Chris Ward
Digital Development Manager
Worldwide
Hi! I’m responsible for the business systems, maintaining and supporting colleagues with the current software and web technologies they use as well as developing new ones. We use products and services that originate from all corners of the technology spectrum and, as such, my role is immensely diverse. My background is software, web and database development – and I’m one of those unusual individuals that codes in pretty much every language. Give me a piece of work and I’ll learn it, decipher it and fix it!
I have been very lucky to have had a varied career, despite still being in my twenties! After finishing my Computing degree at the University of Surrey, I worked for a software company as a developer followed by a stint at the Liberal Democrats during the 2010 General Election. Between 2007 and 2011 I was an elected Councillor in Guildford and in my spare time I still campaign on issues I’m passionate about.
Toby Southgate
Managing Director
London
I’m lucky enough to have seen most corners of the globe since I joined The Brand Union at the end of 2007. Working with clients and colleagues across the network is a vital component of our culture, and one of the real joys of being a part of The Brand Union.
I originally joined the business to open our office in Abu Dhabi, working closely with Hermann and the Middle East team. I spent 2010 with Rob and Richard in New York, helping to manage the integration of Ogilvy’s BIG and Brouillard, JWT’s corporate advertising business, into The Brand Union. And in January 2011 I returned to London to lead our UK business.
No two days here are the same. You might work with a beverages brand one day, a financial services institution the next, and a global telco in between. Truthfully, there’s never a dull moment. Bring it on.
Sarah Collis
Senior Client Manager
Singapore
I joined The Brand Union as a Designer in the Middle East office in 2007 and enjoyed working on many different projects right through to 2010. I’m originally from Singapore and wanted to head back home and the opportunity arose to continue my career in The Brand Union Singapore.
The job, as my design buddies said, was a move to the ‘The dark side’ as a Senior Client Manager. Now, rather than creating mood boards and new visual languages for brands, I’m creating the briefs! It has been an enjoyable challenge and my creative background comes in handy when liaising with my colleagues and clients.
I have a keen interest in photography, travel and fashion. I’m always inspired by the stuff posted on The Sartorialist and Garance Doré blogs. In my spare time I love going to the pool or beach and practicing yoga.
Sujata Keshavan One of Top 50 Most Powerful Women in Business
The Brand Union Bangalore’s founder Sujata Keshavan is named one of India’s 50 Most Powerful Women in Business.
Fortune India magazine has this month named Sujata Keshavan as one of the top 50 Most Powerful Women in Business in the country. Sujata co-founded Ray + Keshavan in 1989 as India’s first brand design consultancy which became part of The Brand Union in 2006. Having developed some of India’s leading brands such as Airtel, Infosys andCanara Bank, Sujata is recognised as the spearheading the growth of the branding and design industry in South Asia.
Fortune’s list ranks women in business according to the influence they have had on their respective industry, and at number 18, Sujata Keshavan is recognised for the powerful effect she has had on the world of branding.
ABSOLUT MIAMI
In January 2012, the world’s most iconic vodka introduces its sixth limited-edition, city-inspired flavour, Absolut® Miami.
Responsible for the work, global branding agency The Brand Union’s Daniel Andersson (Creative Director of The Brand Union NY) talks about the development of the design: “Absolut is an iconic brand and we wanted to continue the success of it’s city series by bringing Miami to life on the bottle, while also telling a story and encompassing all the attributes, quirks and spices of this amazingly diverse and passionate city”.
Absolut Miami follows on the heels of the successful collaboration the agency has had with the brand on its limited editions including Absolut Brooklyn in 2010, and Absolut SF in 2011.
The Brand Union was challenged with developing a truly inspiring concept delivering a design that resonated with the free-spirited people of Miami and the greater Florida area. Maxime Kouchnir, VP Marketing at Pernod Ricard stated: “The Brand Union has a keen understanding of the cultural nuances that play a critical role for our city series. Their work in bringing these cities to life through a bottle design that’s a whimsical wink and a knowing nod to what defines Brooklyn, San Francisco, and Miami is a sheer testament to their immersion and research in these markets”.
The design needed to move beyond the flavour, a refreshing blend of passion fruit and orange blossom. This fusion of flavours echoes the hot climate and passionate fire of Miami with under-tones of the ever-present Floridian orange. The brand looks to take the consumer on an adventure from dusk ‘til dawn through the city, indulging the senses in the vibrant beat of the nightlife that Miami has to offer.
Andersson said: “This is the absolute taste of a city through design – Bienvenidos a Miami!”.
Mark Smith
Design Director
London
Hello, my name is Mark and I am a Design Director at the London office. I went full-time in November 2011 after freelancing for a few months here.
