Our Favourite Clients (3/3): SMEs
17 May 2010
While start-ups are fun (but often cash poor) and MNCs understand branding (but can only make decisions about changing their brand on HQ level), SMEs are our natural and most logical client group.
It's not always easy to deal with SMEs; during my first module teaching Brand Management at the Spring SMU SME leaders class some years ago, I quickly learnt that SME leaders don't fall for big words and long-term strategies. They want and need application of branding insights on Monday 9 am, following the weekend class. And everything is very cost-sensitive, every dollar invested has to bring a return. I can relate to that, running an SME myself.
Also, dealing with the 'Lau Ban' - often the founder - of the company sometimes makes it harder to deliver unpleasant truths (your brand is not as loved as you would like to believe), since there is a strong emotional attachment.
But on the bright side, once the head of the SME has been convinced of the need for a branding excercise (and getting 70% of government support helps convincing), all departments fall in line, and enlightened bosses often are open enough to allow a challenge to everything, if necessary: new name, new logo, new positioning.
So it's SMEs that we do most of our projects with, often headquartered in Singapore with a regional footprint - in Education and IT, F&B to Media, from Vietnam to Indonesia, China to Cambodia.
SMEs are a sometimes a challenge to work with but they really are the backbone of the economy, and it can be very fulfilling to experience the clear success of their repositioned brands together.
Jorg
Next month: update on our current projects in the region!
Branding of and in Asia
7 April 2010
I was planning to write about our favourite SMEs – but that can wait until next month. And tomorrow’s shoot for a Makeover-Show (no, I am not the candidate, I am on the jury) inspired me to think about Personal Branding – soon to come.
So let me just update you about what’s going on at JDBC in Asia during this sunny month of April:
I have just returned from a few days in Hong Kong, where I enjoyed the cool temperatures (but not the crowds due to the Hong Kong Sevens) and had a few meetings with clients and Max. Hong Kong remains my favourite city in Asia, and I still love the buzz, the seasons and the attitude of the Hong Kongers. Business there is a bit slow, as the city is still struggling with its identity vis-à-vis the big brother China.
Our main activities are happening in Vietnam at the moment – I have dispatched Ronald and Ryan to report on some focus groups in Saigon, Hanoi and Danang that we are conducting for a client. The first phase of this 12-month-project – the Brand Audit – should be finished soon, and we are looking forward to developing the new positioning and architecture for this Singapore education company that is branching out into many markets in the region.
Talking about the region: One of the countries not far from here has asked us for ideas on country branding, and we will discuss details with their tourism officials within this month. Research for this project lead us to develop an overview on branding activities by more than a dozen countries in the region, complete with a ranking as to who is doing well and who isn’t. We should be presenting this study to the public within the next few weeks – watch our website or Media/Marketing magazine for details.
A global bank had developed a new online banking platform and was looking for the right name – not an easy task if their footprint covers some of the major markets in the region. We generated some names, selected a few with the client and then tested them in Singapore, Hong Kong, China and India. The clear winner will now go into the internal and legal deliberations, and hopefully we can report on a new exciting offer from this bank soon.
My public talks in February and March have all been about “connecting to Asian audiences” - what makes Asians different from, say, Europeans and Americans, and is there such a thing as ‘the’ Asian? If you missed my talk at the Singapore German Chamber of Commerce – I will pick up the topic again with an additional twist and talk about connecting to the ‘New’ Asians at SMU on 1 June. Watch this space for details.
And judging from all the SMEs that showed up for my recent Branding Clinic at Spring Singapore, full of expansion plans in the city state and the region, business seems to have picked up and the crisis is a thing of the past – at least for now.
I hope that your company experiences the same upswing – if you’re ready to look at your brand (oh yes, we have a new product, the quick but meaningful ‘Brand Health Check’), let me know.
Our Favourite Brands (2/3)
4 February 2010
Last time I wrote about how much fun it is to work with start-ups: the slate is clean, and we can get it right [on their behalf] from the start, from positioning to touchpoint management, people training [not many people around yet] down to logo and design. But start-ups often don't have the funds to look into branding, and funding by government sources is often limited to brands that have been around for a few years.
We also love to work with MNCs: They have the scale, the budget and the understanding about the importance of branding. They are professional, and we speak the same language.
But most of the time, their headquarters are not in Asia, but in Europe or the US. Which means that we cannot touch the brand, cannot change the positioning in order to make it more relevant for Asian consumers or business clients. So how can we help them?
