Asia’s Top 1000 Brands
By Anonymous
1 Nokia
It’s 25 years since Nokia sold the world’s first car phone, building a reputation for innovation, usability and reliability
Voted favourite mobile phone in every one of the nine markets surveyed,Nokia now controls 34 per cent of the worldwide mobile handset market. Its market share in Asia-Pacific and especially China has been making strong gains. The company sold 11.7 million phones in China in the second quarter of 2006 alone, an increase over the same period last year of 58 per cent; across the Asia- Pacific region, growth was even stronger, with sales up 79 per cent.
This year has seen launches in Nokia’s N series and E series, aimed at the middle and lower end of the market, where it faces stiff competition particularly from Motorola, which tends to be less expensive.
The company has recently launched a year-long global multi-media campaign to support its N2610 handset, using what it calls a ‘human’ approach to educate users about the phone’s functions. Over the summer, the N91 model was launched in Asia, representing a belated entry to the music smartphone market, competing with models such as Sony Ericsson’s W800 Walkman phone. The WiFi-enabled N80 smartphone was another new entry to the range this year.
Brand-building work this year includes sponsorship of Sony Pictures Entertainment Networks’ Amazing Race Asia, which it will sponsor with seven other brands,among them Sony Electronics, AirAsia and Caltex. Nokia’s association with football continues with a regional youth activation campaign based on the brand’s sponsorship of English Premier League coverage on ESPN Star Sports. The ‘Defend your turf’ challenge is a five-a-side series that will pit a team from the region against aspiring young Brazilian footballers.
The year ahead looks bright for Nokia, which is forecasting mobile phone sales to grow by at least 15 per cent this year, from just under 800 million units sold in 2005.
2005 RANKING 2
ADSPEND US$203,923,000
CREATIVE Bates, Lowe
MEDIA MediaCom
CATEGORY Mobile phone
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN Finland
3 Nestl
Nestls scale, long heritage and ubiquitous presence are just some of the reasons everyone is familiar with the brand
With its name everywhere, Nestl’s bound to get a lot of mentions. But while it’s a fairly minorplayer – at leastin terms of this survey – in categories like bottled water (with its Vittel brand) and tea, it is absolutely dominant in the categories that consumers best know it for.
Nestl is the world’s biggest foodmaker. In Asia, Nestl means milk, and as often as not, that’s powdered milk rather than fresh. Nestl is the clear winner in both of these categories, along with the coffee category with Nescaf, the all-important baby-food sector, where its reputation for quality and safety clearly come into play. It scores fourth in the league table for chocolate brands, with Cadbury scoring top.
Marketing of Nestl brands usually revolves around a family- friendly message and local talent, which has led to many consumers seeing the Swiss multinational as a local brand. Trouble in China came last year, however,came when the company was forced to apologise to consumers when national food safety authorities detected too much iodine in one of its baby milk powders. The company also ran into problems in Europe, making what are now acknowledged to have been errors in its confectionery business there – launching and promoting new chocolate lines that underperformed. In addition, there were sharp price rises in cocoa and sugar, adding further pressure on profits.
Nestl is forecasting a better year this year, though, and plans to focus on its core power brands, among them KitKat, one of the few brands in the family that breaks the mould of Nestl advertising with its quirky and humorous work. The company says that despite the problems of last year in the UK with its chocolate lines, chocolate remains a strong performer in Japan, Australia and the region’s emerging markets.
2005 RANKING 4
ADSPEND US$102,625,000 CREATIVE Publicis, Ogilvy, JWT, McCann Erickson
MEDIA MindShare, ZenithOptimedia
CATEGORY Food and drink
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN Switzerland
2 Sony
Sony’s popularity and reputation for excellence spans every market in the region, thanks to its technological innovation
The first Handycam rolled off the production line in 1985 and while Canon has been gaining ground, Sony tops the video camera category by a long way here. Canon closes the gap when it comes to digital still cameras, but the Cyber-shot series gave Sony a strong name for cameras and it comes top of its category again here overall, though it is second in India, HongKong, Malaysia and Singapore.
Sony has the leading DVD player in every market, and was the favourite flat-screen TV in all nine markets. Its Bravia range of TVs mark the company’s attempt to again dominate TV sales; it surprised many market-watchers by teaming up with Samsung to produce LCD screens for its TVs in a bid to fend off competition from Panasonic and Sharp, which appears to be working.
Sony Ericsson mobile phones, which came second in this survey only to Nokia, are selling well this year; sales in the three months to June alone were up 41 per cent on the same time last year, boosted by hit new models such as Walkman phones and camera phones. In gaming, the PS2 or PlayStation 2, and the portable PSP are enjoying steady sales. Sony is pinning its hopes on the in- development PS3 blowing away rivals like Xbox.
The brand is yet to become a top performer in desktop computers, ranking only seventh, but its Vaio range takes it into top spot in the laptop/notebook category. It’s also first choice in MP3 players – beating even Apple’s iPod – first for home audio equipment,and third in PDAs.
None of this success can be taken for granted, however. The Walkman generation has grown up,and rivals like Samsung are often seen as being more cool and desirable by younger consumers. Y& R became the company’s regional AOR in June,and a big-budget brand campaign aimed at making the Sony name as hip as it used to be in Asia is on the way. At press time,a media review was on the cards.
2005 RANKING 1
ADSPEND US$130,727,000
CREATIVE Dentsu, Y&R, Saatchi & Saatchi, TBWA
MEDIA Dentsu, Starcom, ZenithOptimedia
CATEGORY Consumer electronics
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN Japan
4 Colgate-Palmolive
This is the 200th anniversary of the brand that started by making candles and soap, and today lives in your bathroom
Colgate is the world’s best-known toothpaste brand,and was the clear favourite in the Top 1000 toothpaste category, named best toothpaste brand in every Asian market bar Indonesia andTaiwan, and winning by quite some margin.
The brand is investing heavily in its marketing in developing markets, particularly in China, where last year it was the country’s third-biggest advertiser, followed closely by rival Crest. The allure of a billion-plus mouths that, as their economic situations improve, are increasingly willing to spend on a trusted foreign oral care brand in preference to a local one, is obvious.
Colgate-Palmolive’s heritage in Asia is long; what was then Colgate Dental Cream was delivered around India in hand carts as far back as the 1930s. The company’s second-quarter profits this year in what it calls Greater Asia, which extends as far west as Turkey and Russia, were up 9.5 per cent compared to the same period last year, and Colgate’s share of the oral care market in the region grew to almost 39 per cent.
In the Philippines and Vietnam, the company has relaunched its Palmolive Natural shampoo range, bringing a lift in sales, and in Thailand, an extensive business planning project has begun to increase the company’s return on investment in consumer and trade communication.
In the shampoo category of the Top 1000, Colgate-Palmolive brands lag behind Pantene, Sunsilk, Rejoice, and a couple of others still, though it was the number one choice of respondents living in the Philippines.
The company expects big things to come from Asia, forecasting growth in operating profits in the double digits for this year.