I’ve been living and working in London for over ten years and still find plenty of places I’ve never been to, things I haven’t done yet and pubs I haven’t drank in.
Most of my spare time is taken up with my young family (two boys) – having lots of fun, introducing them to the delights of London and getting to act like a big kid again and relive my own youth.
Toby Southgate Talks Luxury With Cream
Published by: Cream Global
Featuring: Toby Southgate, Managing Director, London
Toby Southgate writes for Cream Global about the shifting landscape of the luxury market and what it means today:
“Defining ‘luxury’ from a brand and communications perspective has always been challenging. Luxury can mean different things to different consumers, in different markets, and at different points in time. Its very nature links luxury most closely to categories like fashion, real estate and electronics, all of which are dynamic and susceptible to rapid change.”
“But in its most basic form, a luxury product or service has to focus on delivering more than just a need. If a luxury offer serves a ‘want’ – an added level of desire for consumers – it stands a greater chance of commercial success.”
Pernod Ricard
When Pernod Ricard acquired Absolut Vodka for €5.69 billion they chose The Brand Union as their strategic design partner to help build and grow the investment. Since then, our relationship has grown. The Brand Union now advises TAC on Absolut Vodka, Kahlua and Malibu Rum. The collaboration covers all disciplines where design is a powerful tool to develop brand equity, including innovation programs, brand identity, portfolio management, product development and retail design.
Henkel
For more than 20 years, The Brand Union has been a strategic partner to Henkel in the home care and cosmetics categories. A broad portfolio of successful power brands, ranging from Schwarzkopf, to Fa, Right Guard, Theramed and many others, have been designed by The Brand Union.
The Brand Union Paris has been the strategic and creative partner of Henkel Int. Adhesive technologies Division since 2009 and is currently working on the 2 major global brands: Pattex and Loctite for which we ensure all major developments. A great relationship with the client has expanded over the years and we are now working hand in hand on a daily basis for Relaunch projects, Brand stretches, Innovation programs, Training sessions, and strategic and creative Consultancy.
Your Brand is Your Reputation
Published by: Irish Marketing Journal
By: David O’Connor, Managing Partner The Brand Union Dublin
When it comes to rebranding, for whatever reasons, there are a number of key issues that need to be prioritised. Get them wrong and you run the risk of failure, writes David O’Connor in Irish Marketing Journal.
There has never been a more critical time for businesses to align and position their brand in a relevant and compelling manner. Increased competition, a changing economic environment, restructure, mergers and acquisition all signal a change to the marketplace and require an aligned brand experience.
For many businesses this attention to brand is a new phenomenon and some are struggling with it. Specifically with the concept of ‘brand’, the understanding of ‘value beyond price’, brand differentiation and the increasing commoditisation of their sector.
Rebranding may provide a solution to these problems. But this decision should not be made lightly, which is why many businesses engage branding professionals, not just to rebrand but to facilitate a decision on rebranding; to evaluate the bottom line benefit before committing the business to invest in what many believe to be a marketing only exercise.
There are many issues facing businesses in the context of rebranding, not least a common misunderstanding of the role that brand can play. Brand to many is an output of communication planning and solely the responsibility of the marketing department. Until businesses integrate brand and business at board level, branding will only provide superficial relief to a deeper problem.
Brand, as opposed to identity, is the perception a customer has about a business or product. It is the sum of the experiences, direct or indirect, passive or active that a customer has. Experience brings meaning to identity. Experience builds reputation. Brand is reputation.
So when rebranding, here are four central issues that need to be considered:
1. Align your business and your brand strategy:
Whilst business strategy defines a vision and a mission it doesn’t always define how a customer should regard the business, in other words the kind of reputation it needs to achieve its mission.
More enlightened businesses are moving their brand from being an element of their communication strategy to becoming a central organising principle that drives performance, culture, experience, action and value. They do this by aligning a key customer insight with a promise to the market and then mobilising and motivating every department around that promise in a planned strategic way. In doing so, managing reputation becomes the mandate for every department and every employee. In this way, brand lives at board level and delivers bottom line results.
There are many examples of this in the marketplace today. Volvo would not have achieved a reputation for safety and reliability without aligning R&D, procurement and manufacturing in the process. Every single employee at Tesco knows what ‘Every little helps’ means to the business, to them and to the customer. Ikea have not risen to the heights they have without aligning everyone to ‘create a better everyday life’.
Defining what they want to be known for from the outset and aligning all business activities to that, integrates brand with business strategy in a way that is powerful and differentiating for the customer.
2. Align your stakeholders:
Business is personal and many people will have opinion and influence on the outcome of any rebranding process. It is important to map all stakeholders from the outset and plan to what degree they need to be involved in the process and why.
