One year after the engagement between the Swedish crown princess Victoria and Daniel Westling the wedding is closing in. How does the wedding affect the Swedish brand? Differ’s brand expert Ulrika Burling and the Swedish Minister of Trade Eva Björling answered the questions in TV4 Nyhetsmorgon.
Differ comments banking bonuses in Dagens Media:
The confidence for SEB's and Swedbank's brands has been destroyed by the bonus bonanza, irresponsible lending in the Baltics and accusations of greed in the wake of the financial crisis
One of Differ’s brand experts, Anna Klingspor, believes that the low confidence that Yougov's poll indicate is a health sign from the Swedish people.
"Their behavior was not acceptable, which is reflected in the confidence in the brand", she says.
Anna Klingspor believes that Swedbank now must take an active sense of citizenship in the Baltics.
"An important part of Björn Larsson's job is to initialize the right actions to later be able to tell the customers about it. This should be done in addition to the ordinary communication efforts".
Read the full story in today's issue (3 February) of Dagens Media
Differ comments Saab in Dagens Industri:
Differ’s CEO, Carl-Fredrik af Sandeberg is interviewed today in an article in DI on Spyker’s possible takeover of Saab. How would the Saab brand be affected by having Spyker as its owner?
"The uncertainty has affected the Saab brand a lot in the short term. It is clear that consumers will think twice before buying Saab", says Carl-Fredrik af Sandeberg.
This he considers to be a bigger factor for the brand than Spyker’s possible purchase.
Read the full story in today's issue (26 January) by Dagens Industri
Differ on McDonald's in Dagens Media:
Despite persistent environmental improvements and intensive communication McDonalds is left behind in the competition from Max and Burger King. This according to YouGov and Dagens Media’s brand index. According to Differ’s CEO and branding expert, Carl-Fredrik af Sandeberg, McDonald's situation is complex.
"As the market leader McDonald's symbolizes the whole fast food culture. As soon as it becomes a 'Super Size me'-debate, it is McDonalds who fall under fire. "
He also points out that Max is the only Swedish competitor and that Burger King is perceived as the challenger.
"I have great respect for what McDonalds is acting with CSR issues, but consumers see them as the multi-national chain whose sole focus is to maximize profits."
Read the full story in this week's issue of Dagens Media.
In a world where the environment is on many agendas, the noise increases for those who want to communicate. How does an environmentally oriented brand such as Greenpeace manage under changed circumstances? Does Greenpeace continue to fill a role?
Differ’s brand expert and CEO, Carl-Fredrik af Sandeberg, believes that Green peace’s message still is clear. He also thinks that there are signs that Greenpeace has become better at public relations and lobbying-oriented activities.
- For example Greenpeace is now working with ad campaigns to drive public opinion. For example the Obama campaign that is currently running in Copenhagen. But one can only conclude that Greenpeace is best at spectacular guerilla actions, he says.
Read the full story in Resumé here (Swedish)
In RFSU's Christmas campaign for sex toys Santa is depicted a little less dressed than usual. Does it work to use Santa in a bit more unconventional commercial context?
Anna Klingspor, branding expert at Differ comments:
-In the extremely large media noise of today one needs to stand out. That makes people stretch their work a bit further. There are no legal barriers to the use of Santa in advertising campaigns. Old historical figures are free from copyright.
Anna Klingspor does not consider the campaign as controversial:
- It is pretty good and made with a tongue in cheek approeach. I do not consider that the risk is high it will be perceived as a problem.
Read the full story at Aftonbladet.se (Swedish)
Saab is currently on everyone's lips. In the newly published edition of Resumé, Differ's Carl-Fredrik af Sandeberg comments Koenigsegg's withdrawal from the Saab affair:
"It is unclear why Koenigsegg retires and to mitigate the possible negative impact, they should tell us in detail why.
Read more in Resumé 49.
Differ comments the Saab brand in Realtid.se:
Differ’s CEO, Carl-Fredrik af Sandeberg is being interviewed today in an article on the news site Realtid.se. Carl-Fredrik says that Saab principally has a strong brand, but the company’s product development is lagging. This has in turn led to a product that does not reflect the brand values Saab stands for: Historically, Saab has been focused on innovation.
"They were the first car in the world with turbo and have had some characteristics, such as the curved wind screen and the centre placed ignition. They have a strong connection to flying with the motto ‘Born from jets’. In the last ten years, Saab has increasingly fallen hopelessly behind. [...] The legacy is there, but they have not succeeded in launching new models that add something new in the strong competition with other brands."
Carl-Fredrik thinks that Saab needs a clear vision. What kind of car does Saab really want to create?
