A new angle on luxury brands

In the business of luxury branding, where phrases like 'authentic', 'craftmanship' and 'excellence' are recycled brand to brand, creating real differentiation can be a challenge. With this in mind, the team here at CRICKET has been busy developing an approach that literally 'maps out' the core component parts to produce a distinctive map for each brand. Like to know more? Get in touch with Louise Barfield and we'll send you some more details.

Small World

Architectural design consultancy TTSP (a CRICKET client) recently completed the design of a new HQ for the SMMT (The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders) including a member’s display area.  This new space currently features the new Range Rover Evoque as hero car – from Land Rover, another of our clients.

Brand Stress Test

As brands stretch their marketing spend to meet the needs of today’s digital, multi-channel world, the stronger the need for clear, bold and simple brand definition at the centre. Test the strength of your brand strategy with the CRICKET brand stress test here

Pulling Power

CRICKET's John Stubbings was invited as a guest columnist for this month's The Marketer - the CIM’s monthly magazine.  John discusses how to build a strong bond with fans, create the right content for engaging them and knowing when to enable fans to create their own conversations.

As it's a subscription-only title, if you'd like us to send you a copy of the piece, please email louise@cricket-ltd.com and we'll forward it to you.

Urban talent in film

'Release’, one of the recent films showns by Channel 4 in the UK in a series entitled ‘Concrete Circus’ http://www.channel4.com/programmes/concrete-circus  is a great antidote to the recent media reports following the UK’s city riots.

It's a combination of incredible skills (BMW, skateboarding,freerunning) along with technical graphics and edgy music, in a piece where the editing really shines through. Gripping stuff.

A balancing act for global brands

New markets are the oxygen of growth for strong brands, but getting the balance right between ‘brand integrity’ and ‘local relevance’ is far from simple. Even the most successful brands can fail to bond with consumers.  

In the latest edition of CRICKET Commentator, we discuss strategies for brands to create real traction in new markets and explore reasons why some have not achieved success. Like to know more? Drop us an email on louise@cricket-ltd.com and we'll share some insights from recent work. Click on the 'Brand Integrity' pdf in the sidebar (see right) to read the full Commentator. 

Fandom and brands

We're all fans and followers now. Fandom has become part of the new language of brand management. At CRICKET, we’ve been looking at fandom as a way of building customer loyalty, bonding and advocacy.

You could say that whilst the church, friends and family had a 5000 year monopoly on the human need for belonging and personal satisfaction, now brands like Apple, Harley-Davidson, Facebook and Google are having their moment. Ironically, this is happening at a time when, because of discounting and burgeoning media choices, consumers are becoming less loyal to specific brands.

So what are the new breeds of brand fandom? And how have the rules changed? We propose three new breeds of fandom (Uber Premium, Counter Culture and Utility) and look at ways of strengthening the bonds of fandom.

If you'd like to talk through our latest developments in this area, give Louise Barfield a call on 00 44 20 845 0300 or email louise@cricket-ltd.com. Click on the 'Fandom' pdf in the sidebar (see right) to read the full Commentator.