The new imperatives for global branding: Strategy, creativity and leadership
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SICCO VAN GELDER runs a Netherlands-based global branding consultancy, Brand Meta (www.brand-meta.com). He is also the co-founder of Placebrands Ltd, a firm dedicated to helping cities, regions and countries define their purpose and achieve their full potential. He is the author of ‘Global Brand Strategy — Unlocking Brand Potential Across Countries, Cultures and Markets’ (Kogan Page, 2003).
Abstract This paper argues that the combination of strategy, creativity and leadership is going to be the key to the success of global brands in the coming decade. It also states that one needs to understand how these three disciplines interact, and specifically how this interaction may differ across the markets where the brand is active.
INTRODUCTION
Sicco van Gelder Brand Meta, Valschermkade 26, Amsterdam 1059CD, The Netherlands Tel: ⫹31 20 7173041 E-mail: sicco.van.gelder @brand-meta.com
Over the past decades, people around the globe have become increasingly discerning and have been offered much more choice. This is due to three factors that have worked both simultaneously and in tandem. The first is that trade liberalisation and subsequent global competition have increased the supply of goods and services to consumers and have driven down their prices. The second is that people around the world have, overall, become richer, especially in places such as China and India. The third is that, due to increased competition, many product life cycles have shortened dramatically, which means that people are offered new, innovative, novel and better products and services all the time. Just take the example of the relentless advance of computer and telecommunications technology, which has transformed the way many people live and work, and not just in rich countries.
It will not be long before very large sections of the world population become difficult to attract. In their roles as consumers, citizens, workers, decision makers, policy makers, investors etc people will look carefully at what brands have to offer them. They will often have little time or mind space for decisions and they will choose those brands that clearly offer them the most value; and their demands for value are increasing rapidly. How will global brands cope with this demand? How will they be able to continuously increase their value to fickle stakeholders? How will they do that in a world where people are becoming more and more conscious of their national, regional and local identities? As a reaction to these abovementioned global developments, many organisations have mainly been concerned with improving their operational efficiencies. This may seem obvious, considering the pricing pressures they are under; however, it is
䉷 HENRY STEWART PUBLICATIONS 1479-1803 BRAND MANAGEMENT VOL. 12, NO. 5, 395–404 JUNE 2005
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a supply-side solution that can jeopardise their ability to compete in the future. Unless they can find ways that will persuade their customers to pay more or buy more of their products or services, they will only be in a race to the
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