Read more about Differ view on the Saab brand in the article on Realtid.se
Press Release 2009-11-24
Oskar Lübeck, today Design Director at Brand Union, will become Partner and Creative Director at Differ, with the mission to start a design department. He joins Differ from February 1st 2010. Oskar has a solid background and has received several Swedish and international design awards. As a customer responsible creator, he has developed identity programs as well as packaging designs and concepts for many well-known Swedish and international brands, such as Apoteket, IKEA, Läkerol, Absolut and Operakällaren. For Differ, design has been an important tool in shaping and realizing brand strategies and change projects for many years. Differ is now experiencing an increased demand for design services among its customers and is now taking the next step to build our own design department.
"We are delighted that Oskar is joining Differ. He is a very good person who besides being a brilliant graphic designer also understands the value of a good strategy", says
Carl-Fredrik af Sandeberg, CEO at Differ.
“I look very much forward to working with Differ. It feels like a natural step for me to build a new design department with them. It will be exciting to collaborate with talented brand strategists in a company where strategy and design have equal value", says Oskar Lübeck.
For further information contact:
Carl-Fredrik af Sandeberg, tel. 070-791 04 91
Oskar Lübeck, Tel. 070-840 80 08
Ulrika Burling comments Vattenfall in DN Ekonomi:
The turns around Vattenfall have been many, which have culminated in recent weeks in the Swedish media. Vattenfall has, among other things, been criticized for its “green” marketing, even though the company is a major producer of energy from brown coal. When it became clear that Lars G. Josefsson had sigend a contract, putting the whole company at risk in Germany, it was the last straw and he was forced to resign from his post as CEO. Ulrika Burling, partner and brand expert at Differ, thinks it might take a while to restore confidence. "Vattenfall have been under fire in both environmental and ethical issues", says Ulrika to DN. "They must find a way to be more sensitive to what the owner and the Swedish people want them to do. A CEO's replacement may have a high symbolic value to show that they have started thinking differently", she says.
Read the article in DN Ekonomi Tuesday November 17th
Anna Klingspor comments Lindex in Aktuellt:
Lindex is currently promoting its new collection, Affordable Luxury, with a big launch. The clothing line itself, however, only comes in small and medium sizes. Something that many people believe sends the wrong signals, especially with a collection aimed at “the modern and liberated woman". Anna Klingspor, branding expert at Differ, means that Lindex’s brand is being damaged by the limitation of sizes and that a major player like Lindex must take a larger responsibility: "It is unfortunate with a collection aimed at young women that exists in small sizes. It reinforces the image that you are not successful unless you are slim".
Look at the full clip here: : svtplay.se (Begins approximately 21 minutes and 50 seconds into the program)
Wolsey, dating back to the eighteenth century, is in the midst of updating its brand on the Nordic market. Wolsey has hired the well-known Swedish designer Richard Bengtsson to aid them. The trend with famous guest designers will continue, according to Tomas Conradi, brand expert at Differ.
-It is about borrowing associations that already exist. By hiring a designer who represents elegance and nice design, one borrows the intangible value of the designer's brand.
Read the whole article in Dagens Nyheter from October 23rd.
Differ’s survey of Sweden's greenest brand was popular in the Swedish media. Some thirty articles and blogs have been written about the study, in which Godel and Grumme was named the winners.
Do you have thoughts or opinions on Sweden's greenest brand? Please contact us!
info@differ.com
Recommended Reading on Sweden's greenest brand (Swedish):
Survey results:
http://www.differ.com/sveriges-gronaste-varumarke/index.html
DN:
http://www.dn.se/ekonomi/de-ger-mest-eko-hos-kunderna-1.969671
Resumé edition 42
Other articles:
Dagens Industri
Dagens handel: http://www.dagenshandel.se/dh/DagensH.nsf/0/FD4DEBD381492041C125764A0032475C?open
Travel report:
http://www.travelreport.se/resenyheter/fritidsresor---sveriges-gronaste-researrangor-2009/
CSR i praktiken:
http://www.travelreport.se/resenyheter/fritidsresor---sveriges-gronaste-researrangor-2009/
Fri köpenskap:
http://www.fri-kopenskap.se/zino.aspx?articleID=33087
Dagens media:
http://www.dagensmedia.se/nyheter/dr/article82909.ece
Dalarnas tidningar:
http://www.dt.se/nyheter/dalarna/article491457.ece
Miljöaktuellt:
http://miljoaktuellt.idg.se/2.1845/1.258282/nu-ar-grumme-och-god-el-sveriges-gronaste-varumarken
Market:
http://www.market.se/Brancher/Ovriga/Har-ar-Sveriges-gronaste-varumarken/
ICA-nyheter:
http://www.icanyheter.se/Nyheter/Inrikes/Grumme-toppar-eko-lista/
Dagens PS:
http://www.dagensps.se/artiklar/2009/10/08/84122310/index.xml
MSN:
http://nyheter.se.msn.com/pengar/articlePS.aspx?cp-documentid=150102269&vv=650
Miljöaktuellt:
http://miljoaktuellt.idg.se/2.1845/1.258675/replik-morotter-battre-an-piskor
Falukuriren
Bulletin.se
Travelreport.se
GoodCause
VA.se
Klimatsmart.se
Resflex.se
Yttra.se
EkoTänk blogg:
http://ekotank.blogspot.com/2009/10/tre-av-de-fem-gronaste-jobbar-med-krav.html
Mentoronline.se
http://www.mentoronline.se/iuware.aspx?pageid=3172&ssoid=108445
Travellife blogg:
http://www.travellife.se/2009/10/12/sveriges-gronaste-varumarken-i-resebranschen/
Grumme and GodEl are Sweden’s greenest brands 2009
Grumme is Sweden’s greenest brand of 2009 when Swedes choose a brand spontaneously.
