Business – Zack Chia

KFC China

Posted on April 4, 2014 by Zack Chia

This is definitely one of the most insightful article with regards to China, a fast and growing market.AdAge reports the recent campaign by KFC in China on how they are adopting the cliche but sure-win approach of celebrity endorsements. This campaign by Ogilvy, takes celebrity endorsements onto another level. What interests me is how receptive the market in China is from their reaction to many stale marketing tactics. Using a group of five influential celebrities, the campaign aims to go for the kill through not only a collective celebrity power, but also tapping on the celebrities’ social fan base. Taking into consideration that one of the actors has a staggering 72 million followers on Weibo, it is potentially a lethal marketing cannon.

As much I believe, China is quickly becoming a very digitally savvy nation. Ogilvy Shanghai, fully aware of this rising trend, leverages on it with their digital campaign for KFC. They immediately focus on using these celebrities to advertise on engaging social media activities. One for instance, aims to motivate fans to compete against one another over the amount of “likes” for their favorite celebrities. Another very fruitful insight from AdAge talks about the fact that KFC has been one of the biggest and most successful food chain with the longest history in China, since its penetration 27 years ago. A whopping 2,600 outlets in China alone is seriously no joke. A bigger market equity than McDonalds by itself is an amazing feat.

However, as the the brand suffers a decline in operations, branding and sales due to the avian flu outbreak and health inspections, it was devoid of a good strategy to fight back. Now with more marketing campaigns and excellent strategic brand initiatives, the brand is taking back its helm.

What I believe to be extremely essential is an extract from Adage‘s article:

“Celebrities are often used as a quick and easy way to sell products in China,” acknowledged Graham Fink, Ogilvy & Mather‘s chief creative officer for greater China. He pointed out that the same celebrities are often tapped by many brands.

“I think that more and more people are beginning to see through this ‘cheap’ tactic, and the brand will ultimately suffer as a result,” he said. But if the celeb seems “genuinely involved in the message they become more believable, and this is what we are trying to do with KFC.”

Another one:

A top national executive for KFC’s parent company, Yum!, noted that China is the world’s biggest digital society (with 618 million people online) and that Chinese consumers are “moving at the speed of a bullet train.”

The brand is seeking to revamp its menu and offerings every 12 months and I believe this would constantly refresh their image and presence in the eyes of the consumer. When done effectively, shall be a very deciding factor when it comes to triumphing strict competition between competitors on an industry level.

Milind Pant, president and chief operating officer for Yum! China, wrote in an email that “urban Chinese are becoming the most digital savvy group in the world, offering opportunities for brands to innovate and communicate.”

The menu revamp is part of what KFC has labeled its “restage,” which includes new product packaging, uniforms, store designs, a mobile app, an e-menu and a prepay takeout offering.

And of course, not forgetting that bigger companies comes with a heavier inertia and requires longer time to maneuver effectively.

“I think it’s very difficult to steer such a big chain in a new direction,” he said. “And it took this situation with the antibiotics to really force them into making some fairly dramatic changes … A complete revamp of the brand is a good idea.”

Slimline

Posted on July 15, 2013July 15, 2013 by Zack Chia

How many times have you seen Coca-Cola change their can design? Be it the interface graphics or the shape of it’s cans and bottles, it remains one of the most recognized beverage in the world. With their new slimline 250 ml, Coca-Cola has collaborated with Spotify in an effort to bring their consumers the MyCoke trilogy experience all in the name of a healthier soda drink. We are due to see an integrated campaign with TVCs, outdoor as well as social media marketing. Users can also “blipp” the new can for a 3D experience while listening to music tracks via mobile devices as Coca-Cola will be working closely with Blippar. This new can is aiming to bring about not only a newer design but a series of other offerings. It is rather early to judge if this would be a successful campaign albeit the reputation of Coca-Cola. We have seen better campaigns from Coca-Cola which includes the can sharing campaign as well as the closer together campaign by Ogilvy & Mather and I love them. However, I remain skeptical on the results of this marketing effort. What is your take?

Pimp my ride!

Posted on July 14, 2013 by Zack Chia

It is amazing to see new technology and innovations every day. In order to boost their capability of printing on ANY material, Art Center, Sao Paulo, Brazil came out with the idea of printing on cars. As automobiles are generally built and assembled with different materials, it would be the most ideal case for experimenting. We see a van being taken in and sprayed to give it that awesome finish. Art Center launch an ad encouraging people to write in and the lucky ones will get their cars “Pimp Up” the way they want. Check out this cool video of how they pimp the van. They even ran it viral and online. Thus, the results of this integrated campaign is pretty compelling.

The staring incident

Posted on July 8, 2013 by Zack Chia

No longer were the rules of winning that easy especially when the prize is a very sought after smartphone. In fact, it is the Samsung S4! As you would imagined, winning something like this would be difficult and extremely challenging. Well, since the new Samsung S4 has got eye and gesture detection features, it is able to tell if you are looking at it. So in order for you to win your prize, you need to stare at it without fail for 60 minutes straight. That’s one hour without leaving that object out of sight! And to make things worse, there would be loads of distractions around you. To dramatize and distract you from winning your prize, be expected to “ignore” outlandish and bizarre events like motor bike crashes, couples squabbling, loud guitarist and even people on fire!

