Lotus - Premium Heritage Brand Extension

British car manufacturer Lotus has decided that they are no longer just going to rely on their cars to build awareness and a affinity.

Following in Ferrari's footsteps - the brand has announced its intentions of launching a luxury clothing and accessories collection Lotus Originals, with the collection said to be inspired by the heritage and attention to craftsmanship core to the Lotus brand DNA.

The online store is the first stage in establishing Lotus Originals, with a flagship retail store opening in London later this year.

Via - Lotus

Mercedes Outside, LV Inside

In a first for Louis Vuitton, the luxury retailer has decided to lend their signature monogram to a Mercedes-Benz G Class.

Too much, surely?



Via - Trendhunter

Heineken Retails Whilst Social Networking

Heineken has consolidated it's online presence on Facebook and YouTube and aims to use it's fan base of a million or so Facebook users to sell merchandise directly from the social networking site.

Over and above Heineken branded clothing and other merchandise, the brand will also encourage users to suggest what the brand should offer, making for a more immersive and collaborative experience

Heineken is current finalising plans to standardise its branding globally, too. Having altered its logo design, including moving the star to above the centre of the word 'Heineken', it is now rolling out standardised bottle and can designs to ensure consistency where ever you might be.

Via - Brand Republic Marketing

Old Navy Tries iPod Touch For POS

The Old Navy chain of stores is testing a mobile retail software called “ZipCheck” in collaboration with Apple that will see the iPod as a handheld POS (Point of Sale).

Store clerks would carry the iPod Touch which will be attached to a barcode reader and credit card scanner and can print receipts wirelessly to in-store printers or to belt-mounted mini-printers that the staff can wear. This allows any customer to avoid the billing queue by simply walking up to a store employee and have them process the transaction and check out.

The future of retail might not be exclusively online after all?

Via - Fastcompany

Free Access To Disney For A Day

In a bid to inspire people to show more care to those less fortunate then themselves, as well as boosting traffic to Disney theme parks in the US, Disney has announced an initiative called "Give A Day, Get A Disney Day"Disney will be partnering with HandsOn Network to highlight a variety of volunteer opportunities with participating organizations across the United States, Puerto Rico and Canada. Starting 2010, those who contribute their time need only have it verified by HandsOn; then, in exchange, they'll get a voucher from Disney which will allow them one day admission to a Walt Disney World or Disneyland theme park.

Via - Disney Parks

Football Gets Big

EA Sport's latest football-related communication campaign, called "How Big Can Football Get", aims to bring together football fans from around the world through the power of Twitter.

EA Sports has developed a new application, released on beta which uses data driven by an estimated two million Fifa10 games played each day, encouraging players to share their opinions, passions, and dedication for their team.

Fifa Earth uses data from Twitter, tapping into tweet mentioning keywords or hashtags such as goals, football, soccer and uses geotagging, to show how the world talks about and plays both real and virtual football. The application also aggregates game score from Fif10 matches, creating a live interactive competition. The better a user plays in Fifa10, the higher the team's ranking on Fifa Earth.

Via - Brand Republic

Premium Goes Online

Fabergé, makers of the world-renowned golden eggs, recently re-launched on the 09 - September - 2009 to bring the brand more in-line with the digital age.

In a move that could potentially save the company millions, Fabergé has decided to forgo the traditional boutique stores and instead opted to hire various online advisors who will be available to consumers worldwide 24 hours a day. The company believes that the on-on-one assistants will provide premium consumers a high level of personalised service, as well as having some consistency at this important brand touch-point.

As the sales advisors build relationships with customers, they will be able to place new or alternative products directly onto customers' screens based on personal preferences and interests. Customers can browse the jewellery from every angle in minute detail online.

To view the new and updated website in line with this relaunch, click here.

Via - Brand Republic

Coca-Cola - Freestyle

Coca-Cola, seeking to give more freedom to consumers' desire for exclusivity and customisation, has launched what they termed as "the soda fountain of the future".


Called Freestyle, these dispensers are set to offer more than 100 flavor options. There are traditional sodas, flavored waters, carbonated or non-carbonated beverages, energy drinks and so on.

Apart from the highly technical nature required for these machines in order to ensure purity of taste for each drink, they are also installed with a communications system that allows business data to be sent back to Coke's headquarters in Atlanta. The machines upload data about beverage consumption, peak times, and popular locations. Coke can also talk back to the machine, letting it know if a particular flavor needs to be discontinued or recalled and causing it to stop serving the drink immediately.

Below is the first look at the machine's touchscreen interface, designed by Bsquare Corporation.

Via - Fastcompany

High Tech Luxury Vendor

US company U*Tique is launching a 50-selection upscale vending machine later this month in an attempt to satisfy the elite female clientele who’d like to get past the beauty counters to get their product in the shortest amount of time.


The upscale vending machine features a touch-screen interface, interactive LED lighting design and a behind-the-scenes robot that delivers fragile products to customers.

