Sol Marketing in the News
Featured
In this episode of Charging the Agency Frontier, CEO Robby Berthume interviews Deb Gabor of Sol Marketing on all things branding including defining branding, the pitfalls of marketing programs that aren't anchored by a strong brand foundation, the process of building a brand, how engaging a brand strategist helps what marketing/advertising agencies do and the best way to sell the idea of branding to your clients.
Click to read more!
I recently made two major additions to my life -- a second dog and a lake house. On weekends, I need to transport all my stuff and my two dogs to the lake, so I decided to upgrade my SUV to a larger model with an additional row of seats and more cargo space. When I began looking around at available models, I was stunned.
The amount of competition in the SUV marketplace is astounding. There are no fewer than a dozen manufacturers and more than 30 models to choose from. When you add trim packages, custom options, and paint color, there are literally thousands of different possibilities. How am I supposed to make a decision?
Click to read more!
The fifth annual Retail Innovation Conference is now in the books, and Retail TouchPoints will be providing complete coverage of the Store Tours, sessions, sponsors and more during the coming days. But to start, the RTPeditorial team wanted to provide a rapid-fire recap of some of the smartest quotes from the 50+ speakers who informed, provoked and entertained the attendees at New York City’s Convene May 6-8.
Click to read more!
“A raft of early-stage startups is looking to disrupt traditional embarrassments like visiting a doctor to treat erectile dysfunction or acne and replace them with discreet, direct-to-consumer purchasing experiences that are hush-hush, seamless and personalized.
Perhaps the pioneering brand in this burgeoning category, Hims debuted in 2017 with a series of display ads on New York City subways featuring wan cactuses keeling over or standing upright as a visual metaphor for impotence.”
Click to read more!
“Remember the last time you had a toe-curling, mind-blowing orgasm?
The best brands in the world can give their customers that same kind of feeling. Strong brands help their customers solve problems, present a positive image to the world, feel empowered, feel accomplished, and…”
Click to read more!
It’s safe to say Rothy’s has been challenging industry norms since its inception.
In 2015, shoppers were introduced to the flat shoes — made out of recycled plastic water bottles — in the vegetable aisle of San Francisco’s Ferry Plaza Farmers Market. The product was positioned between eggplants and Brussels sprouts. It wasn’t a typical debut, but co-founders Roth Martin, a San Francisco native and former gallery owner, and Stephen Hawthornthwaite, an ex-investment banker, weren’t typical footwear executives.
Click to read more!
“Esta na hora de apimentar o relacionamento dos clientes com as marcas. Para isso, o que você acha de usar os serviços de uma “dominatrix de marca”?”
Click to read more!
“Luxury goods, vending machines, bookstores, beauty products: Everything is fair game in the high flying world of airport retail. And the tech industry is about to up the stakes again.”
Click to read more!
“Throughout the second half of the 20th century, Jell-O and Kool-Aid were omnipresent on American pantry shelves. But in 2019, the story for both brands is a bit different: they carry more nostalgia value than modern consumer appeal.”
Click to read more!
“The Red Bulls call themselves the best marketing partner in sports. Their teammates agree.”
Click to read more!
Irrational Loyalty. Building a Brand That Thrives in Turbulent Times. – Deb Gabor
Why do some brand-customer relationships endure, and others don’t? In human relationships, there are scientific reasons why relationships go south when one of the partners trades the rose colored glasses in for sweatpants. The same is true for brands. Deb Gabor shares highlights from her new book: Irrational Loyalty. Building a Brand That Thrives in Turbulent Times.
Click to read more!
“In a puzzling bit of timing, two of the world’s biggest banks rolled out refreshed branding within weeks of one another. In 2013 Motley Fool ran the headline “Inside America’s Most-Hated Bank”, on an article detailing Bank of America’s flawed business model and ailing corporate culture. Bank of America embarked on a multi-year strategy to enhance its customer experience and get back in customers’ good graces by simplifying its product lines and enhancing their overall customer experience.”
Click to read more!
“In 2019, even as #MeToo has taken hold and companies are under unprecedented pressure to up their focus on diversity, as well as take up key social causes, new cases of fashion brands missing the mark with racial insensitivity continue to crop up.
Just yesterday, Katy Perry reportedly pulled several shoes from her line out of concern that they resembled blackface. Meanwhile, a steady wave of criticism continues to roll in several days after an image of a black wool turtleneck…”
Click to read more!
“Less than a week after Dapper Dan, Spike Lee and Soulja Boy criticized Gucci for its apparel that looked like blackface, shoes from Katy Perry’s line have received backlash for the same reason.
