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Interview with Chris Gilliland, Vancouver Airport Authority

Below is my interview with Chris Gilliland from the Vancouver Airport Authority. Chris gives his point of view on the success of the Coca-Cola Official Olympic Pin Trading Center operated inside the airport during the Olympic Winter Games.  All the pins sold at the Pin Trading Center were official licensed merchandise and were made with recycled metal.

Coca-Cola opened the pin trading center as part of its brand licensing program for the Vancouver Olympic Winter Games.

 

Watch the last minutes of Canada vs USA Gold Medal Hockey Game

Pete captured the last couple minutes of the Canada vs USA gold medal hockey game at the Coca-Cola Official Pin Trading Center inside the CTV atrium in downtown Vancouver.  Hear as the anxiety builds as the USA team tries to score and the jubilation as Crosby scores the winning goal. 

Coca-Cola opened the pin trading center as part of its brand licensing program for the Vancouver Olympic Winter Games.

 

Canada Plays for Gold in Men's Hockey

In early January I was in Vancouver preparing for the upcoming Olympic Games.  At the time, I had heard there was a big hockey game being played between Canada and the USA.  As a proud American I wanted to watch the game and cheer on my fellow countrymen.  I found out from an American friend living in Vancouver that she would be watching the game at a nearby pub with a group of Canadians.  She invited me to join her.  I arrived half way through the second period. The place was packed with the game being televised on every screen.  No one was talking - everyone was fixated on the game. The USA team was winning.  Not sure, I asked my friend what level of teams was playing.  She told me the national junior teams were playing for the world championship.  Dumbfounded, I remarked, "The whole country of Canada is watching their national junior team play?" not really believing this could be possible.  After all, these were high school and college-age kids that were causing the country to come to a standstill.  I don't even think the game was broadcast in the United States.  At least no one I knew was watching.  The USA team ended up winning the game in overtime, the first time in six years.  The crowd in the pub hung their heads.  They couldn't believe Canada had lost.  Everyone talked about the loss the next day.  It was at this moment that I began to understand what hockey means to the country of Canada.  For Canadians, hockey embodies their national identity.  They invented the game.  They are not supposed to lose to any other country, especially on their own turf.

I returned to Vancouver in early February to help Coca-Cola with the Olympic Winter Games.  Since arriving I have asked many Canadians what their personal wish was for the Games.  Nearly everyone I spoke with told me how important it was for Canada to win gold in men's hockey.  Canada could win a record number of gold medals (which they already have done with 13), but if they didn't win in hockey the Games would be deemed a failure.  I told one taxi driver whom I had posed this question to that I thought I understood what winning gold in hockey meant to Canada.  You see I am a Naval Academy graduate. We have a game with similar stakes.  Navy faces Army each year in football.  It is arguably the greatest rivalry in all of college sports.  Navy can win every game in its season, but if it doesn't beat Army the season is considered a failure.  Similarly, the season is considered a success as long as Navy beats Army.  For Army, the game holds the same significance.

On Sunday Canada will play the USA for the gold medal in men's hockey.  In their previous meeting earlier in Vancouver, Canada lost to the United States by a score of 5-3.  The country was practically in mourning.  The loss forced Canada to play an extra game against Germany to stay in the tournament. Despite a slow start against Germany, Canada caught their stride in the second period and never looked back.  Canadians breathed a sigh of relief.  The next day, Canada had to face Russia in the quarter finals, a team they hadn't beaten in Olympic hockey in 50 years.  Many people expected Canada to be playing Russia for the gold medal.  Instead they were meeting in the quarter finals with the loser going home.  The country was anxious but hopeful.  They knew their team had the talent to win.  The Canadians decided to play with a lot of physicality and work to contain Russia's superstar, Alexander Ovechkin.  The plan worked like a charm and Canada ended up crushing Russia 7-3.  Earlier that day Canada had won four medals including gold and silver for the first time ever in the same event (women's two-man bobsleigh).  While the Globe and Mail, Canada's national paper, covered the medals won the next day on the front page, the rest of the front page and almost the entire sports section was dedicated to the win over Russia - despite the fact the win did not result in a medal for Canada.  After the win, Canadians had a swagger in their step.  Their team was back.  And, yes, they were happy their country was also winning medals.

