I heard an interesting thing recently. In response to a politician’s speech, a media commentator said that “it’s lacking a bit of Ronseal”. Of course, he was referencing the brilliant Ronseal tagline “It does exactly what it says on the tin”, a statement that’s now so much a part of the English lexicon that a whole generation use it whilst having no idea that it’s as much an ad line as “Simples” or “Have a break”.

From green-washing to the other extreme, navigating how to communicate sustainability seems to be a minefield even for the savviest of marketers. So which brands are trying to get it right? Let’s explore the difficult area of environmental marketing, and cover everything from green-washing, to green-hushing and what brands really need to do, green-acting. 

I had a bit of an epiphany recently as I lay on my physiotherapist’s bench. Frustrated by my poor injured knees, thanks to years of long distance running, I moaned to Nuno (he’s Portuguese) that I hate having “old man’s knees”. “Don’t be ridiculous”, said Nuno, “you have runner’s knees”.

A big fat sparkly diamond ring to mark your engagement? You can thank marketers for that. Unwrapping a pair of argyle socks or pungent cologne for Father’s Day? You can thank marketers for that too. The online shopping mayhem of Black Friday? Yup, you guessed it – marketers at work!

When a company sells products or services via several brands, it has a multi-brand strategy. Take Pendragon, for instance. You may not know the name, but you may well know CarStore, Evans Halshaw and Stratstone, its motor retail brands. Multiple brands enable a company to target different audiences, secure greater shelf space and grab more market share. Is multi-brand a smart approach? It can be, but it’s not for everyone.

Do people want to work for your organisation? If so, why? Do job seekers view it favourably? What attracts them? Why do they apply? The answers to these questions are nothing less than critical to your future success: if you want to thrive as a business, you need the best people – and that’s where an employer brand comes in.

Recent estimates suggest that the UK’s food and beverage industry lost at least £25.66 billion due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Local pubs suffered most, with almost 2,500 forced to close their doors forever in 2020. Prior to that, some 914 pubs disappeared in 2018 and a further 473 in 2019. The industry’s periodical, “The Caterer” magazine suggests that 400 more closed in 2021 at a staggering rate of 37 per month.

Your brand: it’s your company’s identity; it’s who you are. It’s the thing that marks you out from the crowd and helps people spot your products. It’s a platform to tell your story and set out your stance on matters such as ESG. Plus, it builds customer (and employee) trust and loyalty. And crucially, it builds sales.

Following The Maverick Group’s appointment by Pendragon, the automotive company have reimagined the dealership experience for their CarStore brand. The new ‘Experience Centre’, designed by the Group’s Mavis branding business, opened its doors in April and offers “first-class in-person experiences for any customer”.