Marketing & Advertising
A World of Inspirational Problem-Solving, Savvy Brands and Smart Marketing
The goal was not to create a list of the largest global marketers or rank the brands that contribute the most to their company’s market value — plenty of others tackle those lofty questions. Rather, we sought to chronicle the brands percolating at the local and regional level; sometimes great marketing lessons can happen in your backyard, sometimes halfway around the world.
Sure, the Global Economy Is Challenging Right Now, but These Companies Have Found Ways to Make Their Brand Messages Work Harder to Reach Consumers
Posted by Ann Marie Kerwin on 06.14.10
And MTN is a new sponsor of soccer’s World Cup and U.K. team Manchester United, another one of our hot brands. Man U is a sports team unlike any other, with 333 million fans worldwide. Sponsorship of its shirts offer a unique global media channel.
NEW YORK (AdAge.com) — It’s surprising what you can learn about local marketing from the parochial approach of South African chicken chain Nando’s as it expands into three continents. Or how customer service can be the differentiator that makes an upstart brand like Brazilian airline Azul. Or how to keep your cachet even when moving into second and third-tier markets as Swedish retailer H&M has done in its aggressive global expansion.
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| World’s Hottest Brands |
They are among the World’s Hottest Brands, an Ad Age Insights global report that tells the stories of 30 brands succeeding on a global, regional and local level.
The goal was not to create a list of the largest global marketers or rank the brands that contribute the most to their company’s market value — plenty of others tackle those lofty questions. Rather, we sought to chronicle the brands percolating at the local and regional level; sometimes great marketing lessons can happen in your backyard, sometimes halfway around the world.
But talk about a tough time to identify the world’s hottest brands. Categories from banking to automotive to retail were slammed as unemployment went up and consumer spending took a nosedive. Some marketers got by on the brand equity they’ve spent years building, others had to find a way to create demand for their products.
Take, for instance, Banco Hipotecario, which faced an arguably more devastating loss of consumer confidence in 2001. That was the year Argentina’s economy spectacularly collapsed, leaving a legacy of mistrust for all institutions. Over the past two years, Banco Hipotecario set out to win back consumers’ trust through smart marketing. The bank’s ads celebrated the idea of ownership, and reminded consumers why a relationship with a bank is more than a necessary evil.
Auto recovery
Auto brands had an especially tough 2009. But BMW managed to record a late-year uptick in sales, which it attributed to the growing market for luxury autos in China and coupling its long standing tagline, “The Ultimate Driving Machine,” with a new element: Joy.
The two other car brands on the list represent another kind of evolution, finding ways to address environmental concerns. Zipcar promotes car sharing rather than car ownership. The brand claims each Zipcar takes 15 to 20 owned vehicles off the road. And consumers can even choose their cars, reserve them and unlock a Zipcar all from an iPhone app.
The Tata Nano is billed as India’s first “car for everyone.” Costing just $2,000 and only 10-feet-long bumper-to-bumper, the Nano is small, cheap and fuel efficient and could just as easily be billed as a car for the next century. It already has copycats. China’s Geely Automobile, is developing a Nano rival that will cost just $2,144 when it goes on sale in 2012.
While China and India both represent huge untapped markets for many brands, getting products into the hands of customers that live in remote areas continues to be a challenge. Global computer maker Lenovo’s main strength lately is PC sales at home — particularly in China’s third-, fourth- and fifth-tier cities. Opening up distribution there means it now has a potential market of about 700 million first-time computer buyers. Lenovo reaches them through its “PCs for Rural China” program, presenting free films in more than 3,000 villages across China.
Fullerton India Credit Co. had a similar challenge. Small business owners in rural areas were among its best prospects for loans, but reaching them was a challenge as many are cut off from major media. The solution? Go to them. In a program dubbed “Gram Sabha” or “village meeting,” branded vans, which seat 10 to 12 people, were outfitted with a TV and DVD and, most importantly, air conditioning, a luxury in those areas. Potential customers watch 30-minute films about micro-finance. Through this initiative, Fullerton created a base of more than 600,000 customers in the past three years, with 50% categorized as “first-time” borrowers.
Africa
Another region with many consumers in remote areas is Africa. But thanks to mobile phones, people formally cut off from internet and telephone services are now plugged in. MTN, South Africa’s telecom, is riding this wave of mobile adoption. In 16 years, it’s grown into the world’s 11th-largest global mobile brand, with 116 million subscribers. In the most remote parts of Africa, it has become the de facto banker, a leading source of agricultural and health-care information and a go-between for trade among farmers. And MTN is a new sponsor of soccer’s World Cup and U.K. team Manchester United, another one of our hot brands. Man U is a sports team unlike any other, with 333 million fans worldwide. Sponsorship of its shirts offer a unique global media channel.
