Mick Jagger, Rolling Stones CMO

Today from a facebook connection, I viewed this classic letter from Mick Jagger to Andy Warhol about artwork for a greatest hit cover back in 1969.

The letter reminds me of my time at Scali, McCabe, Sloves in Toronto in 1989, working on the advertising for the Labatt's Blue/Rolling Stones Steel Wheels Tour. The Jagger letter shows how much of a businessman Jagger is, and that everything about how the band is positioned really sits in his hands. He is the CMO of the Rolling Stones brand.

When we were developing creative to launch the Steel Wheels tour across Canada in 1989, Jagger had final approval on everything. All our script ideas and music background choices went past Jagger. In fact the launch TVC of the tour originally ended with the famous Stones tongue turning from red to blue, to subtly indicate Labatt's Blue was promoting the tour in Canada. Well Jagger as acting as CMO for the Stones brand, quickly killed that idea because nobody, but nobody screws with a key visual property of the Rolling Stones. He was right of course but hey we at the same time were just trying to build even more depth into the Blue brand.

As Labatt Blue's slogan of the time was alluding to, in 1989, it was the way we played. Those were great times, and as this classic letter indicates, Jagger is a great CMO, and not a bad frontman either.




Labatt's Blue Rolling Stones 1989 Tour Poster



Screw Your Youth Strategy, What's Your Elder Strategy!

When I was working on Molson and Labatt and Coca-Cola, it was imperative you had a youth strategy, as youth consumed a pile of your product. Working on Intel in China we were concerned with youth and the need to get them earlier to build brand relevance beyond the laptop. However, in no case can I remember having an elder strategy, a strategy to tap into the desires, needs and wants of the 50+ consumer. Well today all brands need to think about building one.

It is said that in 2009, 46% of Apple's consumer base was older than 55. We know that in the US, 46% of cars, and 80% of luxury travel is sold to the 60+ demographic. An old colleague of mine from FCB in Toronto, for some time now has run a successful business selling luxury items to the 50+ market. I know Johnson&Johnson and Afexa Life Sciences (the Cold-FX people and a client of mine) always keep a close eye on the elder market when developing new products. These two organizations, for obvious reasons, recognise that an ageing consumer base in most of the worlds key markets means health care will be high on their need list. I believe though, that all brands need to take a look at how their product and services can be better positioned to be consumed by this massive 50+ demographic. This baby boomer group will change pre and post retirement mind-sets just as it has changed everything else they have touched. So ask yourself and your brand, what do you know about the older consumer as it relates to your business. Are you relevant to them now, and if not can you be relevant to them going forward.

On BrandVertising (my WebTV show on branding and advertising) I recently focused on the issue of the ageing consumer with my guest Dave McCaughan, the Director of Strategy for McCann Worldgroup in Asia Pacific. Check out the show below and start now to build your elder strategy!

More Juice Around The Future of The Ad Agency

I was reading today in Campaign Asia about the intense pressure marketers are feeling to continue to come up with the next big idea. They are trying to stay relevant to a consumer base that is rapidly getting smarter and more savvy every minute. This means they are looking to anyone, including their customers for ideas. No longer are their AOR agency partners the holy grail of ideas, and this is sending shock waves through New York, London, Chicago, Sydney, Singapore, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Los Angeles.

As past blogs I have written have eluded to, the game has changed because the consumer has changed. They carry the influence to persuade their community to act, and the traditional ad campaign is treated with the proverbial grain of salt. Advertising air cover is critical in the war to win the hearts and minds of consumers, but it is boots on the ground, the reality of the brand experience, that wins the war today. What is the brand doing as it actually engages and delivers to people. Is it a positive experience they will twitter about to their community, or will it be so counter to the big ad air cover that they will hold the brand hostage with negative WOM to their friends.

Never has the game been so exciting and played with so much at stake for those that used to dominate the brand building and idea generating world...the traditional big ad agency.

Click on the link below to read the Campaign Asia article.
http://www.campaignasia.com/Article/259364,pressure-mounts-as-agencies-search-for-the-next-big-idea.aspx