Should the U*Tique venture attract attention, I'm sure more retailers will follow suite and design their own mobile outlets - meaning that brands will have to pay increasing attention to online optimisation in order to sell their products before consumers are at the point of purchase.

Via - U*Tique Shop

The Rise of Township Shopping Malls

It has been fifteen years since the first township Mall was built in Dobsinville, Soweto for less than R10 million. Within fifteen years the rise of township shopping centers has forced marketers to consider them a real force in the retail industry. There are currently thirteen Malls in South African townships with a total investment value of R5 billion. Maponya Mall in Soweto is the largest of these, costing the developer R700 million. Township residents no longer need to leave the township as leading retailers such as Pick and Pay, Woolworths, Mc Donald’s are now at their door steps. Mega City Shopping Mall in Kwa Mashu has published results of Consumer spending as being R 16 443 per m² in 2007 and rising to R 20 213 per m² in the 36 000m² Mall. This is evidence that there is an undeniable presence of a black middle class with increased spending power at these Malls.

Via: eperop.co.za

Carpooling With IKEA

It seems the initial rumours of IKEA launching a eco-friendly car has been dispelled. Instead, the trendy company is introducing an online car-sharing service in conjuction with Comuto, the French ride-sharing company for 26 IKEA locations in France, which officially launched in France yesterday.

According to Isabelle Cremoux-Mirgalet, a spokeswoman for IKEA France, the program - called IKEA Leko - was a viral marketing campaign. Instead, it is a “service that has all the qualities we have promised on the Web for ‘the car according to Ikea’: a tailored car-sharing online service for all French stores.”

Via - New York Times

Reality Shows Flighted Exclusively In-Store

Endemol, the production company responsible for hit reality shows such as Big Brother, Deal or no Deal and Extreme Makeover: Home Edition have recently introduced a new show with a twist.

Instead of having to tune in regularly on TV to catch your latest installment, the show, named "Waiting for a Ride", will instead be shown in various retail locations in two-and-a-half minute episodes and updated monthly.

David Armour, VP-Endemol Digital Studios, said digital out of home was an appealing new area for Endemol to invest in original content because of its ability to reach younger audiences in targeted, on-the-go environments. But like any new content platform, the show will be measured and even filmed differently than a typical TV series.

The show promises to be very much more engaging than other reality shows in order to keep consumers. In addition to reaching Access 360's (the outdoor digital media owners who teamed up with Endemol on this venture) estimated monthly in-store audience of 43 million young adults, the series eventually will be distributed online, with exclusive behind-the-scenes content, as well as additional mobile call-to-action elements.

Roman Tsunder, president and founder of Access 360 Media has said that the cost of the spots will be one fifth of traditional TV rates, making the medium a logical choice for marketers as well.

Via: AdAge

Exclusive Online Shopping

It would appear that some niche e-marketers have not only been immune to the recent financial turmoil, but have even managed to improve their sales over the past few months.


We've previously written about high-end fashion retail site Ideeli, whose exclusive members were initially by-invitation only. AdAge shows that various other similar sites, such as Gilt.com, HauteLook.com and RueLaLa.com, have all shown performance improvements in website traffic and sales. Since January, the number of unique visitors has skyrocketed from less than 20,000 to roughly 160,000 per month at both Gilt and Ideeli.

Invitation-only retail sites have already taken off, it would seem. French company, Vente Privee, claims $700 million in annual sales for the past year - in a market that is only a fifth of that of the US (prior to recession).

As for the reason for their recent success, Paul Hurley, Ideeli's founder-CEO, says that because consumers are engaged, there is an opportunity to better educate them about brands in a way that doesn't feel like advertising. "If you go to Ideeli, it doesn't look like there's any advertising. It's fully integrated, and it's structured in such a way that we can solve a lot of different types of very practical problems that marketers have," he said. "We run six to eight different types of programs, depending on what you're trying to accomplish in your marketing or clearing of inventory."

Via: AdAge

Best Buy Listens

US consumer electronic retailers Best Buy has been listening to consumers. Through their latest initiative, known as Blue Label, Best Buy will be addressing customer needs in a way that no retailer has done before by providing feedback to manufacturers in order to better product offerings.Best Buy learnt from their customers that they were after more from the feature set on available laptops and went directly to manufacturers to address the issue. Some of the requested details include backlit keyboards, thin and light design and free warranties. Currently, Toshiba and HP Lenovo are on board with the program and both manufacturers have exclusive laptops on sale now at Best Buy.

Financial viability for initiative such as this one must be a deterring factor for many companies, but with Best Buy's footprint and influence, the success of this initiative could lead to a whole new way for manufacturers and product developers to gain inspiration for their designs.

Via: I4U, Best Buy

Nervous Investors Turn To The Bottle

London's most famous wine merchant, Berry Bros. & Rudd, had one of the best weeks in its 310-year history.

At a time when global markets are tumbling, it seems as though investors are looking to put their money into safer forms of investment. For many, this translates to vintage wines.

