Thesun 2008-11-17 Page20 Branding Is About Belonging Olins

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theSun

| MONDAY NOVEMBER 17 2008

media & marketing

Branding is about belonging: Olins by Angela Sargunan [email protected]

A BRAND does not manifest itself only through symbols like a logo, but rather through various elements like product, behaviour, communication and the environment. As such, branding is about belonging and demonstrating the sense of belonging which is a fundamental manifestation of the human condition. This was the idea that leading branding consultant Wally Olins expounded on at the

Kyoorius Design Yatra 2008 conference at the Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall in Kuala Lumpur last week. He was among 12 designers from Malaysia, Australia, Britain and Japan who spoke on various aspects of designing. This conference is being held as part of the activities for the annual Kancil Award to be held on Nov 28. Olins, who is chairman of London Saffron Brand Consultants, is one of the world’s leading practitioners in corporate identity and branding. “In this business, the key is the way we associate ourselves with products or services,” said Olins. He said most corporations manifest who they are through these elements but it is important to identify the most important element and brand idea. “For instance, BMW is a product-dominated brand where the logo does not have much prominence as the look and feel, which is the brand idea,” he said. “Then there’s the behaviour-dominated brand such as an airline. What matters most is the person’s experience rather

associates its brand with winning. If someone wears a Nike product, he or she, to some degree, will have an idea of winning. That is how clever brands work.” He said brand ideas are powerful and without them, it is difficult to communicate the difference between competitors, especially if there is little or no difference at William Harald-Wong than what kind of all in terms of price and plane and engine it has. quality of service. “Although “But in terms of an communication does contribute emotional idea and if you like to the company’s branding, a brand, there is a what matters most for difference.” service-orientated In the world of companies like mobile marketing, he service providers is said there are the experience. huge differences “Environmentallybetween business dominated brands to consumer are more suited brands and to hotels. Once a business to customer walks business brands. into a five-star However, hotel lobby, the he disagrees environment sets the with the notion; idea most clearly and instead saying states what the brand that there is a huge stands for.” Chris Lee difference between Olins said branding is product and service not about communication brands. entirely but there are a few brands “When a person eats an that are genuinely communication ice-cream, the product experience driven like Coca-Cola for instance, will remain the same whereas for where it has won numerous blind a service brand, every experience tests via its staggering, constant is different as you tend to deal with communication over the years. different people. This means when To distinguish a product or operating in the service brand service that offers similar price and environment, the major audience functions, he said designers need you are dealing with is your own to get an idea, grab it and push it people,” he said. home. Other views on branding and “For example, the Mercedes designing: and BMW are very similar but the » Graphic designer Neville Mercedes brand emphasises on Brody, famous for his technological excellence whereas revolutionary work as art director BMW emphasises on having fun for The Face magazine: and a nice time. That is why the A designer’s main role is cabs in Europe are Mercedes bringing a brand to life. He has which are seen as a serious the ability to provide the “wow” product and BMW will not fit element that jumps out in brands. within the brand idea. It is important to understand the “Another example is Nike which brand from the client’s perspective

and ensuring there is always an open communication, which is open for interpretation. When working on a project like branding, we create layers of structure. The creative visual thinking is all about solving communication problems, conceptualisation, thinking out-of-the-box and experimentation. Start taking risk, which will challenge designers. Tear out the rules and try something new, which enhances your creativity, and innovativeness. » Malaysian designer William Harald-Wong, who specialises in the shaping of lifestyle experiences for new Asian cities, communities, public and brand spaces: Culture plays an important element in influencing branding. Malaysians are beginning to take pride in their culture. It’s no longer generic and many designs are beginning to apply the “kampung-nised” concept incorporating cultural elements into their design, making it instantly recognisable as Malaysian. » Graphic designer Kenya Hara from Japan, who is synonymous with the acclaimed art direction of Muji, products created illustrating the concept of simplicity and elegance: I like the concept of design and it’s a unique philosophy of constantly thinking of the future and being original and relating to our own culture. Despite Japan being known for its tech savvy culture, Japan has a complex culture and Muji is able to fit into this culture. » Singaporean designer and entrepreneur Chris Lee: When designing for clients or even for your own shops, it is important to give them more than what they expect. For instance, a client like Frolic, a soft yogurt brand, is associated with a healthy snack. Instead of the obvious healthy approach, which was what the client wanted, we gave it a new fun look that was catchy by adding a twist of excitement.

Wally Olins

New Avanza comes in two ‘sporty’ variants by Giam Say Khoon [email protected]

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UMW Toyota Motor Sdn Bhd, the assembler and distributor of Toyota vehicles in Malaysia, unveiled its improved multipurpose vehicle (MPV) Avanza with two new variants for the 1.5-litre model. The MPV comes with fresh new looks on the exterior and interior, and improved features. To offer more choices to motorists, the Avanza line-up has been broadened with the addition of the Avanza 1.5S A/T (Automatic Transmission) and Avanza 1.5E A/T. The 1.5S model comes with an exterior treatment which emphasises sportiness, featuring a bumper design with an integrated fog-light on each corner and a distinctive front grille. Along the sides, side skirts (sill extensions) visually lower the car’s a p p e a r-

ance all the way to the bumper, giving it a sporty look. The simple and practical looks for the 1.3E, 1.5E and 1.5G model now have a more dynamic appearance with the frontal appearance boasting a bolder front bumper design. The Avanza 1.3E has a colour-keyed grille finish while the 1.5E and 1.5G have a chrome trim. For the Avanza 1.5 variants, there are chromed door handles and rear garnish to enhance exterior look. The Avanza now has Toyota’s 1.5 litre or 1.3 litre VVT-i (Variable Valve Timing with intelligence) 4-cylinder petrol engines and electronically controlled automatic transmissions. The body of the MPV is strengthened with Toyota’s in-house safety standards – the Global Outstanding Assessment certified bodyshell. For the Avanza 1.5S and 1.5G, dual SRS airbags are fitted in front and ABS (anti-lock brakes) together with electronic brakeforce distribution (EBD) prevent skidding and ensure balanced braking. UMW managing director Kuah Kock Heng said: “The Avanza was launched four years ago and the model has been extremely popular among Malaysian buyers because of its affordable price, proven Toyota quality and the fact that it seats seven people comfortably.” To date, over 110,000 units have been sold nationwide,” he said at the launch of the new model.