Rebrand for many will mean change and people are innately resistant to change. Merger and acquisition is a familiar catalyst for rebrand which can be latent with emotion. Keeping stakeholders involved from early on is important to avoid the programme becoming a battleground.
3. Align visual change to the degree of desired perception change:
The extent to which a business changes its identity should reflect the degree they want their customers’ perceptions to change. Whatever route you take, be that refresh, evolution or revolution, change should be communicated clearly. To the general public a logo change means management change and therefore service level change. This could have a negative impact if not communicated correctly.
4. Align your people:
With the business strategy aligned, your people need to be aligned also. Brands promise and people deliver. It is that simple. You can imagine the mood at the Avis desk if a customer has to wait too long or if the car is not ready on time. “Try harder buddy”. For the rep to avoid such derision, the computer system needs to be working, the valet needs to be scheduled and efficient, the cars need to be distributed to meet the demand and so on.
In summary, there are many issues a business may face when rebranding. Understanding the opportunity of aligning brand strategy to business strategy is the first and most important step to successful rebranding. Without this it will just be a badging exercise. If you are thinking of rebranding but will be unable to back it up with evidence and proper tangibles that benefit your customers, then maybe think again?
Much discussion on Brand Britain at the British Business Leaders lunch #wef
Mona Solanki
Senior Designer
Bangalore
Born and raised in Jodhpur, I am a graphic designer now based in Bangalore. After completing my qualification in Computer Science, I decided to learn more about design. I attended Savannah College of Art and Design and received my Master’s in Graphic Design in 2007. Since then I have been working with Ray+Keshavan/The Brand Union.
I enjoy corporate branding, packaging, interactive design and photography. I have had some great times working on packaging and have also won an Honorable Mention at FLUX Student Design Competition organised by AIGA Blueridge and Shepherd University, for one of my projects.
In my free time I love dreaming, watching movies and planning trips to all the places I want to visit some day.
Ericsson
Ericsson, currently the world’s largest mobile telecommunications equipment manufacturer, engaged The Brand Union to evolve their new brand platform.
While some of the core identity elements were in place, it was necessary to develop a strategy framework as well as cohesive identity and design system, to support brand activation.
Following the development of the brand architecture by our strategy team, The Brand Union’s design team focused on extending the identity platform and defining the principles for implementation of the brand identity across channels, products and services.
To support internal engagement and alignment with the new brand platform across the organisation, The Brand Union developed an intranet-based, ‘brand engagement channel’ for Ericsson’s brand management team. In addition to being the point of reference for strategy, principles and guidelines, it will serve as a company wide hub for brand related communications, project collaboration and interaction with brand assets.
Parys Hammond
Facilities Manager
London
Hi I’m Parys and I’m the Facilities Manager over here covering all hard and soft services. Now no one ever really understands what hard and soft services are so to explain… If you picked the building up and shook it everything that fell out is soft service and everything that stays in is hard, still confused? Well my friends like to say I get people to unblock the toilets and keep them warm which is not far off the money.
When I’m away from the toilets I will take on anything endurance or sports related and in the last few years I have completed three mountain marathons a 3-Peaks Challenge, numerous city 10k runs and still just about manage to drag the old legs out of bed and play football.
Prudential Takes Strong Asian Focus (with help from The Brand Union)
Published by: Elizabeth Low, Marketing Magazine (Singapore)
Featuring: The Brand Union
Prudential has launched a new brand, Eastspring Investments, to unify its asset management operations in Asia, and replacing various current asset management brands in most markets.
Prudential worked with The Brand Union for the rebranding effort.
The new brand is aimed at creating a unified brand across its eight businesses (excluding joint venture businesses) which currently operate under different names across Asia.
It also aims to highlight the Asian heritage of the business as well as its geographic presence and understanding of the region to allow growth within Asia and outside of Asia, particularly of its offshore fund products.
The new brand name will replace the different business names currently in used in Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Taiwan, Japan, Korea, United Arab Emirates and Vietnam. It will not apply to joint venture operations in China and India, or in Hong Kong through BOCI-Prudential and rebranding plans are still subject to regulatory approval.
Ambrish Chaudhry Talks to Campaign Magazine about Celebrity Endorsement in the Middle East
Published by: Campaign Magazine
Featuring. Ambrish Chaudhry, Strategy Director The Brand Union Middle East
Some see celebrity endorsements as worthy, while some are not convinced. We ask two senior industry figures if brand ambassadors are indeed a waste of brands’ money.
Aren’t brand ambassadors an irrelevant add-on, hitched onto the lazy and uncreative ‘celebrities are cool’ bandwagon?
Given the many unoriginal, uncreative celebrity campaigns out there, one would not be wrong to associate endorsements with lazy marketing. However, celebrity endorsements used in a compelling manner can provide tremendous breakthroughs and a potent means of standing out in a cluttered market. Some very big brands have been built on a history of relevant celebrity endorsement.
