ALBERT KUGEL BRAND STRATEGY
Albert Kugel Education
Experience
Richmond, Virginia MS in Creative Brand Management, Graduation Date May 2010
Paris-based branding agency focused on tourism and luxury brands.
VCU Brandcenter
University of Mary Washington
Fredericksburg, Virginia BA in Literature, Graduated May 2003 • News Editor of student paper, “The Bullet” • Virginia AP journalism award winner
Academic Projects Rebrand Toys R Us (1/10)
ReflexAmerica (www.reflexgroup.com)
Freelance Copywriter, NY, NY (12/07 – Present )
• Co-created and wrote several episodes of “Lost in Francelation,” an online video series produced for the French Tourist Office.
Junior Planner, NY, NY (6/05 – 7/07)
• Developed strategy for the Island of Martinique that differentiated ‘traveler’ from ‘tourist,’ which sold them on repositioning as a luxury brand • Created interactive concept for DKNY Fragrances that was ultimately used in their Delicious Night campaign -- uncoverthecity.com • Developed marketing partnership between French Tourist Office and Canson Fine Arts targeting art students in the US.
Crispin Porter + Bogusky
• Conducted qualitative and quantitative research on the toy industry • Identified key insight that Target was now the favorite toy store • Recommended new store concept that owned “play.” The center of the store was a playroom that showcased new toys, featured a coffeebar for mom, and plenty of $1 bins, so every kid walked out with a toy.
Intern Interactive Producer, Boulder, CO (5/09 – 8/09)
Brand Audit for the Virginia Lottery (8/08 – 11/08)
• Wrote and edited thirty posts per week • Kept me up to date of the online marketing world
• Crafted situational analysis and identified key strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats of the organization • Conducted surveys and focus groups and analyzed results • Recommended strategic direction, the launch of an alternate reality game to target Gen Y consumers
• Assistant producer on BK digital business card project • Managed keywords for user generated Crispin beta site • Assistant producer and screener on Microsoft’s PC Hook Up Show, a late night live streaming online talk show.
Adrants & MarketingVox.com Blogger, Virtual (11/06 – 3/08)
Contact
{
albertkugel.com akugel@gmail.com 718.219.5051
A bit about me. I am the Doug Coupland that never was. In another life, I would be happy working for a city paper writing reviews of movies, video games, and myriad of other texts that make up the world of popular culture.
I have an encyclopedic knowledge of video games from the 1990s, sci-fi films of the 1970s, B action films from the 80s, and sitcoms from the 1980s onward.
Timeline
So why marketing? First and foremost, it's in a golden age of creativity. A time where anything is game. The message is no longer, "sell, sell, sell," it's, "create an experience. invent a new platform. design a game." Essentially, we get to create and evolve pop culture.
The 1980s.
Thanks to five older siblings, watch waaayy too much TV. I become a pop culture historian.
1994. Become a fan of marketing when I win the Fox video game challenge. You played from home on live TV using your touchtone phone. What a cool promo concept!
2004.
1996. Start running in high school. Not to win, but for the cardio.Still run a couple time a week. It’s good for you.
2002.
Up and move to Brooklyn. Gunning to return largely due to two restaurants: Waterfalls on Atlantic Ave., and Boca Lupo on Henry Street.
Write for school paper. Decide against staying in Virginia to work for the local paper.
2006.
Start blogging about branding and digital marketing. End up posting for Adrants and MarketingVox - two popular marketing blogs.
2005.
Work at a French ad agency, and work a lot with the American CD. Work as an interactive copywriter, a strategist, and on new business. It was a lot of fun.
My Take on Branding A brand should have a point of view. Nintendo thinks the whole family should play video games. Snickers thinks you're just not the same when you're hungry. CSX believes shipping by train is the future. You can write positioning statements to the cows come home, but if a brand doesn't bring its opinions and views to the discussion, it's wasting money buying media.
Start with a Problem. I believe that one of the most challenging aspects of marketing is finding the brand's problem. One of the most rewarding aspects of the business side is pinpointing a problem even the client hadn't considered. Not only does it show you how thoughtful you are, it proves that the outside perspective of an agency is a necessity to brands.
The power of digital. Since brands are already spending a lot of money on media to get noticed, I think it's a brand's responsibility to speak to people in new and innovative ways. Digital makes anything possible, and it often costs a lot less than people think. There’s no reason not to experiment!
