I have always been a great believer in brands and not surprisingly I have chosen it as a career. I always thought that I was in the business of helping companies profit from building great brands. But after much reflection, I am really in the business of authentic transformations. My goal is not to promise profits for my customers but rather the promise of a journey of transformation that if followed through, will lead to profits. It is not an easy journey and demands much courage and tenacity from the brand owners, but the pay-off is highly rewarding in more ones than one.
Many companies in Malaysia see brand building as a good to have, but only if budget permits. For them it is very much - lets get our operation and process right first, lets design that great store, lets get a great advertising campaign to bring people to our store and then when the money comes in, then we will invest in branding. Now this may have worked for some companies, it has also been the stumbling block for sustained growth. How do I know this, because many of my clients from traditional industries are coming to me to help them cross a crucial threshold from local to world brand and they know that great process and ads alone are not enough.
When I commence any project, I always begin with a question - what business are you in?