Recently, Colgate-Palmolive shifted its Greater China media brief from Universal McCann to MEC, without a pitch, as part of a global consolidation.
2005 RANKING 7
ADSPEND US$514,002,000
CREATIVE Y&R
MEDIA MEC
CATEGORY Toiletries
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN US
5 Panasonic
Panasonic competes with Sony across a huge range of categories and, in this survey, Sony always comes out ahead. Where Panasonic performs most strongly is in white goods, where Sony does not compete. Panasonic tops Asian consumers’ preference list in the washing machine, refrigerator and air-conditioning categories. Recent developments include air-con units that clean as well as cool the air, and fridges designed to significantly increase storage space.
While the appliance side of the business has posted steady growth in profits, the electronics arm, responsible for cameras, TVs and notebook computers, has seen ups and downs, though Panasonic says growth in digital products is making up for declines in analogue technology sales.
Panasonic is a sponsor of the 2008 Beijing Olympics, an ass\ociation it will no douht be leveraging as the event draws nearer.
2005 RANKING 3
CATEGORY Consumer electronics/White goods
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN Japan
6 Honda
Honda has established itself as the premier Japanese carmaker for combining design and innovation with value for money. In Asia, the brand is known best for its involvement in Formula One motor racing.
The brand is the clear favourite in the motorcycle category, topping the rankings in every country except China and Taiwan, where local brands were favoured. Motorcycle sales in the region (excluding China and Japan) last year hit a record 9.2 million, up 20 per cent over 2004.
In the car category, Honda came second to Toyota overall, but was the first choice in Malaysia. Car sales were up 10 per cent last year in Asia-Pacific, with Pakistan and Australia the fastest- growing markets. Communications has focused on the eighth- generation Civic range, running in local markets in all major media. This year, Honda is sponsoring Thai golfer Khun Virada.
2005 RANKING 11
CATEGORY Automotive/Motorcycle
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN Japan
7 Coca-Cola
With 140 years of history and one of the world’s biggest advertising budgets, Coca-Cola has established itself as the world’s best-known soft drink. Despite decades battling archrival Pepsi, Coca-Cola remains the clear favourite in Asia.
In Indonesia, sister brand Fanta was first choice, but in Thailand and India, Pepsi was number one, while in Taiwan local brand Hey Song won out. The Coke-Pepsi battle reached fever pitch this year as Coke capitalised on its World Cupsponsorship, and Pepsi worked on ambush marketing with a football focus.
Coke Light made its branded content debut in Asia in a speed dating show on Singapore’s Channel 5, and Coca-Cola has been building on its partnership with fellow Olympics sponsor Lenovo, with the launch of limited-edition co-branded laptops. In agency news, outdoor media duties in China were handed to specialist Heartland, while Starcom continues to handle other media duties in China.
2005 RANKING 5
CATEGORY Soft drink
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN US
8 Samsung
Samsung, the world’s third-biggest electronics manufacturer this year overtook arch-rival Sony in InterBrand’s global brand report and is seen, particularly in China, as taking over from Sony in the ‘cool’ stakes.
This transformation has been rapid – only a decade ago Samsung was known for cheap Korean TV sets and little else, Samsung was the first or second choice of brand most often in Indonesia, Malaysia and India, but in almost all cases was behind Sony and often several other manufacturers. Its best showing was in flatscreenTVs, where it came third after Sony and Panasonic.
Innovations in Samsung marketing include an aggressive digital approach to the launch of its new Z5 MP3 player in June in Southeast Asia, and pre-loading made-for-mobile video clips into its 3G handsets in Singapore, for the launch of the SGH-Z540.
2005 RANKING 15
CATEGORY Consumer electronics/Mobile phone
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN Korea
9 Canon
Canon has risen up the rankings this year, but lost ground to rival brands in two of the four categories measured in the survey. While its grip on the title of Asia’s favourite photocopier remains strong, and it is second only to Hewlett-Packard in printers, it has been surpassed this year by the omnipresent Sony in the digital camcorder and digital still camera categories.
This year, Canon has launched close to 40 new products across all its categories, including an entry-level camcorder that can record direct to DVD and in widescreen. Its home market of Japan accounts for 23 per cent of sales worldwide, and the rest of Asia a further 15 per cent, with sales growing rapidly throughout Asia, up 23 per cent last year.
A regional advertising campaign targeting business consumers, ‘Business can be simple’, was rolled out across the region from its India office this summer.
2005 RANKING 17
CATEGORY Camera/Office equipment
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN Japan
10 7-Eleven
Walk into a 7-Eleven anywhere in Asia and you’d be forgiven for thinking it was a local brand, not an American export. Apart from the super-sized fizzy drinks, most of what’s on offer is carefully tailored to local tastes, right down to the tea eggs bubbling away on the counter. In fact, 7-Eleven is a much bigger phenomenon in Asia than in the US. Only about a fraction of its stores are on home turf, and its biggest single market worldwide is Japan, where it has operated since 1971 and now has more than 11,000 outlets.
It is also present in Taiwan, Thailand, Korea, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Malaysia and Singapore, and in most of those markets operates with little significant competition. The secret of 7- Eleven’s success is being open when nowhere else is, and constantly adding new stock and services to keep pace with consumers’ evolving needs.
2005 RANKING 10
CATEGORY Convenience store
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN US
11 McDonald’s
Success in Asia has been leading growth in profits for McDonald’s worldwide, as strategic marketing tie-ups, steady expansion and menu adaptations appear to be paying off. McDonald’s is ahead of rival KFC overall, but Colonel Sanders came out favourite in this survey in Thailand, Indonesia and, crucially, China.
In the Philippines, both were eclipsed by local brand Jollibee. McDonald’s has not suffered in Asia as much from the anti-fast food push that nutrition concerns in other markets have precipitated, but it has been faced with a region that generally prefers the taste of chicken, while pork and beef raise consumption issues based on religion in certain markets.
This year, McDonald’s has run a raft of marketing initiatives to capitalise on its sponsorship of the World Cup. Its rice burger, one of a range of menu items created especially for Asian consumers, rolled out in several markets this year.
2005 RANKING 13
CATEGORY Fastfood
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN US
12 Pampers
This is one of Procter & Gamble’s biggest – if not the single biggest – selling brand in its vast range. Disposable nappies are a relatively new phenomenon in Asia – cheaper cloth nappies have, until recently, been favoured in most markets. Otherwise, as in the case of China, kaidangku – babies’ pants specially designed with a split in the bottom – eliminate the need for nappies at all. The first Pampers went on sale in mainland China in 1998.
Pampers ranked as the number one brand in the survey in every Asian market except Thailand. The runner up was Kimberly-Clark’s Huggies, with which P&G has a constant running battle worldwide.
Growth of the brand in Asia is terrific, with the Greater China region posting double-digit growth in sales so far this year. Huggies is mounting a strong challenge, however, focusing on a value message as well as quality.