A Few Group Projects.
This is the best and the worst part of Brandcenter. Collaboration has taught me that the most well-articulated strategy can come from the copywriter, and a winning concept can come from the strategist.
Wonder Bread The Assignment. The Brand.
Create a campaign to revive a brand.
America grew up on Wonder white bread. Or at least that’s what it feels like sometimes. Our parents grew up on it. Our parents’ parents grew up on it. And in a lot of cases, we grew up on it. In the age of television, it was everywhere.
The Situation.
But those days are over. Over the last 25 years, Wonder’s share has gradually declined. And in the bread aisle, Wonder is now losing a 2-front war. Health
1
To the West. Private Label brands deliver white bread at a much lower price. $
2
To the North. Whole
Wheat is pushing its health value to moms. Moms are on to Wonder’s “fortified” white bread, and know it contains corn syrup.
$$$
Private Label Taste
Wonder’s Equity: Yet when all was said and done, Wonder still owns White Bread. No other bread company could claim this. So we set out to see what people though of white bread...
Insights. Moms still value white bread for one reason... A lot of kids just won’t eat wheat bread. So when moms realize that they need to feed their kid something, they know they can turn to Wonder. “Somethings just taste better on White Bread” In man-on-the-street interviews, we kept hearing people say this. Turns out, white brad enabled them to put interesting (and even strange) things on sandwiches-- because on white bread, you can taste every ingredient. Meanwhile, wheat overpowers the taste...
Strategy.
We realized that while people eat wheat bread because they should, they eat white bread because they want to. So we set out to rekindle America’s craving for all the comfort foods that start with Wonder Bread. From fluffernutters to baloney and cheese to… yes, even the fried Elvis.
Wonder is an open canvas to your next sandwich masterpiece. If we couldn’t own health and we couldn’t own price, we were going to own happiness.
Creative.
Our campaign means to spark a spirit of playfulness in consumers by encouraging people to “Make your next masterpiece with Wonder.”
Campaign:
Create your next sandwich masterpiece with Wonder.
We created Wonder Sandwich cafes, which serve white- bread sandwiches ranging from the sublime to the ridiculous, and Wonder Sandwich trucks, which bring Wonder to people in their neighborhoods or places of business.
Both Wonder’s website and Facebook allow users to compete in the search for the next American masterpiece, which encourages users to design their dreamsandfwich recipe and send them to their friends, sharing the love of a good, fun sandwich.
On the next page lies...
The Most Awesome CREATIVE Brief Ever The Client? A Teen Anti-smoking Campaign
We mounted this on a 20x30 posterboard to present to our creative team. It was the first brief in history that was read in its entirety. You start in the forest, go through hell, and then are presented with the strategy.
[the audience] The teens most likely to start smoking or who have already started
THE DARK FOREST
smoking. They come in all ages. From junior high-schoolers experiment-
[situation]
ing with pot, all the way up to 18-year-olds on their way to college who are starting to drink. It’s not about a gender, a certain age, social group or ethnicity. It’s about the attitude of experimentation and wanting to be cool that inspires teens to light up. The messaging will primarily target the older teens (17-18) as younger ones look up to their older peers.
During the 2000s, teen smoking has dropped dramatically across the country after an equally dramatic rise during the Gen Xer 90s. Currently, teen smoking in Virginia is holding at around 16%, well below the na-
YDoUThink’s current campaign revolves around humor to deliver its mes-
tional average. YDoYouThink is in a unique
sage. Teens laugh at the smoking dog, they think formaldehyde drinking
position to stomp out smoking among those
is gross, but it stops short of actually getting teens to stop the
teens most likely to start smoking.
smoking habit. FIRST INSIGHT :: It just serves as a reinforcement for people who will NEVER smoke in the first place.
From images of cancerous lips and black lungs on cigarette packaging in Canada and Europe, to New York state ads showing emphysema patients talking through an electronic voicebox, Shock is the standard antismoking messaging for many parts of the Western world. SECOND INSIGHT :: Shock is shocking, but it’s fleeting. Teens think they’re going to live forever. One smoker told us she used to collect and trade antismoking ads with her friends.
