It’s always interesting when you see a format or recipe twist to a category that renews its relevance and comes across as part of a broader trend.

This is exactly what we’ve seen with the sexiest of all comfort foods – rice pudding.

Giles Lury has commented on this article in The Grocer regarding the ‘cold comfort’ consumers seem to be getting in the chilled-to-heat desserts category which was previously the preseve of tins:

“It’s about taking the stodge out of comfort foods…The black-packaged indulgent Rachel’s rice puddings, for example, are perceived as more of a comforting dessert than old-fashioned cans.”

Other brands and chefs have jumped on this trend: Think Heston’s funky twists on Christmas Classics and the never-ending sway of a simple cupcake.

So…what are the cold comforts you’ll be enjoying this Christmas?

‘Being Green’….’The Green Wash’…’Green Marketing’…’Thinking Green’…’Go Green’…’A Greener Future’…’Committed to Green’…

There are so many ways we talk about companies ‘being green’ and even more ways in which those companies go about doing it.

So we were interested to read about Greenpeace’s ranking of the most sustainable consumer electronics makers which saw HP knocking Nokia off the top spot.  Rather than considering this the main piece of news however, we were most interested in the fact that so many companies were listed and recognised for their ‘green’ activity at all – and found it very positive.

However, the ‘doing’ bit of ‘being green’ cannot be underestimated…it’s now no longer enough for a company to make an effort and merely keep up but, as with any other competitive initiative, the brands in question have to think about how they can do in a way which positively differentiates them and gives them a unique shade of green which they can claim as a competitive edge.

Giles Lury, chairman here at The Value Engineers, commented on just this on the BBC Technology News website last week:

“‘Being Green’ is now a pre-requisite part of corporate social responsibility, not a ‘nice to have’ for global companies…The challenge for brands is how they can communicate their greener efforts in a way that is different – and better – than the competition.”

So…how is YOUR brand ‘being green’ in a way which gives it a unique shade in the market? We’d love to help you think about this so please dont’ hesitate to get in touch if you’d like to hear more.

Here at The Value Engineers we find ourselves asking a lot of questions.  From project-related strategic questions to debates on marketing theory and models, we consider asking questions and thinking around all angles of their potential answers part of the joy of our jobs.

So, we are delighted to point you in the direction of Giles Lury’s article in this issue Admap, asking a crucial question which all brand consultants and managers face at some point:  ‘To Sub-brand or not to Sub-brand?‘

In this article Giles covers everything from different brand architecture theories (e.g. the Monolithic vs. Mixed Economy approach to brand architecture) to tips on managing your own portfolio.

If this is a question you find yourself asking or simply if you’d like to join us in the Sub-brand or not to Sub-brand debate, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

Our very own Giles Lury, Director of Branding at The Value Engineers, recently gave a talk to the students of the MA in Brand Development at Goldsmiths, University of London.

The talk’s theme was structured around the various definitions of a brand, highlighting that we live in an age of brands and are surrounded by them wherever we go.

Within this context Giles covered a whole range of key brand themes such as: quality, ownership, promise, creating value, brand models, differentiation, brand management, creating relationship and social currency. Summing up with the key quote: “In the modern world brands are a key part of how individuals define themselves and their relationships with one another……more and more we are simply consumers…..We are what we wear, what we eat, what we drive.”

Here at The Value Engineers one of our core competencies is marketing capabilities training. Our aim is always to engage and inspire because we believe if you enjoy what you’re doing, you tend to do it better. Our extensive global consulting experience across markets and industries informs how we design and develop our world class marketing capabilities training whether this be to establish a global marketing academy or to meet specific training requirements around a particular need. There are many best practice tools and models available but knowing what to do is not the same as knowing how to do it.

Should you be interested to hear more about how we might be able to help to strengthen your marketing capabilities, please get in touch with Tim Kaner on T: +44 (0) 1494 680999 or via email.

We are delighted to announce that our director of branding, Giles Lury, has been featured in today’s The Times supplement ‘Business Ethics’.

The article by Michael Dempsey discusses brands and ethics questioning if linking an ethical stance to your brand boosts its impact and strengthens its standing with customers?

Giles points out “that the notion of what is ethical has changed over time. Look at our attitude towards smoking and tobacco companies, or our shifting approach to alcohol!” Giles thinks that businesses have to identify when an ethical stance becomes pertinent to their consumers, rather than trumpeting about ethics for their own sake. Marks & Spencer scored a palpable hit with its Plan A environmental branding, dispensing with large carrier bags and stressing the recyclable nature of packaging. But Giles asks: “Would they have done it without the wider social shift to green consumption?” Ethical activities do tend to be led by marketing. And how much of this is really relevant to sales? Is ethical airbrushing just a temporary phenomenon? Giles uses the example of Primark for its cheap clothing but subject to harsh criticism recently from the Children’s Society over the sale of padded bikinis aimed at very young girls. Did this ethical furore, which caused the bikini to be withdrawn, damage Primark’s relationship with its customers? …..

The full article can be found in today’s The Times ‘Business Ethics’ supplement.

Please feel free to contact Giles on giles.lury@thevalueengineers.com or on +44 (0) 1494 680999 for any questions you should have relating to this article’s topic or any other brand related questions.