2005 RANKING 182
CATEGORY Diaper
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN US
13 LG
Korea’s youngest international electronics-maker has made significant inroads into market share and consumers’ confidence since it launched in 2000.
In the Top 1000, LG came second in the fridge and air- conditioner categories, third in washing machines, fourth in flat- screen TVs, fifth in DVD players and fifth in mobile phones.
While its notebook computers barely got a mention in most markets, in India, they were the number one choice.
LG is the fourth-biggest mobile phone producer in the world, though its market share is less than a quarter of that of market leader Nokia.
In Asia this year, LG widened its creative roster, giving accounts to Creative Air and TBWA\Korea, while incumbent LG Ad retains the Tromm washing machine business.
2005 RANKING 30
CATEGORY Consumer electronics/White goods
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN Korea
14 Kentucky Fried Chicken
KFC may have made its name with a bucket of deep-fried chicken pieces, but it’s the company’s ability to adapt its menu to local tastes – and a general preference in Asia for chicken over the beef of burger rival McDonald’s – that has been behind its success in Asia.
The region is now one of the best performers for the brand worldwide. Its mainland China operations are particularly successful, where, together with sister brands Pizza Hut andTaco Bell under the Yum parent brand, sales in the second quarter of this year alone in China were up 28 per cent on the same period last year.
KFC also leads McDonald’s inThailand and Indonesia.
Meanwhile, M&C Saatchi has taken over KFC’s creative brief in Hong Kong, after a three-way pitch against WPP’s David Communications and FCB.
2005 RANKING 29
CATEGORY Fastfood
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN US
15 Darlie
A whole generation of supermarket shoppers is emerging who don’t know that Darlie used to be ‘Darkie’. The name change came when Colgate-Palmolive bought the Hong Kong brand in 1985 and bowed to pressure from civil rights activists – and common sense – and made the switch. The packaging, with its trademark beaming smile, has otherwise remained unchanged.
Darlie is, according to the Top 1000 survey, Asia’s second- favourite toothpaste. It ranked behind only Colgate, the parent company’s flagship brand, and performs particularly well inTaiwan, Hong Kong and Singapore.
The launch of a tooth-whitening paste, Darlie All Shiny White, this year included a two week online campaign through MSN Messenger and Hotmail. The campaign marked the brand’s first online launch, and was also used to create a database of consumers by offering free samples.
2005 RANKING 21
CATEGORY Toothpaste
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN Hong Kong
16 Toyota
Toyota is the world’s most profitable carmaker and, in a year when Detroit has been on the skids, this Japanese giant has held a straight and steady course, banking on its reputation for reliability, value and customer service.
In the April to June period this year, Toyota posted a 26.5 percent rise in operating profit, thanks to strong sales growth, particularly in the US and Europe. The carmaker has forecast yet another year of record earnings for 2006 as a whole.
Toyota emerged as the favourite car br\and in five of the nine markets polled.
With oil prices also at record highs, Toyota has been converting car lovers to the brand with its fuel-efficient cars, and is tipped to soon overtake General Motors as the world’s biggest carmaker based on sales volume.
The ‘groovy’ Yaris hatchback and the new Fortuner sports utility vehicle have been the focus of ad campaigns in Asia this year, along with the new Prius, which Toyota hopes will help it build share in China.
2005 RANK 9
CATEGORY Automotive
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN Japan
17 Starbucks
This year marks the 10th anniversary of Starbucks’ entry into Asia, opening in Japan and Singapore. But it’s China, where it launched three years later, that’s the real powerhouse of Starbucks in the region. China accounts for 10 per cent of worldwide sales, with Beijing sales alone growing at 30 per cent a year and the number of stores growing all the time.
Starbucks topped the coffee shop category in every market bar India, where Caf Coffee Day won out. The brand has more than 11,000 outlets globally, with that number going up by roughly live a day. In the past year, Starbucks has continued to team up with music labels and film companies to do in-store promotions and sales, and word from headquarters in Seattle is that the chain could soon be selling books too. It has also launched a range of ready-to-drink coffees that can be sold in non-Starbucks stores.
2005 RANKING 25
CATEGORY Coffee chain
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN US
18 Nike
Adidas may have been named official sponsor of the 2008 Olympic Games, but Nike’s strong association with basketball and soccer has particular resonance with Asian consumers, and Asia-Pacific is its fastest-growing market. Nike comes just ahead of adidas in theTop 1000, leading in Hong Kong, Singapore, the Philippines andTaiwan.
Efforts to boost its profile in China in the lead-up to the Olympics include the ’12.88′ campaign, following hurdler Liu Xiang’s new world record performance in June, launched less than a day after the race was won in a time of 12.88 seconds.
In the past year, Nike has changed several of its creative and media partners. In Southeast Asia, it ended its retainer deal with Ogilvy RedCard in favour of a project-based relationship which the agency will share with Fallon Asia. MindShare handles media planning in Japan, with buying duties staying with Daiku.
2005 RANKING 20
CATEGORY Sportswear
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN US
19 Adidas
Adidas’ sponsorship of the football World Cup – held in its home market of Germany – has been hugely profitable, sending sales growth soaring by 20 per cent in the first half of 2006.
Adidas’ World Cup marketing included a China link-up with MTV to give consumers foot ball information, news alerts, audio and video content, ringtones and prizes to fans signing up to its football portal. China is a key focus of activity for adidas, which has vowed to overtake Nike sales in the country by the time the 2008 Olympics – which adidas is also an official sponsor of – kick off.
Since acquiring Reebok earlier in the year, which it will maintain as a separate brand,initiatives include the launch of the adidas_1 basketball, supported by a region-wide multi-platform marketing campaign. It builds on the high-profile launch last year of the adidas_1 ‘intelligent trainer’.
2005 RANKING 26
CATEGORY Sportswear
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN Germany
20 Pepsi
Pepsi was named the favourite soft drink of consumers in the key markets of China, India and Thailand, and it is the big emerging markets like these that are driving its growth worldwide at a time when fizzy drinks are falling out of favour.
Parent PepsiCo announced a 16 per cent jump in sales for Asia- Pacific last year, with China leading the way. The group has said it plans to invest US$850 million in the mainland, developing not just the soft drinks side of the business, but also snacks.
Pepsi this year invited consumers to help create a TV commercial through a reality TV-style contest called Pepsi Creative Challenge in China. Other high-profile marketing activity this year includes the World Cup-driven ‘Dare for more’ 90-second global ‘Pepsifest’ TVC, featuring David Beckham and Ronaldinho, and the Oye Bubbly’ Pepsi ringtone, which has been a huge success in India.
BBDO, which handles PepsiCo in China, Thailand, the Philippines, Malaysia, Australia and Singapore, has also been awarded the brief for Indonesia.
2005 RANKING 36
CATEGORY Soft drink
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN US
21 Wrigley’s Arrow
The world’s largest gum manufacturer is investing heavily in Asia – and China in particular – to get consumers chewing. Wrigley’s sales, which include not just chewing gum hut also the company’s confectionery lines, among them the recently-acquired Life Savers brand, helped the company post a record profit last year, with the Asian region posting sales growth of 26 percent.
