The survey provides insight into how ANA members are conducting eCommerce initiatives as well as intelligence on how member companies structure their eCommerce departments and work with agencies.

Valentine’s Day comes at a time when the world seems to need all the love it can get. And now Denmark’s leading florist, Interflora, tries to spreads some love in a touching love story with a surprising twist. It’s reminds us that love conquers all – even when love is extra difficult to express.

In a stunningly beautiful film, taking place in the 1920ties we follow a young man who tries to declare his feelings to that special person he has fallen in love with. But the world is filled with barriers in his way. In the end, however he accomplishes his mission – but with a surprising twist.

The film is directed by world renowned director Martin Werner and written by Danish ad agency Brandhouse.

“We want to show that Interflora is a champion of love, even when it’s complicated and met with obstacles,” creative director, Mikkel Elung explains.

CMO of Interflora, Zvi Goldstein adds; “In the end it’s about courage and having the nerve to take that last bold step towards love where you risk everything. It’s a special moment that we try to describe and support in our films.”

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It seems to be the question of the moment, in meeting after meeting: “If you were preparing a strategy for an American brand right now, what would you tell them to do?”

At one level, I get the question. As consumers react to what they see or believe about the world today, the threat to overtly nationalistic brands seems very real. That’s because consumers can lump country and brand together, according to Tony Chapman. And if buyers could bundle ideology with country, that suggests an increasing tendency to tie politics to brands.

Haven’t the reactions in the business world so far been interesting? Everyone’s running into a spotlight or ducking for cover. Some companies are trying to look like they’re playing nice with the wider political agenda. Others are trying to get away. Once upon a time, a brand could only have dreamed of being mentioned by a President. Now CEOs are resigning political appointments because their customers and employees have told them they got too close. Even the Superbowl ads are up for scrutiny …

It’s as if, in the face of brazen politics, everyone thinks it’s their business to be a politician too. I don’t think that’s the role of brands at all. To me, there’s a huge opportunity here for those brands that choose to take it. These are emotional times. And brands are powered by emotions. Instead of playing politics, brands should perhaps be looking to meet the wider needs of their customers by providing reassurance, reinforcement, support, inspiration … brands have an opportunity in this environment to do something powerful. In America. And beyond. I wonder how many will step up, go beyond the platitudes and make that happen?

According to the most recent Havas Group “Meaningful Brands” report, people wouldn’t miss 74% of brands and they find 60% of the content that companies produce is poor, irrelevant or fails to deliver for them. That’s a massive indictment on the strategies that most brands are using and on the content that they’re producing.

Brands need to get back to the things that mean something: how do we help people, and why should they look to us for that help? This seems like a great time – perhaps the best time – to focus on that.

Don’t let the future leave you behind. Join us in Hollywood, California for Brand Leadership in the Age of Disruption, our 5th annual competitive-learning event designed around brand strategy.

The Blake Project Can Help: Disruptive Brand Strategy Workshop

Branding Strategy Insider is a service of The Blake Project: A strategic brand consultancy specializing in Brand Research, Brand Strategy, Brand Licensing and Brand Education

FREE Publications And Resources For Marketers

From 199th pick in the NFL draft to five Super Bowl rings, Tom Brady is the undisputed greatest ever. Under Armour along with it’s ad agency Droga5 and New England Patriots fans from Boston celebrated his win yesterday by releasing this tribute video: “The Legend of Tom Brady”

CREATIVE CREDITS:
Ad Agency: Droga5

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Adoption of mobile ad-blocking software is increasing around the world, but the usage rate remains relatively low in the United States.

Using social influencers to drive shopper marketing.

Dan Jaffe provided his unique insight into the Trump and Congressional agendas for the first 100 days of the new Administration in light of unified Republican control over the federal government.

Stephan Loerke and Catherine Armitage of the World Federation of Advertisers (WFA) discussed ongoing privacy issues between the U.S. and European Union

Author Roxane Gay has asked to cancel her planned TED Book, titled How to Be Heard. We’re disappointed that we won’t get to put this important book out into the world, but we respect and accept her decision.

If your customer can live without you, eventually they will. One statistic offers all of the evidence needed to support this somber fact: eighty-nine percent of the companies that were in the Fortune 500 sixty years ago are now gone.

In the Disruptive Brand Strategy Workshop experts from The Blake Project help brands define and analyze disruptive issues, identify and map opportunities and build the strategic infrastructure necessary to help brands create the future they seek.

In this full strategic day customized for one client brand, we begin by sharing the new context in which brands must compete and the requirements for brand relevance in an age of disruption.

A series of highly facilitated, consensus-building team exercises follow where we will focus on:

• Identifying, analyzing and selecting the brand’s target audiences, competitive frame of reference and key customer benefits (functional, emotional, experiential and self-expressive).
• Assessing the brand’s internal and external strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats.
• Developing and or refining the brand’s unique value proposition. Ensuring that your brand has chosen the most powerful benefits to own and that it has developed the proof points and “reasons to believe” for those benefits.
• Defining the brand’s future state and its path to relevance.

The Blake Project will provide specific behavioral data and trend forecast data on your brand to help inform the process.

The Disruptive Brand Strategy Workshop is delivered around the world at the location of your choosing and is designed for 8-15 key stakeholders.

The deliverable is a decision document that incorporates the following essential elements: target customer, SWOT analysis, unique value proposition and future state.

The outcomes of The Blake Project’s Disruptive Brand Strategy Workshop prove vital for startup, emerging, regional, national and global B2C and B2B brands in:

• Extending relevance
• Navigating from now to next
• Understanding the new normal
• Gaining clarity and confidence in the strategic direction of your brand
• Responding to competitive threats and market disruption
• Shaping perceptions that the value of products and services are high and unique
• Gaining stakeholder consensus on what the brand stands for
• Anchoring the brand culture with one ‘ownable’ point of difference
• Guiding internal and external communications in staying on brand

Please email me for more about how this strategic workshop can help your brand see, understand and navigate the disruptive forces ahead.

Branding Strategy Insider is a service of The Blake Project: A strategic brand consultancy specializing in Brand Research, Brand Strategy, Brand Licensing and Brand Education