We begin by understanding the brand, where it is coming from and how it wants to be perceived. Then we look at - and often talk to - their target group in Asia, to find out how much they know about the brand, what they think about the brand and whether there are any barriers that keep them from buying the product or service. Based on these findings we help our clients develop a strategy how to close these gaps and become more relevant to local audiences.
Let's look at our friends at Audi.
In Europe, everybody knows the brand and the quantum leap it has made in the last 10 or 15 years, in technology and design. Audi has not only joined the luxury club with Mercedes-Benz and BMW, it has surpassed them in sales worldwide [not counting Mini and Smart].
But in Singapore 3 to 4 years ago, the German carmaker was the 'best kept secret', loved by a few enthusiasts and car buffs and mostly ignored by the general public. When we looked at their target group here, we found that many Singaporeans didn't know enough about the brand [about the technological milestones during its 100 years of innovation, about its racing successes etc.] and thus did not know what to think about the brand and its drivers, with the exception of design highlights like the Audi TT and the Audi R8.
And because the brand is more progressive than its competitors, from its design to the materials used [aluminium space frame], it was not seen as prestigious as BMW and Mercedes-Benz - which is important in a region where social status is often expressed through brands and status symbols.
Through use of through-the-line media, outstanding events [like the Audi Fashion Festival] and a 100 year-campaign that looked ahead at '100 Futures' for 100 days last summer, some of the gaps have been closed - without changing the overall 'Vorsprung durch Technik' [Advancement Through Technology]-positioning one single bit. Audi is seen as the 'up-and-coming' car brand in Singapore and it is no wonder that they have become the fastest growing car maker here.
[Next month: Our Favourite Brands (3/3) - SMEs]
Our Favourite Brands (1/3)
16 November 2009
Once in a while, if we’re lucky, a start-up gets in touch with us – through contacts, through Spring or IE Singapore, through the website. And if it’s Christmas and Easter on the same day, they are not just a startup but also have a great product or service plus venture capital funding.
We love working for start-ups, because ideally that means we start from a clean slate, an empty page. We then try to understand the product or service and do a Brand Audit, in order to determine who else it out there. Based on the insights, we develop a positioning that we know is relevant to the intended target audience and differentiated from other suppliers. The positioning gets translated into the logo, corporate identity (with our design partners) and touchpoints – to make sure the new brand comes across as professional and consistent.
Let’s take ThoughtBuzz:
Two friends approached me through a faculty colleague, looking for a positioning for their online software that can find out what’s the ‘buzz’ in online social media. So every time someone says something about your brand in a blog or forum – they can find it. Not only can they find it, but the sophisticated software filters apply some analytical tools to help you understand which websites to pay attention to and which to disregard. Wouldn’t you want to know what people are saying about your brand? This intelligence can serve as an early-warning-system, enabling you to handle any challenges your brand may face.
For ThoughtBuzz, we made sure – working with Leap as design partners – that logo, business cards, letterheads, powerpoint-presentations and website were consistent, true to the brand, interesting, professional and engaging. See for yourself: www.thoughtbuzz.net.
It’s a rare opportunity when a great idea comes together with professional and friendly clients and gives a brand consultant the opportunity to help build a brand from scratch.
Asia Travel 101
27 October 2009
I was surprised to hear a business partner say, in a meeting last week: "I know you only work with MNCs, but...". Not true. Instead, most of our clients are SMEs, with a regional footprint. Which is not surprising, given the fact that the brand positioning for most MNCs is decided in Germany and London, New York and Tokyo. Must be the German face that's misleading.
On a quick trip to Jakarta to do a presentation to a new client, I picked up my usual monthly fix of magazines at Changi airport: Monocle (clearly the best global magazine right now), Wallpaper (more out of nostalgia since I find myself finishing it in 15 mins), Vanity Fair and The New Yorker. I also bought a copy of Mediacorp's 'menSTYLE' since it is edited, to a large part, by the old Arena Singapore team. But it proved to be a disappointment: Hardly anything to read, unwearable fashion and 22 (!) pages of watches. Who needs that?
When I arrived in Jakarta, for the first time I took a metered Silverbird taxi to the Grand Hyatt - and it turned out to be cheaper than any of the packages offered. If there is one thing missing in Monocle's November issue on starting your own business, it is the preparation for life after employment. It took me some time to get used to flying budget airlines for business and in general be much more cost-conscious on trips.
