General

A pot purl of things that just don’t fit any where else. Enjoy…

Italian Consumers

This week sees the launch of our BrandZ Most Valuable Italian Brands 2019. Last year I did a series of short films with some of the key insights from the 2018 study. I never published them here.  So, for the next few days here is the catch up. Their insights are still sharply relevant. Today’s is about Italian consumers.

Italy Heritage

 

This week sees the launch of our BrandZ Most Valuable Italian Brands 2019. Last year I did a series of short films with some of the key insights from the 2018 study. I never published them here.  So, for the next few days here is the catch up. Their insights are still sharply relevant. Today’s is about Italy heritage.

In Conversation With…Jon Bird and Jon Stine

 

 

At STREAM Commerce in Miami I interviewed a number of the key speakers and participants as part of my “In Conversation with…” series. I am very grateful to everyone who graciously participated in the recordings and were were so generous in sharing their insights.

Todays “In conversation…” is with my good friends Jon Bird VMLY&R and Jon Stine MIT

 

Picture Of The Week

Torrential rain and ferocious winds stopped work on a London building site. Thank the Lord for Starbucks.

What a day in Westminster…

 

It was lashing it down with rain for most of the morning here in Westminster, London… Perhaps as a metaphor for what the day will eventually bring. The vote on the Governments Brexit deal.

The World’s media broadcasting live in the rain  from College Green opposite Parliament 

As it stands, the deal is going to fall apart at 7pm by around some 100 votes. The DUP will not be supporting the Government motion in the House of Commons. The Conservative ERG Group and Her Majesty’s official opposition, The Labour Party, will both be opposing it… with a few notable exceptions.

The Prime Minister arriving in her motorcade at the House of Commons to start the debate

We are most likely to have an extension to article 50 and the withdrawal date…so the uncertainty will continue and continue.

Making their point

It’s not a party political point but this Parliament will in history be seen as “The Failure Parliament”.

The wonderful thing about British democracy is that there is always an eclectic demonstration of views around big occasions in Westminster….

Showfields

THE MOST INTERESTING STORE IN THE WORLD… At least that’s what Showfields founder and CEO Tal Nathanel is confident he is creating. 

In a world where many retailers are closing physical space, this plucky entrepreneur has gutted an iconic building in New York’s trendy NoHo area and is creating a new four story brick-and-mortar retail concept intended to bringing digitally native and direct to consumer brands to a physical life. Its proposition for brands centres on configuring their space online via a six-step process, which will then be fitted out and staffed by Showfields. It costs a flat fee per month (no turnover related element to it.). All the tech comes as standard – including mobile POS, data sensors and visitor analytics.

It’s currently in its “soft launch” stage. Just one of its four floors are open but that has not stopped a number of digital brands opening their space already including “Quip” electronic toothbrushes which started life as a Kickstarter project. Their space at Showfields actively encourages you to try out the brushes for yourself. Difficult to do that on a web site.

Or “Gravity Blanket” the weighted blanket for sleep, stress and anxiety. Which I have to say I had heard a lot about but never really understood or seen the value in until Tal persuaded me to try it out for myself at Showfields. It really was good and worth the premium!

Quod Erat Demonstrandum (QED).

Sometimes you really do need that physical experience…And that is what Tal is banking on.

As he took me on a behind the scenes tour of the yet to be opened floors Showfields strengths become more apparent. Its official opening will serendipitously be on the same day that Gordon Selfridge opened his Iconic Selfridges department store in London’s Oxford Street, back in 1909. That redefined retailing in Europe. And Tal’s betting on doing the same around the globe.And serendipity is what underpins the customer promise. He discusses this with me and other topics in this video interview you can see here. http://bit.ly/2TbglGx 

Go see Showfields for yourself. It’s on corner of Bond and Lafayette Streets in NoHo, New York.

The world’s most interesting store…It could well be…It deserves to be successful.

Download this to take a look inside Showfields

In Conversation with Brian Moroz

At STREAM Commerce in Miami I interviewed a number of the key speakers and participants as part of my “In Conversation with…” series. I am very grateful to everyone who graciously participated in the recordings and were were so generous in sharing their insights. Over the next few days I will publish here the individual interviews as well as the consolidate live broadcast that we took pace each day.

Todays “In conversation… is with Brian Moroz, Creative Strategist, Google

Trust and Transparency – Trend 5

China’s pollution problem has been well documented – a side effect of the tremendous push for economic growth. But Beijing’s recent record high air pollution levels have led to a social media outcry and heightened awareness among consumers of what they buy, where it’s from, and the effect its production has had. Trust and transparency Consumers in China have been on high alert over product safety, especially when it comes to food, since the 2008 scandal in which toxic melamine was found in baby milk formula. That concern over production and point of origin has not gone away, and the uproar over air pollution has intensified consumers’ need to know more about what they’re buying. Imported brands have benefited from this – particularly brands from countries perceived to have clean air, fresh water, and strict safety standards. In the Year of the Rooster, consumer interest in point of origin will go deeper than looking for a flag on a label; shoppers want to know more about the ingredients within products and the entire production journey, right through the supply chain. Environmental awareness and food safety will be hot topics in 2017, and the brands that will win here are those that build safety and the environment into their brand story. Transparency will become a strong selling point.

Just Launched In Indonesia

BrandZ Top 50 Most Valuable Indonesian Brands 2016 Infographic

BrandZ Top 50 Most Valuable Indonesian Brands 2016 Infographic

The BrandZ Top 50 Most Valuable Indonesian Brands 2016 has just been launched in Jakarta at an event attended by government minsters, business leaders, brand builder and the press. A tremendous job by our BrandZ team. A massive thank you from me to them all. Here is the infographic giving the highlights. You can download it here. Designed by Kay (great job). And yes it has been a while since my last post…and yes it has been very hectic …and yes that’s not really an excuse. More posts to follow…