Paddy's writing on Brand and Reputation

This blog contains some of my writing on Brand and Reputation, including those on Shell - the corporation that I worked for for 37 years. Some of the articles have previously been published - others are seen here for the first time. The purpose of the website is to contribute to discussions on the role of brand and reputation management in today's business world. Please also see: http://www.roadsideretail.com/search?q=Paddy Comments welcome to me at: paddy_briggs@yahoo.co.uk

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Location: Teddington, Middlesex, United Kingdom



Paddy Briggs worked for Shell for 37 years during the last fifteen of which he was responsible for Communications and Brand and Reputation management in a number of appointments. He was the winner of the “Shell/Economist” writing prize (internal) in 2001. In October 2009 Paddy was elected by the 33,000 Shell Pensioners in the UK to be one of the two Pensioner elected Trustees of the Shell Contributory Pension Fund. Paddy runs the brand consultancy BrandAware ™ .and writes and speaks on brand and reputation matters. He is active as a director of training courses on brand and reputation management.

Paddy is a sports journalist and a member of the "Sports Journalists Association" and the "Cricket Writers' Club". He has had weekly columns in the "Bahrain Tribune", the “Khaleej Times”, the "Emirates Evening Post" and "Ameinfo". Paddy's biography of the Kent and West Indies cricketer John Shepherd "John Shepherd - The Loyal Cavalier" was published in June 2009.

Thursday, July 07, 2011

It’s the brand stupid

When the news broke, on Twitter inevitably, that the “News of the World” was to close there was a mighty gnashing of teeth and no little wailing form the journalist community. Job losses. Innocent victims. That sort of thing. But actually it’s no big deal. Here’s why.

When a brand is damaged beyond repair, but there is a market position to defend, then rebranding is the obvious choice. At the moment BP is rebranding many of its gas stations in the US “Amoco” and the reasons for that are obvious. For News International its the same. They have a very strong brand in “The Sun” which has a circulation of 3million –nearly one million ahead of its next competitor. Their fatally wounded “News of the World” brand is similarly strong in circulation terms 2.7m and a lead of over 800,000. There is no way that NI is going to give up that inco0me stream – and they don't need to.

The introduction of a “Sunday Sun” (or “Sun on Sunday” ) has huge benefits. The toxic News of the World brand is shed. The Sun brand can extend seamlessly into a seven day operation. There will be some economic savings. And online they can concentrate on one Sun branded website for all their communications.

One can expect that those Sun readers who don't currently buy the NOW will be heavily incentivised to switch their Sunday paper to The Sunday Sun. Or in some cases to buy a Sunday paper where currently they don't. Cross promotions will be the order of the day – NI has the financial resources to really build the Sunday Sun as a successful sub-brand of the generic Sun brand.

The people who should worry about  Mr Murdoch’s clever coup are the publishers of NI’s competitors! A seven day Sun will be formidable.  

posted by Paddy Briggs | 5:46 PM

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