MEDIA & MARKETING:Publisher is testing men's market again with a free publication in a Sunday newspaper

FEW PUBLISHERS launch anything in the dead days of an Irish summer, but last weekend Image magazine unveiled I mage Man, a 36-page magazine which was given away free with the Sunday Business Post.

The publication was basically a soft sell for sole sponsor and advertiser L'Oreal and whether the project is repeated may depend on whether the Postenjoyed a lift in sales.

Image Publications managing director Richard Power says he talked to other newspaper publishers before agreeing a distribution fee with the Post. As part of the deal, the Postplugged Image Manin its radio advertising. Says Power: "Readers don't think less of a piece of media just because it's free. What's important is for publishers to be able to prove to advertisers how many people have picked up something and read it. In Ireland, advertisers consider it very important that the reader has bought the newspaper or magazine. In the UK they don't. Customer magazines are thriving in the UK and they always have done."

It's not the first time Image Publications has had a crack at the men's market. Image's previous publisher Kevin Kelly tried and failed with Himselfover 10 years ago.

But Power says Image has no plans to launch a different variant of Image Manon the newsstands. "Judging by the low sales of UK men's magazines in Ireland, I don't think the Irish market is ready for an indigenous men's title," he says.

Power has been managing director of Image Publications for a number of years. Earlier this year, he and his brother Robert Power bought out Kevin Kelly’s interest in the company. “Ad campaigns have fallen right back and it has been a tough year so far,” says Power.

“But we are beginning to see a bit of a pick-up. As a business we are trying to become more efficient and more reporting systems have been put in place. Having your brother working with you is great. I’m working much harder than I’ve ever done in my life.”

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If any company is qualified to estimate the “brand value” of global brands it’s WPP. The London plc is active in advertising and marketing services all over the world so marketing professionals pay attention every year when WPP subsidiary Millward Brown Optimor (MBO) publishes its BrandZ ranking of the top 100 most valuable global brands.

Events can quickly overtake such surveys. For instance, BP scored highest among oil companies in BrandZ’s valuation “due to its reputation for environmental responsibility”. The report added: “Future growth in brand value should be helped by a significant capital investment that paid off for BP last year when a major reserve was discovered deep in the Gulf of Mexico”.

The ink was barely dry on the BrandZ publication when BP’s drilling efforts in the Gulf sprung a leak. Now, at least in the US, the BP brand is as toxic as the oil washing up on Louisiana’s shores.

WPP claims that BrandZ is the only ranking based on a methodology grounded in both quantitative customer research and in-depth financial analysis.

And the ranking reveals that BP isn’t the only brand going through a rough patch. Toyota’s brand value has plunged 27 per cent as the pressure of the recession was compounded by mechanical glitches.

The company is trying hard to overcome the damage through a major communications campaign that includes a large social media component.

According to Joanna Seddon, chief executive of MBO: “This year’s ranking for Toyota only reflects the damage done to the brand as the recalls began at the end of 2009. The Toyota drama underscored the importance of transparency in the post-recession world where consumer disappointment can quickly resound far beyond the dinner table.”

Also in need of a brand makeover is Nokia, with its brand value down 60 per cent year-on-year as Apple wipes its face in the smartphone market.

Other tech brands under pressure, according to BrandZ, include Dell, Intel and eBay.

The biggest tech gainer is Samsung, with its estimated brand value soaring by 80 per cent. However, BrandZ’s most valuable global brand is Google. “The brand’s dominance as a search engine combined with the popularity of products such as Gmail and the potential impact of its recently introduced Android mobile phone platform made Google a leader in brand momentum,” says Seddon.

Roger Jupp, who heads up Millward Brown Lansdowne in Ireland, observes that the path to brand value is complex. He says: “The most successful brands exploit technology, have good vision, exemplify trust and recommendation to their customers and are generally more price-resistant than other brands. Innovation is essential to the future.”