Insight
Brand Building Journey: The Necessity of Partnership
Taiwan has undergone many industrial transformations and reforms over the past few decades, from production-oriented OEM to self-designed production, and even the creation of brands to provide services and products. At the same time, the increasingly globalized market has made products and services not only exist in a specific market, but also in a far-reaching one, so the communication and positioning of the brand has become more universal and important.
Martin Kessler, the group partner of Process Pro Brand, traveled from Zurich to Taiwan to participate in the Brand Salon. He took the opportunity to share his experience in brand design and communication, especially from the initial Zurich office to the multinational branding consulting firm with offices in Taipei and Shanghai.
Professionalism is at the heart of brand consultancy
Asia is our first choice because branding will be an important and emerging industry service in these markets," says Martin. Procter & Gamble is one of the few independent consulting firms with a cross-border connection, acting as a bridge between East and West. However, he doesn't see the need to make such a distinction between East and West, as design is not based on the market, but rather on "branding expertise," adding, "We find solutions for our clients, so that's our ambition to understand the product, the service, the market, and everything that goes into it, and of course, our consumers.
Therefore, he realized that Taiwan enterprises, in the trend of globalization, whether it is enterprise-consumer or enterprise-corporate type of companies, gradually pay more attention to branding and design, and provide the target audience with a link to the understanding of the brand experience needs to be even more important, so when those enterprises are looking for a better improvement or service design services, they are very professional enterprises. So when those companies are looking for better improvements or service design services, they are very professional companies. So according to Martin, brand design is not so much about different markets as it is about professional presentation, "which is why our clients are willing to budget and work with consultants," he says.
Taiwan under Globalization
From another perspective of globalization, both businesses and individuals need to receive far more information every day than ever before, to the point where it is difficult to multiply, but how to stand out without being drowned out is the challenge, Martin says: "Branding expresses your personality, as well as the orientation of your services and products. In other words, globalization is invariably forcing companies to become more invested in their brands and products, but from Martin's observations, he finds that most Taiwanese companies lack vision, perhaps due to market constraints.
Looking at the past 10 years, Martin points out that most Taiwanese companies excel in technology, but are relatively weak in translating their core strengths into brand identity and communication. "In other words, this slows down the growth of global business or reduces the strength of brands and products. That's why it's so important to understand your company's own weaknesses and then seek out outside branding experts or branding teams," he says.
Logos are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to brand identity.
Many Taiwanese companies are still stuck in the "brand design = logo design" myth, or because of the difficulty of starting a business, are often the clay method of steel, not by professionals to perform, Martin said, "Logo is just a part of the brand, like the tip of the iceberg. We're aiming for a whole brand image that encompasses all the norms," he says. He cites examples such as product design, communication or company behavior, so defining the company's values and positioning statement is important in the branding process, as these things are used to help maintain the identity of the "one voice," he says, emphasizing that a lack of precision may result in a loss of brand consistency. To summarize, branding is actually a form of strategic marketing, which is different from advertising, but both aim to bring financial benefits.
As mentioned earlier, many businesses are facing a transition, and many Taiwanese businesses, which are family-run, are also facing a succession of generations. Although there is bound to be a lot of teething problems, there must be some advantages for a business that has survived for a long time, Martin says: "The future needs assets. In other words, sons and daughters will be able to use the experience and input of their elders in the industry. "Not everything that was used in the past needs to be changed, and not everything that was successful in the past needs to be preserved," he says. The important thing is how to mix these experiences so that the brand can flourish.
Finally, in response to many people's questions about why they should leave brand planning to an outside professional, Martin makes a few points about the benefits of a brand consultancy (Agency):
1. A brand consultancy is an independent and free organization, not subject to internal company constraints.
2. Branding consultancies bring together the best professionals because the best branding professionals are rarely on the client side.
3. The branding consultancy industry is a highly challenging and free competitive industry, competing with other branding consultants, but in-house branding staff do not have to compete internally with the company.
About Martin Kessler
Founder and Group Managing Partner of Process, Switzerland, formerly Brand Director of Swissair, and juror of iF and many international design awards, Process has won over 120 design awards, including the iF Design Award and the German Red Dot Design Award.