UK supermarket Sainsbury’s claim that TV chef Jamie Oliver’s ad campaign for the company was responsible for a quarter of its profits in 2002. Is that level of brand ambassadorship possible in the region?
The key reason for the success of the Sainsbury’s association with Jamie Oliver was ‘authenticity’. Not only was it evident that Oliver knew what he was talking about in the Sainsbury’s commercials, but he also worked behind the scenes with the supermarket on its products. For a regional association to be this productive, marketers and advertisers need to think beyond just popularity while choosing the apt brand ambassador. Remember, you can’t fake authenticity.
What are the metrics for a “successful” brand endorsement campaign?
To arrive at the right metrics, marketers need to first answer what was the objective of the endorsement. If the objective was to achieve cut-through and awareness, it should be measured accordingly and if the objective was a change in image or a rise in sales then that is where the focus in measurement should be. Safe to say you can’t comment on the effectiveness of the endorsement till you’ve clearly identified the reasons you needed one.
Does the use of a brand ambassador represent a lack of confidence in the brand’s product offering?
Endorsements are expensive and need nurturing, so investing in something when you don’t have the belief in its success would be counter-productive. In fact, compelling strategic endorsements can clearly demonstrate the faith that the organisation has in its product.
What has been your favourite brand ambassador campaign in the region, and why?
Olay’s choice of Nadine Labaki is interesting. As a talented, driven, hard working and successful person, Nadine is a strong icon for women in the region. She is well known for her work and in associating with her Olay is seeking to become the choice of time-poor women who prefer brands that can fit into their lifestyle.
Mars
The American family-owned business Mars has become one of the world’s leading manufacturers of brands worldwide during it’s past 100 years of existence, with a strong market presence in Germany since 1960. The Brand Union Hamburg has been looking after various brands in their petcare, chocolate and food categories on an European level since 1995.
RT @TreeHugger: Jobless Man Builds House That's Literally Made of Money http://t.co/coshoRCA
Graham Hitchmough
Regional Director
ASEAN
My career to date has taken me from London to Singapore, via Thailand. Every step of the way – including Ogilvy & Mather London, WCRS, Coley Porter Bell and Blue Marlin – has been the result of a little bit of planning and a lot of luck, and has resulted in the opportunity to be involved with countless great people, great work and great brands.
Now happily in Singapore, I am still surrounded [made to look good] by great people and am enjoying having a front row seat as Asian brands take on the world.
Vattenfall
Vattenfall is one of Europe´s largest energy companies.
The old identity was implemented in 2001 and refined in 2003.However, the world around Vattenfall is clearly changing, and so are the requirements and demands from the stakeholders.
Vattenfall identified a need to adapt and develop its corporate identity and design to these new demands in order to keep and to strengthen its competitiveness over time.
The Visual Evolution project started in the beginning of 2010, with the aim to update, simplify and refine the current visual identity.
The new identity was launched by the end of 2010, and is right now being implemented in order to reach full brand alignment by 2012.
RT @printbrat: Thanet MP to set up company to sell ‘ugly’ fruit and veg - News - Kent News: http://t.co/2okLFeo2 via @AddThis
Several examples of the danger that exists for brands when their self-perception is not aligned to others perceptions of them. #wef
CSR is increasingly core to business strategy, but is it being sufficiently considered in the context of brand strategy? #wef
The Brand Union Designs the First German Diversity Award
The inaugural German Diversity Award was presented for the first time at a gala event on November 14th. The award, originated from a partnership between Henkel, McKinsey & Company and economics magazine Wirtschaftswoche was presented to employers, entrepreneurs and innovative projects that are especially committed to establishing a culture of diversity. The award sculpture itself was developed by The Brand Union Hamburg.
The event, hosted by German TV presenter Schöneberger, took place in the Lange Foundation in Neuss (Düsseldorf). About 200 guests from the worlds of politics economics, culture and media attended the ceremony, which was supported by the Charta der Vielfalt initiative which promotes a working culture characterised by diversity.
“The challenge was to develop a design object that demonstrated the uniqueness of the award. We had the motivation to create the prize as an object that was diverse in itself” says Elke Pietsch, Consultant Director at The Brand Union. The result is a white varnished sphere, made up of four segments that represent each awarded category. And so, the idea of diversity about coming together is shown; four categories, four parts come together into one entity.
“We were thrilled to have the opportunity to develop the trophy for such an important award. As a creative agency we place great importance on diversity within our company culture too. Through the cooperation of varied, multi- cultural teams, from a range of backgrounds, the best and most creative solutions can emerge.” Says Dr. Alexander Schubert, CEO of The Brand Union Hamburg.
