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Ever noticed that some of the brands we pay a significant premium for don’t actually feel like they try hard to sell us on their product? These brands – we call them ‘Ueber-Brands’ let their visible passion for the product do most of the talking and sells us. They make their product the ‘holy grail’ and behold it as if it was a revelation. Continue reading
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How can Brands appeal through authenticity? – A brand mission must be lived to be taken seriously. A myth must be embraced to work. A lived and felt purpose is what people experience as ‘authenticity,’ the ‘truth’ behind a brand. Continue reading
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An interview with Prestige brand creator extraordinaire Ramdane Touhami. He is the mind and myth-maker behind brands like Cire Trudon and L’Officine Universelle Buly. You will also find plenty of background materials in this podcast note. Continue reading
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If you live in the US and have any interest in ice cream – or consume social media with any regularity (and the two seem to correlate) – then you will have heard about ‘Halo Top’. The premium ice cream’s … Continue reading
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Let’s qualify that headline right away, to avoid being accused of ‘click-baiting’: The leadership structure we researched was specifically that behind iconic, mission-driven brands that have seen sustained sales growth while being able to demand a premium price versus the … Continue reading
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In order to be credible and thrive, ‘niche brands’ (be they ’boutique’, ‘craft’, ‘local’, ‘organic’…) must make sure that they let their particular brand myth and engaging mission guide them in everything they do. They must do this not only … Continue reading
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Can the Ueber-Brand principles be applied to B2B brands to elevate them in the minds of professional buyers and make them ‘priceless’ – or at least less dependent on pricing? The short answer is “Absolutely, Yes!” But, we know, people are hungry for examples, so we talked with Christopher Harrold, Creative Director at Mohawk how this fine paper maker is not only surviving but thriving in an increasingly digital world. Continue reading
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Few brands are born Ueber-Brands. Like most humans, most brands start out wanting to do a good job and establish themselves. It’s only later that some of them feel the need to ‘dig deeper,’ find a higher calling and sharing … Continue reading
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Can Ueber-Branding be applied to any industry and brand… and people? How do Ueber-Brands elevate themselves above the rest? How do they attract people? – Not only as buyers but as employees? … These are just some of the questions Patrick Brigger asked me in this interview. Continue reading
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Book review site ‘getAbstract’ interviewed us about modern Prestige branding and we (humbly) thought our answers are well worth sharing with our readers, too… and the little video at the end, in particular. So here you go: 10 Minutes … Continue reading
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‘Brandless’ is the only ‘brand’ you can buy at the eponymous e-grocer that carries the same name. As co-founder Tina Sharkey explains, young ‘Brandless’ is not about the absence of identity or meaning and being a brand in that sense. … Continue reading
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Venerable Tiffany & Co is facing a dilemma and declining sales – and that for a few years now. On the one hand it believes that it has lost its cool among the young and with it cultural relevance, desirability … Continue reading
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Cadillac separated its commercial team from the General Motors headquarters in Detroit, formed a stand-alone unit and moved it to New York City in late 2015. This move was not driven by organizational and business considerations, alone. In fact, a … Continue reading
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I had one of those ‘Eureka’ insights the other day when I saw the latest Trader Joe’s ‘Fearless Flyer’ on our kitchen table: Trader Joe’s has made a great business out of morphing their foods into ‘Significant Objects’ that we … Continue reading
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Victor and his wife Sarah are in love with making jeans the old, slow way in their Raleigh Denim Workshop. They sewed them themselves and proudly signed every pair when they started out in 2007. But in the meantime, they … Continue reading
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Rogue researchers at Nestlé had tinkered around with the coffee capsule and brewing technology that was to become Nespresso since the 1970s. At that time, Nestlé dominated the soluble category, but that category was stagnating. It took Nestlé over a … Continue reading
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In this article for the Journal of Brand Strategy (Henry Stewart Publications, Spring 2017), we examine how some modern prestige brands go beyond traditional strategies of luxury marketing like exclusiveness, provenance or precious materials to make us want them. They create “meaning beyond the material” by redefining their categories, setting new standards and – for the best among them – by embracing and living ideals people aspire to. – We call them Ueber-Brands, as you likely know by now Continue reading
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Uwe Ellinghaus is CMO of Cadillac and on a mission to revive this icon of American luxury. But rather than starting with automobiles, his vision of Cadillac is one of “an experience that young people associate with modern luxury, … of a brand that … Continue reading
