Tag: marketing strategy

Marketing Greatest Hits: Book Review

January 30, 2012 Book Reviews no comments

With the subtitle “A Masterclass in Modern Marketing Ideas”, British marketing consultant Kevin Duncan’s Marketing Greatest Hits provides quick summaries of what he considers seminal or interesting titles and their key ideas in marketing. Touted as a “definitive compendium of everything you need to know from the best minds in modern marketing”, the book attempts to encapsulate key lessons from the discipline’s thought leaders.

Neatly organised into six chapters, Duncan’s book systematically dives into the essence of 40 books covering major themes, principles and philosophies, branding, consumer behaviours, creativity and personal organisation. Each section provides a book summary that is further crystallised into an elevator pitch of sorts called a one-sentence summary – the core idea behind a book. Examples of these include the following:


Who Should You Really Target

November 16, 2011 Blog no comments


Courtesy of Lost & Found Online Marketing

One of the most important chapters in the book of marketing is customer segmentation and targeting. You need to know who you’re reaching and how you’re making your product or service relevant to their needs, wants or desires. Without a keen understanding of your target segment, everything else may fall apart.

The challenge however is this. How do you know who they really are?


How Far Can You Stretch Your Brand?

September 23, 2011 Blog no comments


Not everybody can brand it like Bieber (courtesy of Entertainment Earth)

Brand extensions and brand stretching are commonly used by companies wanting to expand into new product categories. According to this source, they are defined as follows:

“Brand extensions refers to the use of a successful brand name to launch new or modified products in a same broad market while “brand stretching refers to the use of an established brand name for products in unrelated markets.


Lenovo Ups the Ante in Brand Marketing

September 11, 2011 Business and Management 3 comments


Courtesy of Lenovo

Anybody following the global technology market would know how brutal it is. Battles for distribution channels, platform acceptance, supply chain efficiencies, and brand leadership have led to the spilling of blood on both Wall Street and Main Street. This has led to companies merging, being acquired, ousting their CEOs, or stopping their product lines altogether in desperate bids to survive and thrive.

Against such a backdrop, PC companies can ill afford to focus purely on features and benefits when marketing their electronic wares. They need to connect more deeply and resonate emotionally with their target audiences. Cool designs, functional specifications, and state-of-the-art features can be so easily copied that PC makers need to dig deeper.


Keeping Your Attractions Fresh and Appealing

July 14, 2011 Blog no comments

Universal Studios Grand Opening - 28 May 2011
Good storytelling helps to sustain consumer interest (Universal Studios Singapore’s Madagascar Crate Ride)

One of the greatest challenges faced by theme parks, zoos, museums, and other visitor attractions is that of getting one’s visitors to keep returning. While adding new rides, exhibits and enclosures can help to draw repeat patronage, their prohibitively high costs make such strategies unfeasible over the short term.

What then should one do to renew one’s product and keep guests coming back?