The aim of the award is to encourage the employers to develop effective and sustainable diversity practices as well as to reward those who make an outstanding contribution to the field. Awards were presented to brands such as Google, BASF and Ford as well as German Chancellor Angela Merkel who took home the award for ‘Diversity Personality of the Year’.
Alexander Liss
Strategist
New York
I joined The Brand Union in March 2010, and have played a multi-disciplinary role in the Strategy & Research team of the New York office, working on consumer research, brand positioning and architecture, employee brand engagement, business development and thought leadership studies.
I have extensive work experience across a wide range of industry verticals. In previous roles I have organised international best practice research on technology and e-commerce; led multi-country quantitative CPG new product roll-out studies; consulted on digital media and online gaming, and conducted qualitative fieldwork on spirits and financial products. I am also fluent in Japanese.
I am currently pursuing my MBA from the Stern School of Business at New York University, and have a Bachelor’s degree from the George Washington University, where I was inducted into the Phi Beta Kappa national honour society.
The Coca-Cola Company
Over the last few years, The Brand Union has worked with multiple divisions across The Coca-Cola Company. Teams from our New York, London, Paris and Singapore offices have partnered with their global design and innovation groups, as well as regional brand marketing teams to develop a range of initiatives from brand strategy to visual language systems to pack design.
Our work has impacted their leading brands, including Coca-Cola, Sprite, and Minute Maid, as well as cross portfolio initiatives focusing on sustainability.
Sharon Toh
PA and Marketing Manager
Singapore
I am an assistant to Graham Hitchmough and am involved in all office administrative support and various marketing activities for the Singapore Team.
I will never leave for work without a pair of heels. And they have to be at least three inches high! I am a SHOE FREAK and have close to 40 pairs. From stilettos, wedges, open-toes, strappy to any other styles, you name it, I have it. I simply love how they feel by walking in them and they sure make me feel absolutely confident all the time.
RT @MarketingWeekEd: Mars gets its Snickers in a twist over spoof campaign http://t.co/Oy86F1c8
John Hurley
Brand Consultant
Dublin
I joined The Brand Union in March 2011, having worked across diverse industry sectors developing customer experiences, strategy and transformational brand ideas. Locations included London, New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco, at companies such as British Airways, Walt Disney and Lucasfilm/Star Wars (yes, at Skywalker Ranch), and I managed alliances with Coke, American Express, Pepsi, Tricon and Fritolay along the way. I took the plunge into start-ups in Silicon Valley and Celtic Tiger, Ireland. Agency-side I have worked on O2 and FMCG.
I love following the stories of entrepreneurs as they build a brand for success or failure. Tracking tastemakers and seeing how culture is interpreted via technology and travel is a personal fascination. I believe in partnerships and brand alliances to scale products and experiences and have seen the success of synergy management. I believe mobile branding is where our greatest challenge lies, as lifestyles and possibilities from the palm of your hand transform buying and selling on the move.
Jonathan Davies
Finance Director
London
I joined The Brand Union in London in 2004 and spent two years here before moving to Johannesburg to be Finance Director for the Africa and Middle East region, from there I moved to Shanghai where I was the Finance Director for The Brand Union Asia network, and now in 2011 I’ve returned to the London office to my current role. Seven years thus far, three continents and countless tales to tell.
I’ve found the commercial and operational management challenges in The Brand Union businesses to be diverse, unrelenting and always interesting. There is a unique freshness and energy to the company and never a dull moment.
Outside of the office I am a mountain biking fanatic having taken up the sport during my time in China shortly after turning 40. A midlife crisis perhaps, but whatever the reason it’s all downhill from here. When not biking I’m a keen guitarist with an ambition to ‘get the blues’.
Canadian students send Lego man into space via weather balloon http://t.co/5m96HuGf
Blackrock
In 2009, BlackRock’s acquisition of iShares from Barclays Global Investors proved to be a transformative moment. The acquisition would significantly change their business. BlackRock looked to The Brand Union for help. The combination of two power brands into one would impact everything from the name of the new entity, the visual identity, brand strategy, brand positioning, culture, and communications.
Working closely with BlackRock, we conducted extensive internal and external research, which led to key strategic insights that would guide our work and the brand. Strong recognition of the BlackRock brand and its industry-wide reputation for disciplined risk management meant that this was the master brand to keep. An evolution of the BlackRock logo signaled change and helped define the brand’s new identity.
Using our research findings, and leveraging the WPP network, we developed print, out-of-home, digital and brand engagement communications that brought a revitalized brand look and feel to life by way of the ‘Full Spectrum’ campaign. The new communications platform debuted simultaneously in key business markets worldwide and is currently active globally.
