Brands case studies

Featured articles:
Anadin – Berghaus – Black & Decker – Cobra beer – Domestos – Dr Martens – Fairy – Galaxy – Highland Spring – Imperial Leather – Innocent – Irn-Bru – JCB – LEGO – LURPAK – Macallan whisky – Mr Kipling – Nokia – Pimm's – Radox – Ribena – Smirnoff vodka

Anadin – the experts in pain since 1932

A history of innovative product launches has maintained Anadin’s position as a leading pain killer. Anadin has the only product range in the UK that covers the three principal analgesics: paracetamol, ibuprofen and aspirin. Anadin understands that most people have hectic lifestyles and don’t want to be interrupted by pain and has built on years of expertise to create a range of effective and trusted products, designed to let people get on with their lives. Click here for the full story.
[Date of Superbrands study: 2007/8]

Berghaus – scaling the heights of outdoor performance wear

Founded in 1966, the Berghaus brand is synonymous with adventure and innovation. Throughout the last four decades the company has equipped and supported expeditions to the most demanding environments on the planet. Whether scaling the rock faces, skiing off piste in deep powder, mountain biking or strolling through the countryside, Berghaus has clothing, footwear, rucsacs and accessories for a range of outdoor activities. Click here for the full story.
[Date of Superbrands study: 2007/8]

Black & Decker – powerful solutions in more than 100 countries worldwide

Black & Decker created the world’s first portable electric drill for consumers, effectively creating what is now known as the DIY market. Established in 1910, they also created the world’s first cordless outdoor product, a hedge trimmer. Products now range from power tools to automotive tools and include the Workmate, garden tools such as Strimmer and vacuum cleaners such as Dustbuster. Recent trends suggest that, as DIY tasks become less cosmetic and more like renovations, new growth will be generated in the market. Click here for the full story.
[Date of Superbrands study: 2007/8]

Cobra beer – a personal dream to an award-winning product

Cobra Beer was the brainchild of Karan Bilimoria who rejected lucrative job offers, took on a £20,000 student debt and decided to brew the finest Indian beer in the country. The unique Indian recipe established Cobra in a crowded marketplace with variants to suit different tastes – "Cobra 0.0%" (alcohol free), "Cobra Lower Cal" and "King Cobra" (8% ABV), the world’s first double fermented lager. In an innovative move, Cobra launched “Cobravision”, a short film competition complementing its sponsorship of television movies that gave aspiring filmmakers the opportunity to show their creations in commercial breaks. Success in the UK has been the springboard for global success, with offices in four continents, breweries in five countries and exporting to 40. Click here for the full story.
[Date of Superbrands study: 2006/7].

Domestos – a brand built on educating the public

Domestos bleach was first produced in a Newcastle workshop in 1929 and sold by door-to-door salesmen in refillable stoneware jars. In the 1950s it introduced pioneering public awareness campaigns to educate consumers in the prevention of typhoid, dysentery, gastro-enteritis and other illnesses. When Domestos Ltd was acquired by Lever Brothers (1961), the brand’s reputation for concern for public health came with it and remains today. Domestos continues to protect homes from germs with products such as Domestos Bleach Cleaning Spray (2004), Domestos Sink & Pipe Unblocker and Domestos 5x, which works five tines longer than any other toilet cleaner.

Dr Martens – how a work boot became a fashion icon

Nearly half a century ago Dr Martens developed a comfortable boot for British workers, an inauspicious start for a fashion icon that became a symbol of rebellion and self-expression, with wearers personalising their footwear in order to say something about themselves. Strongly associated with youth culture and links with the music scene, celebrities were seen wearing “Docs”, something never funded by the brand. Now Dr Martens has evolved into mainstream footwear, making its heritage of individual self-expression to today’s society. Click here for the full story.
[Date of Superbrands study: 2006/7]

Fairy – clean performance for over 100 years

The Fairy name first appeared in 1898 on a bar of soap. More than 100 years later, it offers a range of products based on the principles of cleaning ability and a caring nature. When Fairy introduced a dishwashing liquid in the 1950s to a public who used to powders or crystals, it achieved dramatic success. Since then other products have followed, including Fairy Liquid with antibacterial agents (1997) and Fairy Powerspray (2003), offsetting a decline in “sink” washing due to the increased use of dishwashers. Fairy joined the dishwasher market with its all in one "no need to unwrap" Fairy Active Bursts (2006). Click here for the full story.
[Date of Superbrands study: 2007/8].