GodEl, on the other hand, is the Sweden’s greenest brand2009 when the respondents were given various brands from nine different industries.
For the second consecutive year, Differ have conducted the study of Sweden's greenest brand. The purpose of the investigation is to see how environmentally friendly Swedish people perceive various brands in the Swedish market.
Differentiation asked Swedes to rank a total of 97 brands in 9 industries. The sectors covered by the survey are: banking, insurance, petrol, cars, groceries, energy, home furnishings, clothing, travel / hotels and fast food.
- Top prizes go to the brands that have clearly integrated the environmental issue as a part of its business strategy, says Anders Rynnel, account manager at Differ. There is a trend that consumers are beginning to see environmental issues as a foundation rather than a differentiation advantage that they are willing to pay extra for. Today it is not enough just to be green to stand out, today it takes more. It requires stronger evidence in market communication if you are to succeed in building a distinctive value.
When Swedes were spontaneously to mention what they considered to be Sweden's greenest brand, the three top placements went to the following brands; Grumme, Coop Änglamark and Arla.
When the Swedes were asked to choose between the largest and most recognized brands in the nine major industries the three top placements went to GodEl, followed by SJ and Telge energy.
- The sectors that are perceived to be less environmentally friendly products, like last year, are petrol stations. Two supermarket chains also were placed at the bottom, Lidl and Netto. The fact that these are low-price players and with a foreign origin may be factors that Swedish consumers may not find these brands environmentally friendly, "says Carl-Fredrik af Sandeberg, CEO of Differ.
About the Survey
The survey was conducted during the summer of 2009 in the YouGov internet panel.
The survey is nationally representative by gender, age and region.
A total of 1041 men and women over 18 years participated in the survey.
To download the presentation, go to: http://www.differ.com/sveriges-gronaste-varumarke
Pages:
DN: http://www.dn.se/ekonomi/de-ger-mest-eko-hos-kunderna-1.969671
”Good to be a well known brand, but not for the wrong reasons”
Anna Klingspor comments Apoliva in Dagens Industri:
Swedish pharmacy Apoteket’s own brand, Apoliva, have seen a boost in sales after a much debated commercial with the Swedish model Adina Fohlin. Management by fear might be an appropriate term, since many viewers find it scary. This fear have made 110 000 persons join the Facebook group ”I am afraid for the woman in the Apoliva commercial”.
Johan Landeström, marketing director at Apoteket, says that the strong reactions have baffled him: ”We will continue doing commercials for Apoliva, but one has to think twice when a campaign gets so much attention”. Differ’s brand expert Anna Klingspor thinks that the commercials should change direction. ”Of course attention is good, but it is never good to be known for the wrong reasons. Apoteket should change the model or change her style and make up.
Victoria has a big impact on Sweden’s brand
Ulrika Burling comments the Swedish crown princess in E24:
In an article by business website E24, Ulrika Burling from Differ talks about Victoria’s brand. A very valuable brand for the Swedish nation: ”Victoria and her family are worth billions for the Swedish export industry. The media coverage is highly valuable. In addition, it is very valuable for Sweden’s export and tourism.
Ulrika Burling elaborates why Victoria’s brand is favourable for Sweden: “The Swedish royal family makes Sweden unique and is an important marketing tool for Sweden. Victoria’s behaviour is well aligned with some of the values that Sweden wants to be associated with: Equality and openness”
Read the whole article (Swedish)
New brand platform comes to life at Canal Plus
Canal Plus premiere their new TV ads in mid May. The concept is based on the motto ”More than usual TV”. Canal Plus have revised their brand strategy with Differ during the fall that the Saatchi & Saatchi campaign is based upon. Three ads will run on TV4. The ads illustrate that Canal Plus do not have commercial breaks, that they show movies first on tv and that sports are best experienced on Canal Plus.