SPX
SPX is a Fortune 500, multi-industrial company that lacked a unifying brand to communicate the full breadth of its offering. Operating globally with over 80 business units, SPX turned to The Brand Union in 2007 to create a brand program equal to its real business impact. Generating a compelling new presence for SPX, The Brand Union created an umbrella brand organized around the theme “where ideas meet industry.” The strategy highlighted SPX’s position at the intersection where the best thinking yields tangible results. The Brand Union designed and executed a comprehensive communications portfolio to support the Brand. The work included logo design, TV, print and online ads, a microsite, collateral, signage, and guidelines.
Currently The Brand Union is supporting SPX’s new brand architecture strategy and brand positioning with an Employee Engagement Program and a new advertising campaign. The Brand Union is also developing Branded templates out of Visual Identity work completed last year including full Brand Guidelines. The Brand Union continues to act as SPX’s lead agency leading SPX Brand Strategy and design globally and with SPX partners.
Ravishankar Manjeshwar
Head of Preproduction
Bangalore
I am Ravishankar and have worked for Ray+Keshavan/The Brand Union for the past 15 years. At present I am working as Head of Preproduction. Making packaging and other prototypes, dummies, final print-ready artworks, etc, are my responsibilities.
I am a little reserved. My reticence however is to do with my nature and upbringing and has not hampered my creativity and gumption for being innovative. Since childhood, I’ve been interested in drawing, sketching, photography, origami, etc, which has automatically put me in good stead when it came to the selection of my profession. I love Hindustani classical music too!
Going Global
Published by: Admap
By: Rosi McMurray, Head of Consulting The Brand Union London
Brands that want to become global must develop characteristics that can transcend cultural origins and be tailored to suit local markets, while maintaining consistency.
Consumers are used to labelling brands as big, small, local and global. While superbrands such as Coca-Cola, Visa and McDonalds are expected to have presence in every continent, small, local producers proudly promote themselves as different, individual and personal. But, is it always easy to identify which group a brand belongs to? Are global brands completely distinct from big brands operating in fewer markets? Or should we see all successful brands on a sliding scale?
In the BrandZ Most Valuable Global Brands report, there are four groups of brand types. If we take the top 50 brands, we can create two groups where the brand is in more than 50 countries.
The first category is brands that are seen as truly universal – ‘the borderless global brands’. But not all global brands have a completely abstract origin. The second group is brands that are global but have a distinctive provenance and home country- ‘country rooted global brands’. There are 18 brands in the top 50 that are in fewer than 50 countries. Multinationals are defined as brands that operate in 20-50 countries. The final group is ‘the predominantly national brands’, which are active in fewer than 20 markets.
By looking at the great global brands, we can identify traits that are universal across all successful brands. This, in turn, allows us to get to grips with whether the biggest global brands really are completely distinct from the brands in the multinational, national and even local categories.
Global brand origins
Over half of the borderless global brands are technology brands such as Google, Amazon, BlackBerry and Nokia. These brands operate and communicate largely in the ‘global web space’, which is, by its very nature, universal. This first group contains brands that have a functional need to be seen as truly global. For example BlackBerry, which wants consumers to feel they can access mobile content anywhere, or Visa, which similarly wants people to understand they can use their credit card globally. Ubiquity is at the very heart of the borderless global brands group.
Unlike the borderless global brands, country-rooted global brands are still seen as tied to their market of origin. Two-thirds of the brands in this category are American. Coca-Cola, McDonalds and Disney are all still strongly associated with a sense of living the American dream. While this is part of the overarching sentiment these brands convey, there are different flavours of provenance. Apple plays on the liberating values of the intellectual and creative West Coast. Likewise, beauty and fashion brands Louis Vuitton and L’Oreal play on their French heritage of high life and luxury.
A clear provenance and country of origin gives brands the distinct advantage of authenticity. For many of the brands in this group, the ability to play on provenance becomes fundamental to the brands’ promise, through both the rational and emotional associations of the location.
Creating a clear dividing line between global brands and those that operate as multinationals in numerous markets is not always possible. The generally accepted definition of 20-50 markets for multinationals encompasses a wide range of brands and is, in fact, a fairly arbitrary line, with brands such as BP and Vodafone both falling into this group. If some of the multinationals moved into new markets, such as Africa, they would quickly switch into one of the global groups.
This group could be called the ‘aspirant global brands’. Few can doubt the ambitions of companies such as Tesco and Santander to become truly global players, and both are making the transition to become global organisations. This is particularly evident in their ability to learn how to understand and adapt to their target audience in different markets.
Santander has had to deal with the serious challenge of integrating a number of well-respected UK brands with significant heritage into the universal brand of Santander. Reassuring customers through a well-managed transition process was important. Research conducted before they entered the UK market showed that a more formal approach to the City would enhance their reputation. By undertaking this research and by taking the time to understand the marketplace, Santander has been able to rapidly establish itself as a powerful force in retail banking.
