MARK940- Marketing

Communications
Case Study Chapter 3
Johnnie Walker From Whisky Producer to Global Icon: The
Story of Keep Walking

Ali Hamze 4640251

Rami Abou Reslan 4622303
S.M.MUSHFIQUR RAHMAN 3161389

17/02/2014

Q1) WHAT WOULD BE THE BEST WAY FOR COMPETITION TO REACT TO SUCH AN
INTERNATIONALLY SUCCESSFUL ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN?
What made Johnnie Walkers advertising campaign so successful was that they reintroduced
their icon, the Striding Man, as a re-envisioned symbol of masculinity in the 21st century. The
Striding Man became something that men all around the world try to emulate, the classy
gentleman. Competition would have to react to this rebranding strategy in very much the same
way. Any brand which has experienced recent slumps in sales would have to identify the reasons
in its branding as to why. In the whiskey market, companies such as Johnnie Walker, Jack
Daniels and Chivas have shown that tradition is a major factor in their marketing, as well as
manufacturing, process. Their customers identify with the timelessness of the product. Therefore,
it would be a bad idea if a competing company would attempt to change the actual product itself.
A competing company would rather focus on its marketing campaign, inserting itself into
elements of popular culture and creating an identity which men of the 21st century would relate
to. It is important to note that men of legal drinking age would still be the primary focus of the
advertising campaign, because, sticking with tradition, whiskey is still a very masculine drink.
An example of such a campaign is Jack Daniels collaboration with NASCAR or Johnnie
Walkers collaboration with the McLaren Mercedes F1 team. In both these cases, the brand is
visible in a predominantly male sport where viewers identify strongly with the racers. Therefore,
the racers themselves become embodiments of the brand. It is important to note in the case study
that Johnnie Walker underwent a rebranding of its major icon, the Striding Man. A competing
brand would also be encouraged to do this, if they havent done so and if they already have an
icon or a logo. For example, Famous Grouse recently underwent a packaging change for its new
Alpha brand to make it more dramatic.
Q2) DRAWING UPON THE CASE, PICK A BRAND OF YOUR CHOICE & DESIGN A
STRATEGY TO TURN IT INTO A GLOBAL BRAND.
Building on the case, let us take Etihad Airways as a brand to transform it into an iconic brand.
Etihad Airways is the flag carrier airlines of the UAE and it can reflect the countrys icons, since
it doesnt do so already. The Emirati Falcon is a symbol of national pride in the UAE and also
symbolizes the falconry heritage of Emiratis, making it an ideal icon for Etihad. An Iconic
presentation of a falcon in the national colors of the UAE (Black, Green, Red, and White) would
be an ideal presentation of Etihad as UAE national carrier. Etihad already is using the UAE
official logo on the airplanes tale; however in its communication to the public it is not using any
symbol or icon of any type. We can add colors and a modern depiction of the falcon in order to
resemble UAE as a whole. Since Etihad is already a sponsor of many social and sport events,
Etihad can easily spread its new icon as UAEs national carrier, instead of using the plain text
logo. Advertising can be used to communicate icons in the UAE in general, for example they can
show that the airlines can take you close to Dubai where the Burj Al Arab is, or close to Al Ain
with resorts, water, etc. After promoting the airline through different media, the brand will
directly be associated to UAEs tourism points and business centers. After all, people can use
Etihad for reaching several points in UAE, since distances within the country are not significant
when compared in par with other countries like Australia. Soon enough, the Emirati Falcon will
be a key part of Etihads brand.

Q3) EXPLAIN HOW THE KEEP WALKING CAMPAIGN DOES OR DOESNT APPEAL TO
EACH CATEGORY OF CHOW AND AMIR VALUE DIMENSIONS.
Considering Chow and Amirs value dimensions that would segment a product to one of six
dimensions to range from Striver to Altruist, Johnnie Walkers Keep Walking campaign seems
to appeal to the Striver, Creative, and Devout, however it is not appealing for Fun seekers,
Intimate and Altruist people. The Keep Walking campaign appeals mainly to the striver
because it is a symbol of ambition, status, and public image. The striding man is meant to be an
example of what the 21st century man strives to be: the gentleman, the man who never stops
moving forward. The Keep Walking campaign also appeals to the creative person for
portraying the values of self-esteem and knowledge. One of the main aims of the campaign has
always been to show the striding man as a symbol of self-success. People falling in the Devout
value dimension will also relate to the Keep Walking campaign as it embodies the tradition of
scotch whiskey. However the campaign would not appeal to the fun seeker because it does not
show thrill seeking of any kind and seeks to strengthen its position as a serious brand. As for the
intimate, it doesnt seem to convey loving emotions; instead it seems to reflect the rational and
self-dependent man of the 21st century. Moreover, the altruist would not relate to the campaign
either because the campaign doesnt position the brand as one which is environmentally
responsible or reflecting justice. However, we must note that Johnnie walker is a socially
responsible brand, requiring 21+ for following them on Twitter or Facebook.
Q4) DESCRIBE HOW THE JOHNNIE WALKER BRAND HAS ACHIEVED
CREOLIZATION THROUGH THE KEEP WALKING CAMPAIGN.
Keep Walking started on a global scale with an emotionally-appealing message to the target
audience who is striving for self-development and progress. It was an image focused message
which aligned the brand globally and gave it perceived brand globalness. The Striding Man, who
is every mans intention to progress, was flipped to the right side reinforcing the future heading.
In the next stage, Keep Walking started appealing to cultural divergent aspects through transcreating the global positioning to more perceived brand localness. This was the phase were the
campaign started getting the glocal messaging after highlighting celebrities and life examples.
Applying the local appeal to the global statement worked in more than 120 markets by applying
trans-creation and moment marketing, and audiences were emotionally connected to the brand.
Customized communication created an emotional global/local acceptable personality which gave
it credibility among different cultural values and factors. Brilliant integrated campaigns made
Johnnie Walker a story telling for every culture.
From individualism to polychronic, and from strivers to altruists Johnnie Walker resonated
with all, their way. Johnnie Walker has successfully achieved creolization through the Keep
Walking campaign, and brands keep learning from that experience till date. The brand kept
walking after creolization and is still coming up with innovative communication.

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Maclean, C (2003). Scotch Whiskey: A Liquid History. London: Cassel Illustrated.
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