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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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[Prefer listening over reading? Watch the video interview on the subject below.] 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 … 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
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“It is better to fail in originality than to succeed in imitation” – it makes sense for Cadillac to use the Herman Melville quote. Not only use it in its advertising but, more importantly as a motto in its efforts to (re)make Cadillac … Continue reading
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In this inaugural episode we talk to Benoit Ams, founder, owner, designer …. Renaissance Man extraordinaire at Smith & Norbu, a brand that offers tailor-made, subtly branded eye-wear for sophisticated clients. The Smith & Norbu optical frames are made from yak horn, which Benoit … Continue reading
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There is an old saying in beauty and fashion: ‘With every millimeter the mouth opens, the price point goes down a notch’. Low priced mass brands can be all smile and approachable in their ads, they even have to be, … Continue reading
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There’s a new German player in the super-high-end distillery market: The Wolf. The Wolf calls itself a ‘Weissbrand’ (white brandy) since it is made from grapes, like cognac or other brandies. But it is steel-container and not barrel-aged, which explains … Continue reading
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“Beauty is hope. It’s about our dreams and aspirations. Yet, as with everything, digital has made reality creep up on it big time. Where beauty brands, especially prestige ones, once fancied themselves as hovering above the fray in a realm … Continue reading
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In an effort to revise their drastically declining sales Abercrombie & Fitch announced in early 2015 that it was dressing up. Literally. No more half naked hunks. No more piercings or tattoos. Employees will no longer be chosen by body … Continue reading
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After some 4 years, 75+ interviews, 150 cases studied and uncounted conversations Wolf Schaefer and JP Kuehlwein are proud to present their latest book ‘Rethinking Prestige Branding – Secrets of the Ueber-Brands’ (Kogan Page Publishing). You can order it online (links below) … Continue reading
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The Mini is a runaway success by most measures – except size, maybe. Who would have thought that this quirky, tiny car could carve out significant market share, again, when most other brands were talking size, comfort or power? And … Continue reading
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Bespoke is the new luxury – Again. Many consider Chanel the height of luxury. So it is telling to hear Chanel marketers talk about ‘bespoke’ as the ultimate form of luxury today. They are not the only ones to recognize … Continue reading
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In Part I we looked at how premium brands use own flagship stores and retail partners that project exclusivity to keep their glow while extending their distribution. Horizontal geographic expansion around the globe – rather than penetrating a single market … Continue reading
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If you live in New York City – or anywhere else hip – you will likely have heard about the ‘Cronut’ by now. Maybe you have even lined-up to try to get one – or a maximum two. Cronuts have … Continue reading
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These were the questions I got from an industry analyst the other day. In fact, these are the questions being posed constantly in the press covering the business of luxury. Full of myself, I thought that maybe more than one person … Continue reading
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I’m always the first to argue the importance of emotion, execution and style when it comes to Super Premium brands (see my post “Fashion Forward“). But it’s the fusion and careful balance of both, appearance and essence, that does the … Continue reading
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Novalis, an author, poet and philosopher of Early German Romanticism (1772-1801) once wrote: By imbuing the meaningless with meaning the ordinary with a sense of mystery the known with the dignity of the unknown, and the finite with an infinite … Continue reading
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We say in our premium branding model that “the first rule is to make your own” as one strives to develop brand myth and meaning. – It’s ‘Mission Incomparable’. Many premium brands are about identity construction. They help customers to … Continue reading
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This is a tale of two bottles. A bottle of soy milk that stands out and tells a story and a bottle of perfume that inserts itself into the saga that is Hermès. Both have in common that the stories … Continue reading
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Marketing “guru” Martin Lindstrom is concerned about the effects that ‘reaching-down’ and the ‘fashionization’ of Luxury labels has on their long-term ability to maintain desirability and premium price points. He writes in his piece “The Luxury Catch 22” “With a … Continue reading
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In the world of marketing, fashion has traditionally not been taken very seriously. It’s been viewed as un-strategic, driven more by short-term fads and personal quirks and hunches than solid planning and strategic thinking. Concerned more with ever-changing appearances than … Continue reading
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No, I am not talking about Hermès today but about a maker of power tools! You see, I often get challenged by marketing friends that the principles of premium branding that we lay out in our model only apply to … Continue reading
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During religious or national holidays, we are reminded of the global power of legends, or one legend in particular. Without stepping on any religious toes I think it’s save to say that we need stories to believe – and make … Continue reading
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I visited Lego in Billund the other day. I should say “I made a trip to Legoland, the ‘real’ land of Lego.” For this small town in rural Denmark not only hosts one of the namesake amusement parks (and a Lego-hotel, … Continue reading
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Last week I wrote about the balance between style and substance and how easily the former can undermine or overpower the latter. A fascinating and limitless topic, which easily sustains another week. So, here we go again, a bit deeper, … Continue reading
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– the Australian boutique Beauty Care brand founded in 1987 – intuitively masters the art of “class branding”. It is a perfect case to illustrate key principles that – when lived by – can lift a brand above the masses. Of course their … Continue reading
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