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Decoding Branding
Foreword
Table of Content
Abstracts
Interviews
Reviews
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Decoding Branding explains the evolution of branding and how the disrupting factors like digital revolution, technological advancement, changing consumer behavior, and the COVID-19 pandemic have reshaped the marketing landscape. Fundamental principles of fostering strong brands are distilled with illustrations of case studies from various industries. A structured and holistic framework to building and revamping brands is clearly presented for corporations to remain competitive in this constantly changing operating environment. Interviews with branding experts and corporate leaders are featured at the end of each chapter to allow readers to obtain a complete appreciation of brand development from different perspectives.

Foreword

In his career, Dr. Royce Yuen has been a distinguished practitioner of marketing and advertising, a profound academic interpreter, and a much-in-demand consultant. He has experienced first-hand all the great waves of disruption which have broken over the communications landscape as a result of the digital revolution.
Now, 20 years or so into that revolution, it is timely to ask whether branding – one of the pillars of business since the nineteenth century – is still a necessary or potent strategy for a business. Some zealots have argued that in a digital world, branding has become less relevant, even superfluous. I have always found that an extreme view, which conflates two very different points: the role of mass media and the role of media. We have, indeed, seen the end of the supremacy of mass media. But it does not follow that we have seen the end of branding. In fact, I would argue exactly the reverse. The de-massification which Dr. Yuen describes actually makes branding more important. The more fragmented the world of content and the multiplicity of messages that characterize any digital eco-system are, the more you need some principle of editing, and it has always seemed to me that one of the purposes of brands is to act as editors.
In the past it was easier (not better) when one had simply to create a 30-second television commercial. Now it is much, much more difficult. Consumers remain fundamentally unchanged; they just have many more messages to decode, and brands make it easier for them to do that. Nor have they become merely functional end users who depend simply on the provision of information in order to make a purchasing decision.
In one of the most important insights in this book, Dr. Yuen points out that “Brands provide rational reasons for consumers to behave irrationally.” That was the case, is the case, and always will be the case.
Decoding Branding is an important contribution to business literature today. As Dr. Yuen writes, “A good brand radiates positive energy.” I think exactly the same can be said of a good business.