So here are some 'entrepreneurial' recommendations for travel in Asia:
Flights
If the client pays, or if travel costs are budgeted into the overall project cost, I still like SIngapore Airlines and Cathay Pacific. The food is great, the seats are spacious, the entertainment top-notch and the service personal and flexible (on CX a bit more than on SQ). For all other occasions, I fly Jetstar Asia wherever possible. Frequencies are sufficient, times mostly reliable and the price is very competitive. For flights over three hours I pay SGD 20 extra (which they call a 'nominal fee' - someone should tell them that 1 dollar is 'nominal', 20 aren't) for extra legroom. Make sure you take some money to buy a sandwich and drink, and to bring plenty of reading materials.
Lounges
With no frequent flyer scheme on budget airlines, there is no lounge access. But most airports have pay-in lounges which make sense if you have a lot of time to kill and plan to have dinner there. Others, like Hong Kong or Singapore, have enough distraction (bookstores, restaurants) to pass the time. Even Jakarta has half a Starbucks where you can sip your double skinny latte and read your book while waiting. Some airlines, like CX, allow you to convert your remaining few airmiles into lounge access.
Hotels
I try to look for special deals or corporate arrangements, and often it makes sense to write directly to the manager explaining that you will spend much time in their hotel destination to get a better rate. I like a good hotel but try not to pay more than USD 150 per night. My favourite hotels are The Metropolitan in Bangkok (I also like the Sukhothai but its prices are too steep), The Grand Hyatt in Hong Kong (for the harbour views but not the location; the Lan Kwai Fong hotel in Central has tiny rooms but is within walking distance to all my favourite hangouts), The Grand Hyatt in Jakarta (very safe, very central and nice rooms - also the Club serves a good breakfast and hors deuvres at night), The Intercontinental Makati in Manila (great central location and a very impressive Club in the top floor), The Park Hyatt in Saigon, The Park Hyatt in Seoul (my favourite hotel in the world, for design and location), The Grand Hyatt in Beijing (right next to Tienanmen square - get a mini suite overlooking the hutongs). I don't really have a favourite hotel in Tokyo because, unfortunately, I don't go there often enough. Send a thank-you note to the GM after each stay, so they remember you next time.
Airport Transfer
As far as proximity to the city is concerned, nobody can beat Changi. But I like Hong Kong and its train past the water, KL is ok and also has a convenient train. In Jakarta I just hop into a taxi or have my office head pick me up by car, in Bangkok and Manila I splurge on hotel pickup but take a normal taxi back to the airport. My motivations for these choices are safety, and avoidance of hassle (will they cheat me by taking a longer route, etc.).
It's different when you pay your own (travel-) bills rather than charge it to the company. And with some infrastructures in Asia still lacking, and traffic being bad, try to spend an extra half day or so relaxing by the pool of your hotel or go for a massage to relieve the travel stress.
Service, but no smile in KL
20 October 2009
My talk at the German Centre (about branding during a crisis) had been in the making for so long that - when it finally happened - I wasn't so sure whether the crisis is still on. The SMEs attending seemed to be doing reasonably well to very well, with the Entrepreneur of the Year amongst them. I still gave an overview on why branding is important and shared some of the learnings we have from research about changed consumer behaviour and why branding and communication are now more important than ever (media is cheaper, there is less clutter, and you want to be in pole position for when the crisis is abating).
A focus group at the Ministry for Information, Communication and Design saw me reunite with some of my friends from the design and agency world - we were discussing some of MICA's plans and what role design plays in our businesses and in Singapore. My point was that there seems to be more and more appreciation for (safe) design, but often for design's sake, and not to express a specific positioning. The designers shared about clients coming to them asking for a logo, without determining what they need to express as a brand first. Also, any place needs a culture of openness to inspire daring designs - which can then make a commercial difference. I made some mental notes for my talk on 'The Design Gap' at the upcoming Singapore Design Festival in November.
I spent part of the weekend catching up with old friends in Kuala Lumpur, and was happy to see that my favourite example why Internal Branding is important, has returned: After a short trial of a China-like voting system (you press the smiley face that best expresses your experience) at KLIA's immigration counters, the authority has returned to supplying buttons for their staff that say 'Service with a Smile'. Good idea - just too bad that nobody's smiling.
