LANDOR Associates is one of the worldâs leading strategic brand consulting and design firms. Founded in 1941 by Walter Landor, the company has pioneered many of the research, design, and consulting methods that are now standard in the branding industry.
Landor once said: âProducts are made in the factory, but brands are created in the mindâ. Today, the company has 26 offices in 20 countries. Its current and past clients include some of the worldâs most powerful brands like Barclays, Diageo, FedEx, Hilton Worldwide, Kraft Foods, Microsoft, MillerCoors, and Procter & Gamble.
Dominic Twyford is the Client Director of Landor Associates, based in Kuala Lumpur. He was one of the speakers at the recent Brand Seminar entitled: âYou, the Key to Your Brandâ held at Putrajaya Shangri-La Hotel on March 28. Landor has worked with Malaysian clients for a number of years from their Singapore office, Twyford set up their Kuala Lumpur office last year, âto build a permanent local presence, as Landor is committed to this market and believe in its potential,â he said.
BRAND CONSULTANCY
Landorâs work includes brand research and valuation, brand strategy and architecture, corporate identity and packaging design, innovation, naming and writing, brand experience, brand equity management, and digital branding.
From working in Malaysia for a few years, Twyford said they know there is an appetite for branding here, and it is easy to see that the subject of branding is a hot topic for businesses. He said: âThe subject of branding may be relatively new in Malaysia, but there is real interest, and many Malaysian entities are already investing in their brands, âWe are working with Malaysian corporations who appreciated that to create competitive differentiation, they must invest in branding, whether it be their corporate brand or product brands that they ownâ.
Twyford said the local emphasis is extremely exciting as more Malaysian companies are beginning to look out of Malaysia, to set up and establish their brand presence across South East Asia and the Pacific region.
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BRAND ICONS
During his talk, Twyford shared some of his branding ideas and concepts by focusing on the leadership styles of industry icons like Steve Jobs, Tiger Woods and Barack Obama, and what we can learn from these geniuses in terms of branding.
Twyford said, âEach has an enduring, distinct and powerful set of brand attributes and behaviours that consciously or unconsciously shape the way in which they lead, whether it be a corporation, sports or country, âThese three leaders were used to illustrate the point that people display the same characteristics as corporate brands. This being the case, we all need to be more aware of how we manage our brand and how we are perceived in the market.â
In this Q&A, Twyford further explains the importance of branding and the step-by-step process Landor takes their clients through, in their journey towards brand building success.
Q:Â What differentiates a good brand from an ordinary brand, and how to tell the difference?
Our founder, Walter Landor coined the phrase, âProducts are made in the factory, but brands are created in the mindâ, therefore a good brand will be anchored by propositions that are appealing, distinct, ownable, and credible in the minds of their audiences.
No one is perfect, all businesses have commercial weaknesses but a successful brand will first and foremost be self-aware and clear about who they are. This awareness focuses employees and the business at large on being better. Â
The best brands are open and engaging. They donât fear dialogue with consumers, instead they encourage it. Promises are kept and trust is established.
Q: What is the role of Landor as a brand consultancy, and how is it different from PR and advertising?
There is a big difference between Landor, and a PR or advertising agency. We spend a lot of time educating people about what makes us different. As a brand consultancy, we focus on the core of a brand, and we spend a great deal of time getting to the heart of a brand.
A brand isnât a logo or a strap line, it is something more fundamental than that. We create and revitalise brands by looking at their positioning and establishing a vision and a set of beliefs. Only when this is done, do we move into the design phase.
By comparison, a PR agency or advertising agency work in channels to communicate the brand. Landor influences this by working our way out from the centre, by establishing the strategy. In real terms, we often partner with such agencies, but Landor starts the process, establishes the brand, creates the identity, and the guidelines that create the system and tone for the brand.
Q: What is the four-stage process that Landor takes their clients through in their branding journey?
Landor has a four-stage process that we apply to all projects. So whether it be a corporate branding project, or creating an FMCG brand, the process works. We start with âImmersionâ, as this stage gives us a deep understanding of our clientsâ business. We also conduct management interviews and employee surveys. We will carry out audits of competitor brands, and we do our own research.
Once we have carried out this phase, we move in to what we call âPositioning & Prototypingâ. This is where we start to define the opportunity for our clientâs brand. Prototyping allows us to quickly bring something tangible to the table.
Words, sketches, and images are used to bring potential positions to life. This means that we can engage client teams quickly and test ideas. Following feedback, we establish a final âBrand Driverâ that captures our unique position. At this stage, when everyone is aligned, we move into âDesign and Implementationâ using the âBrand Driverâ as our benchmark. Deliverables are dependent on the project.
For a corporate brand, we will deliver brand guidelines and collateral â stationery, marketing materials, and website templates etc. For a packaging project, we would deliver artworks to a client so they can move into print production. The final stage is âMeasurementâ, to understand the success and effectiveness of our branding programme.
This article was first published in New Straits Times, 12th April 2014