Galaxy – chocolate indulgence since 1960

Everything about Galaxy chocolate, from the taste, to the shape, to the packaging, is designed to make indulging in a Galaxy moment as pleasurable as possible. Galaxy offers three main smooth and creamy milk chocolate products: Galaxy block chocolate; Minstrels, bite size pieces of Galaxy encased in crispy shells; and the Ripple bar, with a rippled centre. Brand extensions include ice cream and seasonal Christmas and Easter egg variants, as well as a range of drinks including Galaxy chocolate flavoured milk, Galaxy Thick Shake and Galaxy Instant Hot Chocolate Drink. Click here for the full story.
[Date of Superbrands study: 2007/8]

Highland Spring – a sparkling leader since 1979

Bottled water is now the second most popular soft drink in the UK, attracting consumers at a faster rate than any other soft drink with nearly 60 per cent of the adult population now drinking it. Highland Spring is the UK’s leading producer and exports to over 50 countries worldwide. Being an iconic Scottish brand, the water is drawn from an underground spring water source in the beautiful Ochil Hills in Perthshire. As guardians of the land, Highland Spring goes to great lengths to protect its source, ensuring the water is the purest it can be. Click here for the full story.
[Date of Superbrands study: 2007/8]

Imperial Leather – one of life's little luxuries since the 1930s

Cussons Imperial Leather is a leading quality washing and bathing product aimed at families, understanding that luxurious washing experiences are not just for women but the whole family – every day and at an affordable price. In 1998, Imperial Leather launched the innovative ‘Foamburst’ shower product range; the first shower gel in a can that dispenses as a gel and transforms into a mass of luxuriously rich, creamy lather. Imperial Leather can be found in countries as diverse as China, Australia, Nigeria, Greece and Indonesia. Click here for the full story.
[Date of Superbrands study: 2007/8]

Innocent – a pure approach to branding

The simplicity of Innocent’s original proposition is characteristic of every aspect of the company. Starting with just three people and a plan to “crush fruit into a small bottle to sell”, Innocent has become the number one smoothie brand in the country. The product itself is pure, simple and 100% natural and these are the product priorities. Innocent’s vision goes beyond the product though. Every stage of development is measured for environmental impact (it was the first smoothie company to use a biodegradable bottle), surplus stock is given away to the homeless, ingredients are ethically sourced and 10% of their annual profit is given to the Innocent Foundation – a charity working in countries from which the fruit is sourced. Click here for the full story.
[Date of Superbrands study: 2006/7]

Irn-Bru – adapting the marketing not the brand

Irn-Bru (“Scotland’s other national drink”) has been around for over 100 years. It is a unique drink and very nostalgic for many Scots. However, a brand with such a strong heritage can lose contemporary relevance and doesn’t "translate" well elsewhere. In order to adopt the right personality for Irn-Bru, researchers talked to groups of teenagers in England and Scotland to hear their thoughts and what made them laugh. This helped to develop a uniquely compelling character for the brand. By basing its marketing on genuine consumer insight and not nostalgia, Irn-Bru is now just as popular in England as it is in Scotland. Click here for the full story.
[Date of study: 2001]

JCB – revolutionising the building industry

When Joseph Cyril Bamford started his business in 1945, little did he know that his initials would become listed in the Oxford English Dictionary as an eponym for a digger. His yellow machines have become a familiar part of the landscape and are among the most recognised business-to-business brands. JCB manufactures 257 different machines, many of which have revolutionised the building industry. For example, the Loadall (1977) allowed the lifting of bricks in pallets instead of in a hod by a labourer and the Fastrac is the first and only road-legal high-speed tractor. The ‘JCB dancing diggers’ displayed their technical flexibility by performing synchronised manoeuvres to music. Click here for the full story.
[Date of Superbrands study: 2006/7].

LEGO – building on children's creativity for 75 years

Sold in more than 130 countries, LEGO, including pre-school DUPLO, leads the construction segment of the toy market. In the hands of children, the products are designed to inspire fun, creative, engaging and challenging play. Developing inventive and structured problem solving, curiosity and imagination, interpersonal skills and physical motor skills, building with LEGO bricks is about ‘learning through play’. The start of the new millennium saw the LEGO brick twice acclaimed ‘Toy of the Century’ – first by Fortune Magazine and later by the British Association of Toy Retailers. Click here for the full story.
[Date of Superbrands study: 2007/8].