Technology, of course, is inescapable today, which is why four internet companies made the list. Facebook, with 450 million members accessing the site in 70 languages, is truly a global brand. Even with complaints about its privacy policies ongoing, there’s no denying Mark Zuckerberg’s site changed the way marketers communicate with consumers. China’s Tencent Holdings is the company behind QQ.com, an instant messaging service with 522.9 million active user accounts, and Soso.com, a search engine poised to explode now that Google has withdrawn from China. Major marketers such as Procter & Gamble and PepsiCo have already tailored campaigns for QQ.
Latin America’s MercadoLibre is akin to the U.S.’s eBay, and has 42.6 million registered users. One of MercadoLibre’s remarkable achievements is how it introduced e-commerce in Latin America, a place where even face-to-face commerce is mistrusted. Europe’s e-commerce powerhouse, Asos, was really an afterthought. In 2000, Nick Robertson noticed a demand for information about celebrities’ choice of clothing. So he set up a site — As Seen On Screen — that pictured famous people and listed exactly which brands they wore. Mr. Robertson hoped to make money from ads. But he soon decided Asos would actually have to sell the clothes to make money. Now it not only sells the labels celebrities wear, it’s got its own Asos label as well.
Natura, a Brazilian cosmetics company, has both sustainability and social networking at its core, and it was early to both trends. One of the company’s founding principles is that people and the environment are interconnected. Its sales strategy also takes a cue from how consumers are connected to one another, as Natura is the largest direct-sales company in Brazil. It’s now establishing retail locations and looking to take its brands global.
Retail was another challenged category, but the four retailers included in this list — H&M, Ikea, Tesco, and Uniqlo — each figured out how to make their operations work across borders, no easy feat. They also share a similar brand promise: quality goods at lower prices.
While it’s hard to argue or beat a brand premise that promises the best product and the best price, some brands manage to get consumers to pay more because of an inherent good associated with their name. Brazil’s Havaianas has taken the lowly flip-flop and turned it into a fashion sensation. Nike, likewise, has surrounded its athletic shoes and apparel with an aura of excellence by aligning with top athletes. It then takes those alliances and does innovative and extraordinary marketing around them, like the Chalkbot it built for Lance Armstrong’s return to the Tour de France. China’s Li Ning is studying Nike and building its very own aura. The company was founded and named after China’s most famous Olympian, but now it’s aligning with top Chinese and American athletes and even opened up a store in Nike’s hometown of Portland.
Planning expansion
Another brand from Asia is deliberately staying local, but by doing so, it is outselling package-goods giants Procter & Gamble and Unilever in its home market. Shiseido’s hair-care brand, Tsubaki, a line of shampoo and conditioners that use red camellia flower oil as a key ingredient, was pitched as more effective for Japanese women’s hair. Sales soared.
Tim Hortons is a beloved brand in its home country of Canada. Started as a coffee and donut shop by hockey legend Tim Horton, the chain today has 3,015 shops in Canada and can claim 40% of that country’s quick-service market. With 527 U.S. locations, it’s now eyeing how to move further afield.
As it looks to expand, Hortons may want to study what South African brand Nando’s has done. The chicken restaurant can be found in 35 countries, including Canada. While it has yet to put in a global branding campaign, it has established a consistent identity of cheekiness. Each region is told to “be parochial” and use local references in its marketing. By playing off current events, Nando’s stays topical and top of mind.
Other brands made the list because they hit with just the right product at the right time. Nintendo Wii, with its sensor-motion technology, transformed the video gaming space. The founder of JetBlue left that company and moved to Brazil, where he noted a definite gap in airline service that he could fill with Azul. The Economist has been around for 167 years, but its presentation and packaging of world events seems to work just as well today.
If you want to be a global brand and save the world, follow Pampers’ lead. Procter & Gamble teamed with UNICEF for the “one pack equals one vaccine” program, and transferred its child development brand attribute to the developing world.
The promise of branding is that it can take a commodity product and imbue it with qualities that make consumers choose it over any other. That’s not a new idea, but it is always heartening to see it really work. Argentina’s Mama Lucchetti brand of pastas and soups got a makeover by agency Madre, Buenos Aires, and sales took off. A catchy jingle, cute animated characters, and a great consumer insight add up to a near perfect case study in branding.
