What now for HYUNDAI?

Korean carmaker HYUNDAI has recently suffered a slip in its sales in Singapore (Cf. The Straits Times, March 07, 2007). The Brand is now the fourth favorite brand for Singaporeans, while it has always been number 2 or number 3 since 2002. Beside the weak yen and the lower prices of its Japanese competitors’models, the manufacturers prices have also increased significatively.

The name of my problem is known to Communication professionals as Cognitive Dissonance. In everyday speak, “Things don’t add up”.

The car is definitely gorgeous. With elegant lines expressing balance and understated power, it comes with a state-of-the-art V6 engine and an interior sensuously whispering “I’ve got plenty of what you need”. It definitely compares with global best sellers like the TOYOTA Camry and the HONDA Legend and gives premium sedans like the VOLKSWAGEN Passat a run for their money.

The car is the 2006 HYUNDAI Sonata, so “Things don’t add up” because the Korean brand has so far been known for hastily assembled low-end compacts like the bland Pony and the down-right ugly Elantra. Maybe the public needs to be enlightened about the new HYUNDAI…

The 2006 HYUNDAI Sonata
Elegant lines and an interior that whispers sensuously: “I’ve got plenty of what you need”.

The Korean chaebol has steadily climbed up the value chain since the 1980s, when it first positioned its cars as decent (although unappealing) value-for-money offerings. Sales success on the strategic North American market fueling the development of better models, generation after generation, the brand rose to develop products now on par with HONDA, according to US quality control firm J.D. POWERS.

Two strategic moves must be achieved by HYUNDAI to consolidate its positioning as a quality carmaker. The first of these has already been initiated with the 2006 Azera (a stylish full-size sedan lauded by the North American automotive press) and will come to fruition with the next HYUNDAI model, the 2008 Equus, a luxury sedan following the codes of the segment (rear-wheel-drive, V8 engine, etc.) in order to compete with the likes of INFINITI, LEXUS and MERCEDES.

The second move is the challenge at hand for the Korean carmaker’s advertising agency.

So farm the HYUNDAI brand has been positioned as a quite generic proposition for car buyers. While this positioning suited the bland models that were sold as value-for-money cars, it does not fit the ambitions expressed by the new product range through the design and quality level it attained.

No slogan could be more generic than the actual “Drive your way” slogan. (How remotely engaging can a slogan be ? “Get in our dealership, buy one of our bargain price cars, fill the tank with gas and … Drive your way!”).

The answer to HYUNDAI’s branding challenge could be inspired by the way LEXUS translated its success story into a slogan.

At the end of the 1980s, TOYOTA decided to launch an alternative to the German Luxury sedans. The main asset of the Japanese car maker was a corporate culture rooted in the constant improvement of processes and products. This kaizen philosophy led to the creation of the first LEXUS sedans, and inspired SAATCHI & SAATCHI to create the slogan of the new brand: “The Relentless Pursuit of Perfection” (later altered into the more soulful “Passionate Pursuit of Perfection”).

THE SITUATION

HYUNDAI’s slogan fails to create the emotional connection consistent with the new positioning of its product range as state-of-the-art automobiles.

THE BRIEF

The new slogan should reflect with the cultural identity of the Brand, but must also have global appeal (HYUNDAIS are built in North America, Europe and several Asian countries);

The new slogan should create an emotional connection with the public by expressing a human reality that is consistent with both the carmakers’ corporate history and the public’s aspirations;

Copyright: Alfred LARGANGE – March 2007

Hollywood’s eternal Fountain of Youth

“Les héros sont fatigués”, as the French say. Heroes are tired. Maybe not, but so think the Hollywood studio execs. Diving in the Fountain of Youth The last trend in Hollywood is to drown recurrent heroes in the Fountain of youth. Batman was the first franchise to take the dip in 2005. Portrayed in the first four installments of the franchise by baby boomers Michael Keaton, Val Kilmer, and Georges Clooney, the Dark Knight reincarnated into the youthful thirty something Christian Bale.