LURPAK – buttering up consumers 100 years on

In a market driven by taste, health and convenience, LURPAK sits firmly at the taste end of this spectrum and is consistently voted ‘best tasting’ by consumers. Sales are predicted to decline as consumption decreases mainly due to a growing interest in health, the decline of host products (such as bread) and the increase in out-of-home eating. However, the attitude “A little bit of what you fancy does you good” is driving a return in popularity for butter and butter-blends. Click here for the full story.
[Date of Superbrands study: 2007/8].

Macallan whisky – quality that speaks for itself

For 150 years the Macallan distillery simply supplied its single malt to the blending trade and, as little as 30 years ago the brand hardly existed outside Speyside. In 1980 The Macallan single malt was launched, with annual sales immediately reaching 10,000 cases, virtually all in the UK. Since 1994, demand-led growth stands at around 15% annually. Macallan whisky can only be made at the Macallan Distillery and, because it is so dedicated to its core values of excellence, premium product presentation and its long-established, more costly production and brand innovation, it is consistently a superlative and highly desirable Scotch whisky. Click here for the full story.
[Date of study: 2004]

Mr Kipling – treating us for 40 years

Mr Kipling has retained brand leadership of its category for three decades. Its strategy is to produce the nation’s favourite cakes and the brand prides itself on consistently over-delivering when benchmarked against its competitors. Its range currently includes over 30 different lines of cake in the ‘slices’, ‘small cakes’, ‘large cakes’ and ‘pies and tarts’ sectors. The newest ‘healthier’ category is now served by Mr Kipling’s new Delightful range. Click here for the full story.
[Date of Superbrands study: 2007/8].

Nokia – global leader since 1987

Nokia devices were the first to feature coloured handsets, text messaging, integrated cameras and MP3 players as well as access to the internet. Today, Nokia continues to lead the way with its N-series range of high performance multimedia computers. Nokia is all about connecting people, with usability lying at the heart of its handset design. Product interfaces are easy to navigate, keypads are pleasant to the touch and the size and shape is comfortable and convenient – all adding to consumer experience. Click here for the full story.
[Date of Superbrands study: 2007/8].

Pimm's – quintessential British charm since 1841

Through a longstanding association with outdoor summer events such as the Henley Regatta and Royal Ascot, the gin-based drink – flavoured with a blend of fruit and herbs – encapsulates a quintessential British charm that has made it one of the UK’s most popular summer drinks. Launched in 1841, PIMM’S No.1 CUP® – the precise ingredients of which remain a closely guarded secret –was followed by the Classic PIMM’S®, now synonymous with the ‘great British summertime’. When it comes to mixing the new PIMM’S WINTER®, a brandy based liquor, the recommended mixer is warm apple juice rather than lemonade. Click here for the full story.
[Date of Superbrands study: 2007/8].

Radox – over 100 years’ experience in herbs and mineral combinations

Over the years Radox has created its bath and shower products to improve the way the consumer feels, designed to ease aches and pains, relax and de-stress, and to pamper or prepare for sleep. By 1957, the original core product, Radox Salts, was already known as a relaxing bath to be enjoyed after sport, gardening or other physical activities. In 1969, Liquid Radox was launched as an easier and more effective format to use in the bath and in 1975, with the increasing use of showers, Radox Shower was launched in its distinctive hooked pack. With its expertise in herbs and minerals, Radox was the first to develop the “proven-to-relax” formulations found in Radox Herbal Bath (2004). These days, one in four baths in the UK is a ‘Radox Bath’.

Ribena – creating drinks with real fruit juice for nearly 70 years

Ribena’s heritage of creating blackcurrant drinks is based on a unique supply chain closely linked to its brand values. Ribena uses 95% of the UK’s blackcurrant crop, most of which makes its way from bush to juice in 24 hours. Working closely with its 41 blackcurrant growers (some of whom have had a relationship with the brand for three generations), Ribena believes in sustainable and wildlife-friendly agriculture, forming a partnership with The Wildlife Trust to ensure that its farms allow wildlife to flourish.Today Ribena is sold in more than 20 countries around the world.

Smirnoff – a modern spirit made the old-fashioned way

From the time when Piotr Arseneyevich founded his distillery in Moscow, his vodka was different from that produced by other distillers due to his unique filtering process using multiple columns of charcoal. Although the Russian Revolution put paid to the business, Piotr’s son revived the brand in exile, adopting the French version of the family name – Smirnoff – and launching it in the 1930s as the perfect "blank canvas" for cocktails. Smirnoff became renowned for its surreal advertising which is now so much a part of the brand’s character, while new developments such as Smirnoff Ice® have ensured it remains relevant to a modern market. Click here for the full story.
[Date of Superbrands study: 2006/7]