Predominantly national brands.
The largest brands that are also predominantly national come from large markets, such as China, India and the US. For these companies, there is less of an incentive to expand globally as they already have big domestic market to grow within, before they need to consider the case for global expansion. Some, such as Bank of America Merrill Lynch and MBNA, are showing signs that they wish to pursue international business and must consider how well their brand and national heritage will travel in other markets.
There is an obvious benefit for businesses outside the US wanting access to major US businesses, to use service providers such as Bank of America Merrill Lynch. For sectors such as retail, the motivation for consumer in different markets to be interested is less obvious.
Consumers are influenced by the desire to buy ‘local’ and we may see more local products appear in the next year or so, particularly in the FMCG sector. But this is another ambiguous term. How local does a brand need to be to earn the label? For food and drink, the link to local is particularly entrenched. For some consumers, supporting local brands is a socially responsible thing to do, as it supports, local employment and communities, reduces the environmental impact of unnecessary travel and preserves local traditions.
“How local does a brand need to be to earn the label? For food and drink, the link to local is particularly entrenched. For some consumers supporting local brands is socially responsible because it supports local employment and communities”
Local brands play on the association with heritage, artisanship and craftsmanship. While visibly local brands are still growing in the food and drink sector, other traditionally local industries, such as Shetland wool in Scotland, appear to be declining. With cost still a major consideration for both consumers and businesses, we have seen any brands move production to the most economically viable location. In doing this, they lose the local-quality connection, but may be in a stronger commercial position to expand into new markets.
Brands are all on the continuum of choice. Understanding your audience on a global basis might sound like a challenge, but it is vital to appeal to a wide range of consumers. Brands must also develop characteristics that are capable of transcending cultural origins to connect with a global audience. It is essential that companies recognise the difference between markets and tailor their brand accordingly, while keeping a recognisable level of consistency.
Tony Palmer, chief marketing officer at multi-national Kimberley Clark, once said: “There’s no such thing as a global consumer- ultimately, people buy locally.” Embracing the nuances of individual markets and audiences is important.
There are six key elements. Companies need to focus on dynamism, flexibility, authenticity, clear positioning and target audience, as well as a strong corporate culture, and great brand experience.
Whatever the size or reach of a brand, there are universal factors. The product itself needs to be excellent, so there is a guarantee of consistent quality. The brand needs to be appreciated as valuable by both the customers and its custodians, who influence marketing and branding decisions. Finally, the benefits and values of the brand need to be clearly communicated, understood and remembered by the target audience.
Perhaps the most salient factor for the most successful brands is the promise of consistent quality. Whether it’s a business or a consumer making a purchasing decision, they want to be sure in this world of endless choice that their decision is the right one.
Every year, the BrandZ list changes, influenced by a huge variety of factors, from trends within sectors such as technology, to the size and location of brands. It is logical to conclude that all successful brands are on a continuum between local and global superbrands. They have more characteristics in common than dividing them. Successful brands depend on universal branding principles, which are as applicable to Coca-Cola as to your local food producer.
Greg Van der Boon
Industrial Designer
Johannesburg
I qualified as an Industrial Designer from the University of Johannesburg in 2001. I started my career with a small multi-disciplinary design consultancy called Evo Design Solutions, where I spent three years working on projects ranging from corporate and domestic interiors to mainstream product design. Thereafter, I moved on to Alclad Interiors, a large manufacturing concern specialising in retail store roll-outs. I spent two years at Alclad, where I was responsible for in-house retail furniture design and point of sale display systems.
I joined The Brand Union in October 2007 and have been primarily responsible for signage design, packaging design and product design. Clients I’ve worked for include: Kerzner International, Standard Bank, SAB Miller, Anglo American, Airtel and Neotel, to mention but a few.
My hobbies and interests include photography, travel, furniture design, art, fast cars and fine wine.
I just published a new project to my @behance portfolio: http://t.co/mc7B6Vcn
Daniel Goh
Designer
Singapore
I realised I’m the only weird child in my family after my sister and brother went into science-related industry and studies. Luckily, I’m not one of them. I found love in design and enjoy holding a mouse rather than a test tube. Despite starting my career in advertising, I chose to be in branding to be an obstetrician where I’m able to deliver brands.
I’m a fan of sports, especially soccer. Spending some time once a week with friends sweating. Working out in the gym is pretty enjoyable too; I love the feeling of muscles aching. Yes I know, pretty psycho.