What goes for bats goes for spooks. James Bond is currently going the same way with 37 years old Daniel Craig replacing 55 year old Pierce Brosnan with “Casino Royale”. Crow feet, more than a Vodka-Martini induced damaged liver, is the likely culprit for the timely replacement (Roger Moore acting as a cautionary experience).

From what has leaked from the sets and the trailer, the next installment of the 007 franchise could have been titled “James Bond Begins”, just like the last Batman. In the next episode, special agent James Bond is poised to receive his 00 agent status, complete with his licence to kill and a few traumatic experiences to shape his character. This one will definitely be about sex, money and murder.

 
Daniel CRAIG as James BOND.
“Aiming” for a younger Target Audience?

“Rebooting” franchises is not just another Hollywood fad. One of the most successful comics series these days is Marvel’s Ultimate versions of the main characters (Spiderman, the X-men, the Fantastic Four…). Marvel’s superheroes returning to teen age, while their older counterparts continue their extended lives in other series like “Civil War”. Competitor DC Comics has not caught on the move yet, but it can be acknowledged that a younger Superman is having his own story arc parallel to the usual one.

Rebooted franchises…

 By rebooting franchises or superheroes, the media firms create new continuities, starting all over again but retaining the main characteristics of the characters. Think of an automobile maker launching new models with the well-appreciated features of its predecessors.

 
The VW Beetle and the VW New Beetle,
The Golden Age Blue Beetle and the present day Blue Beetle.
What goes for cars also goes for DC Superheroes…

The big question could be: “why starting over ?” Obviously, 007 had it coming, with the James Bond Girls never getting any older as time (and episodes) passed. Pierce Brosnan lip-locking with 21 years old Rosamund Pike in “Die Another Day” was a bit like a dirty old man flirting with jail bait.

David Craig is certainly more suitable to … engage Eva Green a younger demographic target ! The fact is that the ret-con trend might reflect the shifting global target of recurrent heroes, which is getting younger and does not have the same cultural references as the baby boomers. Bond’s competition got noticeably younger with the success of. Matt Damon’s Jason Bourne, a spy that was younger and edgier than James Bond when he was introduced (a gap that Daniel Craig’s Bond will contribute to close).

At the end of the day, franchise heroes are icons of their time. Today’s corporate superheroes are not anymore Waren Buffet, Bill Gates and Steve Jobs but the likes of Google’s Sergei Brin and Michael Page, sport icons like Tiger Woods, David Beckam and Maria Sharapova, pop stars Justin Timberlake and Beyoncé Knowles are in their twenties or early thirties. (Note to Mr Jobs: The turtle neck thing helps a lot, but the trick only goes so far. Another corporate spokeperson could be of some help to woo Generation Y consumers). These younger icons are the new references of the global market place.

Western Europe, Japan and North America are the only ageing parts of the world. The emerging world’s population is young and wants young heroes.

Copyright Alfred LARGANGE – December 2006

What with all these Italianesque Asian textile Brands?

Asia craved colors…

The booming economies of the 1980s and 1990s, with the rise of South-East Asian “Dragons” and “Tigers”, meant that businesses and infrastructures were springing out of the ground from Hong Kong to Bangkok and from Seoul to Djakarta like mushrooms after the rain. Besides the urban landscapes, other changes were on their way. Theregion’s Gen-Xers, departing from the frugal way of life and Confucian values of their Baby Boomer parents, embraced consumerism and individualism.

Gone were the grey or blue dress pants and white short sleeve shirts that made tropical Asia’s urban crowds monotonous in their uniform quest for understated elegance. The new urban Asia, in search of new ways to express individuality craved Fashion.
Of course, the potential market for casual clothing and sportswear did not go unnoticed by the global players: BENETTON, LEVI’s, LACOSTE, MEXX and their European or North American counterparts did not hesitate in setting foot in the trendy shopping malls that blossomed all over Asia’s metropolises. Endorsed by global stars as the symbols of a new body conscious generation, the Western textile brands appeared as symbols of a new era.

