The news that supermarket giant Tesco has launched a range of premium own label products with branding that is not immediately recognisable – such as ChokaBlok ice cream and Lathams dry dog food – has caused a great stir in the media.

Speaking at a recent retail industry conference Tesco chief executive Phil Clarke was quoted as saying:

‘With F&F clothing, Technika electricals, Go Cook kitchenware, Lighter Choices foods – we’ve shown that we can build brands that consumers trust. Now we are going to do more,’ he said.

‘When customers buy Tesco products, I want them to feel good about it. Getting value for money should not mean sacrificing the sense that you are treating yourself. You should not feel that you’re buying a product that you want to hide at the back of the fridge or the bathroom cupboard.’

‘Once customers have an understanding of our retail, product and pillar brands, we should be looking more actively to extend into new areas.’

These so-called venture brands are different from the usual supermarket own label products in that they are priced at a premium level and will compete for shelf-space on their own merit with products from other suppliers, although they are being made for Tesco by large manufacturers of supermarket own brand lines.

However, the fact that Tesco has registered a wide range of brand names means that they will control distribution, can move supplier at will and, perhaps more intriguingly, in due course could supply their venture brands to other retailers.

Could this be actually be a major shift in strategy in which Tesco plans to compete directly with companies  such as Unilever, Procter & Gamble, Mars and Nestle?

If one of their venture brands becomes a major seller the temptation may prove too great and we could see Tesco venture brands being sold elsewhere.

Earlier this year Marks & Spencer announced they were going to develop their range names (e.g. Per Una) into real brands and were recruiting brand managers for each one.

Maybe we are seeing the beginning of a trend in retailing – perhaps as a response to the difficult trading conditions.

But in the week that Habitat went into administration, Jane Norman went down and Thorntons announced they were closing 120 shops, it  does beg the question whether Tesco should not be concentrating on their core activities, rather than flirting with becoming suppliers.

Time will tell.

While Churchill’s nodding dog has been on tour and has even ’starred’ in Christmas pantomime last year and at Pontin’s this summer, a whole film of ‘oh yes’  would probably be too much!

Where agency VCCP have been so clever with the Meerkat marketing is that they have created a complete ‘back story’ for Aleksandr and his family so harnessing our sympathy  for the struggles of his ancestors and further engaging with us.

In the ‘Battle of Fearlessness’ advert (part two of the triology) there are great lines such as ‘its only a fur wound’ which make everyone laugh.

Like Wallace & Gromit , a film ‘(The Adventures of Aleksandr Orlov’? ) would be popular with all ages regardless of background.

Could Aleksandr be that rare being – a brand concept that started as an advert but becomes an entity independent of Comparethe market.com?

Now that would be subliminal advertising! Simples!

Amazon's Kindle

Occasionally a product arrives that changes the marketplace for ever.

Arguably Apple’s iPhone has changed the mobile phone market while their iPad has ended the dominance of the netbook and laptop for working on the move. Certainly their iPod changed the music industry for ever.

Yet it is Amazon’s Kindle (ebook reader) that may prove to have the most far-reaching affects. It may herald the end of the printed book and traditional publishing.

 On 20 July 2010 Amazon founder Jeff Bezos announced that Kindle format sales were now greater than sales of hardback books.

He explained: ” While our hardcover sales continue to grow, the Kindle format has now overtaken the hardcover format. Amazon.com customers now purchase more Kindle books than hardcover books– astonishing when you consider that we’ve been selling hardcover books for 15 years, and Kindle books for 33 months.”

The online bookseller put out a release full of intriguing facts. Nevertheless, the company still has not released straightforward figures about total Kindle sales or total eBooks sold. Among the other details, the company revealed they have sold three times as many Kindle books in the first half of 2010 compared to the first half of 2009.

Amazon also shared this statistic for paid books: “Over the past three months, for every 100 hardcover books Amazon.com has sold, it has sold 143 Kindle books. Over the past month, for every 100 hardcover books Amazon.com has sold, it has sold 180 Kindle books.”

Already the dominance of Amazon has contributed to the disappearance of the traditional High Street bookshop, which is being driven out by a lethal combination of cheaper online prices, guaranteed next day delivery and endless choice. Not to mention ever-increasing shop rents and parking charges.

However, the final nail in the coffin of the small, friendly bookshop may prove to be the Kindle – the iPod of the book world? Now the UK version of the Kindle launches in August.

Even The Sun newspaper featured the news as a lead story yesterday - see http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/fun/gizmo/3075557/Amazon-launch-new-UK-Kindle-e-book-reader.html

Watch this space. Soon your favourite author’s new book may not be available at WH Smith – only as an ebook.

Amazon’s dominance continues.

The candidates had to create a cereal brand, a character, design packaging, put together a marketing campaign and film a TV advert.

While Kimberley had problems with Philip Taylor and Lorraine Tighe arguing all the way through, she has admitted that she let Philip bulldoze his character “Pantsman” through, despite Lorraine’s protestations, as there were no other ideas on the table.

As a marketing consultant myself I find that very strange! Usually marketing people are known for their creative ideas.

If she (or the team) had come up with another concept there would at least have been an alternative form which to choose.

Obviously managing a brainstorming session that results in creative ideas is harder than it looks!

Still, not briefing the packaging designers fully seems very strange – for a marketing consultant – although she had clearly run out of time.

The lesson appears to be that there has to be a balance between creativity and structure.

It will be intereresting to see how Phillip and Lorraine fare in future weeks.