And for a master class in global branding, see Coca-Cola and McDonald’s — two megabrands that don’t take anything for granted, reinventing and refreshing as they go to maintain worldwide dominance.
Despite economic downturns and increased competition, the power of a well-managed brand endures.
originally published in Adage – http://adage.com/globalnews/article?article_id=144404
Corporate Feature
Not Just Vanity Metrics: A Digital Leader Focused on What Matters
Balancing professional responsibilities, he manages agency work and training commitments when time permits, always with a focus on helping businesses grow through digital channels.
When companies across Jamaica and the Caribbean discuss digital marketing, the perspective and expertise of Ewort Atkinson is often one they would love to tap into. His work has contributed to campaigns generating more than 300 million impressions, 15,000 leads, and an average 7:1 return on ad spend (ROAS), helping brands across the region drive well over US $300 million in business impact.
Balancing professional responsibilities, he manages agency work and training commitments when time permits, always with a focus on helping businesses grow through digital channels.
From Telecom to Digital Leadership
The better part of a decade spent in telecom laid the foundation for his digital expertise. He served as Group General Manager at Fimi Wireless, overseeing marketing and sales in Haiti, Guyana, Jamaica, and El Salvador. That experience was followed by a move to Digicel Jamaica, first as Digital Manager and later as Head of Digital Media, where he led high-impact online campaigns targeting both B2B and B2C segments across platforms such as social media, Google, and ActiveCampaign.
That body of work, along with time spent as Director of Digital Strategy and New Media at Prism Communications Limited, helped establish his reputation as a digital leader with a strong focus on strategy, advertising, and content creation aimed at lead generation and sales.
Kinson Digital: Helping Caribbean Businesses Grow
In 2018, he founded Kinson Digital, a digital agency with offices in Jamaica and Florida, built on a passion for helping businesses of all sizes grow their digital engagement and revenues. Over time, industries that have benefited from his work include law, hospitality, food and beverage, FMCG, entertainment and education. His expertise has also been utilized by overseas businesses in key industries including construction, janitorial and cleaning, event planning and he has consulted for notable franchises such as Golden Krust.
Above all, his pride remains in supporting local businesses throughout the Caribbean. This sentiment is reflected in a quote shared during his speech at European eCommerce and Digital Marketing Week, “A Caribbean brand shouldn’t have to leave the region to acquire world-class digital talent.”
The Digital Training Hub
Building on that mission, he launched The Digital Training Hub in 2022 as an offshoot of Kinson Digital. The platform provides micro-courses in Google and Meta advertising, practical digital marketing strategies, and useful tools shaped by years of experience. These insights are also captured in his book, The Digital Marketing Blueprint: A Guide For Non-Digital Managers, available on The Digital Training Hub website or on Amazon.
Teaching and Mentoring New Entrepreneurs
Throughout his career, he has also been committed to education and mentorship. While lecturing at the University of Technology, Jamaica, and Northern Caribbean University, he taught and mentored more than 50 students at UTECH, many of whom launched their own digital ventures. Additionally, he has contributed to the development of Jamaica’s national social media and digital marketing competencies through work with HEART NCTVET.
Focused on Results That Matter
Helping clients and students achieve meaningful results remains a central passion. The focus has always been on driving engagement, leads, and sales, while cutting through fluff and vanity metrics to achieve outcomes that genuinely move the needle for businesses.
Selective with Time, Intentional with Impact
With the growing demand for true strategic digital marketing expertise across the Caribbean and in diaspora-rich cities such as Toronto, New York, and Miami, his time remains a valued asset. Given these demands, he is selective about new engagements, choosing to work on projects where he can deliver the greatest impact.
Businessuite’s Take
In a region where digital marketing still has ample room for growth, this focus on building real capabilities and delivering practical results makes Ewort Atkinson one to watch as the space continues to evolve.
Businessuite Markets
The LAB Posts $20.6M Half-Year Profit, Down 58%, Impacted by Revenue Timing and Margin Compression
Kimala Bennett Chief Executive Officer for Limners and Bards Limited (The LAB) has released the following unaudited consolidated financial statements for the six-month period ended April 30, 2025, prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS). The consolidated results include the performance of subsidiary Scope Caribbean Limited (Scope), whose core business involves the scouting, placement, and management of talent, supported by the development and maintenance of a comprehensive talent database.
For the period under review, the Group’s consolidated balance sheet remained sound with a stable cash position, providing the financial flexibility to support ongoing operations and strategic initiatives.
