A close friend of mine has always said that nothing spells the beginning of the holiday season more than the moment when Christmas spots start hitting the screen. They are an inevitable force of nature, capable of turning us into the most nostalgic and sentimental of creatures.

Just like last year, I was interested in sharing those ads I considered to deliver the Christmas spirit with joyful humour and emotional significance, but especially those who reflect our beloved traditions. After all, isn’t that what advertising is all about?

Here are More than Branding’s Favorite Ads of 2011:

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

John Lewis

Title: ”For gifts you can’t wait to give”

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

eBay

Title: “12 days of Christmas”

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Sky Movies

Title: “Christmas”

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Coca-Cola

Title: “Shake up Christmas/Snow Globes”

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Target

Title: ”2-day sale- She’s baack!”

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Marks & Spencer

Title: “Christmas Advert”

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Coca-Cola

Title:“El Camión de la Felicidad” (The Happiness Truck)

Have you enjoyed any particular Christmas ad? Send it over, we’d love to check it out!

Happy Holidays everyone!

By Maria Elena Moré

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Connect with More Than Branding on Facebook and Twitter (@MTBranding).

Coca-Cola is once again the number 1 brand in the world.

After much anticipation, Interbrand announced the 2011 Best Global Brands ranking with Coca-Cola in the first spot for the twelfth consecutive year and brands such as Apple and Amazon as top risers with their astonishing growth during the past months. With massive growth across the sector, technology dominated the list, with 7 out the top 10 brands coming from this industry- IBM, Microsoft, Google, GE, Intel, Apple and Hewlett-Packard.

Damian Borchok, CEO of Interbrand Australia and New Zealand said: “Interbrand’s Best Global Brands report is a reflection not only on how brands are performing in terms of their perceived brand success, it is also an invaluable tool for to detect how consumers are behaving, evolving and reacting to brands. More than ever, the economic climate and consumer movement alike are demanding brands to be flexible, innovative and to explore social spaced they never dared to before.”

According to Interbrand, there 10 factors that are present in these leading brands, which are:

Internal Factors:

• Clarity
• Commitment
• Responsiveness
• Protection

External Factors:

• Relevance
• Authenticity
• Differentiation
• Consistency
• Presence
• Understanding

Interbrand’s method of selecting the brands entails taking into account the different ways it affects the organizations- from customer expectations, financial performance of its products or services, the role of the brand in the purchase decision process and its strength.

Jez Frampton, Global Chief Executive of Interbrand, introduced the ranking by saying: “Brands increasingly need to be quick and nimble- flexing to stay one step ahead of the change happening all around them. And it isn’t just about speed, it’s about consistency and accuracy in response to the social media connected and hyper-aware marketplace…

Your customers interpret your brand as a result of every interaction; from culture to product, from environment to communications.”

To view the complete report on each brand, the Interbrand methodology, trends and sector overviews, click here.

By Maria Elena Moré
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Source: Interbrand

Connect with More Than Branding on Facebook and Twitter (@MTBranding)

Customer loyalty is a luxury not every brand is fortunate of possessing. In today’s crowded marketplace, in which few brands stand out and much less spark up the desire for purchase, companies that earn the return-on-purchase are sitting on a winning lottery ticket. Knowledge, engagement and loyalty are factors so vital to the health and ultimate outcome for brands that strive to develop lasting bonds with the public. Having a high number of faithful customers guarantees companies higher profits and less investment in the recruiting of new clients, considering it costs 7 times more to obtain a new customer than to keep an existing one.

Agency Brand Keys focuses on a modern approach into the world of research when it comes to brands and their level of loyalty.  By employing a “consumer-listening system”, they have been able to offer clients an exact grid on where brand equity, top of mind and choice lies for more than 20 years.

According to them, leveraging customer loyalty will be the primary means by which the most competitive companies will break away from the pack.

Their annual publication- the Brand Keys Customer Loyalty Engagement Index- studies consumer’s relationship with more than 500 brands in 79 categories. The results are based on psychological assessments that reveal the values that drive behavior and importance rating of categories, attributes, benefits and values. They pin-point the elements of loyalty for the category.

Here are this year’s winners per category: (in red)

By Maria Elena Moré
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Connect with More Than Branding on Facebook and Twitter (@MTBranding)

On the eve of More Than Branding’s first birthday, comes this post dedicated to the latest ranking published on the world of brands. Agency Millward Brown Optimor has developed the BrandZ Top 100 Most Valuable Global Brands, considered as the most comprehensive annual ranking of brand value, focusing on consumer-facing brands, rather than corporate brands.*

The BrandZ index is structured around the following 13 categories: Apparel, Beer, Cars, Fast Food, Financial Institutions, Insurance, Luxury, Oil & Gas, Personal Care, Retail, Soft Drinks, Technology and Telecom Providers.

They calculate brand value based on three pillars through the following equation:

It’s no coincidence that the most valued brands in the world all master the art of experience, creating a sense of desire, fulfillment and excitement around its products and services. They foster a good relationship with consumers and enact a well established brand identity that is consistent in all areas of the company. It’s no wonder people are willing to pay whatever the sum for that added value. They live up to their promise.

In the end, brand value is not only to be measured in numbers, rather on a well-rounded architecture that should embody what we stand for. But most importantly, brand value is a reflection of our impact and effect on the human spirit. By adding significance to what we do, we spark preference. Guaranteed.

For the full report, click here.

By Maria Elena Moré
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

*From the BrandZ 2011 ranking

Connect with More Than Branding on Facebook and Twitter (@MTBranding).

There’s a famous phrase that goes, “Better late than never”, and well, we thought it appropriate to commence today’s post…

This year’s Oscar ceremony was predicted no different than those of years before- the glitz and glamour that surrounds this event is synonymous with great ads that bring us wonderful messages, celebrities and awesome executions. But, not everything can meet its expectations. Reruns from this year’s Super Bowl and even some spots that date further back with nothing that related to the Oscars itself, left us wishing for more…

Nevertheless, here is More Than Branding’s Top 5 Oscars Ads of 2011:

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

5. Hyundai

Title: “Owner’s Manual”

Interesting use of co-branding with an unexpected twist gives Hyundai a modern look-and-feel by being one of the first auto-makers to feature the iPad as an owner’s manual.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

4. Mercedes-Benz

Title: “Welcome”

Mercedes-Benz celebrates 125 years with this family reunion that surprises even the most loyal of customers.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

3. Diet Coke

Title: “Stay Extraordinary”

Excellent use of music that leads to a fantastic view on the life of its drinkers.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

2. Mercedes-Benz

Title: “Triumphant”

The German car-maker hits it right out of the ballpark with this inspirational insight.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

1. Hyundai

Title: “Childhood”

Fresh, witty and top-of-the-notch art direction provide an amazing look into Hyundai’s new Elantra.

By Maria Elena Moré and Fernando Muñoz
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Connect with More Than Branding on Facebook and Twitter (@MTBranding).