Two styles from the singer’s shoe collection — the Ora Face block-heel sandal and the Rue Face slip-on loafer — sparked an uproar on social media on Monday for their problematic resemblance to blackface makeup.”
Click to read more!
“You know how people say “[Blank] is my Super Bowl?” Well, the Super Bowl really is my Super Bowl. It’s one of the highlights of my year, and I eagerly await its arrival like a kid anticipates Christmas morning. The ads aren’t a sideshow for me. They’re THE show. But Super Bowl LIII left me wanting more from the usual suspects like beer and snack food brands, from the emerging tech titans with their big budgets and potential to “change the world,” and from the little guys betting an entire year’s worth of marketing budget on the eyeballs and PR value.”
Click to read more!
“The Super Bowl would probably prefer to not have anything to do with cannabis, but the cannabis industry and football are destined to work together. Whether it’s the rejected Super Bowl ad from Acreage Holdings Inc. (ACRG.U) or dispensaries running super bowl promotions the two keep crossing paths. Plus, there is the issue of cannabis being used to treat former players who suffer from head injuries.”
Click to read more!
“Cowboys and Texans fans won’t have a Lone Star State team to cheer for in the Super Bowl next Sunday, but they’ll recognize at least a couple of Texas companies during the commercial breaks.
H-E-B will turn up in the second half, and trial lawyer Thomas J. Henry will put in a few appearances. San Antonio businessman Red McCombs also will show up.
The grocer’s spot features a man stranded on a desert island, “Castaway”-style, who scrounges for…”
“A beer brand touting its disaster relief efforts. A car brand supporting gender equality. A vacation rental company pushing for diversity. Recent years have seen a rise in the number of brands aligning themselves with causes, a trend that has found its way into advertising’s biggest night—the Super Bowl. Brands backed a cause in just 6 percent of Super Bowl ads a decade ago. “
Click to read more!
“However, store experiences that are overly tech-ridden and often eliminate the need for human interaction could lose their luster once the novelty wears off, according to Deb Gabor, CEO of brand strategy consultancy Sol Marketing. The trick for retailers…”
“Major retailers are arming to do battle with internet mega-merchants during this crucial holiday shopping season using a key new strategy: Be less annoying.
Forced to adapt to the steady incursion of online spending, bricks-and-mortars are implementing features to draw more shoppers and gain market share as the buying reaches full force this Thanksgiving weekend.”
“In a surprising move, Toys “R” Us pulled out of its bankruptcy auction and announced it’s taking steps toward reinventing itself, banking on the value of its intellectual property and the strength and credibility of its brand. Determined to keep the beloved brand out of the retail graveyard, Toys “R” Us’ controlling lenders announced they’re reimagining it as a “branding company” which will license some of its products globally and explore opportunities to create new retail models with partners.”
Online businesses should carefully select what issues and causes they align with, cautioned Deb Gabor, CEO of Austin, Texas-based brand strategy consultancy, Sol Marketing. "Make sure the value and beliefs expressed by the people involved in that issue or cause align with those held by your own organization," she told the E-Commerce Times.
“Conversation with Deb Gabor, the CEO of SOL Marketing, an expert in brand strategy, and the author of the bestselling book, “Branding is Sex”"
“In a surprising move, Toys “R” Us, pulled out of its bankruptcy auction and announced that it’s taking steps towards reinventing itself, banking on the value of its intellectual property and the strength and credibility of its brand. Determined to keep the beloved brand out of the retail graveyard, its controlling lenders announced that they’re reimagining Toys “R” Us as a “branding company,” which will license some of its products globally and explore opportunities to create new retail models with partners.”
“The biggest lenders of Toys ‘R’ Us have decided to cancel the bankruptcy auction for retailer’s name and other intellectual property assets, and may instead resurrect the brand, according to USA Today. The revival could include creating a store-within-a-store at a large Midwestern retailer called Geoffrey’s Toy Box.”
“By now, everyone in the fashion industry and beyond has likely heard the news that Michael Kors is buying Versace for $2.12 billion — and just as many people have something to say about it.”
“An advertisement, laden with sexual innuendos, has landed Jack in the Box knee deep in controversy on social media. The commercial, intended to market the chain's new teriyaki bowls, features the brand's fictional CEO, Jack, discussing the new 'bowls' as a pun to refer to a male sexual organ.”
“The burger chain Jack in the Box has drawn criticism for its new TV commercial, which features not-so-subtle references to male genitalia.”