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Rare Blog

Read about our latest thinking!

Apr 29, 2019
1 min

And the Winner is...

Rare were proud sponsors of the award for Best Pantomime Animal at last night’s prestigious Great British Pantomime Awards, hosted by panto legend Christopher Biggins. The winner, Cutlet the Sheep from Beauty and the Beast at Customs House South Shields was performed by Charlie Raine, who advanced panto’s tradition of inclusivity by making her character a signing sheep “It was such a positive thing for the deaf community and for future pantomimes” Congratulations Charlie! #GB

Dec 7, 2018
5 min

High times and Soft Power

If cannabis is legalised in the UK, what branding lessons can we learn from the US and Canada? Are we on the cusp of cannabis legalisation in the UK? It’s been 90 yearssince the drug was made illegal in the UK. With more people using its cousin CBD oilon these shores, and recreational marijuana use now legalin many states across the pond, however,more and more campaigners are citing a staggering number of reasonswhy UK legalisation makes sense. So, what if the UK did legalis

Nov 13, 2018
1 min

Nike: A Soft Power Star

Nike are no strangers to controversy, but their most recent campaign has garnered plenty of backlash. They’re celebrating the 30th anniversary of the “Just Do It” slogan with a campaign that features NFL quarterback, Colin Kaepernick, who was lambasted for refusing to stand during the national anthem in 2016 in protest at police racism. We love it. Our philosophy is that brands, products and services should mean something to someone rather than nothing to everyone - and Nike

Oct 12, 2018
6 min

Selling isn't past its sell-by date: The ROI of Soft Power

Amid all the talk of branding, it’s easy to lose focus of what really matters: ROI. But many marketers studiously avoid talk of the bottom line. Brand work, the stereotype goes, is fluffy and less tangible than expensive endeavours like R&D. But this is a misconception. At Rare, we talk a lot about Soft Power. It’s a term we’ve repurposed from political science. In its original sense, it describes how influence is more powerful than force in politics. In branding, we talk abo

Oct 9, 2018
1 min

SKYN: A Soft Power Star

SKYN’s approach wasn’t always one of soft power. In the beginning, their marketing was product-focused, detailing the functional benefits of their condom range. Now, though, they’re all about the emotional connection with their customers, choosing language, imagery, and an overall approach - pleasure, rather than protection - that clearly defines them as a lifestyle brand, not a mere manufacturer. Now, they’re showing that tech and soft power can indeed go hand in hand, with

Sep 13, 2018
1 min

UEFA Champions League: A Soft Power Star

The UEFA Champions League revisits its brand identity every three years, and this year has refreshed and added to existing brand assets to meet the concept of “highlighting moments that make the ultimate stage”. While established elements like the anthem, the star ball logo, the trophy and the stadium remain constant, the branding team have added new core palette colours for a fresher look, new assets to support mobile devices, a flexible colour co-branding system for commerc

Aug 21, 2018
5 min

A soft power look a behavioural economics in branding

Brand managers are, in part, tasked with driving growth and converting consumers, and they want something impressive they can show off. But in reality it's very difficult to convert someone. Change is hard, and big stunts often feel forced and alienating. In truth, it’s the little things that count. Strategies based on behavioural economics - the science of how and why customers purchase when they do - go far. From Bernays to béarnaise Branding and behavioural economics are o

Aug 15, 2018
1 min

Guinness: A Softer Power Star

While we’ve recently focused on soft power successes from new FMCG brands, it’s important not to forget the established players. For us, Guinness is a prime example. Their overarching ‘Made of more’ banner celebrates their belief that what you get out of life reflects what you put in. Launched in 2012, the campaign has seen Guinness create a variety of market-specific narratives that convey the core message while tapping into local appeal. From spots for four nations ahead of

Jul 24, 2018
7 min

The soft power of technology: Why machines can't work without the human touch

“I’m sorry Dave, I’m afraid I can’t do that.” The cold, monotone delivery of HAL9000 in the Kubrick classic, 2001: A Space Odyssey is terrifying because it taps into a very real fear for both the technophobic and technophilic. Computers, robots and AI are unfeeling; they don’t care about us weak, emotional humans. If they decide to turn, they will do so without mercy. It’s why the robo-Judas is such a classic sci-fi trope. These days it’s not so sci-fi any more. Robots are a

Jul 16, 2018
1 min

Oatly: A Soft Power Star

Here in the UK, the milk alternatives sector is set to grow by 43% in the next four years. Oat milk brand Oatly has been described by Vice as ‘America’s trendiest plant milk’, and they’ve seen ‘exceptional growth in demand’ in the UK too. Clearly its flavour and nutritional benefits have a part to play, but Oatly’s soft power approach to branding is making them stand out too. Four years ago, they began the shift from a manufacturer to a lifestyle brand: cue packaging with ver

