5 Global Case studies showing how the best brands create leadership in their categories. A youth marketing slant with some examples of brands who have gotten it wrong....and then recovered

4. BEING AUTHENTIC Tapping into trendsetters

5. INNOVATORS EARLY ADOPTERS EARLY MAJORITY LATE MAJORITY LAGGARDS BRAND CORE To maintain its leadership, Nike realised it had to do more than battle Adidas in the shops and on TV

6. INNOVATORS EARLY ADOPTERS EARLY MAJORITY LATE MAJORITY LAGGARDS BRAND CORE TREND- SETTING VANGUARD To get ahead of Adidas right from the starting line, Nike went into skating

9. Top skaters were given signature lines to design Made the brand credible Gave consumers a taste of what it’s like to be their heroes

10. Generated buzz Increased premium credentials Other designs come from people like hipster artist Jeremy Fish and toymaker Kidrobot

11. Kept the brand consistently fresh and ahead of the curve Generated a sense of exclusivity All designs are limited editions: they’ve produced 150 SB Dunk editions in 5 years, none in mass quantities

15. A small brand with a big impact

17. CREATING CULTURE DON’T BORROW FROM IT

22. Red Bull refused to follow suit, as it’s not as credible – and wouldn’t create the distance they needed

23. Clubs: Energy to party all night Adventure (Felix Baumgartner Base jumper) Energy to go hard

25. Every year, Red Bull throws a 24 hour party to encourage a diverse range of creative types to share their energy.

26. Why do people need energy at clubs? To dance. Red Bull has set up classes to teach street dancing.

27. The only competition like it in the world: A test of real-life wings

28. Really the only competition like it in the world. Do you have wings ?

29. Red Bull is committed to bringing fast, intense F1 racing to the States – but recognises that US audiences won’t pay attention until their country has a great driver. So Red Bull is creating that driver at their F1 school.

30. The final sporting frontier in America? Soccer. And Red Bull now owns one of the best teams in the country.

36. The same products that peaked in the 80s, aimed at the same (ageing) consumers

38. How rebellious and cool is the experience of sorting through a giant mess at Sears or Bi-Lo?

39. Levi’s was communicating like a leader, but it wasn’t behaving like a leader in the world Bogan Dad jeans Bogan Mum jeans

41. Work that captures the spirit of the brand: Cheeky rebellion

42. Jeans with the same quirky, stylish touches as the ads that sell them

44. A brand that’s equally built on its hangtags and salesforce

45. Style lab may be a tiny business, but it creates a steady stream of ideas and excitement

46. Style lab may be a tiny business, but it creates a steady stream of ideas and excitement

47. The Heidies digital campaign organically positioned the brand as cutting edge

48. Diesel’s leadership in one area is amplified by its leadership in others

49. Diesel’s through-the-line integrity has turned like-minded consumers into evangelists

53. The swill for alcoholic Russian peasants The cocktail of choice for urban sophisticates

54. Harsh, nearly toxic Pure

55. From the evil empire From the most attractive country in the world

56. Cheap, foreign & old-fashioned Premium, relevant & contemporary

57. The usual spirits clutter Absolut Breakthrough

58. Consumers collected the ads, made statements with them, and created their own

59. It activated lazily The campaign became tired & expected It failed to innovate first First Second

60. Absolut was everywhere – and that meant it was in places where it shouldn’t be, and in the hands of consumers who shouldn’t have it

61. One brand in particular rose to the challenge: Grey Goose

62. Instead, it attacked where Absolut was most vulnerable Uninspired Creative work

63. But the price difference made Grey Goose appear more premium $35 $28 Spirits experts acknowledge that all vodkas taste the same

64. In an image-driven category, who wouldn’t want to be seen drinking the best? A premium vodka must taste better, right?

65. No longer just top shelf, it was bottle service

66. Music Film series Publishing Golf TV

67. 25% volume growth year on year between 06-07

68. Once lost, leadership can be very difficult to regain

73. An explosion that proved difficult to control: A cancer of success 1982: 3,500 franchises Founded in 1954 1967: 247 franchises

75. 1. 2. 3. 2001 1. 2. 3. 2002 +2% +11% -21% Source: BusinessWeek, warc

77. Burger King could have tried to reinvent itself once more to fit with the times… … Instead, however, the brand returned to its core

78. “ Superfans”: young men aged 18 – 34 who average 18% of customers but 49% of sales

79. Unapologetically bigger, juicier (and unhealthier) burgers

81. An in-store overhaul to connect in all the details “ Everything from the restaurants' signs to the employee uniforms…. All those things are branded experiences, and are being reworked." – Alex Bogusky

82. “ When McDonald's tries to get hip, they show us kids playing basketball on rollerblades. BK's stuff is just far more subversive – [which] its cynical consumers appreciate.” -- Slate.Com Work that’s not afraid to polarise in order to engage with its target

86. Rev (millions) Source: warc 1. 2. 3.