Positive Penang Potential
11 September 2009
You would think we live in a 24 hour world, but for most of us the day really starts at 8 or so, for a reason. I was thinking about missing sleep when the Blackberry started vibrating at 5 am on Saturday, waking us up for a short weekend in Penang. We had pretty much exhausted all short distance destinations within 3 hours flight time from Singapore (with Bangkok coming up later this month), so the Malaysian island it was. Also, I was curious to see what it's like.
By 5.35 the Herald Tribune had not slid under the door yet, but we couldn't wait. The drive up the dark ECP took us to Changi in 12 minutes and we queued up at the Jetstar counter to receive our boarding passes. After immigration I rushed for the pink FT boxes, but to my annoyance whoever is responsible for filling them had also decided to start their Saturday a bit later, so we had to board without the FT Weekend, since newsagents have giving up selling it in the airport.
One hour, one cranberry sandwich and a ginger ale later we touched down in Penang, sailed through immigration and were in our car to Georgetown a few minutes after that. The Eastern and Oriental Hotel welcomed us in all its colonial splendour, and I was pleasantly surprised that the room was ready, at 9 am no less. What a wonderful brand this hotel is - beautifully renovated, with many pieces of original or at least period furniture and carpets, nostalgic uniforms and impeccable service. I loved the view from my balcony over the calm Andeman Sea.
We checked in and then went for a walk across the old part of town. Penang is a sleepy but charming town, full of beautiful colonial mansions, some however in a sorry state of repair, and rows of charming shophouses. It has an amazing potential to become an interesting holiday destination: Beautiful views over the sea, a small but efficient airport that connects to KL, Singapore and Bangkok in under two hours, many stately homes that could be renovated and turned into charming boutique hotels or bed-and-breakfasts. I looked at pictures of some waterfront villas the Eastern & Oriental Company had built in Penang, and for a moment was tempted to consider it as a weekend retreat. What it would have to have are some more interesting restaurants (most of the food it is famous for is served in open air hawker stalls), cultural events and a more developed waterfront which currently is crying out to be populated by cute cafes, bookstores and galleries.
After an hour of walking around we finally found a local coffee shop, half hidden from the street behind low sun blinds, where we feasted on Kaya Paos with Kopi O for the equivalent of 1 Singapore Dollar.
The afternoon saw us climb Penang Hill in the cable car - what is it with the perception of Malaysian engineering that never allows us to fully trust the local maintenance even if it's - like in this case - Swiss technology? In any case, we reached the top safely and enjoyed the aerial view of the island and the cooler temperature. Back at the hotel, we had some civilised tea on our terrace and then headed out again for food - almost the only thing the Penang brand is really famous for. We walked along the waterfront and had an excellent and inexpensive char quay teow at a hawker stall.
The next day we enjoyed a long breakfast on the terrace overlooking the sea, then went to the airport via the Snake Temple. The snakes were a bit of a disappointment - they sleep during the day and don't move a muscle, so it looks like they are made from plastic. We had a look at the attached snake farm and the friendly people there showed us around and raised the king cobra for us - impressive, a bit scary and I am not too sure if all the small cages are so species-appropriate...
Overall, it would be good to see some developers sit down with the city planners and carefully build up the sleepy town into the nice, quiet, cultured resort town it has the potential to be.
Learning Service en route to Jakarta
26 August 2009
Opinion was divided in my office whether this was a good time to go to Jakarta. Some expected further bomb attacks, following those on the Marriott and Ritz Carlton hotels a few weeks ago. Others claimed that the time right after an attack is the safest, due to increased security.
What finally made me go - apart from client meetings organised by my Indonesia office head Ary - was a very special business class offer from Lufthansa who are trying very hard to fill the plane for the short route Singapore-Jakarta-Singapore before starting the long trip back to Frankfurt.
Sunday came after a busy week which saw a client launch some solar charging stations for electric vehicles, a meeting with a government agency to find support for an International Branding project, and my two classes, the last of which ended just before 10 pm on Friday night.
Saturday saw me speed through Singapore in a beautiful white Audi R8, courtesy of my Audi client and addressing a wish by my visiting nephew Julian, who miraculously recovered from his flu in order to enjoy the turning heads on Orchard road from the passenger seat.
It's been a while since I enjoyed the cool efficiency of Lufthansa, and I had been looking forward to this short flight, determined to like my National carrier. But right after I sat down in a very comfortable seat 1H and the service started, there was that Lufthansa-feeling again: As if they were delivering their service somewhat hesitantly, and the smiles were painted onto the faces. They served a hot meal which I found a bit ambitious for the short haul - a nice cold snack would have sufficed - and asked for drink requests. "Sparkling wine?" I dared to ask. "Well, I haven't opened it, but I will open it for you if you agree to finish the whole bottle. That's International custom. Ha ha", came the snappish retort. Ha ha indeed.