Miles Young
Warden, New College Oxford

Table of Content

Chapter 1
1.Welcome to the Age of “Disruption”
2. A Brand Builder’s Perspective – Terence Ling, TBWA HK
3. Case Study – UCO: Finding a Strategic Position in the New Ecosystem
Chapter 2
1. Connecting a Disconnected World 2. A Brand Builder’s Perspective – Prof. David Tse, The University of Hong Kong
3. Case Study – Chow Tai Fook Jewellery Group: Multi-Brand Strategy for Offensive and Defensive Marketing
Chapter 3
1. Essence of Branding 2. Insights on Branding from Global Leaders
3. A Brand Builder’s Perspective – Kanie Siu, Plan International (HK)
4. A Brand Builder’s Perspective – Chong Got, Dah Chong Hong Holdings
5. Case Study – Memorigin Tourbillon Watch: Taking a Local Brand to a Global Stage
Chapter 4
1. The Rise of Disruptive Brands 2. A Brand Builder’s Perspective – Kent Wertime, Ogilvy & Mather Asia Pacific
3. Case Study – Hotel Madera: Why Check Into a Hotel Room When You Can Check Out the Local Community?
Chapter 5
1. Branding Redefined
2. A Brand Builder’s Perspective – Eliza Wong and David Qing, MaLogic
3. Case Study – Canon: Experience or Quality – What Matters More?
Chapter 6
1. The 10 C’s of Sustainable Branding
2. A Brand Builder’s Perspective – Wilson Chan, MaddTech Consortium
3. Case Study – Carlsberg: Probably the Best Case of Beer Marketing in the World
Chapter 7
1. From Micro to Macro Analysis 2. A Brand Builder’s Perspective – TK Wong, TKMW Creative
3. Case Study – Lee Kum Kee: A Brand That Never Ages
Chapter 8
1. From Staying in Tune to Staying in Touch 2. A Brand Builder’s Perspective – Edward Bell, Cathay Pacific Airways
3. Case Study – FANCL: Total Marketing Strategy for a Beauty Brand
Click Here
Chapter 9
1. From Customer to Competitive Analysis 2. A Brand Builder’s Perspective – Ruthia Wong, Mead Johnson, RB
3. Case Study – Pizza Hut: Pursuit of Excellence, Not Technology
Chapter 10
1. From Role to Customers to Role to Society 2. A Brand Builder’s Perspective – Michael Chan, Hong Kong Institute of Marketing
3. Case Study – Green Monday: Starting a Movement with Global Impact
Chapter 11
1. The 4E Brand Management Process 2. A Brand Builder’s Perspective – William Leung, Legal Aid Services Council
3. Case Study – SmarTone: Be Smart When Serving Customers
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Chapter 1
1.Welcome to the Age of “Disruption”
2. A Brand Builder’s Perspective – Terence Ling, TBWA HK
3. Case Study – UCO: Finding a Strategic Position in the New Ecosystem
Chapter 2
1. Connecting a Disconnected World
2. A Brand Builder’s Perspective – Prof. David Tse, The University of Hong Kong
3. Case Study – Chow Tai Fook Jewellery Group: Multi-Brand Strategy for Offensive and Defensive Marketing
Chapter 3
1. Essence of Branding
2. Insights on Branding from Global Leaders
3. A Brand Builder’s Perspective – Kanie Siu, Plan International (HK)
4. A Brand Builder’s Perspective – Chong Got, Dah Chong Hong Holdings
5. Case Study – Memorigin Tourbillon Watch: Taking a Local Brand to a Global Stage
Chapter 4
1. The Rise of Disruptive Brands
2. A Brand Builder’s Perspective – Kent Wertime, Ogilvy & Mather Asia Pacific
3. Case Study – Hotel Madera: Why Check Into a Hotel Room When You Can Check Out the Local Community?
Chapter 5
1. Branding Redefined
2. A Brand Builder’s Perspective – Eliza Wong and David Qing, MaLogic
3. Case Study – Canon: Experience or Quality – What Matters More?
Chapter 6
1. The 10 C’s of Sustainable Branding
2. A Brand Builder’s Perspective – Wilson Chan, MaddTech Consortium
3. Case Study – Carlsberg: Probably the Best Case of Beer Marketing in the World
Chapter 7
1. From Micro to Macro Analysis
2. A Brand Builder’s Perspective – TK Wong, TKMW Creative
3. Case Study – Lee Kum Kee: A Brand That Never Ages
Chapter 8
1. From Staying in Tune to Staying in Touch
2. A Brand Builder’s Perspective – Edward Bell, Cathay Pacific Airways
3. Case Study – FANCL: Total Marketing Strategy for a Beauty Brand
Click Here
Chapter 9
1. From Customer to Competitive Analysis
2. A Brand Builder’s Perspective – Ruthia Wong, Mead Johnson, RB
3. Case Study – Pizza Hut: Pursuit of Excellence, Not Technology
Chapter 10
1. From Role to Customers to Role to Society
2. A Brand Builder’s Perspective – Michael Chan, Hong Kong Institute of Marketing
3. Case Study – Green Monday: Starting a Movement with Global Impact
Chapter 11
1. The 4E Brand Management Process
2. A Brand Builder’s Perspective – William Leung, Legal Aid Services Council
3. Case Study – SmarTone: Be Smart When Serving Customers
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Conclusion

The Magic and Logic of Branding

Appendix

List of Key Branding Principles

Abstracts

Chapter One

Welcome to the Age of “Disruption”

Chapter Two

Connecting a disconnected world

Chapter Three

Essence of branding

Chapter Four

The rise of disruptive brands

Chapter Five

Branding redefined

Chapter Six

The 10 Cs of Sustainable Branding

Chapter Seven

From micro to macro analysis

Chapter Eight

From staying in tune to staying in touch

Chapter Nine

From customer to competitive analysis

Chapter Ten

From role to customer to role to society

Chapter Eleven

The 4E Brand Management Process

Conclusion –
The magic and logic of branding

The “magical” and the “logical” sides of brands conclude our journey of Decoding Branding
and reveal the harmonious fusion of its seemingly paradoxical interpretations.

Values+Added values

A brand has to stand for a set of values that appeals to our conscience and provides added values to improve the quality of our lives.

Tangible+Intangible

A brand has an intangible nature and yet is so dynamic that it cannot be contained by any physical boundaries.

