Facebook introduced the ‘like’ button in April 2010. A button that you can now find virtually everywhere on the internet and that you click to show your friends that you like, enjoy or support certain content. This brings more attention to interesting content among the people you are linked to. The more likes this content gets, the better this information spreads over the world wide web. 
“Spread the Word”
16 May 2012
“A No-brainer”
10 May 2012
During times of economic downturn, when budgets are tight, companies are forced to cut costs and maximize profits. The marketing and communication budget is often one of the first to be reduced. Of course it’s a no-brainer that it’s foolish to cut the communication budget during a recession and merely focus on short-term results. This leads to ad hoc and action-based campaigns. And yet often we aren’t able to convince executives or clients that they should keep investing in brand communication, now more than ever. Especially when their ambitions remain the same.
“Coolest Job in the World”
20 January 2012
In the Netherlands we have now involved ourselves with ‘online’ for some 15 years. It has been the biggest development in the media landscape since the invention of television. What started with hobbyists creating HTML pages, has become a versatile industry. Segments that arose over time – such as search, gaming and mobile internet – are now markets in themselves. And just when the developments in our industry seem to crystallize, new businesses appear specializing in segments such as yield management, augmented reality or social hub-influence.
“Making sense”
8 December 2011
Thanks to my Philips Wake-up Light I wake up energized every morning, despite this gloomy winter weather. The enthusiastic stories I was hearing led me to buy this Philips product. And apparently, this is no coincidence. Philips evaluates new products by their promotional value and uses a communication strategy based on the principle of likeability. The stimulation of word of mouth using online media is central to this strategy. With an appealing product and striking communication, Philips encourages people to talk about the brand. This creates positive energy around the brand and choices are affected.
“The Perfect Marriage”
22 September 2011
I am frequently amazed that discussions regarding the use of digital media aren’t conducted at brand strategic level. As a strong supporter of the brand, I think wonderful opportunities are being missed here. It is typical of current practice that the Internet is still seen as one of the media in the mix and is often used as an extension of the TV commercial.
Brand Programming by HEMA
21 July 2011
Recently one of Holland’s biggest retailers presented their marcom strategy at the digital marketing event ‘Digital willen we allemaal 2011′. Saskia Bax of HEMA used two Brand Programming-models to show how different strategies, objectives and measurements are used for paid and earned media campaigns. The presentation can be found here (PDF – in Dutch). Brand Programming presentations can be found here.
“The Long Haul”
18 July 2011
Good communication can have large effects. We all know that. Every year, proven successful campaigns are awarded Effies. These campaigns have shown to have gloriously achieved the stated objectives. The focus lying mainly on the realized positive effects on sales and realized sale results. In most cases this effect became apparent within a year.
Utilities & brand building
1 July 2011
Sander van Meurs’ thesis about the role of brand utilities on building strong and sustainable brands.
From February till June Sander 
van Meurs followed an internship at Lab1111 and wrote a thesis about the role of brand utilities on building strong and sustainable brands. Because we believe in long-term relationships between brands and consumers, we thought it could be an interesting thesis for Sander and us as well. He wrote his thesis with great dedication and we would like to share the summary with you fellows. It’s partially based on the Brandprogramming communication models, supplemented with theory and insights from interviews with experts and brand owners like Philips, Heineken, Vodafone, and UPC.
As a strategic instrument brand utilities can contribute to improve the consumers brand preference, brand perception, loyalty and conversion. Thanks to an owned media platform the reach of the brand utility grows organic and can be boosted by paid and earned media. A higher use frequency of the brand utility showed in research substantial positive effects on all mentioned brand effects. Want to know more?
Download the summery of the thesis here and share your reactions.
“Attention must be earned”
23 June 2011
There are three ways to market products and services. We have almost everything, buy little we really need, and bad products and services are as good as gone. So marketing expert Seth Godin named ‘experience’ as first strategy. You’re in Disney land and buy a t-shirt. Not because you need it, but because when you put on the t-shirt back home, it brings you back.
Jeroen de Bakker is a media entrepreneur and co-founder of Lab 1111 and BrandWebbing. He is an adviser and publisher in the field of brands, media & technology. Jeroen lectures at Brand Management, the Academy for Management, University Groningen and at the European Institute for Brand Management about digital branding and media-innovation.
Mary Hoogerbrugge is a brand-driven strategist and co-founder of 'De Positioneerders'. She is board member of SWOCC and lectures at Brand Management, the Academy for Management, University Groningen about branding, brand research and integrating on- and offline communications. She was executive strategy director at FHV BBDO.
