From Mashable Comments: http://mashable.com/2010/07/29/monitor-measure-brand-social-media/#comment-65...

journik 1 hour ago

• Maria, 

  While I totally agree with the points you bring up, going just one level deeper and asking "What IS Branding?" For example, the W+K Old Spice Viral Campaign was a FAIL in my book. Why? Even though on a graph it looks like awareness was at an all time high for the 100 year old product, ask a woman what brand pops up when she runs out of her shower gel or body wash. It's still Olay or Dove or Dr. Bronner. Why? Because Old Spice's branding, while ubiquitous (grew legs; has traction; synergy), focused on ODOR ("I'm the man you want your man to smell like"). 

  If you're gunna sell a Body WASH, Shouldn't your branding evoke nouns like "cleanser?" If you want to brand your line in the minds of "Body Wash" consumers, shouldn't your brand be branded with "fresh" instead of "Old?"

  But honestly, the biggest mistake Weiden Kennedy made was ... MEH... here's a blog post about it:http://journik.posterous.com/what-is-branding-a...

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Meredith Allison 29 minutes ago in reply to journik

• Really? You think the old spice campaign was a fail even their numbers skyrocketed? No matter what keywords the campaign chose, it clearly worked for them. And as far as I know, old spice is not a body "wash"...i could be wrong, as well as misunderstanding your comment (very possible as I am still learning the ropes as I dig deeper into understanding SM, beyond the obvious).

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journik 21 minutes ago in reply to Meredith Allison

• Meredith... yep... THAT is precisely my point... NOBODY knows that Old Spice is a Body Wash... Even after ten million views... NOBODY knows that Old Spice is a Body Wash. =p

If you want your prospective customers to replace their vocabulary with your name, call us at 310 598 1606 or email bob.wan.kim@gmail.com ... we know how to make people call spas "Jacuzzis" copying "Xeroxing" and searching "Googling." We replace your prospective customer's vocabulary with your name.