TOSHIBA was founded in 1875 by two entrepreneurs and helped to form Japan’s modern manufacturing sector. The merger of Tokyo Electrics + Shibaura Engineering Works established the first general electric manufacturer in Japan. Throughout its history of more than 145+ years, the company has attracted outstanding engineers and designers, which enabled it to produce various first-of-a-kind products, both in Japan and in the world.
While TOSHIBA home appliances have been in every Japanese household for generations, globally, the brand is more famous for its laptops (my first laptop has been a TOSHIBA!) - 1985 Toshiba launched the world’s first laptop PC - and later it’s high-end TVs under REGZA.
...however, also clearly visible in the TOSHIBA Museum in Kawasaki, showcases a big empty gap during the last 20+ years.
Therefore, the mission was fairly easy to be put on paper:
In this article I will skip the previously elaborated parts of:
- the Art + Science of Brands & Brand Positionings +
- the Relationship between Brand Positioning & Brand Architecture +
- the Essentials of a compelling Brand House
Following our principles that Brand Positionings within MideaGroup's 'Smart Home' division are constructed + deployed form of (Brand) Houses = which makes it also easier for all stakeholders to directly compare each level + block = better understand the 'differences' in between each brand's territory...
Although, I might sound so obvious + logical, I am telling you, not only product + sales people but even marketing people start struggling when brand's products + price portfolios overlap, but brand + communications are supposed to be very very different + distinguishable!
Examples I use to try to visualize:
- there is a more expensive VW Golf than an Audi A3 = so:
- there can also be a more expensive family-friendly Midea Mircrowave than a more sophisticated TOSHIBA Mircrowave
- still both address very different target audiences!
- still both stick very clearly within their respective Brand Positionings + Brand Guidelines = Communication Principles
Based on the background above, we already had a hypothesis about the direction of the brand within the 'Competitive Landscape' + envisioned TOSHIBA to a more Premium brand among the 15+ Home Appliance brands of MideaGroup's 'Smart Home' division = a critical slide before the audience is able to follow:
The TOSHIBA Brand House is also a House, with the same 'essential' levels or floors + elements or bricks, and of course, already a bit showcasing the new TOSHIBA look + feel.
Have in mind:
- Brand Positions are internal strategy documents
= I am not fully revealing the entire 'TOSHIBA Brand House' here
= because they contain information how a company/brand intents to beat the competition
So, let's get it started! How?!
Well, we interviewed 120+ global stakeholders (from both organizations: Midea + TOSHIBA) and afterwards, were running a one-week workshop in Tokyo with 60+ global participants.
What we quickly had clear + aligned was the focus on + deep association with the Japanese culture + their deeply rooted values which are admired + respected globally.
That we ended up with the slogan #DetailsMatter is public knowledge by now, but important is (as you hopefully fully embraced by now after having read the 'Brand Positioning' intro section) that your 'house' is stable because every brick clearly + meaningfully leads to the next...
Working on this TOSHIBA Brand Positioning it was therefore even more important, to fully align all stakeholders on the Foundation level: Roots + Strengths + Guiding Principles...
...so that our Product Division guys have totally + crystal clear how an 'on brand' TOSHIBA product has to be(come) to:
- be attractive + relevant + (over) satisfying = ideally inspiring to our selected core target audience +
- be meaningfully different within the Competitive Landscape
Based on the company’s founder’s heritage + vision, the deeply rooted Japanese values of craftsmanship + attention to the last detail have defined all our future TOSHIBA product line-ups, offering our consumers high-end home appliances with the slogan #DetailsMatter
With attention to the last detail + always underpinned with slogan #DetailsMatter we also developed the VI (Visual Identity) + Brand Guidelines where our beautifully designed TOSHIBA products are emphasized with the iconic 🟥 RedSquare, while a headline always draws your eye-ball attention on what really matters – the details.
Guiding element has been the Brand Film (link below)...
...which aimed to showcase some of the most famous Japanese craftmanhips which are very deeply rooted within the culture:
...before when connected each craftmanship to a TOSHIBA product, showcasing how + why those #details matter so much!
A similar attention TOSHIBA aims to spend on the #Design of each product + each single element #DetailsMatter
...and extremely clear all elements come together in the new #SocialMedia designs:
Nevertheless, a Brand Positioning is only successful = means will be understood by the consumer = when it is reflected on every touchpoint. Therefore, all retail VIs are crucial, too and shall like here at IFA Berlin 2019 at least show...
...but even better 'make consumers really experience'.
At our IFA 2019 booth everyone taking a picture in front of #DetailsMatter obviously spent a lot of time making sure every detail is 'perfect':
No other culture (well, maybe Germans! 🤪) dedicates itself & its entire life into work + company projects as the Japanese do.
After I initiated this 'Global Rebranding Project' in 2018, we formed a series of new 'Guiding Principles' which will help to take TOSHIBA's heritage into the future + develop world-leading product quality in combination with the so typical simplistic Japanese design approach.
Reflecting ‘Understated Confidence’ in design + communication paired with the unique 'Takumi Spirit'
= the greatest attention to the details that matter = will impress consumers.
The iconic 🟥 RedSquare will become a 'Brand Cue'.
2019 I dedicated a Linkedin article to the topic:
🟥 TOSHIBA Global Brand Refresh
2021 I dedicated a Linkedin article to the topic:
🟥 TOSHIBA Global Brand Film Launch