Again, a very good way to promote the phone features using interesting and creative campaigns. Where mobile smartphones are concerned, it is extremely fun and enjoyable to come out with ideas through the angle of smart product positioning. I do hope to see more of such creative campaigns in Singapore too!

Stop checking on the hair, dude.

Posted on July 3, 2013July 3, 2013 by Zack Chia

Driving is definitely sheer pleasure with great german technology. The emphasis on the experience of driving is one which most of us can relate to. That kind of emotional relation draws your clients closer to your brand. There are many ways to explore when coming out with a good creative idea. Whether it is to bang on an idea that shrieks of the brand name, a comparison between brands, a bashing approach or in this case purely on the emotional aspect of the consumer. BBDO has recently done a commercial for Mercedes. We see a guy in his Mercedes-Benz cruising around while he constantly takes a glimpse of the rearview mirror. A nice blend of smoothing music on the background extrudes a sense of calmness while building up a relaxing ambient. We witness joy, satisfaction and fulfillment in him. He gets carried away and eventually something bad is ABOUT to happen. The point to note here is the emphasis on the event that might happen should he continue to skive his attention off the road. Here, we see how the car effectively place him back on track. The commercial ends with the line “When your mind wanders, ATTENTION ASSIST brings it back”. While I have to admit most automotive car commercials could be rather serious and mundane, this is quite cleverly done.

the Toy Rider

Posted on June 23, 2013 by Zack Chia

Street trials rider Danny MacAskill demonstrates his mad riding skills in this brand new film where he is seen as a toy rider in a child’s world. He has been concentrating most of his videos and projects on locations and journeys, but this time you see his world as a kid and how it has always been for him as a rider. Interesting way to illustrate the thrills and joy of being a bike rider.

Positioning yourself as another
I think one of the interesting approaches to adopt when selling a product is to portray it from another angle using another product. Have you ever challenged yourself if your product can be fit into another product category? If you could, then there is a potential to give the concept a little twist to create the interest factor. In this case, Danny portray himself as a toy and making use of the imaginary world of a child’s mind and how it would make his dream come true. By doing so, he brings his audience closer to his imagination, letting them experience his train of thoughts. A powerful way to convey his message through the use of a less conventional approach.

Check out more of the behind the scenes making as well as the Imaginate web here.

Brand identity and their subtle transitions

Posted on June 20, 2013 by Zack Chia

Have you ever been under pressure from time to time to refresh your company’s corporate identity? Most businesses that have withstand the test of time, would definitely encourage you to make changes and improve your corporate identity. Take Pepsi Co. for example, they have been in the business of producing cola beverages since 1898. More info here. Take a good look at the changes in packaging for the soft drink can.

As you can probably see, even though it has gone through such a long heritage, the logo’s integrity seem rather consistent. In terms of it’s colors and its symbolic curves. Following their rich history, this provides a very iconic imagery in the minds of many. The bloggers at Bold Post have collated a cataloge of some of the popular soft drink cans and their corporate brand image transitions. Have a look and be surprised. Although there are changes to be made as times are changing, it is vital to keep track of the changes you make, keep polishing and fine tuning that identity with subtle changes one at a time. You would very soon see a rather evident change in the logo’s identity.

Click here to see the post. Have you been engaging in a creative agency to refresh your corporate identity? What are your views of the work produced? Feel free to drop in your comments on views and opinions of what you think.

Creating Logos

Posted on June 18, 2013June 18, 2013 by Zack Chia

Have you ever engaged a designer only to come back with a logo looking too outlandish for your liking? Think again. If you find the design rather bizzarre, it could well be your acceptance level OR it might just be a brief given without a clear direction. Designers generally live and breathe creative aesthetics, just like professional lawyers or doctors who basically focus all their attention to their work. However, getting the results you desire from them, might not always be the ideal case. The end result which I believe to be amazing would be the mutual respect and understanding of what good, relevant and creative work is between client and designer.

Here are some of the tips you can consider the next time you would like to do a branding or rebranding of your corporate image.

Research and be awe by design
Most clients I have worked with had given me samples of their past logos and told me how hard it was to get the creative to come out with a decent design that works for them. Almost every single time the references look either too mundane or it was ‘client-driven’. I might be starting to sound one sided here, but truth is, many times clients do dictate or reject opportunities where great work might be produced. I urge that you do some references online on creative portfolio sites like Behance or AShortInspiration and shop around for an idea of how you wish your logo best represent your business. That way, you not only gain the respect from your designer, you might also yield better results.