Revenue over the 6-month period of $460.2 million, represented a 3.3% increase compared to the corresponding period in 2024. This growth was driven primarily by increased activity in the Production and Media business segments. Media contributed $240.7 million, followed by Production at $151.8 million, and Agency at $67.5 million.
Gross profit amounted to $175.4 million, reflecting a 2.7% decline year-over-year. This was due to a higher proportion of revenue being derived from Media, which typically carries lower margins relative to the Agency segment. This shift in revenue mix also resulted in a 2% decline in the company’s net profit margin.
Net profit for the six-month period stood at $20.6 million, a 58.3% decline compared to the same period in the prior year. The decrease was primarily attributable to lower gross margins and a reduction in second-quarter revenue which was largely due to seasonal variations and the timing of project deliveries.
Operating expenses, comprising administrative, selling, and distribution costs, increased by $14.4 million or 10 percent compared to the same period last year. This increase primarily reflects strategic investments in talent, particularly in areas critical to our growth agenda such as business development, content creation, and enhancing the overall customer experience. While these investments contributed to higher short-term costs, they are considered essential to scaling our operations and building long-term shareholder value.
Total assets amounted to $1.03 billion, reflecting a decrease of $11.2 million or 1.1 percent, mainly attributable to normal depreciation. Current assets increased marginally to $865.9 million, up $1.6 million from the prior year.
Cash and cash equivalents stood at $332.4 million, down $226 million year-over-year, due primarily to increased investment in the development of proprietary content assets.
Accounts receivable increased by $39.5 million, and management continues to work closely with clients to manage credit terms and reduce outstanding balances.
Shareholders’ equity grew to $659.1 million, up 1.8 percent from $647.3 million in the prior-year period.
The LAB remains focused on disciplined execution of its growth strategy, with a continued emphasis on improving operational efficiency, diversifying revenue streams, and delivering long-term value to shareholders
Outlook & Growth Strategy
Looking ahead, the Group remains focused on executing its strategic roadmap amidst continued transformation in the marketing and creative services sector. Our efforts are concentrated on expanding and diversifying revenue streams, acquiring new clients, and introducing new service lines that align with emerging market needs. At the same time, we are maintaining a strong emphasis on cost discipline and efficiency.
The integration of artificial intelligence into our operations is expected to further streamline processes and deliver cost savings where appropriate.
Continued investment in content development also remains a strategic priority.
Despite ongoing macroeconomic uncertainty, 2025 has presented key opportunities for us to advance several critical initiatives. Our revenue expansion strategy includes the rollout of our “Five-in-25” content plan, which focuses on the development of five scalable content properties, the geographic expansion of our Agency and Production services, and the monetization of existing financial and intellectual assets to enhance top-line growth.
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SEE ALSO
Meta’s AI Ad Revolution Is A Seismic Shift in the Media Landscape – Its Impact On Caribbean Agencies
Artificial Intelligence
Meta’s AI Ad Revolution Is A Seismic Shift in the Media Landscape – Its Impact On Caribbean Agencies
Meta’s “infinite creative” ad ambition is a disruptive force—reshaping the contours of advertising from production to pricing. For traditional agencies, the future isn’t erased—it’s redefined, demanding agility, technological foresight, and narrative excellence. Investors should scrutinize which players can transcend production to become indispensable strategic storytellers in the AI era.
The OCM Group for the year ended December 2024 reported Revenues of TT$301M / US$44.3M (2023: TT$318M / US$46.8M) and a NPBT and impairment of TT$17.1M / US$$2.5M (2023: TT$37.2M / US$5.5M).
In 2024, our Newspaper segment incurred restructuring costs and other one-off costs as management sought to develop business models better aligned to the current operating environments.
In Barbados, capacity challenges with the electrical grid persisted and impacted the financial performance of our Renewable Energy company. However, action has been taken to reduce the operating cost of the company while the relevant authorities seek a final solution.
In Trinidad, the forex shortages seriously affected our Distribution business and put a strain on supplier relationships. Efforts are being explored to mitigate this problem.
Positively, Flexipac (Packaging company) and Green Dot (Cable/ Internet services) were both able to achieve healthy profitability growth. In the case of Flexipac, the Company was able to double its regional sales and forex earnings and this growth trend is expected to continue with the introduction of new product offerings in 2025. Green Dot completed the rollout of the first phase of its fiber expansion program and is expected to launch the second phase during 2025. Both of these companies have been able to successfully progress their strategic plans to ensure the delivery of sustainable growth.
