Little Brand Monkey, a.k.a. Monica Romero

tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87737590126112680412011-07-31T00:05:10.733-05:00Little Brand Monkey, a.k.a. Monica RomeroI believe good brands are about telling good stories, creating an experience, speaking a language that connects consumers and makes them passionate followers...who in turn tell stories on behalf of your brand. I'm a sucker for well designed brand experiences that work their way into your lifestyle before you even know it.Little Brand Monkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06069128406995256394noreply@blogger.comBlogger131100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8773759012611268041.post-86627241488886805292009-10-05T06:57:00.002-05:002009-10-05T07:01:28.363-05:00Marcus Buckingham’s Strong Life and Strategies for Personal Branding

In his latest book, Find Your Strongest Life, Marcus Buckingham challenges traditional thinking about what, for a woman, defines and creates a successful life. According to the author's research, the multitude of lifestyle choices available to women today has counterintuitively resulted in a less--not more--fulfilled generation that in decades past. Partially at fault, says the author, could be

Little Brand Monkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06069128406995256394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8773759012611268041.post-74653630173136946052009-07-21T10:51:00.003-05:002009-07-21T10:58:44.024-05:00Bookselling Giant Adapts to Stay in the Game

It comforts me to see the book trade doing what it needs to do to stay afloat and thrive, in light of tough economy, changing consumer preferences, media consumption trends--what-have-you. Borders refuses to let itself be dragged down by the decline of brick-and-mortar music and movie sales. Instead, it adapts by reformatting its stores to replace that footage with micro shops devoted to teen

Little Brand Monkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06069128406995256394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8773759012611268041.post-80348355509199863542009-05-12T09:33:00.002-05:002009-05-12T09:47:08.523-05:00It Takes A Recession....

Who would've imagined that food out of a can would become not only practical, but popular again? Now big food companies such as Del Monte are spending big bucks to remind us that ingesting canned foods is no worse for us than ingesting "fresh" things. Most new product introductions this year will not come in the form of fancy packaging or newfangled cooking methods (steaming in a microwave bag is

Little Brand Monkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06069128406995256394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8773759012611268041.post-431491023395162602009-03-31T15:39:00.004-05:002009-03-31T15:45:18.690-05:00The Package Says It All

I'm enthralled by packaging---so much so that if I let myself get carried away in a store and stand there staring at the shelves I'd probably alarm the staff...after a while. Instead I sometimes peruse through packaging magazines, or websites such as the lovely TheDieline.com.The expression of a brand you can hold in your hand. How brilliant.

Little Brand Monkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06069128406995256394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8773759012611268041.post-31569467934851392222009-03-18T15:23:00.002-05:002009-03-18T15:25:27.441-05:00Fast Food Ad Antics

Saw the new Jack in the Box ads, and like the new logo....just think Jack is awfully ripped for having been in a coma the last couple of months.

Little Brand Monkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06069128406995256394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8773759012611268041.post-69107560292385466922009-03-04T09:40:00.002-06:002009-03-04T09:44:06.484-06:00More Retro Comfort Food, Courtesy of General Mills

Some good old brands just make you...feel better. General Mills, Target Play on Consumers' Nostalgia:Retro Designs of Their Youth Appeal to Stressed Shoppers' Desire for Comfort

Little Brand Monkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06069128406995256394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8773759012611268041.post-73657071707585744922009-02-20T16:08:00.002-06:002009-02-20T16:25:34.311-06:00Are You Feeling Guilty...Yet?

Target is once again telling us what is cool, but the notion of "cool" has taken a sharp turn to--well, somewhere else. Nowadays it is cooler than ever to be thrifty, and not cool (in fact, it seems downright offensive) to indulge in the small luxuries of life--things like pedicures and store-bought espressos and gym memberships and trips to the hair salon. Things we used to take for granted.

Little Brand Monkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06069128406995256394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8773759012611268041.post-88661703898491305102009-02-18T12:52:00.002-06:002009-02-18T12:56:09.281-06:00New to the Endangered Brands List?

A brand that epitomizes ego and over-the-top consumption like few others. Given GM's dire straits, its survival is questionable....

Little Brand Monkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06069128406995256394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8773759012611268041.post-35214346961827509482009-02-17T11:16:00.001-06:002009-02-17T11:23:21.591-06:00Losing Your Religion

Whew...maybe not surprisingly, even Protestantism has trouble with its branding. Is it time to bring in the experts from Procter & Gamble?U.S. Protestants more loyal to toothpaste brand than church?I know I, for one, would rather give up indoor plumbing than Crest.

Little Brand Monkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06069128406995256394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8773759012611268041.post-14410744567997319592009-02-17T09:35:00.001-06:002009-02-17T09:46:27.927-06:00Nostalgic Food Brands

Granted, this old-fashioned version of a Cracker Jack box is "vintage" enough to pre-date my childhood, yet it conjures images of a happy time for me. When I was very small, my mother would often bring me home a box of Cracker Jack after an afternoon of running errands and shopping. Back then, it didn't take much more than some caramel popcorn and a nifty prize, torn out of its sticky wrapper at

Little Brand Monkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06069128406995256394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8773759012611268041.post-60732458637147804142009-02-07T16:41:00.000-06:002009-02-07T16:55:56.176-06:00Unlikely Comeback

If there's ever a brand I thought would never be (could never possibly be) cool and relevant again, it's Old Spice. Sorry, Papa, I know this stuff was hot back in the day, but I couldn't picture anyone under the age of 75 aspiring to live the Old Spice lifestyle.Taking a cue and inspiration from Unliever's edgy marketing for Axe body stuff--I suppose--Old Spice is back with a Swagger. Will the 18

Little Brand Monkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06069128406995256394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8773759012611268041.post-60879526396697288272009-02-02T18:51:00.000-06:002009-02-02T18:56:55.256-06:00Once Again...the SuperBowl

Yet again I've committed marketing sacrilege by failing to watch the Big Game to catch the ads. I figure I can always catch the best and worst of the spots online somewhere, and today I glanced through the more interesting ones on AdAge.com. How interesting that in spite of the millions so many companies pour into creating the quintessential and most memorable message for their brands, it was a

Little Brand Monkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06069128406995256394noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8773759012611268041.post-42849252750377098402009-02-01T14:16:00.000-06:002009-02-02T18:51:07.503-06:00Brand Placement for the Next Decade

Product placement has become over the top. Dove plastered its personal care items all over scenes of the recent movie "The Women," and although I'm a loyal Dove user I found the approach to be working against itself--a bit of a turnoff, like a guy coming on too strong.Then again, some companies have identified novel ways to sneak into our daily entertainment without losing brand authenticity.

Little Brand Monkeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06069128406995256394noreply@blogger.com0