Understanding and work out a good creative brief
In order for a creative to be able to express the best of his/her abilities, one must know exactly the nature of your business as well it’s operations. You might want to spend some time sitting down with your designer at your office and at the same time bring them around for the ‘factory tour’. I remember having visited one client who was in the laminate business. When we arrived at his office and warehouse, we caught a glimpse of the production and after his explanation of the entire business operations, it convinced the team that positioning the brand with an edgy voice might not be a suitable call. We recognize the need to design a logo that extrudes more robustness and that signifies the concrete heritage the brand was shouting for. So give your designers the required details and even discuss the future business objectives you have planned out for. That way, both parties will be aligned and on the path to create a logo that would be relevant and well served for the future years to come.

Sometimes you just have to invest in the right people
I heartily concur with this point. The fact that creatives pride themselves based on the kind of work they produce, you would want to first request for their past works as one of the criteria to chose a good designer. It is natural that a creative designer would place a higher remuneration if he/she is aware that they have the substance and capability to produce great quality work. Of course, when ego takes over them, that is the time to give ’em the boot! A really skilled designer is not only able to interpret your ideas, they are also capable of creating that extraordinary element out of your logo given the stringent requirements. On top of that, they might also give you more inputs and directions based on their experience.

“Why isn’t McDonalds’ blue?”
At some point of your life you would probably have given some critical comments about logos you see on the street randomly. The fact is, a good logo is made up of several important design elements. One of the important elements is color. Have you ever asked why Subway sandwiches uses green and yellow for their logo and Armani uses black for instance? Truth is, for brands in the F&B industry, it is crucial to represent your corporate image with the right colors that best illustrate your brand’s product or services. Take Subway for example, most people who knows Subway or crave for vegetables with bread would naturally yearn for a good roasted Subway sandwich. And the color to best represent vegetables would be green and how it does wonders to portray the image of being natural and healthy. So do research and check out your potential competitors and what have they done. That might also give you a clue of what best to adopt next.

Is there a brand story?
Not every logo comes with a story. These days, if you happen to get one, you should count yourself lucky for this bonus. Why I’m saying this is because many designers are so involved in crafting that beautiful visual of your logo that most of them have almost completely forgotten the importance of having a concept and story behind their design. So it is vital that you have a brand story which you would throw in together with your brief. That would help the designer to best picture your logo and create a logo that would not just look nice but also complements the story behind it. Otherwise, you could make it a requirement that the designer would provide you his creative rationale: a write up which best describe his/her creative inspirations and processes when developing the logo base on their understanding of the brand. After all, what could be more cool than to tell an amazing story when prompted a question like this during a social party?

Always ask for more options
There is always more than one way to get the job done. If you engage in an experienced designer, he/she would understand the fact that good work requires fine tuning and making the necessary tweaks to get it done. And the more options you get , the more diversity you can see in the choice of logos you could get. Of course, I am not implying that you start exploiting 10s and 100s of variations for one single logo as that could also mean that you might be getting low quality work. As the adage goes, quantity depletes quality. So learn to ask for options but quality options and narrow down your selected designs as you work towards the final logo.

“Can I have a mascot? You know, like Mickey Mouse or Bugs Bunny?”
When it comes to logos, it is without a doubt that having an iconic character does help in some sense. But, NOT ALL. There has to be some relevance to your business nature. Throwing in a nicely designed and cute character without the context of relevance will not only backfire, it would put your logo as a laughing stock should the character portray a different message. Of course, if you deem that having a mascot or character would best represent your company, I would recommend having the designer depict the character with a strong personality that would bring life to your brand. A character with a timeless design and characteristics of your company.

Here are just some of the tips that would help you in deciding your next corporate rebranding or logo design exercise. However, do feel free to email me at: zackchia15@gmail.com if you need more advice on doing a good logo for your company’s identity or marketing campaigns. Best of luck and hope this article has helped you.

Music post cards

Posted on June 16, 2013June 16, 2013 by Zack Chia

UK-based brand communications agency Uniform, piqued my curiosity with their introduction of a device that plays music from postcards. Tapping on this technology known as Printed Electronics, they could print basic electronic circuits and components onto any surface. They worked on Paper Apps making use of paper devices and conductive inks to enable the device to read and interact with the data, information and services.

The beautifully designed cards slots in so nicely on top of this sleek black box device which plays music from the cards. Best of all, users could control the music with functions that is printed on the postcards. They basically allow you to play forward or rewind even. Fantastic invention here. We are looking at a new way to buy music apart from online and the dated CD technology. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to visit a music shop packed with just postcards of music!

Mirror Mirror, on the wall…

Posted on June 16, 2013 by Zack Chia

Sharp Electronics awe us the perks of embracing innovative technology to enhance in-store shopping experience. A nice video here to demonstrate how consumers can now see themselves virtually ‘wearing’ what they may or may not be trying on at the store. The Magic Mirror was developed for UNIQLO clothing stores, empowered by a 60″ High Brightness Professional Display and launched during the Digital Signage Expo 2013. This is yet another innovative approach to further add a little bit of touch to polish up a better shopping experience. Not only does the mirror allow you to take a snapshot of yourself (or what you may be virtually wearing), it also has an accompanying tablet that syncs to your social platforms. As technology advances, we will definitely see our retail shopping behaviors and habits changing.