Hong Kong and Vietnam are strong growth markets, but it’s China where the big marketing push is focused. Activity this year included a national PR campaign for the Juicy Fruit gum brand, with a fashion design contest aimed at teenagers, a PR drive for the relaunch of Extra White across the mainland, and a national TV-hased campaign for sugar-free hand Extra Xylitol.
Other gum brands in the Wrigley portfolio include Orbit, Doublemint and Airwaves. In China, Wrigley is known as Arrow.
2005 RANKING 18
CATEGORY Chewing gum
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN US
22 Hewlett-Packard
Hewlett-Packard is best known for its printers, hut has posted a strong showing in the Top 1000 in almost all the categories in which it operates, named not only best printer hut also top choice in desktop PCs and PDAs, and third and fourth favourite in photocopiers and laptops respectively.
The company’s fast-growing personal systems group, which covers PCs, notebooks and handhelds, has this year launched its first ever global brand campaign on the hack of profits of US$1.5 billion in the second quarter – up more than 50 per cent on the year before. In another break with tradition, the brand has teamed up with MTV for a branded programme, and has been using viral media.
The campaign follows the appointment of Goodby Silverstein and Partners to lead creative for the brand, with global duties split between McCann Erickson and Publicis Groupe.
2005 RANKING 50
CATEGORY Office equipment
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN US
23 Yahoo
The search engine now claims to reach 37 million computer users in Southeast Asia alone, or 65 per cent of all those online. This amounts to 10 per cent of Yahoo’s reach worldwide. Rival Google still trails Yahoo in this region, though both are eclipsed in China by Baidu, despite Yahoo’s early start on the mainland, having agreed from the outset to abide by censorship policies from Beijing.
In the past year, the brand has been under the stewardship of Dennis Susay, brought in as head of marketing for Yahoo Southeast Asia. Since his arrival, localised Yahoo front pages have been launched across the region, and the ‘Spot the monkeys’ brand campaign has rolled out. The brand has signed new WPP shop Soho Square on creative duties, and has integrated its conventional ad and search sales team. It has also launched Yahoo Go with Nokia, enabling users of certain Nokia phone models to access the whole Yahoo suite.
2005 RANKING 38
CATEGORY Search engine
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN US
24 Yamaha
Yamaha trails fellow Japanese motorcycle manufacturer Honda in theTop 1000 league table, but its reputation for design and quality manufacturing make it a strong performer across the region, well in front of third-ranked Suzuki.
Its popularity around the region means that almost half of its sales revenue comes from Asia. In sheer volume of motorcycles sold, almost 76 per cent came from Asia in the first quarter of the 2006 financial year. Indonesia is one of Yamaha’s strongest markets worldwide. Yamaha ranks number two in most markets in the survey, but only fourth in one of the motorbike industry’s key growth markets, India. This summer, the brand has signed up model- turnedactor John Abraham to front its advertising in the country and give its flagging market share a boost, through the ‘Change the rules’ brand campaign and work specifically to promote the Fazer 125cc bike.
2005 RANKING 39
CATEGORY Motorcycles
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN Japan
25 Shell
This Dutch-based multinational continues to build on its positioning as the caring and environmentally-friendly energy company, this year launching a multimillion-dollar global ad campaign that for the first time in five years uses TV.
The ‘Made to move’ campaign, created by JWT, promotes Shell as the energy sector’s most innovative fuel producer, following the development of more efficient fuels, including the new formula Euro 95, which is being rolled out globally.
Shell was named top petrol station in the Top 1000 survey, attracting double the votes of second-placed Exxon-Mobil, which was followed by CPC and Caltex. In Asia, Shell has renewed its tie-up with CNBC for another season of the series Questions for the future, a programme that explores solutions to international energy crises. A print campaign has also been running to build awareness of New Shell Diesel.
2005 RANKING 23
CATEGORY Petrol/oil company
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN UK
26 Lipton
Lipton is the global market leader in leaf and ready-to-drink tea, and claims a global market share nearly three times that of its nearest rival.
The brand, part of the Unilever family, topped the tea category in this survey with more than 30 per cent of the vote.
It was named number one in four markets, including mainland China. In India, however. TataTea was preferred.
The range, particularly in ready-to-drink teas that can be served hot or cold, is expanding, with the recent addition of ready-to- drink iced green tea.
Nestea is one of the biggest challengers in the iced sector, and has this year launched two ready-to-drink iced green tea flavours of its own.
Lipton’s brand-building strategy in Asia i\ncludes sponsorship of sporting and music eventual which it provides the refreshments, often in a branded zone.
2005 RANKING NEW
CATEGORY Tea
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN UK
27 Wall’s
The brand with the red heart logo – in the US it is actually known as Heartbrand rather than Wall’s – has been expanding its range with more products that are lower in fat and sugar, and in smaller portions.
In the Top 1000 Brands, Walls was by far the leading ice-cream brand in the region, followed by Magnolia, Hagen-Dazs and then Nestl.
In the lucrative Thai market, where sales of wrapped ice-creams in Bangkok significantly outstrip the national average, Unilever has said it is investing close to US$27 million to grow its share. The money will go towards increasing the number of mobile Wall’s ice- cream stalls to 60,000 by the end of the year, and boosting local production. In Malaysia,meanwhile,youngconsumers have been targeted with an interactive TV ad for the launch of Paddle Pop Shot, in which they could vote on their mobiles in a competition being run between ad breaks.
2005 RANKING NEW
CATEGORY Ice-cream
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN UK
Maggi is synonymous with instant noodles, although its range extends into soup powders, stock cubes and condiments. The products released under the Maggi name differ from market to market around the world, but it’s the noodles that consumers keep coming back to. Maggi was named best instant noodle in Asia in the Top 1000, with a particularly strong showing in Malaysia, Singapore and India.
India has been a key focus of Maggi marketing efforts this year, with a TV campaign that for the first time uses a celebrity rather than a family scene, to promote a new, smaller package of noodles. Bollywood actress Preity Zinta stars in the TV commercial. Parent brand Nestl says rising Maggi sales in India were a big contributor to worldwide sales growth 4.4 per cent last year in what it calls ‘prepared dishes and cooking aids’.
In the condiments category, Maggi came second to Knorr, although the race was a close one.
2005 RANKING 138
CATEGORY Condiment/Instant noodle
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN Switzerland
29 Sony Ericsson
The world’s fifth-largest maker of mobile phone handsets this year ranked as the second-best mobile brand in the region.The brand only has about seven percent of market share,though,and has targeted business users with two models featuring built-in email software. It has also begun using the Cyber-shot branding of Sony on camera phones and has teamed up with Google to add web features that allow for easy blogging. Sales growth in Q1 this year in Asia was 44 per cent.
Creative advertising in the region includes the installation of live demo units in Singapore taxis to showcase the W810i’s sound quality, and tying in with the launch of singer Stefanie Sun Yan Zi’s new album late last year.