Riding the fashion train in economy class

As well as symbols of a new cultural era, these foreign brands were also – because of a lower purchasing power – symbols of wealth. Their mid-range pricing of European and North American brands translated in quasi-luxury price-tags in the emerging Asian economies.
How would Asian youths satisfy their need for fashion? The answer came from Hong Kong. Several corporations from the British Colony set shop to distribute trendy colorful casual clothing in the 1980s and 1990s: the best known are CHAN Sun’s CROCODILE, Michael TIEN’s G2000 and U2, and of course the “Italianesque” trio of GIORDANO(website), BOSSINI(website) and BALENO(website).
The three brands were founded in the 1980s and now boast thousands of retail shops in Asia and the world, with GIORDANO present in the Caribbean and BOSSINI and BALENO having shops in the Middle East. However, being absent from Europe and North America, these three brands cannot claim a global presence.

Why Italian?

As the icon of fashionable casual wear in the 80-90s, BENETTON(website), founded in 1965, was the most likely brand to be emulated by the new Asian brands. Italian sounding names was the first step to create brands that would tap on the aspirational value of European tag names.
The strategy that dictated the choice of “Italianesque” brand names is basically about Brand personality. Global stereotypes present Italy as the motherland of elegance, fashion and dolce vita, attributes that suit the target of casual wear. By alluding to the image of Italy as the country of casual elegance, the Hong Kong firms embedded the same values in their products, enhancing their appeal to the Asian youth.
It might be interesting to explore the post-colonial overtones of self-representation in Asian countries that endured long European or North American rules. The preeminent position of Eurasian models, imparting a “glocal” feel on the ads they grace with their mixed race physique, is a strong clue in that regard. However, the public’s reaction to these advertising is generally one of acceptance, with people stating that Caucasians are “tall” enough to be models, while Asians are generally shorter.
Of course, almost no one in the consumer target of GIORDANO, BOSSINI and BALENO is convinced that these brands are really Italian. Well traveled youths know that their reach is more regional than global. The fact that BALENO chose the Hong Kong “resident Dorian Gray” Andy LAU as its poster boy is a direct indication that these brands somehow embrace their Asian identity. The presence of Asian models on the posters decorating the GIORDANO stores is another example.

GIORDANO Going Global…

Embracing both Asia and globalization is indeed the strategy chosen by GIORDANO, with its tagline : “World Without Strangers”. Increasingly using the “WWS” acronym might hint at the possible rise of a new Brand breaking from its Italianesque reference.

In fact, breaking away from Italian references is just what Italian icon BENETTON has done by creating it’s own “Britannesque” brand, SISLEY (website) to complement the BENNETON product line with edgier designs. No wonder Asian brands now emulate their mentor…

Copyright – Alfred LARGANGE – November 2006

ZEN is not Cool … but it could be more

One is white and the other is black. One built his global success on its street cred and its youthful Yang energy, while his main competitor has so far been too Yin for its own good.

The Ipod is YANG, with its identity centered around intangible attributes (emotions. feelings), while the ZEN MP3 player is YIN, centered around tangible features (functionalities, performance).
(Inspired by Paul TEMPORAL)

When asked to explain why the APPLE Ipod MP3 player enjoys a global success that the Creative Zen MP3 has failed so far to achieve, word in the street is that the Ipod is “cool”… while its Singaporean counterpart is not. When the hype’s glittering dust settles down, it is all about brand positioning.

Exploring the Ipod’s success factors

With a reported 100 million US Dollars advertising campaign, Creative’s entry ticket to the global market was pricey. The dominant design of MP3 players having been established in the first years of the 21st century, the Ipod and the Zen were substitutable, based on similar technology and ergonomics. With innovative products, replete with features unheard of in the competition (voice recording, FM radio…), the Zen MP3 players had a valid claim at a significant market share, but failed to make a real dent in the Ipod’s supremacy.