While Canada continues to rack up a record number of gold medals at this Olympics - currently at 13 - they will not be satisfied unless they take one more in a win against the Americans Sunday in hockey.  For team USA, this has been a tremendous Olympics with 36 total medals.  Sunday the USA will win their 37^th when they play Canada, the most ever for any country in a Winter Olympics.  While every American wants the USA to take home the gold in hockey we will not be devastated if our team doesn't win.  As the youngest team in the tournament at 26.5 years of age, they have already exceeded everyone's expectations. Gold would be icing on the cake.

Canada, you are a great nation and a great friend to America. Congratulations on an outstanding job hosting the world at the Vancouver Olympic Winter Games.  Sunday your men's hockey team plays the USA for the gold medal.  I know how important this game is to you.  So best of luck and know you can hold your head up high regardless of the outcome.

Global TV Discovers Pin Trading at the Coke Pin Trading Center

Global TV's Ted Field discovers pin trading at the Coca-Cola Official Pin Trading Center at The Olympic Superstore in The Bay downtown.  Ted finds he can create a photo pin of himself while there.  It's one of a kind!

Pin Trading is part of Coke's brand licensing strategy for the Olympic Games. All pins were made with recycled material and a contribution went to the World Wildlife Fund.

http://news.globaltv.com/beyondthepodium/video/index.html?releasePID=W6HbWuuLAkk2AR_XXnjnaQMnljWP3HQI

Canada Finally Captures Gold at Home

On Sunday evening Alex Bilodeau captured gold for Canada in the men's moguls.  It was the first time a Canadian had won a gold medal in the country of Canada.  When I had learned a couple months back that Canada had never won gold in Canada, it came as a bit of a shock to me.  I couldn't imagine the USA having hosted its first two Olympics and not having won a gold medal. It seemed equally as unimaginable for Canada which has many fine athletes, especially in winter sports. 

After watching Bilodeau win and then be interviewed with his family, I was moved by the significance of what had happened.  I wanted to find out first-hand what Canadians felt about the win.  As I was going to be walking throughout Vancouver most of Monday I decided I would poll people as I passed them by.  I was immediately impressed that everyone knew about the win.  If I asked a similar question in the States, I might find that more than half my audience didn't even know what I was referring to.  A middle-aged guy named, Dave, expressed how proud he was of Canada and how he hoped the gold won by Bilodeau would not only take a bit of the pressure off his fellow teammates but also inspire them to overachieve.  Jill, a woman in her early 40s, conveyed how much she loved the story of how Alex Bilodeau's brother, Frederic, who suffers from cerebral palsy, inspired him to be his best.  I met Joanne at the Coke Pin Trading Center; she was in her 20s.  Joanne told me she originally thought that Bilodeau's win was Canada's first gold of the Vancouver Games and how excited she was.  When she learned that this was the first ever gold at home, she shared how her eyes had welled up from the significance of the achievement.  Towards the evening I bumped into Tara, who was in her teens.  When I asked her what the gold meant she retorted, "It's about time," as if she was a bit embarrassed that her country couldn't get the job done or was making her look bad.

When I sat down to dinner with my friend, Brad, and his family last night, I thought I had a pretty good idea of what the gold medal meant to Canada.  Most were proud; many were pleased; a few were even relieved.  Then I witnessed something truly enlightening.   We were getting ready to order our dinner when the medals ceremony for the men's moguls came on the many TVs mounted throughout the restaurant. Immediately the entire crowd in the restaurant got quiet.  This was remarkable by itself as Earl's is a large restaurant with a long rectangular bar and plenty of seating.  There must have been close to one hundred people dining or drinking.  As Bilodeau stepped onto the center of the medals platform to receive his gold medal the crowd cheered.  Bilodeau was flanked to his right by Dale Begg-Smith of Australia who won the silver medal and by Bryon Wilson of the USA at his left who had taken the bronze.  The Canadians politely cheered for both Begg-Smith and Wilson as the medals were draped over their heads.  Then it was Bilodeau's turn.  He pumped his fists and acknowledged the crowd standing before him.  As the gold medal was placed over Bilodeau's head the entire restaurant erupted.  What an incredible rush of emotion!  Everyone got quiet as the Canadian national anthem began to play.  It was then that I began to fully realize what this gold medal truly meant to the country of Canada.  En mass the patrons in the restaurant got up and began to sing O Canada. Even Brad's daughters who are 18, 11 and 8 joined in.  I could hear their small voices singing proudly.  While the anthem played, I looked around at the faces in the crowd.  They were so proud to be Canadian, so joyous in their triumph.  I then realized, Canadians really couldn't tell me what this first gold medal at home meant to them, but they certainly could show me.