Creative agency Bartle Bogle Hegarty resigned Sony’s multimillion- dollar global account in July, after the launch of Sony Ericsson’s latest global multimedia campaign for its Cyber-shot branded phones,’Never miss a shot’.
2005 ANKING 64
CATEGORY Mobile phone
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN Japan/Sweden
30 Cadbury
The chocolate with the trademark purple logo has shot up the rankings this year; while last year it trailed Mars. Nestl and Hershey’s, Cadbury now leads the chocolate category in the Top 1000. It took double the votes of second-placed Ferrero Rocher, and came out clear favourite in key markets, including India and Malaysia. The inclusion of India, where Cadbury has 75 per cent of the chocolate market, in the survey this year probably accounts for a good proportion of its rise up the charts.
The company this year opened its first research and development centre in Southeast Asia, in Singapore, with the aim of driving growth in emerging markets such as China, Malaysia,Thailand and Indonesia. Sales of Cadbury in AsiaPacific, which includes confectionery brands such as Clorets and Halls as well as the chocolate line, account for just 18 per cent of worldwide income.
2005 RANKING 52
CATEGORY Chocolate
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN UK
31 Sharp
Sharp may lack the spunk and energy of its Japanese compatriots Sony and Panasonic,and is facingstiff competition from relative newcomer Samsung,but the quality of its products, particularly its LCD television range is leading to strong business growth. The brand’s audio-visual and communication equipment division posted 24 per cent growth in sales in the first quarter of the 2006 financial year, fuelled by sales of larger sized LCD TVs and mobile phones. The Aquos LCD TV has been the subject of a TV, print, outdoor and online blast in Hong Kong this summer, based on the theme ‘I see beautiful’.
In this survey, a strong performance in the home appliances categories put Sharp in the top 50, with consistent rankings in washing machines, refrigerators, photocopiers and air-conditioners. In electronics, including home audio,digital camcorders and DVD players, Sharp trailed the other north Asian brands.
2005 RANKING 27
CATEGORY Consumer electronics/White goods
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN Japan
32 Toshiba
This Japanese electronics and appliance maker has 130 years of history, but it’s the future that the company has its hopes pinned on. Toshiba and Canon are working on mass production of SED panels, the main component of next-generation flat-screen TVs. These are expected to sell big in the lead-up to the 2008 Beijing Olympics, and as the global shift from analogue to digital broadcasting continues.
Asia is Toshiba’s strongest and fastest-growing market. Sales in Japan account for half of its revenue, with the rest of Asia contributing a further 19 per cent in the first quarter of this year.
While Toshiba has a sizeable parts-supply business for other brands of electronics,it has itsown brand products in categories running from air-conditioners and robot-style vacuum cleaners, to DVD players and portable computers.This year, it launched the first notebook PC with a built-in HD DVD drive, the QosmioG30/697HS.
2005 RANKING 27
CATEGORY Consumer electronics/White goods
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN Japan
33 Rolex
The name Rolex began in 1908 in London, chosen for being easy to say in any European language, and short enough to go on the face of a watch. The brand’s marketing is built on a strong association with sports, that started when Mercedes Gleitze swam across the English Channel in 1927 with a Rolex Oyster on her wrist. Rolex now has a presence at more than 150 events a year, in the arts, equestrian, golf, tennis and yachting fields. Its brand ambassadors over the years have included Arnold Palmer, Dame Kiri Tekanawa, Sir Jackie Stewart, Eric Clapton and Placido Domingo. Rolex was also there when Sir Edmund Hillary made the first successful Everest ascent in 1953.
It also supports the Rolex Awards for Enterprise, recognising entrepreneurial spirit from around the world. This year, the event is being held in Singapore, to encourage more people to enter from Southeast Asia.
2005 RANKING
CATEGORY Watch COUNTRY OF ORIGIN UK
34 DHL
Asia is DHL’s fastest-growing market, and the brand has been working hard to build its profile with out-of-the-box advertising.
This year, it has sought to build its global presence through product placement in the Hollywood sequel Mission:Impossible 3 (M:I3), through a partnership with Paramount Pictures. An M:I3- themed marketing blitz supports the deal, with the tagline, ‘Accepting impossible missions daily’. The broader brand campaign uses individual DHL staff as the focus of the brand’s ‘can do’ attitude.
Other creative works include the branding of a tethered hot-air balloon rising 40 storeys high in Singapore, as both a tourist attraction and a great ad tor DHL.
In Asia as in Europe, DHL commands about 40 per cent of the market, and as rival UPS has sought this year to increase its profile among business targets, DHL has been running its own global campaign to push its ‘All the way’ tagline.
2005 RANKING 33
CATEGORY Courier
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN UK
35 Pantene
This is one of Procter & Gamble’s flagship brands, and one of several in its haircare offering. Its packaging is instantly recognisable, and since its launch worldwide in 1990 it has grown synonymous with not just cleaning hair, but nourishing and strengthening it.
In Thailand, Pantene has this year launched a range of Age Defying products, including a shampoo, conditioner, intensive conditioners and leave-in conditioner aimed at 30-plus consumers. In Singapore, mean while, where use of conditioner is low by international standards, the brand this summer launched a marketing blitz to accompany the launch of its Leave-On Hair Moisturiser.
The Top 1,000 shows Pantene as the leading shampoo and conditioner brand, but only just nudging ahead of arch-rival Sunsilk. Pantene was first choice in Singapore and Malaysia.
2005 RANKING 47
CATEGORY Shampoo
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN US
36 Google
Google is no longer just a brand, it’s a way of life. To ‘Google’ something has become a part of everyday speech, although not in Asia to the extent that it is in Europe and the US. That said, Google ranked as the second-best search engine in this survey, with Yahoo in first place and Baidu winning in the all-important China market. Google did own a small share in Baidu, but off-loaded it this year saying it wanted to focus on promoting its core brand in China. Google has been cooperating with Tencent, owner of China’s most popular instant messaging service QQ, on a newsearch engine brand, SoSo with Google.
Google launched in late 1998 and since then has diversified and evolved its offering. This year the company signed up to be the exclusive search engine provider for News Corp’s MySpace portal along with all other Fox Interactive Media properties.
2005 RANKING 62
CATEGORY Search engine
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN US
37 Sunsilk
This brand adds about US$1 billion a year to parent Unilever’s accounts. With its promise to provide ‘real solutions to women’s ev\eryday hair needs every where’, it claims to be the number one brand in not only Asia, but also Latin America and the Middle East, and sells in 80 countries worldwide.
One of its main selling points is that it aims to match or beat the leading designer brandson quality, but at a lower price.
Marketing work this year includes a drive in Thailand to reach out to an audience slightly older than its traditional 20-something target, in March launching Sunsilk Anti Aging shampoo, and the ‘Sunsilk five senses challenge’ aimed at proving the advantages of Sunsilk’s conditioner over the competition.
The Top 1000 shows Sunsilk to be an extremely close second favourite to Pantene around the region, but leads in India, Indonesia and Thailand.
