If you’ve ever seen Richard Branson, the founder of the Virgin Group and the fourth wealthiest citizen of the United Kingdom, in action, "shy" is not the first word you’d use to describe him.

"Cocky," "confident," "swaggering," "bold," "cheeky," "brash," "daredevil," "nuts" — these are words more often than not associated with Branson’s name and house of Virgin brands. But it hasn’t always been that way for the face (and head) of Virgin.

In fact, Branson and Virgin wouldn't be household names today if it wasn't for his tenacious mother, Eve, who took drastic measures during his childhood to push him out of his shell and into the world — literally.Continue reading...

Klout is wooing marketers and brand fans with the launch of Brand Squads, the social media site's equivalent of brand topic pages. The concept, a bid to engage fans around branded hubs, is now in beta with Red Bull as the launch partner.Continue reading...

Klout is wooing marketers and brand fans with the launch of Brand Squads, the social media site's equivalent of brand topic pages. The concept, a bid to engage fans around branded hubs, is now in beta with Red Bull as the launch partner.Continue reading...

Above, watch Ingrid Vanderveldt's interview with Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh at the recent SXSWi confab in Austin, which Dell just released on its YouTube channel. Watch the video and read Ingrid's takeaways below.Continue reading...

Is the head of a company or brand the most effective spokesperson? Not every CEO, after all, can be Richard Branson or "Papa John" Schnatter.

Ace Metrix’s latest white paper, “CEOs in Advertisements: What Happens When the Boss Steps into the Spotlight?” reveals that the CEO doesn't need to have a cult of personality and be a household name to help put a positive face on the brand.Continue reading...

As announced in July, Sainsburys is ending its relationship with Jamie Oliver, with this BBDO-produced 2011 holiday campaign (see more below) its last featuring the British celebrity chef.

The 11-year endorsement deal between the UK supermarket chain and the cheeky chef hasn't been without controversy — including spats over battery hens and a fall-out after he stated “For any chef, supermarkets are like a factory. I buy from specialist growers, organic suppliers and farmers" — but also made a lasting impression on the nation's home cooks, as a spokesman for the grocer told Marketing Week UK.

Click here for Brand Republic's timeline of the 11-year partnership, which produced more than 100 commercials and initiatives such as promoting sustainable fish.Continue reading...

Kentucky Fried Chicken founder Colonel Harland Sanders died in 1980 at the age of 90, but it was only after a life filled with many adventures.

“He was a sixth-grade dropout, an army mule-tender, a locomotive fireman, an insurance salesman and a political a candidate,” reports ColonelSanders.com, KFC's new website to honor the man behind its brand.

Some have thought Sanders was pure fiction or that he had been deceased since at least the Paleolithic Era, but KFC wants the world to know that not only did Sanders live, he was a sweet and generous man, to boot.

“Sanders had an impact on people. They remember that interaction when they met him,” says Rick Maynard, public relations manager of the KFC Corporation, according to Eatocracy.  Now, the people whose lives the Colonel touched can tell their story on the website, which serves as an oral history of sorts, and a dynamic tribute to the kindly global face of KFC.Continue reading...

Since he was introduced in a viral campaign back in March, "Focus Doug" has shown his true colors (other than orange) as an egotistical and shamelessly self-promotional spokespuppet. But the only reason that Ford marketers still put up with this fuzzy little blowhard – and, indeed, keep giving him online-only video exposure on YouTube – is that he’s helping to sell the new, 2012 Focus compact cars he’s supposed to be touting instead of himself.

“Doug has gotten Focus before hundreds of thousands of people,” Robert Parker, a group marketing manager for Ford, told brandchannel. “It’s too early to tell how many sales have resulted, but on the awareness curve – people who were aware there is a new Focus pre-Doug, versus the number of people aware post-Doug – has gone way up.”Continue reading...