OUGD601: COP PRACTICAL - Taking a brand from East to West

Tips for succeeding in the west from the east  from Michael Kaltenhauser:

Brands that change there logo and name to fit different cultures:

Below are examples of brands that have adjusted and changed there name to adapt to particular cultures. These are some of the most well known brands globally and here we can see how they adapt differently across the planet.

Successful Japanese brands that have a global market:

Brand analysis and strategies:

Muji

In 1980 Muji was founded under Japanese supermarket The Seiyu.  With only 9 household items and 31 food products. Today, they are a huge lifestyle brand with over 7000 product ranging from from stationary to furniture and 700 stores worldwide. The full name of Muji is Mujirushi Ryohin and it stands for 'no brand quality goods',they have a strong brand philosophy. This philosophy of ‘no brand quality goods’ is seen in the functionality and minimalism of their products. Their products aren’t made to stand out, they are simple and make a statement by being simple and functional. Their products in Japan don’t seem nearly as indulgent as in the West where the japan style of design lures in the customer through a sense of Japanese cultural values such respect and craft . Muji also abide by a set of core principles which help continue to be successful.

unbranded products:
1. Selection of materials
2. Streamlining of processes
3. Simplification of packaging

Uniqlo

Tadashi Yanai inherited his father’s chain of 22 men’s clothing stores in 1972. He experimented and opened a new store – Unique Clothing Warehouse, which was later shortened to Uniqlo. Uniqlo is a Fast Retailing Company Limited and is well known for producing high-quality casual everday wear at low prices. The brand has 1,300 stores in 15 countries across Asia, Europe and US in only 20 years. It is the most well known and one of the biggest clothing brands in Asia with close to 800 retail stores. Uniqlo’s brand ethos is simple “Uniqlo is a modern Japanese company that inspires the world to dress casual”. The strategy has worked for Uniqlo so far is not to follow trends and to stick to what it knows, making high quality comfortable clothing for the everyday. The brand philosophy “Made for All” positions its clothing to all identity groups - age, gender, ethnicity and all other ways to define people.


What is interesting is both these brands take something very simple, i.e. a basic range of goods and market them with Japanese values and clean effective aesthetic and they both have done incredibly well here in the UK.