The TRUTH campaign made those that smoked feel guilty for supporting
LIFE IN HELL
the evil corporation, but again, stopped short of actually telling
[differentiating idea]
people smoking’s ill effects.THIRD INSIGHT :: It’s more of a forced protest than a calling not to smoke.
Instead of telling kids smoking causes cancer, is gross, or comes from evil corporations, we’ll create a “pro-smoking” campaign to sell them on every aspect of smoking and what comes
smoking makes teenagers feel comfortable, like they are part of a cool group. we want to leave them feeling extremely uncomfortable.
along with tobacco use (side effects, products they’ll need when health problems arrive, etc.). It’s a twist on reality.
The Strategy.
Smoking gives teens a sense of belonging and comfort. Instead, lets make them feel extremely uncomfortable.
The WORK.
The creatives came up with a brilliant idea: a disgusting PRO-smoking Campaign...
Meet Bruce Velk. The Scuzzy proprietor behind cigbonanza.biz. Bruce sells smoking accessories to help you deal with all the effects smoking causes AND POSTS CRUMMY ADS ON THE WEB TO GET CUSTOMERS. BRUCE’s Products Yellowz Out. A cream that Bruce liberally applies to his face to cover the yellowing of his skin brought on by smoking.
The Buttsaver. Just put your old butts into this grinder and, voila, you have instant rolling tobacco.. kind of...
Ideation.
Ideas are why I’m in the business. I love thinking of marketing ideas and crafting marketing plans.
Copywriting::French Wine The Assignment. The French Tourist Office wanted to promote French wine in the US through Go postcards placed in restaurants in major cities. The Problem. Every year, French wine gets ignored by Americans in favor of friendlier bottles of wine with fun brand names and mascots. Meanwhile, most French wine labels abide by Appelation codes that result in a much more intimidating, and well, snootier, look. The Concept. Turn restaurant postcards into magnetized fridge magnets that give aspiring wineophiles a crash course in French wine right in the kitchen. A more laid back tone also provides a more welcoming voice to the French wine industry. <<Magnetized>> Peel & Stick on Fridge
DKNY Fragrances The Assignment.
The Problem. The Insight.
Back in 2006, DKNY wanted some edgy marketing to promote Delicious Night, a new fragrance targeting young women that embodied the New York nightlife.
New fragrance launches are a dime a dozen. How do we cut throught the clutter? Post-Sex and the City, New York City has become the mecca for the girls night out. All Delicious Night needs to do is to bring this story to life.
The Concept.
=
+ “Choose Your Own Adventure” books of the 80s
Delicious Night’s New York nightlife vibe.
Uncoverthecity.com - a Flash-based â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;choose your ownâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; adventure game that captures a night on the town.
Market a New Mattress Brand The Assignment. Create a new brand for a new Richmond-based mattress company from the ground up. I played a big role in the marketing plan. Positioning. Welcome busy Americans back to bedtime. Surveys and one-on-ones revealed bedtime as the best part of the day. The Brand. nest. Since 80% of mattresses are bought by women, we wanted a name that appealed to them. Marketing POV. Set off a sleep renaissance by owning the intangible benefits of sleep. Owning Bedtime. Own The Goodnight Tweet.
Every night at the about the same time, nest will tweet goodnight by sharing a link to a bedtime story, a soothing song, a post on the sleep benefits.
Invent the Best Blanket Ever.
Like those robes at the Ritz, this could be nestâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s shtick. The best signature blanket you could ever imagine.
All You Need Is Sleep. A Social Campaign. A program for businesses that rewards workers who get enough sleep. Step 1. Partner with the Sleep Experts. To launch the campaign, we’ll turn to a national advocacy group to give the campaign credibility.
Step 2. Development. Sleep Tracker.
The Reverse Alarm Clock.
Allows coworkers to see who’s getting enough and who isn’t. They can offer support to those who haven’t been getting enough sleep lately.
An app you load on your phone and PC that you can set remind you of bedtime. It will even save your work and shut down automatically if you just can’t pry yourself from work.
Step 3. Partnerships. Partner with well-known corporations in the Richmond area to get the program’s ball rolling.
Step 4. Spread the Word. Sleep is already a popular human interest story. Many a news org will want to pick this up.
Richmond Bike Rider Segmentation Study Assignment: Segment a specific group of people using primary and secondary research.