2005 RANKING 59
CATEGORY Shampoo
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN US
38 Visa
This brand began exactly 30 years ago in California and in all markets surveyed, was named best credit card brand, ahead of rival MasterCard.
Visa’s marketing depends largely on its association with sport; it began its Olympics alliance with sponsorship of the Seoul Games in 1986, and is building up Olympics work in the lead-up to the Beijing games, which it is sponsoring. Its Olympics offensive in Asia began in June this year with Chinese hurdler Liu Xiang fronting its campaign on the mainland. The brand also sponsored China’s Winter Olympics team in Turin. Visa has also replaced MasterCard as the official credit card sponsor of the Fifa World Cup from 2007 to 2014.
The brand, which pioneered mini credit cards, this year became Hong Kong’s first web credit card, via a partnership between web portal MSN and Liu Chong Hint; Bank to launch the MSN@Visa card.
2005 RANK 32
CATEGORY Credit card
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN US
39 Lay’s
Lay ‘sis part of Pepsico’s snacks division Frito-Lay, which controls 40 per cent of the world’s market in savoury snacks. The company began in the US in 1932, and in the 40s was one of the first snack food producers to advertise on television.
Lay’s strategy in Asia has been to change flavours to cater to local tastes. In Thailand, for instance, where the brand has been since 1995, the salt levels have been slightly reduced compared to the global product. Strong flavours such as cheese and onion have proved less popular in Asia than in the West, so have been replaced with more subtle tastes, such as seaweed. In India, where Lay’s launched in 1989, its association with music has helped it into top spot with its range of traditional namkeen snacks as well as those made globally. It was the lead sponsor of a recent Bryan Adams tour of India, and has launched a music video and album, Lay’s Latino Salsa, to connect with the youth market.
2005 RANKING NEW
CATEGORY Savoury snack
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN US
40 Mitsubishi
Mitsubishi Motors reported a dip in sales in Asia for the first half of this year despite growth overall, citing weakness in Asian markets such as Indonesia and Taiwan. It ranked the sixth-favourite car brand in the Top 1000, with its strongest performance in the Philippines, where it was named third-best.
In Singapore andThailand, it’s the first choice in fridges, some way down the list in washing machines, second in air-conditioners, only a fraction of a percentage behind second-placed LG and the preferred air-con in both China and Thailand. Mitsubishi Electric sales were up 11 per cent in the first quarter of this year, with a stronger than average performance in Thailand. The brand’s range includes ‘W class’ products aimed at what Mitsubishi calls the ‘active rich’, people willing to pay much higher prices for better quality.
On the automotive side, Mitsubishi will relaunch its Lancer marque next year, with a reality TV show in Thailand this summer to boost market share from the current five percent.
2005 RANKING 16
CATEGORY Automotive/White goods
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN Japan
41 AIG
AIG was founded by an American in Shanghai in 1919 and has a long association with the region.
AIG, the parent organisation, is now the top foreign insurer in Japan and China, is among the leaders in Southeast Asia and is making a significant impact on the Indian insurance market.
In the Top 1000, AIA was named best health/life insurer and best general insurer, way ahead of the competition in both categories. Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore are among its strongest Asian markets after Japan.
In Thailand this year, AIA has made a departure from its traditional productbased advertising to focus on its corporate image.
In Singapore, the company has hired Tequila\Singapore as it attempts to sustain its performance in the health insurance category.
2005 RANKING 37
CATEGORY Insurance
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN China
42 Michelin
The Michelin story began in 1889 when brothers Andr and Edouard Michelin launched the company that would help transform the transport industry. Michelin was the inventor of radial tyres, and now sells tyres for personal and industrial vehicles and publishes maps and guides in more than 170 countries.
Michelin leads the tyres category in the Top 1000, followed by Goodyear, Bridgestone and Dunlop. It was named best tyre brand in China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand and Taiwan.
The brand’s mascot, Bibendum, known simply as the Michelin Man, has been part of Michelin branding since 1898. In China this year Michelin has been running its first-ever locally produced brand campaign, a weekly 30-minute TV show on road safety running on Tourism Satellite Television. In India, the brand hired TBWA\Delhi last year to create a fully integrated campaign for its launch.
2005 RANKING 42
CATEGORY Tyres
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN US
43 Watsons
Watsons dates back to 1828, when the Canton Dispensary was founded as a clinic to provide free medical help to the poor in Southern China. In the early 1980s, Watsons had just nine stores, all of them in Hong Kong. It has been expanding since then at the rate of one new store every three days and now has more than 1,300 outlets in 13 markets, and stocks more than 25,000 products ranging from medicine and toiletries to confectionery, cosmetics,cards and toys.
In this survey, Watsons ranked best pharmacy/personal health store in the region, coming first or second in Hong Kong, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan and Thailand, and third in China. In the past year, stores around the region have been given an image makeover, with more personalised programmes offering advice on beauty, health and baby care. In Taiwan this year, Watsons shifted its creative brief from Ogilvy & Mather to PublicisTaiwan.
2005 RANKING 82
CATEGORY Chemist
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN Hong Kong
44 Mercedes-Benz
In Asia, Mercedes-Benz is seen as a symbol of wealth and success. In the first half of this year, Mercedes sales in the Asia-Pacific region were up 19 per cent over last year.
In China, Mercedes has been holding a series of lifestyle events in entertainment spots, including bars and clubs, to promote the pleasure of driving its Cclass to a younger group of consumers than its usual target.
Mercedes’ fourth annual Mercedes-Benz Asia Fashion Awards were held in Singapore this year in a contest that aims to highlight the enduring nature of the brand’s design.
In July, Mcrcedes-Benz distributor Cycle & Carriage appointed BBDO and Proximity Singapore for its Mercedes-Benz Singapore advertising account. BBDO also won the brief for the US$46 million global launch of the updated Mercedes C-Class. LoweThailand, meanwhile, retained the Mercedes account following a review.
2005 RANKING 8
CATEGORY Automotive
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN Germany
45 Hitachi
Hitachi, founded in 1910 in Japan, became a household name on the hack of its white goods, although the company itself is a vast enterprise producing everything from medical equipment and high- speed trains to excavators and lithium batteries. Home appliances contribute 80 per cent of revenue, and the brand sells products in nine categories in the-Top 1000 survey.
Hitachi’s best-performing market in the survey was Hong Kong, where it was named top air-conditioner and second-best fridge brand; it also ranked well in Taiwan, Singapore and Thailand. In recent years, though, Hitachi has been overshadowed by some of the more dynamic Japanese and Korean electronics brands. It’s probably this that prompted the brand’s first global brand campaign last year, and the ‘Triple change’ brand campaign in Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and Vietnam, targeting mid to high-income families looking for quality.
2005 RANKING 40
CATEGORY Consumer electronics/White goods
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN Japan
46 Toys R Us
There’s no real competition in the race to be best toy shop in Asia, so it’s no real surprise that Toys R Us performs well. But the retail chain is far from complacent about its success.
