Capitec doing damn well

Lately we’ve been hearing a lot of good things about Capitec bank. And it seems like their investment in innovative thinking is paying off, ’cause Capitec have been named, along with 26 other global brands like Facebook, Uniqlo, Apple and Hyundai, as one of the global  ‘great brands of tomorrow’ by Swiss-based financial group Credit Suisse.

Capitec is the only African brand to crack the list.

According to the Credit Suisse document on the list:

Using our framework and global network of analysts, we identified 27 Great Brands of Tomorrow at various stages of development that we believe will significantly outperform the market over the next three to five years as they build and leverage brand equity to grow in size, scale, and profitability.

Although we’ve never been huge fans of brand lists and stuff like that [after all Toyota was ranked 8th best brand in the world last year] it’s still a great confidence booster for Capitec and South Africa to have at least one brand being recognised as being innovative and having good future prospects by an independent research institute.

Here’s a link to the full Credit Suisse report on 27 Great Brands of Tomorrow (11mb pdf!)

Interesting points highlighted in the research from Credit Suisse:

Three Core Sources of Brand Value
While there are many great brands that leverage a wide variety of strengths and attributes, as previously mentioned, we believe there are three core sources of brand value: innovation, aspiration, and scale. It is from these core sources that great brand companies create and leverage their brands via superb marketing, innovative new products, strong leadership, and a reputation for quality.
Innovation
These brands innovate continuously and more rapidly than competitors, in product development or in business processes. Intel introduced new chips every two years instead of the traditional four years. Southwest continues to find ways to reduce gate turn-around time, through boarding procedures and limiting food on flights to simplify clean-up and loading. L’Oreal invests more than double in R&D as a percentage of sales than competitor Revlon.
Aspiration
Probably the most obvious of the branding success stories, these brands use emotion, associations, and personality to grow their strength with customers. LVMH brings to mind unsurpassed luxury, creativity, and craftsmanship. Budweiser connotes qualities such as American, masculine, humorous, sports, and casual. These brand intangibles can also be evident in a distinctive corporate culture and in attracting and retaining employees. Google’s nontraditional workplace environment springs to mind as does Nike’s headquarters with its state-of-the-art gym and buildings named after famous athletes.

Scale
These brands leverage their power over suppliers or distributors or through an installed base to maintain their brand positioning and competitive advantage. Toyota rings inventory carrying cost savings from its suppliers. Coke controls its bottlers, which sell and distribute its product. Facebook grows organically by leveraging the connections of its members. Microsoft benefits from people sharing files and needing to have the same software programs to do so.

Society is filled with stuff. Stuff you want, stuff you need, stuff you’re told you need  and stuff that makes you feel better about you – all the while cluttering your life and our planet. If you think about it rationally – it’s a pretty ****** up system, but it’s our system so we gotta own it and be responsible for it.

Up until now – marketing has had a lot to do with making this system work, so it’s no wonder then that the industry is under just a bit of pressure as the kind of thinking, outlined in this 20-minute movie, spreads.  So take the time and make yourself acquainted with the treehugger’s argument. It’s fairly compelling stuff.

via

I'll huff and I'll puff...

…having been previously employed as a fluffer – your mind naturally quickly races to a paper blower branded with little pills. The internal sales staff [all of whom are most probably addicted to Viagra and are only conscience for a few hours a day] groan unusually loudly and force a warm shaft of breath into the small plastic mouthpiece in a mass display of unbridled excitement. Yay – Viagra is 11 years old. Pffffweeeeeeeep.

Agency: TAXI Canada.

via

Huh?

Sometimes brand collaboration is a good thing, but in this case…it isn’t. Nike have been flirting with Aston Martin and Kobe Bryant – the result…these ugly ass takkies that cost $700 a pop.

Selfde knoppie as die kar

It may do something for Kobe Bryant and Nike, but what on earth were Aston Martin thinking?

More via Born Rich

Pleasure is the only intrinsic good

We spotted this delightfully named bottle of joy at Brewers & Union the other night. It’s a blend of Syrah, Granache, Carignan and Viognier and is made as part of a collaboration between Simon Wibberley [from Brewers] and the Swartland winery.

If you’re a big Pinotage or Cabernet fundi then the delicate nose and floral notes of this wine may be a bit lacking for you, but for the more refined palette – it’s well worth trying this unusual combo. We love the name – sounds like it would be right at home at an ancient Greek banquet.

When to haul this bad boy out of the cellar? If you have a hot date with a wine lover and being aware of a varietal like Carignan scores more points than the perfumed quail curry that you just whipped up after your 20 kay surfski paddle in a gale force South Easter – then this is the wine for you. You crafty sod you.

Mmmm - Puma tastes good

Hmmm – the guys over at Collective São Gabriel have teamed up with Puma to produce Puma beer [apparently] as a part of their “Unity” campaign for the World Cup. Puma are not an official sponsor of WC2010 – so this is obviously all part of a hush hush, ‘keep it on the down low’ kind guerrilla vibe just before the kick off of the event in June.

It has to be said that there are mixed feelings in the office about the association of Puma with an alcoholic beverage, but the editor [who's opinion usually rules in this forum] can’t think of anything more natural than the combination of penalty kicks and the quaffing of a few cold ones. Our aim gets better after at least three. [thanks Brad]. Laaaaaaduuuuuuuuuuuuuma.

We also like the design of the label – will have to pop around to &Union later to give it the taste test.

via

Update:

Here’s what’s coming to our lovely new stadium in June [shudder]
[Thanks Izzie]

Not the iPad

You’re going to label yourself terrible as a nerd if you have one of these, but for those that dream about the lovechild of a MacBook and Iron Man – this is for you.

Get it - before it’s too late

Via

If you like this kinda thing – here’s the trailer for the upcoming Iron Man 2 movie…

Left front

Our understanding is that aircraft paint is damn expensive. Probably because is not such a great idea to be bulleting through the atmosphere at the speed of sound with a squashed pigeon still attached to the edge of a wing – so the fancy paint eliminates that unfortunate situation.

Right front

So it’s encouraging then that Kulula are taking the opportunity to use the expensive paint to get a smile out of their passengers. At least you’re fully briefed as to what’s going to be happening within the pressurised tube before you step inside.

Left tail bit

Other side of the tail

Secret agent code – pfffffffff

via [spotted via @brauteseth

99 bottle of beer on the wall...99 bottles of beeeeeeer

We decided to get our week off to a snappy start this morning by spending some quality work time at & Union and spotted yet another great poster for their musical side projects that they host at the Bree Street store. Beer and singing always seem to make a joyful paring. Love the concept and design courtesy of Matt Goodall.

Previously: & Union: Art on wors – Cherryflava

Goodbye Kitty

For the first time in the company’s history – Puma have dropped the leaping cat off their #1 logo in favour of a silhouetted outline of Africa.

The move is to show the brand’s commitment to Africa and the 12 African football teams the company sponsors. Although we love the feline, the new and improved logo looks pretty rad to us.

Independent sources have however revealed that the energetic cat was last see this morning enjoying it’s time off and doing celebrity interviews in the Johannesburg studios of 5FM.

Hello Kitty

[thanks Brett]