Mind+Heart

A brand must provide proof to justify any consumer action and build an emotional connection beyond reasoning.

Incentives+Reasons

A brand must stay competitive when technologies substantially narrow the gap among different players.

Feel good+Feel right

A brand can delight customers by adding real value to their lives and also contributing to a more sustainable world.

Science+Art

As data becomes more accessible, brands that deploy a genuine understanding of consumer psychology to engage consumers creatively will gain a competitive advantage.

Instant+Lasting

A wholesome brand can add magic to people’s lives instantly. As long as brands can stay relevant to consumers, they can be enduring icons.

Left brain+Right brain

Branding is a combination of science and art; business owners must assemble a team that consists of both the logical “left brain” and the creative “right brain.”

Beginning+Discovery

This book aims to form the basis for further academic research and trigger business owners and operators to pay more attention to branding.

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Interviews

At the end of each chapter, the book will present an interview with a renowned brand-builder alongside a case study in branding. These interviews and case studies are arranged based on their relevance to the content of the respective chapters. Their purpose is to examine the topics covered in each chapter from the perspective of an experienced practitioner. The case studies depict real-life applications of market observations and show how some marketers have successfully weathered the storm to emerge as winners. We have listed out all the interviewees plus a sample of the Q&A in the section.

KNOW MORE

Interview with Terence Ling, Head of Strategy, TBWA Hong Kong

Mr. Terence Ling has over 20 years of marketing and agency experience, and is a chief architect of customer and marketing strategy for brands across diverse industries and regions. He is currently the Head of Strategy of TBWA in Hong Kong, overseeing a team of brand, social, PR, integrated, data, and media strategists.

Is the agency world being disrupted as well?

Absolutely. The shrinking of the entire market in recent years has been quite apparent.Some agencies have been slow in realizing that there are so many different types solution-providers today, such as online platforms, content providers, networks of key opinion leaders (KOL), and bloggers. These disruptors can be your best ally or worst enemy.

I think most traditional creative agencies do not see this change coming, which is why most of them have suffered drastically. They are slowly waking up …. no one sees integration as a luxury anymore. But at the same time, frankly, if you’re not good at one thing, linking all the good things together doesn’t mean you’re good at anything.

For too long, creative agencies have claimed to be the master of the business and relationship and promised to deliver effective communications to solve business problems. Ironically, these agencies have not held onto reliable business data, and many of this valuable information has been with the media side. This is probably due to the departure of media from the ad creation process, which leads to the lack of sharing brainpower for the good of the client.