Vancouver Opens the Olympic Winter Games

I watched the Opening Ceremonies at a gathering with some Canadian friends last night.  My friend, Rory, has a condo on the 20th floor of a high rise that overlooks False Creek, Canada Hockey Place and BC Place Stadium - site of the Opening Ceremonies.  The view was spectacular of the skyline and it was fascinating to watch the TV and then actually view the locations being referenced.

The Canadians were extremely proud of their country as we watched the performance.  Still, we couldn't help but have conflicting emotions as we thought of the senseless and tragic death of the Georgian luge athlete who lost his life earlier in the day.  We all commented that we were pleased to see Jacque Rogge address the crowd and offer up a moment of silence.  My friends were also glad to see that the aboriginal people of Canada were embraced by VANOC and that the Four Host First Nations played an important part in the Olympic experience.  They wondered if America would ever treat its aboriginal people in the same way. 

Throughout the night we jumped from NBC (broadcast out of Seattle) and CTV to see how the American and Canadian commentators viewed the performance.  They were keenly interested in how America perceived Vancouver. They also made a point to let me know that Canada had a much more laid back attitude about things.  It was fascinating for me to watch and observe their reactions. 

The show was spectacular until it got to the lighting of the indoor cauldron and everyone held their collective breath hoping whatever was keeping the pillars from rising would let loose its grip.  Then it did for three but not the fourth.  The Canadians wondered if the world would judge them harshly.  Finally Gretsky carried the Olympic flame into downtown Vancouver and lit the outdoor cauldron.  The fireworks went off illuminating the skyline in majestic fashion. The Opening Ceremonies were over and we could finally hit the streets for some night life. 

As is customary in Vancouver, the rain was coming down hard with puddles everywhere.  Yet, no one seemed to notice.  We hit the bars and restaurants in Yaletown. The streets were packed and the place was abuzz with chatter and celebration.  Lots of Canadians were walking around with maple leafs painted in red and white on their faces cheering and chanting.  You could feel the energy.  After the fourth attempt we finally found a place where we could grab a drink and a bite without too long of a wait.  Everyone in the restaurant was drinking up the festivities.

Looks like the Games are off to an excellent start. 

 

 

Pete Canalichio Announces the Coca-Cola Official Pin of the Day

Pete played the role of emcee at the Official Coca-Cola Olympic Pin Trading Center during the Games in Vancouver.  Watch Pete unveil Coke's Official Pin of the Day.  A Pin of Day was unveiled each day of the Olympic Games and was a puzzle piece that formed the shape of the Coca-Cola contour bottle. Each pin was part of a collection of official Coca-Cola VANOC licensed merchandise and was made from recycled metal.  Proceeds from the pins went to help preserve the Polar Bear through the World Wildlife Fund.

Coca-Cola opened the pin trading center as part of its brand licensing program for the Vancouver Olympic Winter Games.

 

Interview with Mary Remoue, The Olympic Superstore

Mary Remoue is responsible for all sales within the Official Olympic Superstore at The Bay in downtown Vancouver.  Listen to what she has to say about their plans and her goals for the Games.  The Coca-Cola Pin Trading Center was located within the Olympic Superstore.

Coca-Cola opened the pin trading center as part of its brand licensing program for the Vancouver Olympic Winter Games.

 

Five strategies to increase the value of your brand

An increase in brand value can help drive revenue growth through higher consumer demand, improve gross margin by commanding a premium on prices and reduce business costs through improved supplier agreements. One method of valuing a brand is to take the market value of a company (total shares of stock outstanding multiplied by the company stock price) and subtract the value of its assets (found on the balance sheet). Using this methodology, Coca-Cola ranks as one of the world’s most valuable brands. Consumers choose Coca-Cola billions of times per day because of its authenticity, refreshment, originality, consistency and taste. The more The Coca-Cola Company can improve consumer demand for its brands, the more consumers will consume their products. For Coca-Cola, more consumption translates into more revenue and more profit.

