[Marketing Week] Bob Koigi: Brand reputation influences customer engagement and financial performance

In today's highly competitive business landscape, brand reputation has emerged as a key factor influencing not only customer engagement but also financial performance, particularly in the B2B sector. Companies are increasingly recognizing that a strong brand reputation is not just a marketing asset; it is a critical growth driver that can significantly impact their bottom line.

In B2B markets, where purchase decisions are often complex and involve significant investments, businesses are more likely to engage with brands that they perceive as trustworthy. Companies with solid reputations often enjoy higher customer retention rates, leading to consistent revenue streams.

The latest Meaningful Brands Special Report by Havas dubbed ‘Decoding B2B's Brand Boom’ shows that with 86% B2B professional feeling equipped for the changes and transformations their industry is facing over the next 5-10 years, new implications and fresh opportunities are at stake for B2B marketers.

A global study by marketing data and analytics business Kantar drew similar inferences revealing that 75% of consumers say that a brands diversity and inclusion reputation influences their purchase decisions. Upending the myth of ‘go woke, go broke’, the study identifies that inclusive marketing is a significant opportunity to drive brand growth.

Campaigns of the week

This week, we have followed and extensively covered creative campaigns spread across brands in different sectors.

Lexus is celebrated 25 years of its beloved "December to Remember" campaign with the debut of two all-new commercials, "Forecast" and "Letter," capturing the spirit of the season. Evoking holiday nostalgia and connection amongst loved ones, the latest spots reinforce the brand's ongoing commitment to creating memorable experiences for its customers.

FCB London has installed a giant, 12-foot high pie & mash dispenser at West Ham United’s London Stadium as part of an activation for the team’s Official Accounting Software Partner, Intuit QuickBooks. The campaign also included a chance to win a VIP, business growth themed hospitality experience, offering the lucky winners personalised business advice.

Orange has been committed to a safer digital world for many years, and has launched SaferPhone, to coincide with Christmas. This service filters unwanted calls, blocks malicious links and protects against cyberthreats. Launched for Christmas, the film produced by BIG and directed by Réalité presents the parent-teen debate around the smartphone and its uses in an offbeat, positive way.

Royal Philips, a global player in health technology, is unveiling the next phase of its ad campaign for Philips Norelco, an electric grooming brand, with actor and facial hair enthusiast Adam Scott. Together, Philips Norelco and Scott are debuting a new creative spot ahead of the holiday season. The video features Scott – the self-proclaimed holiday season's No. 1 Facial Hair Ambassador – paying tribute to one of the world's most iconic figures, Santa Claus, and his beloved beard.

Agencies and accounts

Among the major news on agencies and accounts they have secured this week, global travel and leisure company TUI has announced Ogilvy PR will support the nationwide communications for its flagship British brands First Choice and Marella Cruises on a retained basis. The appointment follows a three-month four-way pitch in which Ogilvy PR was the standout agency.

Cossette Media, Canadian independent media agency and member of the Plus Company network, has announced that it has been selected as the lead media agency for Rona inc., a Canadian player in the home improvement sector. The partnership aims to support Rona’s nationwide initiatives and strategic growth.

Premium property development and asset management company, Real Estate Management (UK) Limited (REM), which manages a portfolio that includes landmark London properties The Shard, The News Building, Shard Quarter, Park House and 48 Pall Mall, has appointed Clarion Communications as its retained PR agency. Clarion, who have clients including Aldi, Cigna Healthcare, Unilever and Wickes to name but a few, secured the retained integrated communications contract through a competitive pitch process.

Partnerships and acquistions

Best Practice Media has announced the acquisition of We Wild Women, a renowned PR agency, coaching, and training company. This strategic move positions Best Practice Media as a full-service agency, now offering an expansive suite of public relations services alongside its robust social media marketing and digital advertising capabilities.

PubMatic Inc., an independent technology company delivering digital advertising’s supply chain of the future has announced a strategic partnership with Foxcatcher, an Australian data and technology specialist. This collaboration makes Foxcatcher’s Worldview platform available to programmatic advertisers for the first time, via an integration with PubMatic’s Connect.

VML’s full-service influencer marketing and content solutions agency, Obviously is now officially a part of the Walmart Connect Partner Network. With this integration Obviously is able to leverage Walmart’s first-party data and Walmart DSP to design high-impact influencer campaigns, connecting brands with their most valuable shoppers across digital and in-store channels.

Startups weekly update

UltronAI, a CMU-startup building enterprise software with its proprietary AI-powered computer vision engines to revolutionize the retail industry, announced it has been accepted into the NVIDIA Inception, a program that helps startups accelerate the development of technological solutions and fast-track company growth.

A coalition of digital pioneers and entertainment innovators have emerged from stealth mode to unveil Connyct, bringing together a team of proven innovators in viral platforms, music streaming, hit television, and scalable technology. The leadership team, which includes executives behind several of social media's defining moments, has spent two years in stealth building what represents the next evolution in digital connection.

Revisto, a pioneering AI-powered solution streamlining the medical, legal, and regulatory (MLR) review process for pharmaceutical marketing materials, has secured $4 million in seed funding. This investment brings Revisto's total funding to $6 million, positioning the company to transform the pharmaceutical and life science industry's often tedious and financially burdensome approach to marketing compliance.

Other major news of the week

Nielsen, a global player in audience measurement, data and analytics, has announced an expanded multi-year agreement for Local TV measurement with American Spirit Media, based in Charlotte, North Carolina. American Spirit has chosen Nielsen as its exclusive measurement partner for Local TV measurement in the six markets where it operates major network affiliated stations.

Dentsu has announced the launch of its 2024 CMO Navigator, Media Edition, a study of over 1900 CMOs in 13 countries, and the latest in its Navigator series, following the publication of recent Creative and CX editions. The study reveals how CMOs view media’s evolution from pure performance power to a strategic driver of business growth requiring a highly nuanced approach fit for the fully addressable, shoppable, and accountable algorithmic era.

Bob Koigi is the editor-in-chief of Marketing Report.One.