Jakarta was its usual sticky hot self, and Silverbird used the waiting time for my car to try and upsell me to a bigger and more expensive limo. Unsuccessfully. I hate to be taken advantage of, be it by taxi companies or currency exchange vendors who always try to upsell you - "Can I make it 220 dollars instead of 200 for an even amount of rupiah?" "No."
The Grand Hyatt has always been one of the safer places to stay in Jakarta, but now security had been stepped up a notch, with a careful examination of the car and my luggage. In business, however, Indonesia turned out to be its usual slow self: why is there always an excuse not to sign off on a project, from elections to ramadan? My Monday morning meetings did not materialise so I spent the time emailing and catching up on my reading, interrupted by dips in the pool.
The flight back turned out to be an unusual, chatty Lufthansa experience: since Business Class was half empty, we almost operated on a 1:1 ratio between flight attendants and passengers - no wonder the atmoshpere became very cosy and familiar. I also believe that in cabin crew, like in offices, the troops always reflect the mood and attitude of the boss. Which goes to show: The importance of leadership (we call it Internal Branding) cannot be underestimated.
25 Hours in Hanoi
13 August 2009
If you are like me, you would also find many different things to do in order to avoid the one task you dread. So Friday afternoon saw me walking around the office, joining a briefing here, moving some furniture there and deciding on the programme to show on our new reception flatscreen - anything except to sit down and write my second expert witness opinion in a copyright courtcase I am advising in Hong Kong. Its not the writing that is hard; I can point our similarities in logos and cite consumer behaviour patterns like the next guy. Its the daunting expectation of the response from the lawyers who will require several more versions before the job is done. Finally, fresh out of excuses, I sat down with the defendants expert report and refuted it point by point, leaving me elated and happy when it was done and sent off.
After a quick good-bye to Ryan, our best intern ever - now on his way to exchage in Calgary -, I packed my nephew Julian who is spending the summer with us into the Audi and went to do the weekly grocery shopping, followed by some light packing at home. Saturday saw me sneak out of the house just before 8 a.m. to catch an SQ flight to Hanoi to give a talk on branding at a client conference.
It had been many months since I last visited the Krisflyer lounge in Changi's Terminal 2, with most of my flights these days being on Jetstar Asia, the best of the budget carriers. But the client had paid for SQ economy and I had used my few remaining miles to upgrade to business - it was the weekend, after all. The lounge was as I remembered it and I was happy to pick up the IHT, FT Weekend and a 2 day old copy of the FAZ for some news from home. The Bircher muesli was surprisingly good, the coffee decent - it was the fresh orange juice I was looking for in vain. The attendant pointed me to some can of sweetened orange drink which I politely refused. Then consumer care sprung into action: Without asking, the supervisor went to the first class lounge next door and returned with a glass of freshly squeezed juice. Service seems to be alive and well at SIA, despite what everybody says. The excellent service continued in a half empty business class, and I found myself already dreading the next time in economy.
There are few things worse than arriving in a place you have never been before, where you don't speak the language, your handphone doesn't work and your pickup hasn't arrived. That was the situation I faced after breezing through immigration at Hanoi airport. I stood there, fighting off all the taxi drivers that saw me as a lucrative fare, thinking 'this is so China' and looking for my driver. Eventually he arrived, and we embarked on the hour long trip through fields and industrial estates to the Somerset serviced residence where I was supposed to stay and give my talk.
A quick check-in and one more temperature control later I dropped my bags in the studio flat and went upstairs to the club room to give my talk. The 50 or so attendees asked many good questions, followed by some contract negotiations with the client's lawyers, a 10 min break to get rid of tie and jacket and an improvised city tour. Hanoi's old quarter is still charming and crazy and full of scooters and backpackers; we stopped at a DVD store but the only volume I was interested in - Mad Men - was out of stock.
The next morning, after a few more meetings, I was taken back to the airport and flew back to Singapore, again spending a pleasant three hours watching a movie, enjoying the excellent service and good food with a glass of Red. I arrived just in time for the National Day celebrations and to watch the fireworks from the living room window. I left my small bag more or less unpacked; the next day I was supposed to shuttle up to KL for another talk, again on Singapore Airlines.
