Branding has never been better in Asia, said Jörg Dietzel, citing new trends that can help the region thrive and the ways that the market has adjusted to the economical crisis that stemmed from the West.
“There are a lot of [areas] where Asia can lead,” said the branding consultant. The notion “Not everything from Asia is bad and not everything from the West is good” is slowly taking over, reinforcing a sense of Asian pride, which in turn empowers a lot of local brands. Dietzel also underscored the trend of new idealism that consumers, especially the youth, practice when looking at a brand. “They’re now looking for something else, for some meaning in the brand,” he said.
Speaking in front of top executives of different Philippine companies, Dietzel shared how consumers dealt with financial difficulties and how these can present marketing and branding opportunities. “The consumers are not totally giving up (on buying), they’re going more into substitution. If they can’t go to Hong Kong, then maybe they go to Boracay. If they can’t buy the bag, then maybe the wallet.” Despite and in spite of times being hard, people want to reward themselves; and to make the people choose your brand as their own type of "escape", you have to justify why consumers need your brand.
He also cited factors that people consider when choosing a brand: design (because “pretty things make people feel better”), quality and reliability (because people want to make things last longer), and a level of extra care. “A brand is an idea, an opinion in the consumers’ minds,” said Dietzel, and in order to become a great brand, you must possess qualities that give consumers a positive idea of your company, products, and/or services.
The ECCP CEO Forum ended with Dietzel sharing tips on how to restructure communication strategies and techniques for more effective branding. The event was held at the Dusit Thani Hotel in Makati City last November 23.
