British Gas logo placement – a cunning marketing move or a happy mistake?

British Gas has actively promoted the London Olympics 2012. More specifically, it took on swimming as its pet project. Sponsorship for Olympic athletes usually helps both the Olympian and the company sponsoring them. The Olympian gets money to train and live, and the sponsor gains valuable exposure.

To keep up with times, British Gas also hired CHI and Partners for a new brand identity. Its logo, which has been used for since 1995, has been spiced up.

The flame from the previous logo has been replaced with a more abstract shape that is in part green.

Its current logo made (advertising) history. British Gas sponsors bronze medal-winning UK diver Tom Daley. However, the company’s logo was rather “strategically” placed on Daley’s sports outfit, as you can see on the picture.

British Gas was criticized for the “pretty awkward placement”of its logo. But let’s face it; there are not that many places where you can put your sponsor logo on this little blue number!

Personally, I think that the placing of the log is brilliant– once seen, you will never forget it! How many Olympics 2012 sponsor logos on athletes‘ outfits can you remember?

It did not harm 18-year-old Daley either – he is looking into ways how to cash in on his celebrety status. 

So let’s face it – even if it was a mistake, it has given both British Gas and Daley a nice PR boost!

Is Better Place Going The Solyndra Way?

It was officially announced that Better Place founder Shai Agassi has quit the board of Better Place, following his departure as chief executive last week.

This move triggers major concerns that Better Place would not be able to make it. According to the Guardian, Mr. Agassi left Better Place following his replacement by Mr. Evan Thornley as the CEO of the company. Thornley preciously ran Better Place in Australia.

According to insiders, Better Place is planning to lay off half its staff in order to battle its cash-flow problem.
Better Place has stations installed in the USA, Israel and Australia. The company was also planning to build an infrastructure in Denmark. Better Place reportedly secured a €50 million loan from the European Investment Bank in August 2012.

Due to its collaboration with the Renault-Nissan Alliance, Better Place operates stations in Israel with Renault Fluence Z.E models. Owners of these cars are able to change deplete batteries in their cars for fully charged ones. This reduces the process to a few minutes, which would be closer to the time it takes to refuel a petrol car.

But will it enough? Or will it go down the Solyndra way?

Knab, the Latest Banking Initiative

Knab, (which is “bank” reading backwards) is the latest bank initiative by Alex investor bank founder Mr.  René Frijters and the Aegon conglomerate. 

Labeled “the bank of the future”, is in an online bank where a bank account + bank card will cost the customer €15 monthly.

The customer will have access to a digital dashboard that allows insight into all his payments, pension & saving funds and assets.  The customer will also have access to various digital aids, including a “red line application” that automatically transfers money from a saving fund to a current account in case of a pending deficit. The customer therefore avoid penalties. 

The customer will pay 1% up to a maximum of €2,000 annually for asset management.  Knab does not employ any sale advisers; a group of selected asset mangers have access to a podium on the kanb website, but are removed if their validation by customers is below par. The validation is shown in stars behind their name.

Knab piggyback rides on the new bank permission granted to Aegon. The name Knab has the K in front, which stands for Klant (customer). This is for sure nice marketing and branding, but does not hide the fact that Knab aims at customers that earn twice the average salary and want to manage their financial future themselves. Not exactly your average Joe. 

Knab wants to break-even in five years with a customer base of 100,000 customers. Frijters is hopeful to gain 250, 000 customers by that time.

 Will Knab succeed or go down the Icesave path? Time will tell...