Welcome

'Blog Your Brand' we hope will be your very own 'floodgate' to the world on your personal experiences of brands you love, brands you hate to love and brands you love to hate, or brands you...well...just couldn't live with... or couldn't live without!

That's the thing about real brands...one way or another they demand attention and are hard to ignore - so Blog Your Brand is the opportunity (we hope you've been waiting for) to get your brand experiences off-your-chest by sharing them with like-minded 'brandeurs' around the country, around the world.

So that's what it's about...whether it's brand facts, fiction or fantasy, we want to hear your experiences of the brands you live with and to learn more about what makes brands tick - what makes them so central to people's lives, and what that says about the way we live today.

To blog your own brand, simply click on 'comments' immediately below and give us your brand experience or observations. If they grab our attention, we promise to post your comment and maybe even prettify it with some nice images as we've done on the following brand posts.
So, keep checking in and chipping in on Blog Your Brand!

Copy Cats Vs Starbucks

Starbucks is fighting an ongoing legal battle in Asia trying to stop local coffee houses from using logos that too closely resemble the distinctive trademark of the Seattle company. But why are Asian coffee brands copying the Starbucks logo? - In Korea and China the Starbucks logo isn't very well known. Starbucks’ legal battles have not been so successful in Korea however, where a court found in favor of a local brand, against the American company. These local coffee shops are going strong and they've built their success on their coffee, not a logo. Also, Starbucks has not been able to take the majority market share in Asia. There are just too many coffee shops in Korea, Japan and China for Starbucks to compete with. It’s true, Starbucks are trying take over the world, just like any other American multi-national, but using a logo that closely resembles any company logo is digging your own grave. Especially any American companies that are as wealthy as Starbucks. When they find you, they will sue you, it’s the American way. So far, Asian copy cats haven't given up.

Scunci or The way back home

Scunci (pronounced "skunsee") is a brand I came across during my time in Ireland as an intern at Bradley McGurk. One day whilst shopping, something struck my eye... a pack of multi-coloured hair-ties from Scunci!
Okay, you may not understand my excitement at spotting these hair-ties, but as a long-haired girl I'm always looking for inspiration. Then, browsing the internet, I found this great website dedicated to hairstyle products. Believe me, I felt like I was in seventh heaven! Scunci invented the comfy scrunchie, one of the defining accessories of the 80's (not that I'm THAT old, though!). They were also the first to develop hair-ties without the metal parts (to protect hair from breaking) and a unique hairgrip that won't slip off your hair. But where can I get Scunci products? In fact, they're only available in the U.S. (where Scunci originates), Australia and now also in the UK and ROI.
So I have to buy as many products as I can before I go back to Germany? Or make expensive online orders? What a pain! With this in mind I went home for Christmas. One day - I was shopping in town - I went into a jewellery shop and found myself totally flabbergasted. Why? They sold my new favourite fashion hair accessories! So I was able to create a pony wrap without any nasty pins... and look gorgeous on New Year's Eve... But still, why does Scunci remain such an insider's secret in Europe? Come on, you're the market leaders!

Battle of the Brands

The battle of the coffee retailer brands is fascinating to watch these days! Starbucks' arrival into Ireland in recent times was meant to transform the coffee-drinking experience of us natives, weaned as we were on Bewley's and Nescafe(help!). But then the unexpected - Costa Coffee! Now that's what I call a helluva 'brand experience'. Everything from the seating outside to the window graphics to the interior furnishings to the leaflets, lighting and layout! Even to the food...and, OF COURSE, the coffee. Consistency is the by-word here...but consistency with quality... with earthy class, I say. Which all adds up to a wow cup of coffee (I mean 'Americano' of course...and make mine decaf) plus delicious baguette, wrap and/or brownie...whichever tempts you. But Costa also means costly....but, hey, a pricy latte set up to you with style in a sensational environment (read...'sense'-ational)....that's real coffee still delivering real value. Starbucks? We need more brand-bang for your starbucks, 'guys'. So, in a word..Buck-up!

H&M - I love it, I hate it, I love it

It took me a while to recognise that I am kind of addicted to H&M. I still remember when I was first introduced to H&M: my mother gave me a dark blue, velvet-looking hat saying, "I bought it at a new clothes shop. It's called Hennes&Mauritz", I was 9 years old and did not worry much about what I was wearing. Moreover, I wasn't even quite sure if I like this hat. Nevertheless,
from then on I regularly bought my clothes at H&M, first with my mum and then...on my own, of course. But why? I think it is the large range of affordable, popular, but individual clothes that made me a shopping victim and the Scandinavian retailer a world brand. I know it sounds incredible, but there is rarely a day on which I don't wear something from H&M.
On the other hand, I sometimes hate this brand as well, for example, if I fall in love with a fancy t-shirt in one of the shops, I often notice that it is dirty or damaged and so grab for another one - same pattern, same size - and have to admit that it doesn't quite have the same fit. Then I start getting angry about the lack of quality in cheap clothes...If additionally there is a queue at the changing rooms starting outside the shop's doors I usually feel like I'm living in hell on earth!
But still I am always delighted to see a H&M store wherever I go, asking myself, what I would do without it?

Goodness Gracious Guinness

At last! A blog site for all because we all live with brands! And what better and original brand than "Guinness". Anywhere in the world, Guinness means one thing: 'Ireland'. A 'pint of the black stuff' - just the very idea of it - brings a smile to everyone's face and an emotional (sometimes imaginary) connection with 'roots back home'. But what's been happening recently to our very own Guinness brand?

There's talk that they're taking production out of Ireland. That the essence of Guinness will be made elsewhere. Will it be Irish then? What will that do to our brand (yes, our brand)? What will that do to our 'Ireland' brand, by virtue of association? Concerning times indeed! Who owns the brand? And who runs the brand? And where from these days? With talk of selling up plant and property at St James's Gate on the cards, what will this do to our grá for the Guinness?

Post-note: have you been to the Guinness Hopstore recently? Try getting in there for a browse around, for a bite, or for ...yes, you've guessed it ... a simple 'pint of plain' ...without 'having to' take the guided tour - which of course comes with a price-tag. Goodness... what's happening to Guinness!

Ryanair - not all bad!

Whilst it might be quite a controversial choice - the brand that I admire is Ryanair. Traveling with the airline has never been an outstanding experience, I can't say it's ever even been that comfortable of an experience, but I think the company's commitment to 'living the brand' is admirable.
Ryanair's brand centres around its low-cost carrier image and so the idea of low-cost is at the very centre of their strategic business plan. Alongside living the brand I think Ryanair should be admired as a company who have opened up travel opportunities for passengers with budgetary constraints - be it the budget backpacker loaded down with their lonely planet "Europe on a Shoestring" in my case or some of our thousands of immigrants wanting to make regular trips home.

Michael O'Leary dons the NI Football shirt and tackles CEO Brian Ambrose of Belfast City Airport at the launch of its 23rd European Base.