So here are my five strategies to improve your brand:

• Improve your understanding of what your brand means. Taking our first example, there are a variety of reasons why people choose to drink Coke. Many people drink Coke because of the way they are perceived by others. It has a certain “coolness” factor. Others drink Coke because they know they will gain social acceptance. Some drink Coke for the increase in energy it gives them. Still others drink Coke for its refreshment and great taste. By keeping abreast of how consumers perceive their brands, Coke continuously meets their consumers’ expectations. This enables the Coca-Cola brand to maintain tremendous brand value.
• Innovate your products to meet your consumers’ unknown needs. When Nintendo launched the Wii, they revolutionized the way people play video games. Nintendo created a product consumers hadn’t even dreamt of. In so doing, Nintendo not only delighted avid video game players they also converted millions who never played video games into Wii players. With games like Wii Sport and Wii Fit that enhance both skills and fitness, Nintendo eliminated the inactive aspect of video games – one of its biggest negative perceptions – and, in turn, permitted consumers hours of guiltless entertainment. Talk about a brand value builder!
• Stay solution focused. Product engineers and marketers are notorious for creating all kinds of new features for existing products. If the features, however, don’t provide a specific benefit that the consumer needs, or are not intuitive, those features may end up hurting the brand. Remember how hard it used to be to program a VCR? Conversely, a feature that meets a need can provide tremendous value to a brand. When the makers of Sharpie finally developed a retractable Sharpie (the feature) that could be operated with one hand and not dry out (the benefits), they delighted millions of brand loyalists enhancing their already high brand scores.
• Pay attention to the details. There is nothing more exciting for consumers than when they buy a product that exceeds their expectations. That is why I love driving my Acura MDX. It is an SUV that drives like a car and offers so much more. The instrument panel is simple to read and easy on the eyes making driving safe and enjoyable. The four-wheel drive keeps me moving in all types of terrain. The blue-tooth audio provides perfect communication clarity. The vehicle seats seven comfortably or the rear two rows of seats can be folded down to haul as much stuff as a pickup truck. I could go on and on about my MDX, but more than anything it is the attention to detail put into each of these features that makes me thrilled to be an Acura owner.
• Be consistent and reliable. In thousands of restaurants all around the world, people consume McDonald’s burgers and fries millions of times a day. The fries they eat in the morning taste just like those they eat at night. The Big Mac they buy in Beijing is delivered to them in the same amount of time as the one they buy in Baton Rouge. The menu board, the restrooms and the seating area look the same in every restaurant. For this consumers reward McDonald’s with their patronage more than any other fast food restaurant. And, while McDonald’s food usually does not rank first in taste, they consistently rank first in market share and revenue. When consumers can trust that their brand experience will be the same every time, they will value that brand more and more over time.
• Stay passionate – Ok, I lied. There are six strategies for building brand value. The last strategy is to let your passion shine through in everything you do. Consumers love brands whose owners are as passionate as they are. That “never rest on your laurels” attitude translates into exciting and superior products that continue to wow and delight consumers. One of the reasons people love the Apple brand so much is because of the passion expressed by Apple employees. Despite being the little guy, Apple enjoys going toe-to-toe with Microsoft. As a consequence Mac users revel in the controversy. As a result, there is no other computer or mobile technology brand as loved as Apple.

Views on Licensing from Pete Canalichio

ATLANTA - We caught with licensing expert Pete Canalichio to answer a few email questions about the current licensing climate.

BrandlandUSA: What opportunities are companies missing in the licensing of brands?

Canalichio: The biggest opportunity in my opinion is that there are so many companies out there with great products or services that don’t even have a clue about what brand licensing is, or if they have heard of it, they don’t have the faintest idea how to get started licensing.

My company’s mission is to help companies harness the power of brand licensing. We do this by offering training modules from our web site brandlicensingexpert.com, workshops and hands-on consulting. Our Brand Licensing 101 module is scheduled to launch January 2010. We also are wrapping up a two-day workshop which will immerse business professionals on the basics of brand licensing. The workshop offers lots of examples of good and bad brand licensing and provides a terrific case study for practical hands-on experience.

BrandlandUSA: What brand do you think is most underutilized in licensing and how could the company better take advantage of it?

Canalichio: Wow! That’s a tough one. There are so many terrific brands out there that have not fully harnessed the power of brand licensing. When I was at Newell Rubbermaid, there was a concerted effort to utilize licensing as a means to extend the company’s portfolio of brands. Some of the brands Newell Rubbermaid owns include Rubbermaid, Graco, Calphalon, Sharpie and Waterman.

While all of these can benefit more through licensing, I would say Sharpie and Waterman have the biggest opportunity to use licensing to extend into other categories. Both Sharpie and Waterman mean so much more to their consumers than just being a writing instrument or a way to communicate.

