setting a new trend in the daily shopping habits of consumers, so they launched some time ago their Tesco Extra stores. 4 locations are available in Czestochowa, Lodz, Nowy Sacz, Poznan and more will be opened in 2011.

Tesco Extra stores will be offering more quality and premium products in their assortment.

Last week I had the chance to drop by the Lodz point-of-sale, a very nice store, the categories nicely dispersed, enjoyable atmosphere and lighting.