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Spyker switches gears, brands its own electronics
Spyker certainly won't go down as the first auto maker to dabble in consumer electronics, but it is making the leap in a big way. Rolling out, er, branding no fewer than three mobiles, five PMPs, and two USB flash drives, Spyker owners / fans now have lots of accessories to spend their wages on that are completely unrelated to their vehicle. Among the devices now available is a four-inch PMP with a rather antiquated design scheme, support for a slew of file formats, a 1.3-megapixel camera, FM tuner, AV input, and a promised boost of 10-horsepower (ahem) for €249 ($348). For the rest of the crew, be sure and hit the read link. [Warning: PDF read link][Via Autoblog]
AT&T logo going orange
Sheesh, as if the whole Cingular / AT&T / BellSouth / etc. mishmash hasn't been confusing enough for the general populace, here comes yet another change sure to make folks scratch their noggins a bit more. As AT&T looks to launch a new ad campaign that gloats about "Your Seamless World," the carrier will reportedly paint the blue and white globe orange as a "respectful nod to Cingular." Meanwhile, sign changers are thrilled about all the business pouring in from AT&T recently...[Via PhoneScoop]
Rumor: GameStop increasing pre-order to $10, changing image
The Wiicast says GameStop had a little "management" convention in Las Vegas this weekend where they discussed changes coming to the company. Will D'Angelo, who runs the Wiicast, says that information was gathered through "sources" and eavesdropping by a security guard. Overheard was GameStop will be overhauling the "look, design, logos" of the brand and changing the slogan to "Power to the Players." They'll also be tracking "random games'" pre-order sales to see if the standard pre-order deposit should be $10.Allegedly, If these things are true, we'll start seeing signs in the coming weeks leading into the holiday season. Despite GameStop having a record quarter, there's no denying it has an image problem. The question becomes if the changes will actually make a difference, or if it's just dressing up the same old nasty beast in new cloths. We still want to know how much of GameStop's fortunes have to do with being a glorified pawn shop and the interest they make from all that pre-order money just sitting in an account somewhere.
Promotional Consideration: Small Waves
Promotional Consideration is a weekly feature about the Nintendo DS advertisements you usually flip past, change the channel on, or just tune out.Instantly recognizable to any gamer worth their salt, Konami's bygone logo and its accompanying chime introduced more classic titles than we can count. When the familiar waves, slanted hourglasses, were retired in 2003, we felt their passing like the death of an old friend. We poured out liquor, fired 21 shots into the air from our Zappers, and bumped Master P's "I Miss My Homies" for days.Though the logo is now gone, it will certainly never be forgotten ...
Linksys branding not dead after all
Well, it looks like Cisco CEO John Chambers spoke a little too soon last Friday when he said that the Linksys brand was going the way of the dodo -- Cisco is now saying that it will continue selling Linksys-branded products "in the near term," and that changes would only come "if and when these changes add value to our customers' decision making processes." In other words, Linksys ain't dead yet, but the axe is still mighty close.
Cisco axes Linksys branding
Linksys fanboys, if there even are such creatures, best get used to seeing a lot more Cisco and a lot less of their favorite brand, as Cisco CEO John Chambers recently announced at a European roundtable discussion (video after the jump) that Linksys products would now sport the Cisco name. Chambers was quoted as saying that "it would all come, over time, into a Cisco brand," and he also noted that the reason the Linksys name was kept alive was because "it was better known in the US than even Cisco was for the consumer." As the firm "goes globally," he concluded, there would be "little advantage" in keeping it around. Sayonara, dear Linksys.[Via TheInquirer]
False alarm: Orange's SPV branding here to stay
Disaster averted! Amid reports yesterday that Orange's well-traveled "SPV" smartphone branding was going the way of the dodo in favor HTC's newer, slicker badges, the carrier has stepped forward to deny the claim. Though its rendition of the HTC Touch won't be blessed with an SPV mark, it turns out there's a good reason: it's not considered a member of Orange's "Signature Series." Only Signature Series devices will be SPVs, and they may not always be HTC sourced. Got it?