The chain, a big believer in CRM, has built a vast database through its loyalty card scheme, the Star Card, which it uses to send out targeted direct mail and email material to complement its mass media work. Toys R Us made its debut in Thailand since the last Top 1000 survey was carried out.
It now operates two stores there, along with outlets in Taiwan, Malaysia, Singapore and Hong Kong.
This year, Toys R Us in Hong Kong ran interactive TVCs that worked like a catalogue when seen online, inviting young customers to submit videos of themselves, the best of which were chosen to go on the company’s website.
2005 RANKING 31
CATEGORY Retail/Toy store
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN US
47 Apple
The phenomenal success of the iPod is driving a resurgence in the popularity of Apple products generally. But, curiously, in Asia, the iPod has not emerged as the favourite MP3 player. That honour goes to Sony, with Apple taking only half the votes of Sony in this category. Apple was the favourite in China, however.
In the desktop computer category. Apple is some way down the list except in the Philippines, where it’s number one, and it performs little better in laptop and notebook computers. Apple does have legions of extre\mely loyal followers, however, and podcasting has become the generic term for the distribution of content in MP3 formal. Internationally, a campaign partnering with Coke to promote music downloads has been launched in recent months, but its partnership with Nike to have shoes that can ‘talk’ to your iPod is yet another example of Apple’s ability to innovate.
2005 RANKING 77
CATEGORY Consumer electronics/Office equipment
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN US
48 BMW
BMW is only marginally behind its luxury car rival Mercedes-Benz in this year’s rankings and, for the fourth year in a row, reported record sales in Asia for 2005. On the back of its well-received 3 Series, launched last year, worldwide sales in the first half of this year were up 11 percent for BMW brand cars.
While global sales of BMW, Mini and Rolls-Royce were up nine per cent globally, they rose 21 per cent in Asia, with a particularly strong showing in China. China sales more than doubled last year, and the company is looking at increasing output from its Shenyang factory, which produces the 3 Series and 5 Series.
The brand’s German heritage – and thus its reputation for quality engineering – has always been in its favour. The brand has had a consistent message from market to market and, over the last 30 years, has used the same advertising tagline, ‘Ultimate driving machine’.
2005 RANKING 14
CATEGORY Automotive/Motorcycle
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN Germany
49 Rejoice
Procter & Gamble’s signature two-in-one shampoo and conditioner brand Rejoice ranks third overall in the shampoo category. Rejoice leads in Hong Kong and China, where it was the second-biggest- spending brand in the country last year, according to Nielsen research. In a change of tack for parent Procter & Gamble. Rejoice for the first time has used celebrity endorsement, with Olympic swimming gold medallist Luo Xuejuan fronting its TV ads.
In India, where rural demand for shampoo is reported to have grown 40 per cent last year compared to 20 per cent growth in urban areas. Rejoice – which only launched in the market two years ago – and rival brands are sharing in the spoils. In Thailand, Rejoice made an impact on the Bangkok skyline with a huge comb in a tangle of overhead powerlines, in a Leo Burnett stunt last October. Rejoice was launched in 1986 and is sold as Pert Plus in some markets.
2005 RANKING 55
CATEGORY Shampoo
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN US
50 Epson
This Japanese technology giant began life as the watchmaker Seiko, renowned for precision instruments. Epson is known primarily for its printers, the first of which rolled off production lines in 1980 as the MX-80, but it was with its first Stylus series of inkjet printers that it really became a major player. This summer, Epson scored a PR and financial coup when it became the printer of choice for Ikea, publishers of the largest annually printed publication, its catalogue, which is distributed in more than 30 countries.
In the Top 1000, Epson came third, behind Hewlett-Packard and Canon, and in the photocopiers category ranked fifth.
The brand entered the home television market in 2004, but has yet to establish itself as a major player in this market. It is, however, working on what Epson calls the ‘next generation’ of projector TVs.
2005 RANKING 523
CATEGORY Office equipment
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN Japan
51 Seiko
The maker of Japan’s first wrist watch and the world’s first quartz watch has continued its development of a worldwide endorsement-based advertising campaign based on the concept of ‘innovation and refinement’.
In Hong Kong, that campaign has seen Seiko launch campaigns this year featuring stars Ekin Cheng and Miriam Yeung in the hope of reaching a younger market.
Seiko has also further spread its reach into the sporting world by developing a new partnership with the Honda Racing F1 Team, under which driver Jenson Button assumes an ambassadorial role for the brand.
In September last year, the corporation unveiled an innovative new Spring Drive watch that boasts power reserves of 72 hours. That watch was named 2005′s Watch of the Year by respected watch website TimeZone.com.
2005 RANKING 45
CATEGORY Watch
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN Japan
52 Sanyo
Though it has narrowed its losses in its most recent quarter, Sanyo still faces struggles ahead as it sees growing competition from Asian rivals.
The electronics company – which manufactures everything from televisions to massage chairs – is still recovering from a costly earthquake that damaged its chip-manufacturing plant in 2004. It has seen sales continue to drop amid falling prices for consumer electronics and a wider availability of cheap products from of her Asian manufacturers.
Job cuts, a reduction in factory space and the dropping of some businesses have followed as part of extensive restructuring.
In the meantime, Sanyo is focusing on the development of its digital device technology – including digital cameras with OLED (organic light-emitting diode) displays co-developed with Kodak – and environmentally-friendly lechnologies, such as rechargeable batteries, solar energy and non-CFC air-conditioning.
2005 RANKING 46
CATEGORY COUNTRY OF ORIGIN
Consumer electronics/White goods Japan
53 Motorola
In July, mobile phone manufacturer Motorola signalled its intentions to focus on its communications sector by selling its automotive electronics business for US$1 billion to Continental AG.
The company is best known for its slim mobile phones, once ensconced in the realm of upper-tier users, but now affordable for mainstream customers. In September last year, Motorola unveiled the first ever iTunes-enabled phone: the Motorola SLVR.
Recently, the company has embarked on a colour-themed advertising campaign in China, emphasising the introduction of colour to its traditionally black and silver designs – in a bid to appeal to an increasingly fashion-conscious segment of consumers.
The brand splits its account between Ogilvy & Mather and TBWA.
2005 RANKING 60
CATEGORY Mobile phone
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN US
54 Uni-President
Taiwan-based food and beverage company Uni-President has been expanding aggressively over the past two years, with a particular focus on mainland China.
Since September 2004, the company has bought stakes in live Chinese beverage companies. It plans to become the biggest food and beverage company in Asia outside of Japan by 2008.
Uni-President has a presence in the mainland through its instant noodles, tea and coffee, yoghurt and flavoured milk sold in supermarkets and convenience stores. Last year its sales in China surpassed sales at home for the first time. It recently appointed JWT to work on four of its noodle brands in the mainland.
At the start of August, the company was playing down rumours it had bought a 35 per cent stake in Beijing dairy group Sanyuan food. Uni-President also controls the 7-Eleven franchise in Taiwan.