Our media assets in Barbados and Grenada were able to report profitability growth notwithstanding a contraction in advertising spend. This performance was realized due to the strategies implemented to achieve improved cost efficiencies and enhance our value proposition to customers. Additionally, our media assets across the Group were collectively able to report Digital Revenue growth over prior year with E-paper subscriptions growing by 36% over 3 years.
The Board has taken a conservative decision to impair its investment in one of its associates which has a long outstanding receivable due to it. Notwithstanding this impairment, it is anticipated that this matter will ultimately be favourably resolved and will redound to the benefit of all parties. The Board expresses its gratitude to the management and staff for their unwavering support and dedication throughout the year and we look forward to the Group returning to its growth path in 2025. Having regard to the Group’s performance and capital expansion plans, a dividend of TT$0.10 has been declared and will be paid on 31st July 20
Faarees Hosein Chairman 26th March, 2025
Businessuite Markets
The LAB’s Strategic Shift: Embracing Content Creation Amidst Evolving Financial Landscape
Limners and Bards Limited (The LAB) headed by Kimala Bennett Chief Executive Officer, has unveiled its unaudited financial statements for the first quarter ending January 31, 2025, showcasing a nuanced performance as the company navigates a strategic pivot towards content creation. This move aims to capitalize on the burgeoning global appetite for diverse, high-quality content.
Financial Performance Overview
The LAB reported a robust quarterly revenue of $286.1 million, marking a significant 30.4% year-over-year increase. This growth was primarily driven by gains in the Production and Media segments. Gross profit reached $100.5 million, a 13% uptick from the previous year, indicating sustained operational efficiency.
However, profit before tax experienced a slight decline of 3.6%, settling at $25.2 million. This downturn is attributed to the transition from a full income tax holiday to a 50% concession, following The LAB’s fifth year on the Junior Stock Exchange. Consequently, net profit for the period stood at $21.6 million, reflecting a 17.6% decrease compared to the prior year. Despite this, the company maintains a robust balance sheet and a stable cash position.
Segment Performance
Media: Generated $142.5 million in revenue.
Production: Contributed $101.0 million.
Agency: Accounted for $42.6 million.
The net profit margin declined by 5.4%, as revenue growth was led by the lower-margin Production and Media segments, compared to the higher-margin Agency segment in the prior period. The company anticipates an Agency rebound by Q3, aligning with industry’s seasonal fluctuations.
Strategic Investments and Asset Growth
The LAB’s asset base expanded by $178.0 million, driven by strategic investments in content development. This initiative positions the company for long-term growth and revenue diversification in the “Owned” content industry.
Current assets rose to $920.6 million, while cash and cash equivalents experienced a year-over-year decline of $89.2 million.
Accounts receivable increased by $118 million, mirroring strong revenue growth. Management remains focused on optimizing credit terms through active client engagement.
Shareholders’ equity strengthened to $660.1 million, a 5.8% increase from the prior year, underscoring the company’s financial resilience.
Transition Towards Content Creation
The LAB is strategically positioning itself to harness the escalating global demand for diverse and high-quality content. With major streaming platforms, including Netflix, projected to invest $18 billion in content in 2025—an 11% increase from 2024—the appetite for fresh storytelling is evident.
The company’s “FIVE in 25” initiative, aiming to produce five films by 2025, is progressing well. Two films have been completed, with active negotiations underway with buyers and distributors. By focusing on high-performing genres such as Christmas and romance, The LAB ensures its productions cater to proven audience preferences.
Industry Outlook and Viability
The global content market is experiencing unprecedented growth. Streaming services and traditional distributors are increasingly seeking diverse narratives that resonate with a global audience. This trend presents a significant opportunity for The LAB, as its productions offer unique Jamaican perspectives with universal appeal. Engagements at international events like NATPE Global 2025 have facilitated negotiations with major distributors and networks, enhancing the company’s visibility and positioning its films for broader distribution.
Implications for Shareholders and Investors
While the strategic shift towards content creation entails upfront investments and a gestation period before realizing returns, it aligns with global industry trends favoring diverse content. The LAB’s strong financial foundation, coupled with its proactive approach to content development and strategic partnerships, suggests a forward-thinking trajectory. Shareholders and investors can anticipate potential long-term gains as the company taps into new revenue streams within the expanding content market.
Conclusion
The LAB’s recent financial performance reflects the complexities of transitioning within a dynamic industry landscape. By embracing content creation and investing in strategic initiatives, the company demonstrates adaptability and a commitment to sustainable growth. As The LAB continues to evolve, its focus on delivering compelling, culturally rich content positions it to capitalize on emerging opportunities, promising value creation for shareholders and stakeholders alike.
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