AT&T gets green flag to rebrand Burton's NASCAR ride
We know that there's another grueling week to survive between now and the Coca-Cola 600, but here's a NASCAR tidbit that will hopefully satisfy your Sunday desire for a little roundtrack action. AT&T has been given the green flag to rebrand Jeff Burton's (very orange) #31 race car after Judge Marvin H. Shoob of the US District Court, Northern District of Georgia, "granted AT&T's motion for preliminary injunction in its suit against NASCAR." It was noted that the decision gives AT&T "the immediate right to put its logos and brand marks" on the vehicle, and while we're not certain if we'll see a slightly new look come May 27th, we're sure it won't be long before the blue sphere makes its official debut.[Via RCRNews]
Sony is the most powerful brand says study
So, Sony's been having a rough couple days ... eh, disregard that. Sony's been having a rough week. Fine, fine -- month. But there's a silver lining -- none of this has hurt Sony's brand power. AlixPartners, a global corporate-advisory firm, says after surveying more than 5,000 consumers that Sony is #1 in their minds.The company's press release states, "The AlixPartners Brand Power Index draws a clear distinction between mere popularity, which a brand can achieve temporarily through discounting, etc., and true brand power, which the index measures on a consumer trust-versus-distrust formula." Sony came in first place followed by Johnson & Johnson and Kraft. Dell and Hewlett-Packard were the only other consumer electronics in the top ten and they were way at the bottom. No word on Microsoft or Nintendo brand power.There's no arguing Sony's brand power and it's a good sign that in 5,000 consumer's minds it's the tops. Thing is with the PS3 nobody had issue with the brand power, just look at the sales of the PlayStation 2 -- that thing is still a money making monster. Not to mention at $130 the PS2 is worth every penny for a family. A DVD player and an amazing game console in one small neat little package. Sony's problem with the PS3 isn't brand, it's price. Forget us as gamers and techno-babble Blu-ray freaks who will fanboy flame-out and just spend money. Sony execs should talk to the single mother waiting at the bus stop in the morning, go to a neighborhood barbershop, find a sixth-grade elementary school teacher to talk to. Nobody will ever deny Sony's brand power, but people are stuck at $600 as a jumping-off point for a game console.
Apple among Gen Y most trusted brands
Ok, Generation Y, which brands do you trust the most (for the record, "Generation Y" is comprised of people between the ages of 21-27)? Outlaw Consulting asked that question to a group they referred to as their "...most forward trendsetter* panelists" across several US cities, and Apple topped the list. According to Outlaw, brands that the subjects viewed as "straightforward" were viewed favorably. Also, plain packaging that seemed to "...avoid excess" scored well. That seems to be consistent with Apple's famed "out-of-box experience," wouldn't you say? Other brands in the top 15 include: Trader Joe's Jet Blue Ben & Jerry's Whole Foods Vitamin Water As a representative of Generation X myself, let me say, "Vitamin Water?!? It's just water. I'll never understand kids these days."*Read: The crazy ones.[Via Macsimum News]
Sony's brand is still going strong
While browsing gaming sites and blogs, its hard to remember that we're part of a very small audience: the hardcore gaming crowd. Most people will stay far away from us, and won't be susceptible to internet memes about Sony's "failures" with the PS3 and PSP. While many will troll forums telling us of Sony's doom, it appears that the mass market hasn't noticed at all.A recent survey of more than 2,000 individuals places Sony's brand in 9th place for "winners of 2006," in between two huge American icons: the NFL and Oprah. Even with exploding batteries and real-time weapons changing, people expect Sony to have an even better 2007. Naysayers can put their styluses away for now: Sony isn't going to disappear any time soon.[Via DCemu]
What's in the name "video game"
Stephen Totilo's recent hour-long interview with Sony Computer Entertainment Studio Head Phil Harrison focused mainly on the past, present and future of the PlayStation systems and brand. But possibly the most interesting quote in the whole piece came at a point where Harrison waxed philosophical about the branding of the industry as a whole."I fervently believe that the biggest challenge we face is that our industry is referred to as 'video games,'" Harrison told Totilo, echoing concerns aired last month by former ESA head Doug Lowenstein about the image of the term. With two industry luminaries bringing up the same issue in such a short time, we had to wonder: Is our industry being held back by its name?It's true that the word "game" in video game automatically makes some people think that our industry is devoted to nothing more than child's play, a claim that is pretty demonstrably false. Still, terms like "interactive entertainment" and "entertainment software" always struck us as a little too clunky and snobby-sounding for everyday use. Then again, terms like "graphic novel" and "cinema" probably sounded a little clunky before they came into common usage to describe the serious side of comics and movies, respectively.So we put the question to you, dear readers. Do video games need to be re-branded to erase their childish image? If so, what new term would you use to describe the industry?
Survey reveals new direction for PSP ads
We reported a few weeks ago that Sony was going to change and revamp their marketing efforts. Well, it looks like the transformation is slowly happening. Gamer Advisory Panel members were sent a survey to vote for new endings to PSP ads. In Japan, all PSP ads end with a very Engrish-sounding "PlayStation Portable" quip by some Japanese females. It looks like this quirky auditory form of brand identification is being considered for the US (I personally voted for this one). The other two choices featured more generic, less memorable techno voices (one felt very similar to this fan-created ad).Voting is already closed, and Sony should be tabulating the entries as you read this. Hopefully, we'll see new (and better) ads soon.