Objective. To increase clientele at Conte’s, a regional bike store in the mid-Atlantic. Bike Owners by Age.
Research Methodology. • • • • •
Online Survey - 130 Respondents. Dozens of Personal Interviews Industry Interviews - Area bike store retail employees Local Store visits. Online research bicyclist usage and attitudes - BikeForums.net, blogs, and consumer reports.
70.0% 62% 55%
52.5%
45% 44%
35.0%
23%
Current US Perceptions: Bikes are for Sport. The 1970s.
The Fitness Boom and films like “Breaking Away” make cycling a legit sport in the US.
The 1980s.
Greg Lemond wins the Tour de France making the US a legit cycling force.
16-20
The 1990s. The mountain bike explodes onto the US scene. Places like Moab, Utah instantly become meccas for the sport.
21-29
30-45
17.5%
0% 46-64
65+
The 2000s. Lance Armstrong wins the Tour 7 times turning the US into a cycling superpower.
Meet the Segments Commitment
Round the Blockers They see the bike as a toy. They’re not riding to get somewhere, but to simply go out on a bike ride. They ride only 3 months out of the year, and also replace, and maintain their bikes the least.
Fashionistas
Fairweathers
Sportos
They view the bike as a fashion accessory. The fashionista takes many shapes: from the urban sophisticate riding a vintage cruiser, to the wannabe riding the BMX or track bike. Not a good segment to work with as the bike as all for show.
They view the bike as a tool and ride it to get from point A to point B. However, if the weather’s bad, or if they’re all dressed up, they’ll skip the bike for the car or public transit. This group also represents those that are looking to beat gas prices and be green, two recent developments in the US.
The sportos ride purely for fitness reasons. They’ll ride long distances and will participate in bike clubs, tours and races. Among them, having the right bike and gear is a status thing. This group pays the most of anyone on bikes making them the retail stores’ primary target.
Road Warriors They ride, because it’s a part of their lifestyle. They have a place set aside for working on bikes and view the bike frame as an open canvas for their next creation. They’re most likely to work in a bike shop, and they buy parts cheap online.
Meet the Segments
Plotting them out.
Where do they live (in Richmond)? FairWeathers
Road Warriors
$$$
Sportos Road Warriors
Fashionistas
FairWeathers
Identity
Indifference Round the Blockers
Sportos
1.Round the Blockers live in the suburbs and will ride to the park. 2. Fashionistas live in the city and will ride short distances for social reasons, e.g. to a friendâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s party. 3. Fairweathers live in the city and will ride 1 or 2 miles to run errands. 4. Sportos live in the suburbs and will ride long distances on the weekend. 5. Road Warriors live on the outskirts of the city and will ride most everyday.
Where did they shop for bikes? Big Box
Round the Blockers
Fashionistas
$
Annual spending on bike accessories.
SelfBike Shop Bike Shop (New) (Used) A Friend Web Built
$150
Round the Blockers
$150
Sportos Road Warriors
$100
$100
Fashionistas Fairweathers
$200
$200
$50
$40 $30 RtBers
Fashionistas Fairweathers
$0
Sportos
Road Warriors
The Strategy The Problem: Fairweathers feel ignored by the industry.
VS.
Research revealed that Fairweathers are intimidated by the bike shop. Its typically employed by Road Warriors and is geared mainly toward Sportos. The web doesn’t help either. It’s filled with forum posts by experts and bicyclophiles.Meanwhile, the big box stores are selling bikes to Round the Blockers as they’re selling cheaply made bikes geared toward playtime. An important segment is getting lost in the shuffle.
The Solution: Launch an urban retail store that removes the intimidation factor and views the bike as a mode of transportation, not a hardcore sport. We need a bike shop for the people. Tactics: 1. Move all the accessories out of the front of the store. Turn the front into a kind of visitor center for the everyday rider.
2. Package every bike with a fun manual so everyone is on the same page on basic bike maintenance and operation. e.g. we found Fairweathers who didn’t know how to change the gears.
3. Outdoor advertising would offer a service in the form of a map of what routes are bike-friendly around town.
4. Move the store into a bigger space to allow indoor test drives.
albert kugel | 718.219.5051 | akugel@gmail.com Head to www.albertkugel.com for exclusive bonus material.