2005 RANKING 202
CATEGORY Food and drink
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN Taiwan
55 Philips
Having just sold 80 per cent of its semi-conductor business to a private equity consortium for US$8.2 billion, electronics giant Philips plans to focus increasingly on the fast-developing healtheare and lifestyle sectors.
Dropping the semi-conductor business also reduces volatility in the company’s earnings because of the highly cyclical nature of the industry. The company, which operates according to its brand promise of sense and simplicity, is currently running a print, online and television advertising campaign that reflects its commitment to simplicity.
The campaign demonstrates how Philips products improve lives through ‘technology that makes sense’. The company recorded a strong sales increase in its last quarter, and was ranked 48th on brand consultant Interbrand’s list of the world’s most valuable brands – an improvement of five places from 2005.
2005 RANKING 63
CATEGORY Consumer electronics/White goods
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN Netherlands
56 Pocari Sweat
Manufactured and distributed by Tokyo-based Otsuka Pharmaceutical, Pocari Sweat started its life as a sports drink, designed to replenish the body with nutrients and electrolytes lost during sweating.
However, at the start of last year, Olsuka appointed Hakuhodo to reposition Pocari Sweat as a health, rather than sports, drink in Hong Kong.
The drink, first sold in 1980, is available in much of Asia and in the Middle East. It is branded as a global beverage that, unlike water, stays the same everywhere you travel. It was cited in the Top 1000 by consumers in Greater China, Indonesia and Singapore.
The second part of the brand’s name contrasts with the first part, Pocari, which roughly translates as ‘like a cloud floating in the sky’, giving it associations of lightness. Consumers in Japan often drop the second part of the name, which has sparked parodies in the English speaking world, calling the drink Pocari.
It is also available in powder form.
2005 RANKING NEW
CATEGORY Isotonic/Sports drink
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN Japan
57 Carrefour
Carrefour, the world’s second-largest retail group, has stepped forward in Asia recently, with the unveiling of a new advertising campaign and a loyalty card in Taiwan.
The card’s introduction came as the group was poised to further expand in Taiwan, following its takeover of Tesco’s outlets nationally.
In Fehruary.Carrefour moved to capitalise on last year’s price- centric marketing campaign by rolling out a TV-led campaign aimed at families, emphasising the qualities of its private label products.
The France-based group has a presence in much ol’Asia but pulled out of Hong Kong in 2000,claiming pressure from competitors not to cut prices.
A 2005 survey by China market research company CTR put Carrefour as the leading FMCG retailer in the country.
2005 RANKING 68
CATEGORY Supermarket
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN France
58 Pepsodent
The family-friendly toothpaste Pepsodent, owned by Unilever in markets outside the US,is still dwarfed by its main rival Colgate (fifth on this list of Asia’sTop 100 Brands), w\hich has a broader appeal.
Late last year,Unilever unveiled a new regional campaign for Pepsodent in Indonesia, Vietnam, China, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, with a Lowe WorldvvidedevelopedTVC featuring some cutting-edge animation ot ‘monsters lurking not under the bed but in the mouth to get kids’ attention, coupled with a motherchild relationship in an effort to broaden its appeal. Previously, the toothpaste had been marketed locally in Asia.
At the start of this year, in a deal believed to be worth US$50 million. Unilever awarded creative work for its oral care bands – which also include Close-Up and Signal – in Asia,Latin America and Africa, to Lowe.
2005 RANKING 106
CATEGORY Toothpaste
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN US
59 Pedigree
The Mastcrfoods-owned brand that calls itself the ‘number one brand of dog food in the world’ this year launched its second annual adoption drive – a multimillion dollar campaign devoted to helping homeless dogs around the world.
The campaign was supported byTV.online and in-store advertising,as well as consumer promotions. In the United States,actress Minnie Driver endorsed the campaign.
The TWBA-created campaign built on the brand’s slogans of’We’re for dogs’ and’We’re for puppies’,and asked viewers to’Help us help dogs’.
One of the main challenges the brand is facing in many markets in Asia is to persuade people to feed their pets with petfood, rather than food that has been prepared at home. Pedigree TVCs have emphasised the different dietary requirements dogs have to people.
2005 RANKING 44
CATEGORY Pet food
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN US
60 FedEx
At the start of the year, courier specialist FedEx was ranked among the top 100 best companies to work for by fortune magazine, and rated first in job growth based on number of new jobs.
The US-based company offers a wide range of services to Asia- Pacific customers in more than 30 countries,including Australia,China, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore,and the Philippines.
In the second-half of last year, FedEx launched a long-running ‘We live to deliver’ campaign highlighting the company’s spirit of teamwork. The campaign featured a TVC created by BBDO Guerrero Ortega, in which a FedEx team walks on water to help make an important delivery.
As of May, the company was reviewing its PR accounts in Thailand and Malaysia.
2005 RANKING 49
CATEGORY Courier
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN US
61 Nissin
As the inventor of instant noodles and the number one manufacturer of instant food in Japan, Nissin’s core consumer hase is families. The company recently entered a sponsorship agreement with Ocean Park in Hong Kong and revamped its Hong Kong wehsitetocreate a more youth-oriented image. Despite competition from imported brands and low-end instant noodles from China, Nissin remains a force – Japan’s seven-year-old MomofukuAndo Instant Ramen Museum, named after Nissin’s founder,recently welcomed its millionth visitor.
2005 RANKING NEW CATEGORY
CATEGORY Instant noodle
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN” Japan
62 Huggies
Recent campaigns have seen Huggies nappies,owned by Kimberly- Clark,marketed to a broader audience in an effort to dispel perceptions that the brand is a premium-priced import – last year a price value message was featured in aTVC for the first time. Kimberly-Clark has invested millions of dollars in improving the fit and comfort of Huggies Newborn and Freedom varieties, and used celebrity-ledTVcampaigns.This year, the US-based corporation posted a lower second-quarter profit due to higher costs for energy and oil- based materials.
2005 RANKING 705
CATEGORY Babycare
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN US
63 Heineken
With 135 breweries in more than 65 countries, Heineken is the world’s fourth largest brewery. The brand has just signed a three- year deal with British Airways to serve Heineken on worldwide flights – it already has deals with 50 other airlines. Heineken also recently signed a four-year deal to become the official beer of the Chelsea Football Club. It also sponsors the UEFA Champions League, rugby’s World and Heineken Cups,and is conducting a review of its global media planning and buying.
2005 RANKING 48
CATEGORY Beer
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN Netherlands
64 Close-Up
Unilever recently handed control of Close-Up’s image – positioned as young and trendy – to Lowe, covering Asia, Latin America and Africa. Like Pepsodent, Close-Up’s main rival is Colgate. A new campaign targeting a young market in the Middle East has seen the launch of three unusual new flavours of the toothpaste – ChocoLoco,Tangerine and Lychee – with a concurrent advertising campaign urging consumers to ‘Dare to try’.
2005 RANKING 104
CATEGORY Toothpaste
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN US
65 Goodyear
Goodyear is the world’s third largest tyr