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“Yeah, but how ‘live a dream’ when the product is ‘generic’? I am not in Luxury, Lifestyle or Fashion!” That’s how some clients respond when we talk about giving their brand meaning beyond the material. – Well, how about a ‘juice bar’ that feels like it stole Abercrombie … Continue reading
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As we work with clients on elevating their brands two questions arise repeatedly: Can ‘ueber-branding’ be applied to more ‘technical’ categories – beyond luxury or lifestyle? And do Ueber-Brand products HAVE to be premium priced? The short answer is ‘yes’ and … Continue reading
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Yes, Burt really existed. The wild-bearded man on the brand’s logo was a documentary photographer turned beekeeper after moving from Manhattan to Maine and leaving the trappings of a rather privileged upbringing behind him to live in a converted turkey coop in the backwoods (where he … Continue reading
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Prestige brands don’t have it easy. We don’t want them to sell to us (in fact, they should ‘un-sell‘), but we love for them to seduce us. They must make us desire them, not just need them, for only then might we be willing to … Continue reading
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Chinese artisan brand Shang Xia is a good example of a brand mastering two key ingredients to build a modern prestige brand: A strong sense of mission and the patience to grow with gravitas. The brand also showcases parent company Hermès’ genius … Continue reading
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David Batstone is not one to be easily typecast. As you learn more about David you might get a bit perplexed not only by the uncounted, very public projects in which he plays a leading role or the multitude of positions he holds but … Continue reading
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Our article in SMU’s Asian Management Insights November 2016 issue summarizes three dimensions we found most successful modern premium brands share. We also outline some key questions you should ask on the way to making your own brand (more) priceless. The … Continue reading
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Patagonia is the quintessential Ueber-Brand. This brand is fascinating and we have written extensively about what we think drives and sustains its success in our latest book as well as on this blog. But it is quite another thing to hear it … Continue reading
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Freitag is a Swiss bag, accessory and – most recently – fashion brand. Its legend begins in 1993, when young brothers and design students Markus and Daniel Freitag looked out of their apartment window in the Zurich suburbs and into a … Continue reading
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Audemars Piguet is up there, even in the already elevated world of ‘haute horlogerie’ and the Swiss Alps. Le Brassus in the high valley of Joux is the birthplace and still the place of hand-crafting AP watches as Tim Sayler, … Continue reading
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Why do some pay a relative fortune for a MINI car, Renova toilet paper or a skin cream and detergent from Aesop when those seem to have none of the ‘functional superiority’ conventional marketers would seek to demonstrate? Why were … Continue reading
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If you are familiar with the ‘Hero’s Journey’ as described by Joseph Campbell, then the trials and tribulations Johan Buelow went through to concoct and share the perfect batch of liquorice – and create a thriving company on the way – will sound mighty familiar. It … Continue reading
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When Burberry announced Marco Gobetti as new CEO a couple of weeks ago with Christopher Bailey re-focusing his role on being creative head (and becoming president), it was another one of those moments the company has become famous for – … Continue reading
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Most of us associate Patagonia with the rugged, southernmost tip of America and/or with a brand of colorful, high-tech, high quality (and somewhat high priced) outdoor clothes one would wear to explore that place. And most of us have at least a feeling … Continue reading
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What do if you like cocktail parties or ‘having a drink with the mates’ but not the alcohol that usually goes with them? Ben Branson often felt silly, sometimes socially stigmatized with his glass of (sugary) water, juice or ‘mocktail’ in hand – who … Continue reading
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JP gave a presentation on Ueber-Branding entitled “Mission, Myth and Truth – How to make your brand priceless” at Mumbrells360 in Sydney last week. In a follow-up interview he was asked about the role of Purpose, Ideals and Authenticity (we call … Continue reading
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One of the founders commented ‘You don’t know shxx from Shinola!‘ during a meeting – This is how an American saying lead to the rebirth of the formerly popular shoe polish it is referring to … at least according to Bridget Russo, CMO Shinola who shared … Continue reading
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Storytelling has become the hot topic as the mainstream of marketers discovered that stories can make us relate to- and remember a brand more fondly than a cold sales pitch. But marketers who seek to elevate their brands beyond the material … Continue reading
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/lifelessonsnetwork/2016/04/21/ceo-in-10-with-wolfgang-schaefer-from-rethinking-prestige-branding A quick intro to some of the thinking in ‘Rethinking Prestige Branding – Secrets of the Ueber Brands’ for all those who rather listen than read.
