How to Succeed as a Financial Industry Thought-Leader: Case Study

Financial Services Brand Marketing 101: For those who aspire to be considered thought-leaders within the financial industry, this interview clip courtesy of CNBC is a perfect example of thought-leadership..and underscores the [obvious] need for aspiring 'experts' to be fluent in the subject matter and to frame your thesis in a crisp and clear manner. Kudos to Neil Azous of Rareview Macro re his 'CNBC debut appearance' (fast forward to the 2-minute market on the video for his presentation)

Risque Brand Names: Risks (i.e. Envelope Pushing) Can Reap Rewards

Kudos to NYT John Grossman re today’s front page (business section) story profiling companies that have embraced risque words within corporate name.

And, hats off to the disruptive entrepreneurs who have successfully pushed the envelope and proven that shock and awe within their brand promotion schemes can push them to the top of mindshare. Best case in point: Richard Branson use of “virgin” within each of all of his corporate brands

Per article (link below), when the artisian maker of non-allergenic, high-fiber breakfast cereal changed the name from the bland tasting name “Hapi Cereal” to “Holy Crap”, sales rose 10x (that’s TEN-FOLD!)….One example doesn’t make a story, but the number of examples cited by the NYT reporter strikes at the heart of why risque is not only tongue-in-cheek-fun, but can prove very rewarding to those who focus on connecting the tag line to the bottom line.. And yes, that last phrase happens to be The JLC Group corporate slogan.

Fat Bastard and SassyBitch wines, Kickass Cupcakes, Big Ass Fans (formerly known as “HVLS Fan Company”), “Master Bait & Tackle Co. (a fishing supply firm), a construction company that changed its name to “Mammoth Erection” from “David Hall Construction” and “HelloFlo” (a feminine hygiene brand) are all cited in the article for having enjoyed spiked sales subsequent to migrating from plain jane monikers to shock and awe approaches.

Caveat: if your email domain emulates the risque phrase, you’re at risk of corporate emails winding up in recipient spam folders. Another caveat: if you market to global audience, the name you select could insult a local culture and incite a riot..and not the laughing kind…

Here’s the link to the NYT article:

Risque Brand Names: Risks (i.e. Envelope Pushing) Can Reap Rewards

The Next Place to Insert Ads: Email Calendars!

What will push-advertisers think of next? The latest strategy: inserting ads into your email calendar!”

Courtesy of NY Times April 22 by Andrew Adam Newman “For a New Burt’s Bees Line, Check Your Calendar”

“..WHILE it may seem that advertising is everywhere, one place marketers have not infiltrated is the popular calendar software on computers, smartphones and tablets. But now, in what Burt’s Bees says is a marketing first, the natural personal care brand is introducing promotional messages that will appear as appointments in electronic calendars like those by Microsoft, Apple, Google and Yahoo…

The calendar promotion is by Baldwin& in Raleigh, N.C., the agency of record for Burt’s Bees, with interactive development by RecCenter, a digital agency in New York. Burt’s Bees, which was founded in Maine in 1984, is now based in Durham, N.C., and owned by the Clorox Company.

Katharine Belloir, a Baldwin& account supervisor, said she believed this was the first time a brand was interacting with consumers via their online datebooks, and that it could prove more intimate than social media.

The Next Place to Insert Ads: Email Calendars!