Video Sandwich: August 10, 2006
It's been a while since our last Video Sandwich. If you're a newcomer to the Fanboy, here's how it goes: you get two videos that make the tasty bread of this sandwich. Then, in the middle you get the meaty commentary by me. Tonight's sandwich features two PSP ads, neither of which will ever air in America. The top is an ultra-romantic, somewhat cheesy Korean advertisement that focuses on the wide variety of features of the handheld. Using my mad Korean skillz, I can tell you that the commercial tries to portray how their love is like the various features of the PSP. It ends with the guy saying: Whatever you want to do... the PSP can do it. This kind of advertising must work wonders on the same Nintendogs-crazy market that's gone mad for the DS (read: girls).The bottom video is a fan-created commercial that also highlights the various features of the system. It doesn't feature any game or movie footage, but is done in such a sleek way that it trumps all of Sony's official marketing here in the states. Considering how Sony's trying to rebuild the PSP brand as a device that can do games and more, this kind of commercial would work really well. Maybe we'll see something like this on the TV in the future.
Xbox ad decreases brand trust, but Xbox images evoke self-confidence, study finds
A new psychological study, conducted by Anderson Analytics, has found that brand advertising could have a significant effect on young adults' attitudes and perceptions.Researches found that boys who were exposed to Xbox-brand images were more likely to be "higher on power motivation" and self-confidence than boys who viewed PlayStation-brand images. However, the same group of boys also experienced high levels of brand distrust after watching an Xbox ad, while the boys in the PlayStation group did not elicit this phenomenon.So how does the green 'X' make you feel?
Samsung most valuable global TV brand?
What's in a name? Everything and anything if you are a manufacturer of consumer electronics. Your brand could have the ability to sell on name alone. Or, have the ability to turn away customers with just the name. Business Week has taken a long look at who is the most powerful brand in the world and Coca-Cola came out on top. We aren't here to cover soda pop though - we would love to, but the boys upstairs probably wouldn't like it too much. In order to even qualify for this list, a company has to have over 1/3 of their total sales outside of their home country; this is a global list you know. The list evaluates brands on not how much they are making now, but rather, how much they are projected to earn in the future. Samsung came out on top of the audio/video business at number 20 based on their LCD and memory chip business. Sony then followed at 26, Philips at 48, Panasonic at 77, and LG rounding out the list at 94.Everyone has their own perception of a certain brand. Do you think that Samsung's brand has reached Sony's level? Business Week sure thinks that they are going to do more with that name.
Fanboy Poll: Microsoft and Xbox brand relationship
In a recent Forrester Research report (covered on Joystiq) examining "the trust that American households place in PC and consumer electronics (CE) brands" Microsoft came in nearly dead last: 20 out of 22. Nintendo's position at 17 out of 22 was hampered by "low brand potential and low brand adoption" while Sony's strong showing at 3 out of 20 was due to "higher trust and higher potential." So what accounts for Microsoft's low showing? From Joystiq: Microsoft tends to be afforded very little leeway or margin for error. The company hasn't got a ton of trust, at least amongst Internet communities that have for years now vilified the company for real or perceived exploitation of dominant marketshare in the PC software market. Additionally, Microsoft is also the newest of the big three console makers, so it's had less time than the other two to build trust within the gaming segment. We're all still trying to figure out the company's sophomore effort. As an Apple convert, I have little affection for Microsoft's Windows products and the countless hours I've wasted fixing them. However, as a gamer, I have no problem distinguishing between the Xbox and Microsoft brands. Indeed, I think the scarcity of Microsoft branding on the console is a notable omission. Has the effort been successful ... Do you equate Microsoft with Xbox? Yes, favorably Yes, unfavorably Nope
Apple Top Brand in the US, Second in the World
Brandchannel.com's annual popularity poll has Apple at number one for most popular brand in the US and Canada but dropping one place to second this year in the world to Google. Last year Apple was at the top for both US/Canada and World polls.Brandchannel which uh, brands itself, as a "brand consultancy" company surveyed over 2500 people for the poll. They note:Year after year brandchannel voters identify brands that the mainstream world eventually catches up with; impact is felt first by these early adopters.Somehow I'm not totally convinced Apple is the top brand for Joe Smith from North America or even Joe Smith from Anywhere in the World. We are a bit biased at TUAW, but what do you think? How would you have ranked the top five from the US/Canada list: Apple, Google, Starbucks, Target, and, um, Lance Armstrong? What about the top five world rankers: Google, Apple, Skype, Starbucks, and Ikea? Brandchannel reminds you that you should:Vote for the brands that had the most impact on you that year. Impact can be defined as good or bad.So duke it out. Inquiring minds want to know.[via Macworld]
