News by Michael MacRitchie MGI Entertainment and W Squared Live today announced a commercial partnership in conjunction with The Phantom of the Opera’s Shanghai run from December 3rd 2013 to January 26th 2014. Acting on behalf of the production, MGI Entertainment will be responsible for business partnerships connecting major brands with unique and powerful opportunities, guaranteed to “send shivers down your spine.” …
I picked this article up from business 2 community where Michael Smith refers to the growing trend of Western Celebrities joining Chinese social media platforms. The article can be found here or just below if you keep reading. China. One of the last remaining major frontiers of social media. And there are legitimate reasons for that. Not only is there an obvious …
I picked up this article from Ad Age where Anita Chang Beattie discusses which Western celebrities are the most popular in China. The article can be found here Or if you read on below; It’s probably not a huge surprise to learn that Kobe Bryant is a top foreign celebrity among consumers in basketball-crazy China. But what about Audrey Hepburn …
An article from Red Luxury Western brands have found another way to break into the Chinese market: they are using the most influential Chinese stars to endorse their products. Labels as diverse as McDonald’s and Hugo Boss have benefited from the trend. Chinese celebrities also benefit from doing endorsements as their star power rises with the association. “In the China …
MGI Entertainment founder Michael MacRitchie is interviewed by Casey Hall from WWD (Womens Wear Daily) SHANGHAI – It’s difficult to avoid the ubiquitous smiling faces of China’s favorite celebrities.They appear on billboards, in magazines and in television commercials. In short, they are everywhere. And fashion show attendees in New York and Europe are almost certain to spot them as increasingly important front-row fixtures.As they put …
An insight by Michael MacRitchie “Branding is not only about ubiquity, visibility and functions, it is about bonding emotionally with people in their daily life. Only when a product or a service kindles an emotional dialogue with a consumer, can this product or service qualify to be a brand”- Joel Descrippes. In his book, “Marketing of Power of Emotion”, John O’ shaghnessy …
An insight by Michael MacRitchie Celebrities bring visibility, credibility and attract more media attention to public relations, advertising and marketing campaigns because of who they are. Contacting, negotiating and working with celebrities, however, can require critical research and an in-depth understanding of the consumer/brand/celebrity perspectives in order to maximise the potential celebrity partnership. Here are some tips to and also some guidelines that …
Insight by Michael MacRitchie Celebrity endorsements are not a new idea. Brands have been using this for years to set themselves apart from their competition. Big name celebrities have been able to demand crazy money to endorse products across the globe. Virgin Mobile, a challenger brand in the Australian market, stumbled across an interesting insight. The offspring of celebrities often live an innocuous …
I picked this article up from Waterfront Marketing where Sean Pickwell shares his insight into the controversial issue of ‘why entertainment can be better than sport’. The complete article can be found on Waterfront page here Or if you read on…the article is below as well; I struggled with writing this article as we have developed strategies, and partnered many big …
News by Michael MacRitchie Muhammad Ali has been revealed as the latest star of Louis Vuitton’s ‘Core Values’ campaign. Ali, who was crowned ‘Sportsman of the Century’ by Sports Illustrated in 1999, was photographed by Annie Leibovitz at his home in Arizona, watching one of his grandsons who wears a pair of boxing gloves. The tagline reads: “Some stars show you the …
Article by Andrew Howie In a world where the career of a musician can live or die by a single vote from a viewer, or the opinion of a washed up has been panellist, a new generation of performers are taking the world by storm. They are young, talented in their own right, and in control of their image and …
An insight by Michael MacRitchie Reasons why comedy is good for you. 1. Laughter boosts your immune system 2. Laughter improves your social life. 3. Laughter boosts your sex life! (yes look it up) 4. Laughter gives you a mini-work-out (ever laughed so hard it hurt?) 5. Laughter helps you lose weight! (yes look it up) We held the Emerge …
An insight by Michael MacRitchie Military strategist, Sun Tze, (pictured) said that “if you know yourself and your enemy you can fight a hundred battles and score a hundred victories”. “Business” really is the name given to the war fought by organizations and brands . Marketing strategist, Jack Trout, wrote that you should simply think of your competitors as “The …
Insight by Michael MacRitchie Sponsorship: Sponsorship offers brands/companies or advertisers a viable alternative to conventional advertising. This can take the form of a sport tournament, an event property, a music festival or a TV production or any entertainment property and can send or cement a brand message in a much subtler, long-lasting manner than a 30-sec promo spot. Sport Sponsorship: …
An insight by Michael MacRitchie I only recently watched Morgan Spurlock’s documentary, POM Wonderful Presents: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold. One of the major themes of the film is the importance of discovering your brand personality for the purpose of partnering with ‘like’ brands. In the movie, Spurlock visits a noted branding agency where they identify his primary brand attributes …
An insight by Michael MacRitchie “Sex sells”. Or so they say. But maybe that’s not quite right. Maybe this is more accurate: The mystery of sex sells. The suggestion of it. What’s the difference? Mystery and suggestion do something that showing everything can’t – they engage the imagination. Sex experts the world over will tell you that the most sensitive …
Insight by Andrew Collins I found this article up from Mailman Group website where CEO Andrew Collins makes some interesting points about brands staying relevant the article can be found here; http://www.mailmangroup.com/2011/12/watch-for-consumer-cues-to-stay-relevent/ If you keep reading it is here as well… How many brands closely watch ‘consumer cues’ to drive brand decisions? After all it’s the consumers whom actually create …
An insight by Michael MacRitchie Sponsorship is one of the fastest growing forms of marketing globally. So, why should your company be interested in sponsorship? When done well, it offers significant opportunities for ‘high impact branding’, heightened consumer engagement and a way to bring to life a brands DNA. This leads to distinct marketing and competitive advantages, as well …
News by Michael MacRitchie BEIJING — The Black Eyed Peas’ will.i.am is heading back to China in support of the Obama Administration’s 100,000 Strong initiative, designed to boost the number of American students studying in China, for a concert announced for later this year. The U.S. State Dept. said that following a meeting with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, will.i.am …
An insight by Andrew Howie China has experienced a relentless surge in consumer buying power since the 1990’s. The Chinese consumer has become wealthier and more accepting of western retail formats- with international supermarket chains, department stores and mass retailers paving the way for luxury retailers. Luxury brand companies have been investing in the China market, with Louis Vuitton, Bally, …