BBR has sold around £60.5 million-worth of wine since April, it saw business surge by more than 20% over the same period last year.

It seems everyone selling bespoke wines are winning. Auction houses Christie's and Sotheby's (BID) also saw strong sales last week. Last week, Christie's sold £1.65 million worth of claret and Burgundy in just two days, with the 2000 vintage of Chateau Lafite-Roshchild fetching the equivalent of £910 a bottle.

London's Telegraph states: "Live-ex, a research company that runs a fine-wine index, estimates that prices of the best vintages have increased by 50% since the start of last year – in sharp contrast to the stock market, where prices have fallen by 15%."

The Complete Lamborghini Experience

Dal Toro, Lamborghini's 20,000-sq.-ft., $30 million megaplex showroom, which also incorporates a restaurant, boutique, nightclub and art gallery at the Palazzo Hotel & Resort in Las Vegas, has been completed and is now open for business.

Designed by renowned Italian architect Paolo Cortese, the 300-seat restaurant with its backdrop of supercars features black-and-white marble floors, wall-to-wall black leather paneling, silk fabrics, and glass-enclosed wine cellars with private dining tables.

The venue also boasts over $2 million worth of artwork including the Charging Bull - the same as the famous one on Wall Street, and identical to the Lamborghini logo - by renowned Italian artist, Arturo di Modica, as well as paintings by German contemporary artist Horst Kohlem.

There's also a club called the UltraLounge in the lower level, and the world's first Lamborghini fashion boutique carrying everything from polo shirts to iPod cases.

Via: Luxist

Virgin Mobile Pops Up In Parktown

Virgin Mobile has opened up a pop-up retail outlet in Parktown. The store is housed in an old shipping container and has been decorated to appeal to the younger target market with a mix of vibrant music, free internet connectivity and coffee courtesy of Lulu.


Fashion items such as t-shirts and trainers are also on sale in the outlet, with the proceeds said to go towards charity. Virgin Mobile are also giving successful contract applicants a free pair of Converse trainers. Unfortunately the staff member was unable to provide any meaningful help in advising on the best or most suitable contract offerings, which was rather disappointing.

The store will continue operating from it's current location for the next two-and-a-half weeks, after which the store will move to Rosebank, Maponya Mall and eventually to Cape Town.

Democratised Game Development

In a second attempt to tackle the likes of the PS3 and Nintendo Wii, Microsoft is set to take a leaf out of Facebook's open applications platform and YouTube's UGC strategy to turn the Xbox 360 brand into one that consumers associate with an innovative one.

Back in 2006, Microsoft launched the XNA platform without much success. Essentially, XNA provides a set of tools for consumers to create games for Xbox 360 and Zune platforms. At the time, the strategy didn’t yield much success. The new platform will be an extension of XNA, but provide a more comprehensive set of tools and marketing platform.

For a mere cost of $99 / year for membership, consumer developers can get access to the platform, as well as a share of the revenue generated by their development. To support the strategy, Microsoft will also be launching an online store later this year, specifically for user created Xbox 360 games.

Below's is an example of an XNA developed game.

Via: Trendhunter

Officially THE Most Expensive Burger

Burger King, the home of the famed Whopper and The King is out to set a new record.

The fast-food giants launched a R1600 burger earlier this week in one specific chain in London. The burger will be available once a week, but it has been said that it will eventually be available for order via a hotline for those with expensive fast-food tastes.


So what do you get for the same amount of money as a pair of Diesel jeans? Fox News says “the fine ingredients of what is called simply 'The Burger' include Wagyu beef, white truffles, Pata Negra ham slices, Cristal onion straws, Modena balsamic vinegar, lambs lettuce, pink Himalayan rock salt, organic white wine and shallot infused mayonnaise in an Iranian saffron and white truffle dusted bun.”

Delicious? Maybe. But I’m not certain it’s worth that much money. At least all the proceeds from The Burger sales will go to the Help A London Child charity, which assists young people experiencing abuse, homelessness, disability, poverty and illness, so you know your indulgence does serve a greater good.

The Burger has beaten the previous world record for the most expensive burger, held by Daniel Boulud for the DB Double Truffle Burger in New York, (1994) priced at around R1000.

Live In A Cardboard Box In IKEA Style

IKEA has begun their massive marketing campaign in anticipation for the opening of their equally massive store in Red Hook, Brooklyn.

The retail innovators have begun scattering twenty-foot pop-up IKEA room settings throughout New York City.



The temporary vignettes will be placed at "iconic sites" like Union Square (June 12th), Borough Hall plaza (June 9th), Brooklyn Public Library (June 13th) and Cadman Plaza (June 15th). But that's not all! The store is also getting architect John Hobbs to build huge sculptures of local landmarks like the Empire State building and the Brooklyn Bridge out of Ikea cardboard boxes; those will be unveiled outside of the store on Beard Street on opening day.