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“If toilet paper can make you happy… Why not? Life is hard enough! …” – In this podcast episode we muse with Paulo Pereira Da Silva, CEO of the Renova about how he has transformed this long-standing Portuguese tissue maker … Continue reading
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It went through all trade magazines and most others in February that The Body Shop, the sometimes more infamous than famous poster girl of eco-beauty, is launching a new and quite ambitious CSR program titled ‘Enrich not Exploit’. Right in … Continue reading
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In this episode we talk to Matteo Fantacchiotti, Global Vice President, Diageo Luxury Division in Singapore. Diageo calls their high-end liquors the ‘Reserve Brands.’ These brands have grown well above category average and well past the previous segment leader in the … Continue reading
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In our book ‘Rethinking Prestige Branding – Secrets of the Ueber-Brands’ (Schaefer / Kuehlwein, 2015) we discuss the omnipresent trend towards ‘Artisanalization’, reviewing quite a number of examples like Smith & Norbu, maker of bespoke optical frames, Yuan, hand-crafter of soaps, Lakrids, inventor of … Continue reading
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In this episode we talk to William Espey, Brand Voice Lead at Chipotle Mexican Grill, the booming ‘casual food’ restaurant chain sought out by most for offering hearty burritos at a relatively low price*, admired by many for being an advocate for … Continue reading
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Have a brand and want to charge a premium? – Then you better stop selling and start to woo your target audiences. Because selling is the opposite of seducing. – It’s not sexy. And that creates a natural conundrum for brands … Continue reading
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Many definitions of myths talk of ‘lies’ – or at least ‘a stretching of the truth’. So we shouldn’t really care much for them. Yet, myths have not only been told and re-told across the millenniums, they have been consistent in their content and construction … Continue reading
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In this episode we talk to Maria Sebregondi, co-creator and VP of Brand Equity & Communication at Moleskine, the storied, little black notebook brand. Since its creation in 1997, Moleskine has become a favorite tool among urban knowledge workers and everyone who still feels … Continue reading
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When it comes to defining our lifestyle or declaring our values, we need other people for orientation, as benchmarks or to listen to us and care – or it will not be a satisfying exercise. We usually have some ideal state or person(s) we aspire … Continue reading
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Celebrities are extremely popular as endorsers. Take David Beckham, the ex-soccer star, for instance, who has managed to be ‘the face’ of Adidas, Belstaff, Breitling, Burger King, Disneyland, Emporio Armani, Gillette, GO (fish fingers), Motorola, Milk (got it?), Pepsi, Police, Sainsbury’s, … Continue reading
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For this episode of the Ueberbrands Podcast we went all the way to the end of the L-train line on the New York subway system; to Canarsie in southeast Brooklyn to visit one of the last seltzer filling factories in the US. … Continue reading
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We had the honor to be invited to talk about ‘Ueber-Branding’ by the Fashion Institute of Technology and the Luxury Marketing Council in New York and also bring along a panel of friends from Moleskine, The Laundress, CO Bigelow and Dunnhumby. … Continue reading
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We are discussing Brunello Cucinelli, the ‘Cashmere King’ and his eponymous brand with David LaRocca author, film maker and scholar of philosophy. David, like us, has been fascinated by Brunello, who says he is guided by the great historic thinkers … Continue reading