One of the main reasons for this supremacy is the value network surrounding the product: the I Tunes website provides digital music, while the ubiquitous QuickTime video software (and its periodic upgrades) allows Apple to maintain a sizeable database of Internet users interested in multimedia entertainment content (movie trailers, video clips and of course MP3 files).
On a second level, design could be key to understanding the positioning of the two products. The Ipod, with its sleek white casing and ergonomic touchpad, had the “coolest” design, when compared to the “industrial” looking and edgy first-generation Creative Zen.

At this point of our analysis, defining the Ipod as cool while the Zen is not, it is essential to define “coolness” as a cardinal value for Brand positioning.

What is “Cool” and how does it apply to Brands?

The origin of cool is deeply embedded in the cultural experience of the African-American community. Facing the harsh times of slavery and later carving a place in a violent segregationist society, the African-Americans developed a cultural attitude that served as the backbone of their resilience. Coolness could be summed up by a West African expression: “The mind of the elder in the body of the young” (Cf. Robert Farris Thompson: “Dance and Culture, An Aesthetic of the Cool: West Africa Dance” in African Forum 2, no. 2; Fall 1996).

A mix of serenity, wisdom and vitality, coolness is today a key ingredient of pop culture. Epitomized by the African-American urban way of life, it permeated the mainstream American culture, with the likes of Elvis Presley, James Dean and Marlon Brando emulating the trademark seemingly nonchalant demeanor of African American street characters. For Hollywood movie stars, the newfound street credibility and hard-boiled toughness that defined coolness became key elements of their global sex appeal.

So why is the I pod cool, while the Creative Zen is not? Design was the first reason for the first generation of both products. The I pod did not have anything to prove, while the Creative Zen tried to “look smart” with its high tech angular design. Basically, the very serene looking Ipod exuded self confidence while the Zen player tried too hard to show off its numerous features and functionalities.

Nice guys never get it, do they? In the global market as in sentimental warfare, what really matter is not only the tangible, but mostly the emotional side of things. In the words of Branding guru Paul Temporal, the emotional part of the brand identity (“yang”) is as important as the rational part (“yin”), which is built on the features and the quality level (Cf. Paul Temporal, “Branding in Asia”, John Wiley & Sons, 2000).

Creative needs a better positioning and a new copy strategy

Creative might have been a willing victim of its “cultural DNA”. Originally a computer repair shop that became the global leader of PC sound cards and other peripherals, Creative did not shift paradigms when entering the MP3 player market. By advertising the Zen players as multi-feature products, Creative appealed to the rational geek component of the market (a sizeable presence in Asian urban markets), but failed to recognize the MP3 player as the ubiquitous lifestyle product it had become by 2004. In that context, it did not really matter that the Creative ads were both entertaining and …”creative”: they did not establish the brand personality characteristics that would have created the emotional appeal that the Ipod oozed.

Everything is there: color, movement, the smorgasbord of features. How about some emotion ?

What Zen could mean for ZEN

A new copy strategy is needed to put the Creative Zen product range on the global map.
To make a fresh start from the Ipod’s wordless communication, the concept of “Zen” could be used as an alternative to “Cool”. (It might appear as a coincidence that the Asian Zen values of serenity and awareness are a counterpart to the Western concept of Cool).

To be in touch with its core target of urban youths, Creative should find ways to express that Zen MP3 players are not about technology but mostly about music and “the unbearable lightness of being a teenager in the contemporary urban world”. MP3 players could be personal companions for soul-searching young individuals trying to find their place and role in society. Zen MP3 players could be about “music feeling like teen spirit”.

A few Zen kohans could convey the message: “Life is about rhythm. Rhythm is about life”; “Music is Silence. Silence is Music”; “Music is my soul. My soul is music”.

