Shanghai International Group Corporate branding

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China’s financial markets are undergoing a period of enormous change and growth. SIG (Shanghai International Group), a state-owned financial group had to face and compete within this challenging environment. SIG’s restructuring and repositioning was part of the Shanghai government’s drive to make Shanghai China’s financial center.

SIG was confronting the following issues: how to create a unique brand positioning; how to integrate the existing portfolio of brands and businesses under one cohesive brand umbrella; how to establish a strong brand image; and how to build a distinctive visual identity.

Brand Strategy

We defined SIG’s brand promise as “Believe in Change, Create Change”. This talked about the need to not only embrace the changes in the financial services environment in China, but also for the company to proactively play a part in shaping these changes. SIG’s new brand personality was: positive, professional, energetic and balanced. Their personality also reflected SIG’s responsibilities as a state-owned enterprise to contribute to economic and social development.

A Clear Brand Architecture

With the new brand strategy signed off, we then embarked on the process of structuring SIG’s brand architecture. The client was open to restructuring and renaming companies. Driven by the parent brand, we established a consistent naming structure for company divisions. We then provided a visual depiction of the brand architecture that could be communicated to stakeholders. After designing SIG’s new visual identity and logomark, we visualized the brand personality and graphic style. As part of this process The Brand Union developed SIG’s basic system, application system and visual identity and brand architecture guidelines for ongoing consistent management of the SIG brand.

An Inspired Visual Identity

The logomark was inspired by the brand promise “Believe in Change, Create Change”. The main element of the logomark, a globe, represented SIG’s commitment to international best practice and awareness of international trends in financial markets. In addition the logo also provided evolutionary continuity with SIG’s previous visual identity. The logomark also contained a stick figure embracing the globe, which was significant for the company. The figure represents SIG’s employees who hand-in-hand were a united, powerful team, committed to shaping the role / position of SIG on the world stage

At the beginning of 2006 SIG launched their new brand strategy and visual identity successfully to employees, the government and other stakeholders. SIG is now implementing their new visual identity within each of their operating companies.