So how do you take a brand that most people probably associate with their grandfather or great uncle and rejuvenate it for a new, younger audience? You develop a slogan that plays up the concept of experience, you hire one of the greatest tongue-in-cheek comedy actors of our generation and you write some hilarious commercials designed to make that bit of gray hair a badge of honor.
This is exactly what Old Spice (a Proctor and Gamble brand) has done recently. This is very smart. With a name like "Old Spice", they were never going to be able to portray it as a cool, young product. The new slogan "Experience is Everything" suggests that those older gentlemen out there living the life (with their yachts, mansions and classic sense of style) are onto something that us young guys wish we had. It's a great example of taking a potential brand weakness and spinning it into a strength.
Here's the original Old Spice commercial. Pay special attention to the painting behind him as he walks.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Af1OxkFOK18
Here's the new Old Spice body spray commercial. This is very confident and well executed. Note that there isn't a single word spoken about the product, yet the message comes across loud and clear.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9TgUkewQX1M
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1 comment:
Hi, Jeff--
This isn't about your blog post. I'm with LinkedIn and couldn't find an email address to easily contact you (or maybe I didn't know where to look). Anyway, what I wanted to tell you is I thought your comment to the LinkedIn question about Harley and building a brand name for a niche market was brilliant. Here's your post...
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Brands like Harley Davidson emerge from a focus on a niche market (often an underserved one) and an utter dedication to creating a personality that appeals to that market. As the other respondents say, time is a factor (and inherent in that is selecting a niche audience that is not, in itself, a fad). If and when you can identify a niche like this and decide that this niche will be the future of your brand, you have to fully commit to matching that audience. That may mean passing up other opportunities and even alienating other audiences until you have built up enough brand equity and brand loyalty to be able to stretch a bit without seeming weak or fickle.
Hope that makes sense.
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I have been marketng to a niche market for many years mostly offline and recently online, and you hit the nail on the head in a way people rarely do. I just wanted to tell you that, because I don't know if you got any response to that comment but it deserved one. It was refreshing to read, because it is so true if you know about marketing to niche markets.
All the Best,
Laura Stamps
Kittyfeather Press
laurastamps@mindspring.com
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