With this new copy strategy declined on print ads and video clips, the Creative Zen brand could position itself as the essence of digital music: rebellious hard rock, soul searching jazz or bubbly Japanese pop, life and emotions instantly reachable on a chip.

Copyright: Alfred Largange – October 2006

What Strategic Planning is about

Note : Ms JEFFRIES really liked this article

Picture yourself in a box… Would you jump out of it without a compass or at least a map of your surroundings ? That is the dilemma facing most of the creative teams in Asian advertising agencies.

The question is: Where do we jump when we get out of the box?

Starting with a military analogy, let’s imagine a highly skilled commando, mastering all the techniques relevant to the fierce marketing communication battle (copy writing, art direction, media planning). What are its survival chances without a map and a compass? How would the team find its way across swamps and the low lands, dodge machine gun fire, tread mine fields and find a fighting position allowing a clear shot at the consumer’s mind?

In a few words Strategic Planning is about drawing the map of success for Advertising campaigns.

Segmenting the population

The first part of the Planner’s mission is to understand the relationships between the consumers and the Brand the agency advertises. Consumers have their own lifestyles, values and interests. As these traits are shared y more or less homogeneous groups, the can be summed up in psychographic segments, groups that share their psychological and demographic characteristics.

Once these Target Audiences have been identified, Advertisers must take into account the Brand’s history, its personality and the features of its products, in order to understand how the consumer and the brand fit together.

Closing the gap

Let’s imagine a team of Caucasian Baby Boomers brainstorming to create an advertising campaign for NIKE sport shoes that target teenage African-Americans…

Stop laughing. The Planner’s job is also to close the cultural gap between the target and the creative team. By providing insights and bits of the cultural context of the Target audience: their language, their tastes, their icons and their idiosyncrasies. By doing so, the Planner enable the creative team to jump into un-chartered territory. That would be providing the map.

Proposing an angle

To create an ad that is compelling and relevant for the targeted consumers, an angle must be found. By producing insights of the consumer’s mind, the Planner clears the field for the creative teams. The Copy Strategy is mostly about this angle. What cultural references, what vocabulary, what tone can be used ? By processing large amounts of information, the Planners provide a tool that can be used to assess the creative ideas with regard to the objective ofthe campaign being created. That would be the compass with which our creative commando, already fitted with a map, can jump out of the box with confidence.

Convincing with facts and insights

The Copy Strategy has been translated by the Creative team into an advertising campaign concept. The agency is not even half way there. The concept must be pitched and sold to the client, a firm that most certainly has asked several agencies to compete for its coveted budget. Each agency will propose a different approach, a different angle, a different way to boost the Brand’s image and notoriety.
Although the popular image of Advertising is one of bubbling personality and borderline genius, lateral thinking is not allowed by clients. Before engaging hard earned dollars in a communication campaign, they want to know why the campaign they validate will attain the objectives they have set. The role of the Planner is to provide much needed ammunition in this heated battle. The amunition is composed of information and data that back up the creative effort and help convince the client.

The “English” Patient: The first Strategic Planner?

A literary analogy to describe Strategic Planners is the character of László ALMASY in “The English Patient”. The Hungarian desert researcher explored the western part of Egypt, reading Herodotus’ “Histories”. The ancient texts about the kings and the geography of Egypt gave him insights about the long forgotten history of the region he was exploring and mapping with the help of his English friends.
When World War two arrived, Count ALMASY’s maps and works became coveted by the Germans and the British, as precious assets to win the fierce mechanized Desert War. With planes and tanks, both very fast and requiring fuel, speeding fast forward without knowing what was behind the horizon was the best way to end up stranded in the middle of the desert at the mercy of the enemy with no hope for supply.
By drawing maps of the region and unearthing forgotten knowledge about Western Egypt, Count ALMASY was, in his own way, a precursor of today’s Strategic Planners…

Copyright – AL – October 2006