Question

Topic: Advertising/PR

"100 Years Of Innovation" Retail Segment Event

Posted by cadi on 1/14/2011 at 7:17 PM ET 250 Points
Hello.
For a prospect client, I need to figure out a theme/concept for the upcoming corporate event. This corporate event celebrates the company’s “100 years of innovation”.
The company operates in the retail/lifestyle business and has been always perceived (in and out) as a trend setter in its market approach.
Customers perceive the brand as Easy/outgoing, Young-minded, Chic-trendy and contemporary.

“Passion” and “live with more style” are another elements which stands out in several campaigns.

Their main objective is to make an event where the “100 years of innovation” claim stands out,
and a theme that embraces these outlined perceptions. Showing images of the various decades is not really wanted, so as any visualization of items that were produced/sold in the last century.
I have come up with several metaphoric examples but all of them are (perhaps) referred too much the past “100 years of innovation”. I would like to propose concepts referring more to the future and (perhaps) to the trend setting attitude that the company has, combining a look at the past and “making them look ahead for another century of innovations”.
My question: do you think this is the right approach or should I please them and making a parade of the 100 yeas of achievents? And also, what kind of metaphoric examples would you suggest to simbolize the continuos drive fort innovation, past and future?
Thank you very much in advance for your replies.
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RESPONSES

  • Posted by Jay Hamilton-Roth on 1/14/2011 at 7:59 PM Member
    Who's the audience - internal or external?
    What's the goal?
    What's the benefit to the target audience (why should they care)?
    How will you know if you've achieved the goal?

    100 years is a great accomplishment, but looking back won't necessarily make a prospective customer really care - they're looking at what the company can do for them NOW. So, what stories from 100 years can you showcase how you mattered to your customers? Can you say the same today as yesteryear? If so, highlight your relationships (the customer) and not your business.
  • Posted by CarolBlaha on 1/15/2011 at 9:47 AM Member
    I like the "living with more style" so why dump it for "innovation"?
    "Living with style for over 100 years". or "Defining style for 100 years". "Defining the style of the future".

    While styles do change, good design is timeless. So i'd make the "parade" as they talked about, but choose timeless designs so hip, they have become contemporary classics.
  • Posted on 1/15/2011 at 1:16 PM Moderator
    Jay Hamilton-Roth is asking important questions. If you will answer them we can perhaps help.

    The basic problem, of course, is the theme "100 years of innovation." It's looking in the rear-view mirror, and doesn't answer the question: "What can you do for me NOW?"

    Somehow you need to get back to the company's core positioning benefit and make that the center of attention. The fact that the company is 100 years old is only important to a few insiders. Customers certainly don't care about the company's age as much as what it can do for them now.

    In fact, the age reference can carry the connotation that the company is not current and progressive, but rather stuck in the past and worshiping some ancestor.
  • Posted by CarolBlaha on 1/15/2011 at 1:34 PM Member
    They can appear to be stuck in the past, but it doesnt have to be. There are certainly brands that are stuck in the past. Sears has tried and tried to redo themselves and its still feels like the past. It'll never be Target.

    Some brands are timeless. Vogue, Cartier, Tiffany, Chanel, Hermes. Vogue and Tiffany especially have done a great job of keeping the classics, and vamping it up to cater to the younger crowd. Furniture is another, the products we call modern come from the 30's and 40's.

    I think the audience for your corporate event would appreciate seeing how timeless some of your innovations have become. I know as design students we loved to see the styles of Mies Van der Rohe, Breuer, Eames, Corbusier-- people long dead but have influenced modern style. Tell me this Wassily chair (which I have a copy) screams I was created by a designer born in 1902....https://www.modernfurnitureclassics.com/index.php/main_page/product_listing...
  • Posted by cadi on 1/15/2011 at 4:07 PM Author
    Thank you all for your feedback and for point out important matters..
    The event is mainly internal, it s a celebration of management and staff for the accomplishment. Management want s to cheerish the achievement and share an evening of celebration with the people that work for the company, and that contribueted to the 100 years of innovation.
    In management eeyes, its a sort of reward and perhaps an obligation, but yet, they have it planned.
    It s basically the celebration of a milestone in the company history.
    The company itself still has a thrilling drive and is looking forward for the next challenges.
    It is not to be compared with the names given, but in its area it has achieved a great status and people are happy to work for the company.
    Customers see it the same way. The brand is perceived as a small but succesfull brand.

    The copmany itself does not have a reputation of being stuck in the past. The opposite. The 100 years of innovation are also referred of the great inspiring attitude that the company has and the sparkle of it´s lifestyle perceptions.

    I would love to come up with a metaphora that embraces all the above points. Some sort of ¨rolling-growing ¨item that has grown in the past, bringing innovation, and still will inspire future generation.

    Thank you again for your appreciated inputs.
    D.
  • Posted by Jay Hamilton-Roth on 1/15/2011 at 7:27 PM Accepted
    Given you're client's niche, how about movie night? Pull together classic movies from each of the last 10 decades, and find examples of where your client's products were featured in or influenced by these depictions. It'll be more entertaining and showcasing the bigger picture of how their products connect to the public.
  • Posted by CarolBlaha on 1/16/2011 at 7:23 AM Accepted
    I would set the theme to show that while your company has traveled back and forth through time and yet some messages remain the same. Style is timeless.

    Timeless as the concept of seduction.

    To the fashion conscious, style is seduction, we beg to be seduced by it. They'll get that.
  • Posted by cadi on 1/21/2011 at 7:37 AM Author
    Thank you all for your appreciated feedback.
    D
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