RT @RichardHolt: Lovely: RT @SBStudioBenji Nice. A new way of branding a chemists. http://t.co/Ifz4LCY3
Davos is the perfect example of bringing multiple perspectives together for improved business outcomes. This one's for you Craig #wef
20 Years of Dazed & Confused
London’s Somerset House plays host to a fascinating exhibition chronicling twenty years of Rankin’s iconic Dazed & Confused magazine. The style and culture title has been a launchpad for many creatives and artists since it’s inception in 1991. The free exhibition runs until 29 January 2012 at Somerset House.
The Royal Mint Explains the Offside Rule for just 50p
The Royal Mint in the UK has released a set of 29 different 50p coins to commemorate the upcoming Olympic Games to be held in London later this year. Featuring designs submitted by members of the public and depicting various Olympic sports, the collection includes this explanation of football’s oft-confused offside rule.
Nick Payne
Director
London
I have over 20 years of experience in both branding and design. Originally trained as a Product Designer, I began my career as an interior/retail designer before establishing myself in the world of corporate and brand identity. I worked for 10 years as a Creative Director, where I lead branding teams across a wide range of clients and sectors, including The Premier League, Credit Suisse, Ericsson, Castrol, Deloitte and the FA bid for the 2018 World Cup. I now combine my client time with the role of Operations Director for the London office, where my breadth of experience helps to ensure that we are supporting all our clients in the right way.
Over the past two years, my primary client focus has been Barclaycard, where I have lead the development of new brand positioning and identity, including the creation of the Barclaycard Freedom and Barclaycard Unwind sub-brands. During this time, I have also lead the development of a new brand strategy and visual identity for Bird & Bird, the international law firm.
Beyond my passion for brand building, my other great passion is my old farmhouse in the Kent countryside, where building of another sort keeps me and my family fully employed.
The Brand Union Paris is Agency of the Year – Again!
The Brand Union Paris has been named Design Agency of the Year in the 32nd Grand Prix Agency of the Year Awards – for the 2nd time!
The annual awards organised by the Institut National de la Proprieté Industrielle recognise communications and marketing agencies based on their year on year growth, new client acquisitions, customer loyalty and creative awards wins. This is the second time that The Brand Union Paris has received the accolade, having received the award in 2004 too.
Stephane Ricou, CEO of The Brand Union Paris said “We are delighted to receive this award, and not for the first time! It is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our whole team here in Paris especially our MD Céline Derosier, and is a result of the excellent client relationships we have here and across the Brand Union network.”
The Brand Union works with major clients out of the Paris office including Henkel, Daniel Jouvance, Heineken, JTI and Pernod.
Gus Kyriazopoulos
Controller
New York
I have more than a decade of experience, working in various roles in both operations and corporate finance, in the marketing/advertising industry. Before joining The Brand Union, I ran the finance department of GEM NY, a boutique-sized marketing firm that was a division of CSS Stellar PLC in the UK.
Prior to my work at Gem, I spent eight years in the McCann Erickson family. Two years after starting as a Senior Staff Accountant working on North American consolidations and reporting for the Controllers group, I moved to Mccann Relationship Marketing as an Accounting Manager for their New York Office, managing the monthly reporting as well as client staffing. Within a few years I became the Assistant Controller of MRM NY’s sister firm, The Publishing Agency, managing all aspects of the company’s financial operations.
I pride myself on providing timely, accurate and relevant financial information, so that well-informed decisions can be made by management teams. My personal interests include travel, reality TV and playing pool, as I continually try to lead my local NYC team back to the APA Nationals in Las Vegas.
Andrew Pitchford
Designer
London
Hello, I’m Andrew. I studied graphic design at the London College of Communication, focusing on information design. My time at the LCC really helped form my skillset as a designer and I am very thankful for the tuition I received during the time I spent there. I am a logical problem solver and am very passionate about typography. Working for The Brand Union is my first permanent professional role. I am enjoying continuing my development as a designer through our diverse range of clients and briefs, and especially from the support and guidance I receive from the colleagues around me.
Steven O’Neil
Client Director
New York
I am Client Director of our New York business and lead the consumer branding team. I am Client Director for a number of global accounts, including Kraft, Reckitt Benckiser, Pernod Ricard and SAB Miller.
I have over 14 years of experience in creating compelling brand narratives across a range of businesses, cultural institutions and non-profits. My previous clients include Hasbro Games Group, Sotheby’s, Guggenheim Museum, The Frick Collection, Apollo Theater, National Urban League, Robin Hood Foundation, Oprah’s Angel Network and DUX Interiors.
Prior to joining The Brand Union, I served as Account Director at Valentine Group. There I lead branding, advertising, design and packaging projects for Cole Haan, Restoration Hardware,Victoria’s Secret, Godiva, Bath and Body Works, Turner Classic Movies and many more.
I am a graduate of the University of Georgia with a BA in English. My interests outside of work include photography, cooking and travelling.