Tale of Two Brands - A Brand Review

Tale of Two Brands

IdentityMessagingExperience

A Century-old Innovator

Roots dating back to more than a century.

Simple. Unified. Relevant.

Identity

Evergreen

Global

Innovative and Future-oriented

Steady

Reliable

Messaging

Diverse CapabilitiesOne Message

Smarter Planet communicates an overarching value proposition. IBM’s diverse capabilities are packaged as integrated solutions which

holistically address global challenges with technology.

Smarter Planet

Relevant and Well-timed Positioning

The Smarter Planet offers Brand Positioning Flexibility

• The Smarter Planet message leverages megatrends in technology and society.

• It lends itself to existing and emerging trends that can be prefixed with “Smarter”

Intuitive Visual Identity

IBM Brand Message Summary

Brand Essence• Simple and Meaningful.

Selling Ideas Not Products• Inspirational

Touchpoints

Branding Touchpoints

• International brand presence– Local offices which span 170 countries

• Existence of a Champion Product/Brand Mascot? – IBM Watson

Living the brand as an IBMer

Brand Review

Identity

•High credibility as A Forward Thinker

•Strong brand story

•Puts forth a Mission/Cause

Messagin

g

•Simple and impactful

•Timely relevance

•High visibility

Touchpoints

•Strong digital presence

The Result: One of the World’s Most Valuable Brands

• Distills diverse offerings which are potentially confusing, under an umbrella message and mission of: “Smarter Planet”

• Arguably owns the idea of “Smarter Planet”• Brand valued at USD 78,808 million• Possibly one of the most recognizable brands

even among non-target audience

Suggestions for Improvement

• Always a risk that local offices do not ‘Live’ the brand nor communicate it as effectively.

• Appoint or groom at least one “Thought Leader” per office.

Next…

Some background findings

• Founded in 1997. • Founders are UK-trained optometrists.• The main Spectacle Hut brand has 32 stores:– It targets mid- to upmarket shoppers and carrying

brands such as Cartier, Chanel, Gucci Prada and more.

Identity

Weak to Poor Differentiation

• Comes across as an also-ran.• A regular eyewear retailer which also carries

up-market brands.• Has subsidiary brand(s) which carry similar

lines of eyewear brands and targets similar customers.

Messaging

Spectacles?

Almost generic positioning

“Our eyewear products are sourced from world optical fairs such as the MIDO fair in Milan, the SILMO FAIR in Paris as well as other fashionable cities all over the globe such as London and Tokyo so that we are stocked with not only the latest, but products that are unique and one of its kind.” - quoted from a third-party website

Low barriers to entry

• Unless they have exclusive distributorships, sourcing from oversees does not serve as a viable long-term barrier or differentiator. In fact, almost all spectacle shops located in the city stock international brands

• Leveraging on the founders’ education and expertise –“UK trained optometrists” –may not be credibly extended to the company, which now consists of multiple branches.

Negligible use of content marketing or social media channels

• Like other eyewear retailers, it almost seems like the company is relying heavily on walk-in customers.

• As a result, it competes by having multiple branches to catch footfall with no targeted communication efforts.

No central website that is dedicated to supporting the brand

No central website that is dedicated to supporting the brand

Spectacle Hut Brand Message Summary

Brand Essence• Non-existent to Fairly

Generic.

Selling Products Only • Here to sell you eyewear

Touchpoints

Branding Touchpoints

• Inconsistent customer service experience across branches.

• Weak online presence– The usual “About Us” information and story

featured on third-party sites and directories not on company’s website

– Negligible presence on social media

Identity

•No clear USP

•Poorly differentiated

•Commoditized

Messagin

g •Vague•Negligible

Touchpoints

•Inconsistent customer experience across branches

•Lack of digital and social media presence

Brand Review

The result: A hollow brand name?

• No clear brand story or identity and as a result no clear messaging

• Can be expected to compete by expanding rapidly and increasing physical accessibility via multiple outlets

Developing its potential

Refine its identity and develop core value propositions

• If OSIM stands for Family Love, Coziness and Indulgence, what does Spectacle Hut stand for?

• Can Spectacle Hut do for eyewear what Charles and Keith does for shoes?

Leverage on its strengths

• One of the largest number of branches in the Singapore market

• Strong mindshare within Singapore market (Spectacle Hut = Spectacles)

• Has expanded to China and Malaysia

Develop a distinct brand presence

• Develop marketing partnerships with lifestyle brands, ecommerce sites and healthcare brands

• Unify Marketing Communications and Be Social– Centralized marketing efforts that support all stores, in China,

Malaysia and Singapore, provide centralized support for marketing events and collateral

– Develop a main website that leverages content marketing as opposed to merely listing store locations

– Get started on a social media strategy and presence• Consider investing in a flagship store for the region• Invest in an in-house design team

Develop Core Value Propositions

Spectacle Hut

Eye BejewelledAmplify a Fashion Forward Feel

Invest in an EyeCare ClinicAmplify idea of eye care

Q&A

Thank you