Sounds like Sonic Branding

Sound can be an integral element in a brand's identity. Think about the chord you hear when you start up your Mac computer (or the sound of a computer booting up with "Intel inside"). Or what you hear before an HBO feature.

Sound creates an emotional connection between the brand and the audience, amping up the experience. Some branded sounds have become part of pop culture, like Nokia's original ringtone. In fact, sonic branding is nothing new--long-established brands like NBC have been using sounds as brand identity for decades.

Nestea uses four notes in its sonic branding. Coca-Cola has used sonic branding (OK, jingles) for certain campaigns. P&G is reviving and updating some of its classic brand jingles for a new generation. Are jingles going to be the remixed sonic branding for the 21st century?

Learn from Your Competitors!

What can you learn from your successful competitors? A lot! When you're planning marketing strategy, you should analyze your competitive situation in detail, examining the companies you compete with today and the possible competitors of tomorrow.

When analyzing successful current competitors, ask yourself:

• What makes them so successful? Apple's expertise in user-friendly design is not just a strength, it's a core competence (built into the firm's DNA and not easily replicable). Now Nokia is trying to take a page from Apple's success story by putting design at the top of its marketing priority list (see its phone at right).
• What are their strengths and weaknesses? Samsung sees Apple's unified ecosystem as a strength, especially in cloud-based services such as iCloud, and is looking at this from a competitive perspective. On the other hand, as the highly public problems with Apple Maps indicate, sometimes companies overestimate their abilities--which can be a weakness. 

• What resources and strategies give them momentum? Apple has LOTS of cash on hand. It's been buying back its shares and paying dividends, but still has the formidable financial strength to bankroll any new product and marketing campaign. The Apple Maps debacle is another example of Apple's willingness to yank things from the marketplace after listening to what customers say and watching what they do. It axed Ping, among other offerings, when they failed to catch on. That's a good thing.
  
• What can you adapt to compete more effectively? First, think about whether a successful competitor's strength or competence or strategy makes sense for you. Nokia is trying to adapt slick design as a way to compete with Apple; Samsung is looking at Apple's cloud services ecosystem. They're not exactly copying Apple, but taking cues from what Apple does that makes it so successful. Maybe Samsung and Nokia will do well simply because they're trying something new instead of sticking to what made them successful in years past? But this means matching the experiments with opportunities that can be exploited. Apple has proven that customers value good design enough to pay more for it. That's an opportunity for a competitor willing to boldly innovate on the road to earning a reputation as a design leader. Remember, niche competitors are already trying to get a toe-hold in your market, often by building on some idea sparked by a runaway success story in your industry.

My next post will be about analyzing and learning from struggling competitors--and competitors that haven't even become competitors yet.

Space Opera and Nokia

Product placement did not run rampant in the new Star Trek movie. The Nokia placement was in "character" for the brand and the movie, although Engadget and some other blogs disagree. We see a Nokia phone integrated into a classic Corvette driven by the young James T. Kirk. (No spoiler here--check this clip to see the product placement.) Nokia has released a limited edition phone with Star Trek extras like a phaser shot ringtone. More on the marketing tie-ins at Trekmovie.com. May the rejuvenated Star Trek franchise live long and prosper.

Nokia's Viral Marketing

Here's a link to a quick commercial on YouTube UK for Nokia. It's part of a promotional campaign that includes field marketing (personal contact with consumers in offices, stores, on the street, etc), prizes, and more. OK, the magic trick looks a bit lame if you know how it works, so don't read any of the comments till you watch.

Visit Unruly Media's Top 20 Viral Videos to see other popular commercials that have gone viral around the world.