Alex Woodruff Biz Buzz

So … not new

Alex Woodruff — Mon, 28 Dec 2015 14:37:39 +0000

This year’s thumbs-down for a trend that perplexes me goes to the slogan writers. Some time ago another Brit pointed out to me that if you’re stuck and uninspired and can’t think of a catchy slogan in German, the simplest solution is to take the product or benefit and slap “Faszination” in front of it. Cars: Faszination Auto. Pets: Faszination … Continue reading →

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Egg-laying woolly dairy pig

Alex Woodruff — Fri, 11 Dec 2015 10:47:45 +0000

The Germans have an expression for something that tries to do everything, ‘eierlegende Wollmilchsau’, which I have loosely translated in the title of this post. Many brands fall into the trap of trying to be everything to everyone. It’s a kind of ‘throw in the kitchen sink and toilet as well’ philosophy to make sure every possible benefit is covered … Continue reading →

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Cars and shampoo

Alex Woodruff — Sun, 01 Nov 2015 19:54:21 +0000

How to grab a prime on-shelf position in one of Germany’s leading drugstores. First, find someone to produce generic toiletry items for kids, maybe an own label producer for supermarkets or a foreign factory looking for some ideas to use up production capacity. Second, find a kids’ brand that’s well-known and will look just right on the label, with all … Continue reading →

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Dreaming of different things

Alex Woodruff — Thu, 08 Oct 2015 19:54:02 +0000

During my summer holidays this year I met a number of interesting campaigns again and this first one on the right didn’t fall into the ‘good’ category. We have two young grown-ups sharing a fantasy, as young adults do. So what is the object of their imagination? You’ll be disappointed when you find out. Salami sticks (full ad here.) Maybe … Continue reading →

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Not hot

Alex Woodruff — Tue, 25 Aug 2015 19:43:40 +0000

Each generation finds new ways to say something is amazing – far out, cool, phat, hot or these days among young people awesome. Everything in the US and now in the UK seems to be: awesome (best pronounced with a slight nasal twang and a long awwwwwwwesome). In Germany everything seems to be geil. Geil actually means randy (in the … Continue reading →

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Way of confusing people

Alex Woodruff — Mon, 10 Aug 2015 06:08:05 +0000

Getting increasingly irritated by the Suzuki slogan ‘Way of Life’, I decided to look into what could surely only be some German translation or misguided attempt to sound cool. When I did, I was amazed to discover that this terrible slogan is actually not a mishap from an agency here in Germany, but their international slogan. What do they mean … Continue reading →

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WO72 winners

Alex Woodruff — Thu, 18 Jun 2015 07:25:18 +0000

‘You’ll never eat alone’ was the tagline used by the winners of the latest case study. They took on Pringles and came out conquerors, beating the other three groups with a concept that married the idea of sharing crisps in 2-in-1 split(ting) packs with a sideways jab at Pringles: “Pringles is for singles” was the just one of the many … Continue reading →

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Helping screenagers

Alex Woodruff — Tue, 02 Jun 2015 19:52:54 +0000

A golden rule in marketing is KNOW YOUR CUSTOMER. In some markets, especially B2B, this can be difficult as a number of decision-makers may be involved. In consumer markets it’s usually easier, but not necessarily obvious… One thing parents struggle with is which products the children may decide to buy, which ones to buy together, or which ones to buy … Continue reading →

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An e-problem in e-commerce

Alex Woodruff — Fri, 17 Apr 2015 10:05:49 +0000

A company slogan should say everything it can about the positioning of the brand, ideally even something about the USP. What makes you different? What quick yet memorable statement would you like to make in a catchy way that summarises what you stand for, who you are, or why to buy you? So when the time to go online came … Continue reading →

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Green Coke

Alex Woodruff — Fri, 20 Mar 2015 12:24:27 +0000

Well it’s been around for a while in some countries (all right, months), so I was wondering when it would hit the shelves in Germany. But despite articles in trade magazines and speculation about the advent of Coke Life here, nothing doing. Not seen nuffin. Until it popped up in Switzerland. And clearly the Swiss are proud of their local … Continue reading →

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