The 10 brands Ritson thinks are ‘smashing it’

Marketing Week columnist and Mini MBA founder Mark Ritson admits he can occasionally be “too negative” and too eager to discuss the failings of brands. But he is also a big advocate of companies which do marketing well, 10 of which he has singled out as “smashing it”.

1. Tourism Australia

Ritson’s first brand on the smashing it scale is Tourism Australia. He describes the organisation as being “among the best tourism operations on the globe” and points to its latest campaign, ‘Come and Say G’day’, which is designed to encourage people to visit the country.

Domestically, the campaign was met with contempt, with many industry professionals unimpressed with the lack of imagination and heavy use of stereotypes.

But Ritson points out they are not the ad’s target market. The campaign was pre-tested with the target audience and received strong results across 10 different countries. It is also performing well in reality, driving awareness, consideration and intention.

He describes it as a “classic example of a company getting it right and lots of armchair critics getting it wrong”.

Don’t listen to the industry sages, they’re not your ad’s target

2. OpenAI

ChatGPT, which is owned by OpenAI, took two months to get 100 million people signed up – no mean feat. It was free to do so and many of those who did then received a short and succinct quantitative questionnaire asking a number of things, including four open ended questions around price.

Ritson says often brands do no research around pricing. They just have a “general idea and that’s what they go with”, or they base it on cost or position against competitors’ pricing, which effectively takes the consumer out of it.

OpenAI used the Peter van Westendorp price sensitivity metre to help it determine how to price ChatGPT, which Ritson commends. Although he does caveat it by saying he “suspects [ChatGPT] is 3D printing for 2023”.

3. Who Gives a Crap

Ritson describes sustainable toilet paper brand Who Gives a Crap as a company which is both commercially successful and environmentally and socially sound. A brand that is “smashing it on a lot of fronts”.

Again he singles out the organisation for its prowess in pricing, pointing to one piece of communication in particular as a “masterpiece” because it nails all the requirements of delivering a price increase well – giving prior notice, explaining why in your consumers’ terms, underlining your position, reminding them of value and doing it with respect.

There is much more praise to come. Click here to watch the full video and find out the final seven brands Ritson believes are smashing marketing right now.