Jul 10, 2018
3 min

The big wins and brand own goals at the 2018 World Cup

With the World Cup such a significant event in the sporting calendar, it’s unsurprising that so many brands have used the tournament in their marketing efforts. Official FIFA partner brands paid £100m for the privilege, while others teamed up with a media partner, sponsored a nation, or simply adopted a football-centric approach for the duration of the tournament. The World Cup boasts a predicted cumulative global live audience of 10.8 billion: no wonder that football-based a

May 2, 2018
3 min

Soft Power Classic: How we helped Pizza Express Live from creative concept to High Street hotspot

When Pizza Express came to us with a bright idea to turn their basements back into boutique entertainment venues, we jumped at the chance. What followed was a soft power showcase of clever creativity, strategic foresight and neon Soho nights. High Street Horrorshow After a decade of rapid growth, the UK casual dining sector is under threat. In the past twelve months Byron, Strada, Polpo, Jamie’s Italian and Prezzo have all hit the headlines for shutting stores, restructuring

Apr 4, 2018
6 min

“Soft power can take you all the way” - global strategist Giles Jepson on legacy FMCG brands

Today, legacy brands in FMCG are facing a dramatic escalation in the pace of business, technology and change. With the 2008 financial crisis making a renewed virtue of thrift, the retail environment has been disrupted by the rise and rise of deep discounters like Aldi and Lidl. Purpose-driven startup brands have not only challenged incumbent brands but positioned themselves to become brand leaders in their own right. Strategic innovation has introduced new direct-to-consumer

Jan 23, 2018
3 min

Soft Power for brand: What does it mean and why does it matter?

In an age of zero-based budgeting, savvy consumers and fierce competition, winning market share through brand design has never been more important. Or challenging. Soft power is the answer: a fast, lean, effective alternative to building new brands – helping businesses make the most of their existing brand equity to grow their sales. So what does it look like in practice? What is soft power? At its heart, soft power is an approach to problem-solving. Coined by Harvard politic

Nov 29, 2017
3 min

The Brexit effect: What are the challenges for FMCG in 2018, and how will soft power play its part?

On 29 March, 2019, Britain will leave the EU. Whether that’s a hard Brexit, a no-deal Brexit, or the increasingly unlikely ‘soft Brexit’ remains to be seen. In the worst case scenario, the Treasury predicts unemployment to rise by 820,000, sterling to fall by 15% in value, and inflation to rise by 2.7% by 2021. Prices are likely to rise, particularly in FMCG. In fact, Market Inspector predicts food and drink manufacturers will have to raise prices by 20% to compensate for inf

Nov 16, 2017
1 min

Ginerosity: A Soft Power Star

Gin, with its recent ‘Ginaissance’, is the de facto category for new entrants in the alcohol category with brand after brand appearing to add to the seemingly never-ending available selection for consumers. Until recently Seedlip has been the poster child for differentiation due to the non-alcoholic nature of its botanicals and rightly so but here at Rare, we recently came across Ginerosity, a gin with a cause, and in our eyes a worthy competitor to the crown. What particular

Nov 14, 2017
5 min

Soft Power stars: 5 food and drink brands that are doing it right

Step into any supermarket, and you’ll find yourself faced with a bewildering amount of choice - even if you’re just after a simple packet of dried pasta. What do you choose? The supermarket’s own brand, a traditional heritage brand or a new player? Fusilli, penne or conchiglie? Regular or wholewheat? Durum wheat, gluten-free, or crafted from chickpeas or lentils? Brands have two fundamental ways to stands out. Either leverage hard power i.e focus on new product development, d

Sep 5, 2017
4 min

Roast turkey brand power (and what you can learn from it)

When did you last eat roast turkey? My guess is on the 25th December last year, and that you won’t do again until Christmas next. Love it or hate it, our feathery, cluck-ugly friends have the seasonal roast market sewn up, in the UK and US at least. As marketers, we should take note. Tradition can act as a uniquely powerful driver for B2C product sales when they create and own a moment for themselves. Turkeys fly off the shelf when Christmas comes around. We drink orange juic

Aug 7, 2017
5 min

How tech thinking can inspire brand innovation

What sort of economy do we live in? Industrial? Post-industrial? Service? Experience? Or, as MIT’s Uri Sarid suggests, do we live in a coherence economy? Coherence economies are defined by hyper-specialised people and technology, an increasing blend of digital and physical experience, and the ability to control almost everything in our built environments. Elements of our lives are still designed and provided by specialists, but they’re cross-compatible: they work together to

Jun 1, 2017
5 min

Feel Everything: How SKYN leapfrogged the competition with disruptive soft power thinking

How do you compete against brands with wider market share and deeper pockets? For Jeyan Heper, President of Ansell Sexual Wellness, producers of SKYN, the answer is not to outspend, but to outwit. We spoke to Jeyan at the Millennial 20/20 conference in London about the importance of insight, ice cream and soft power-thinking to leapfrog competitors. Rare Design (RD): Jeyan, what was the challenge SKYN faced before the Feel Everything campaign? Jeyan Heper, SKYN: The first ch