BrandlandUSA: I believe that many companies miss out on licensing opportunities because they see the licensing in revenue terms, and not exposure. Do you agree?

Canalichio: Absolutely! So many companies fixate on the bottom line benefits and ignore the real value that comes when the brand connects with the consumer through new and unique categories of products. Let’s take my Waterman example above. Right now, Waterman makes a line of high end writing instruments. Given their price point, the total number of Waterman pens in the marketplace is relatively small. Since many people only use a Waterman pen for special occasions the brand is limited in the number of times per day that it interacts with its consumers.

If Waterman were to launch a line of luxury items such as I mentioned above, then the brand would begin to interact with consumers through each new product category. Think about the number of times someone looks at their watch each day. Every one of those times would create a unique occasion to connect with the Waterman brand. Of course, more product categories also means more shelf space and more retail outlets.

BrandlandUSA: You are a former Navy pilot and Naval Academy grad. Is the U.S. Navy utilizing all the opportunities it could for licensing?

Canalichio: The US Navy is another one of those brands that evokes deep and lasting emotions. I have been impressed with the way the Navy has transformed its motto from the old “join the Navy and see the world” to a brand that represents excellence, strength, service and technology. I get goose bumps every time I see the US Navy ads showing their sailors standing at attention on the deck of an aircraft carrier as it makes it way over the high seas. It makes me proud to have served and I am deeply grateful that our military is staffed by all volunteers.

For these reasons, I believe the U.S. Navy could use licensing to expand the brand into many new categories. I’m sure the Navy has thousands of artifacts, models, pictures and paintings dating back to the days of John Paul Jones. How about offering those up to be licensed?

BrandlandUSA: How much is the average licensing deal these days?

Canalichio: In my experience the average licensing deals have been trending smaller in deal size over the past decade. There will always be those multi-million dollar deals that attract all the media attention. However, I believe licensors are getting smarter and licensees are getting more specialized. This means licensors are marrying the deal size to match the strengths and capabilities of the licensee. In the past licensors would grant a licensee an entire region (the United States) and multiple channels (mass, department stores, specialty, etc) in a particular category. Moreover, that category typically was broadly defined.

Now licensors are saying to the licensees, “Your strengths are limited to the Southeast United States and specifically in the club channel. That’s where we will grant you rights to license our brand.” In addition, licensors are defining the category more precisely. As an example, a licensee today may have the product category defined as “tee shirts made from organic materials”. All this translates into smaller deals in terms of guaranteed royalty revenue, but many more of them.

BrandlandUSA: What was your favorite licensing project?

Canalichio: My favorite licensing project and one I am most proud of was a project I managed when I worked for Coca-Cola. In the late 1990s, Coke was a sponsor of a number of NASCAR drivers including Dale Earnhardt. Dale for the first time was going to race against his son, Dale Jr. in a Winston Cup race at the Coca-Cola 500 in Tokyo. To commemorate the event Coke decided to put Dale in a Coca-Cola red racing car (as NASCAR fans know, Dale always drove a black car) and Dale Jr. in a black Polar Bear racing car. We lined up a series of licensees and developed a tight line of products including die cast, drinkware and apparel including jackets, tees and caps. The merchandise created was perfect for the event and fans were clamoring for it. In the span of about 2 months we sold almost $30 million of merchandise. This turned out to be one of the most successful licensed programs of its kind every created. Needless to say, there was value created for all constituents – NASCAR, Dale and Dale Jr., Coca-Cola, the licensees, the retailers and most importantly the fans. I would bet almost every fan who bought that Coca-Cola Dale Earnhardt/Earnhardt Jr. merchandise still have it today. If they ever consider selling it, I am sure it would fetch a much greater price off than what they paid for it.

BrandlandUSA: Being from Atlanta, have you been to the World of Coke lately?

Canalichio: Actually I went to the new World of Coke with my wife and her cousin, Elizabeth about a year and half ago. Coke has done an amazing job transforming the World of Coca-Cola concept from an old “museum like” experience to a full-blown attraction. The World of Coca-Cola connects consumers in a fun and informative way with the brand. How many brands can create an attraction to themselves and get people to pay an entrance fee? By the way, the four of us had a blast interacting with the Polar Bear, watching the different movies and sampling the kaleidoscope of beverages from all around the world. Of course, we topped it off with some great shopping in their Everything Coca-Cola store.

Find out more at www.brandlicensingexpert.com.