read more interviews

Reviews

Management professionals, whether they run a business, a non-profit organization or a public service, know the power of branding. If they wish to inject more energy into their communications and tell their stories more effectively, they should read Decoding Branding, a seminal work written by a seasoned marketing and PR practitioner and teacher. They will find Royce Yuen’s book an essential aid in their endeavors to build a successful and sustainable enterprise in the 21st Century.
Dr. Darwin Chen, SBS, Honorary Chairman Habitat for Humanity Hong Kong.
The rise of new technologies and the change of consumer decision making process have brought clear challenges to practitioners engaging in marketing and branding. Dr. Royce Yuen’s new book offers fresh insights on brand differentiation strategies as well as invaluable sharing on brand leaders’ views in the New Normal era. With fundamental principles explained, supported by practical case studies of renowned brands, Decoding Branding is a must-read for executives and brand managers.
Dr. Szeto Wing Fu, Ricky CEO & Executive Director Hung Fook Tong Group Holdings Limited, Professor of Practice Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Wonderful to have Royce sharing his views on Branding. He is a top brand himself in this field.
Prof. Philip Chen, GBS, JP Chairman, HK Jockey Club
Decoding Branding has made important contributions to the domain of branding and marketing. It can serve as a base for robust academic discussion as well as a guidebook for building resilient brands in the rapidly changing business environment. It has contained almost every critical principle that you need to know about brand-building, substantiated by the successes and failures of numerous Asian and Global brands. Readers with different levels of involvement in marketing will find this book resourceful and thought-provoking.
Prof. Andrew Chan President and Vice-Chairman Greater Bay Business School
In an age when the choices presented to consumers has exploded exponentially in both the online and offline mediums, the use of branding to define and differentiate products and services takes on new meaning and significance. Dr Royce Yuen in this book shares deep insights and thought leadership on brands and branding gained through a career working with some of the best-known brands in Asia.
Prof. YK Pang, GBS, JP Deputy Managing Director The Jardine Matheson Group
In the age of disruption, particularly post COVID-19, many companies have to rethink their branding strategies. Royce Yuen’s Decoding Branding is a timely publication distilled from his 30 years of branding experience. It provides laser-shape insights on decoding, redefining, and sustaining branding. The book is a “must read” for marketing executives and brand managers who want to be leaders in their product/service categories.
Prof. Bennett Yim, Area Head and Professor of Marketing HKU Business School, The University of Hong Kong
Royce’s book shares with us the science of brand-building and revamping a brand in an artistical way. If you want to survive and thrive in the new normal era, read this book—it is like a lighthouse to guide ships drifting in the dark ocean of marketing.
Prof. Wu Liu, Head of Department Department of Management and Marketing Faculty of Business Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Royce’s Decoding Branding offers great insights and practical guidance that we all need to excel in the age of disruption. I trust you will find it a fascinating reading and a very rewarding experience.
Dr. Julia Wang, President Peter F. Drucker Academy Hong Kong
With more than 30 years of solid experience in advertising and brand building, Dr. Royce Yuen has much to offer. Is advertising art or science? How can products, services, destinations, corporates, government departments, NGOs, CEOs and individuals benefit from marketing communication efforts in the digital era? Royce’s book is packed with wisdom from marketers, academics, and branding experts. It is professional, practical, and insightful. I highly recommend this book to communication students and practitioners engaging in brand building.
Professor Kara Chan Associate Dean, School of Communication Hong Kong Baptist University
This book is a wake-up call for all marketing and branding practitioners in the Post-COVID-19 era. Observing a massive generalized disruption within the marketing and creative industries in recent years, Royce Yuen has devised a timely title - Decoding Branding. The book not only predicts a sea change in branding strategies but also shows the readers how to decode, redefine and reconstruct new concepts of branding in an era still.
Embracing the digital economy, the book, full of real-life events describing the rise and fall of brands, is a wondrous eye-opener for any marketing executives who wish to understand and innovate brands for generations to come.
Alexis Chiu Chairman of HK4As Group Managing Director of Saatchi & Saatchi HK
Professor Royce Yuen’s new book Decoding Branding comes timely to provide a comprehensive and practical guide as strong and solid core knowledge on marketing and branding to provide readers with new insights, may they be in business, corporate, NGOs and governments. For business and management learners, esp. in business schools and MBAs, this becomes handy for ideas and inspiration to help organizations for survival and charting new pathway for growth. Traditionally leaders, esp. in public and government settings, paid attention but less focus on marketing and branding. Now is the time for a revisit to nurture new thinking, esp. in products, services, values, and positioning, not the least attempts to set new standards.
Eddie Ng, GBS, JP Global Chairman, Sloane Global HR Group & Former Secretary for Education, HKSAR
Royce Yuen’s Decoding Branding is a book that is both inspiring and practical, sharing expert analysis of branding in a spectrum of industries. Drawing on his extensive experience and passion about branding, he crafts the evolving dialogue of branding, particularly pertinent in an increasingly connected yet disruptive world. He demonstrates with sharp clarity why brand building and strategy will always continue to perpetuate and never end.
Prof. Alison E. Lloyd, Associate Vice President Hong Kong Baptist University
Decoding Branding is essential reading for business executives as the world moves in to the New Reality. It brings to bear all of Dr Royce Yuen’s expertise and experience on branding and gives clear insight on the changes to embrace.
Andrew Weir, MBE, JP Chairman, Plan International (HK) Chairman, Pacific Basin Economic Council
Decoding Branding is undoubtedly one of the most important and original discourse on the ever-evolving concept of branding. It provides valuable theoretical and practical insights on everything one would want to know about branding. The wide range integration of theories, practitioner’s perspectives and real-life case studies over the years across different industries.
Dr. Michael Y K Chan Honorary Chairman Hong Kong Institute of Marketing
Dr. Yuen’s book is timely, comprehensive and path breaking.  Its conceptual insights are rooted in his distinguished career as the most notable brand expert in Asia and China.  There are three unique features of the book.  First, it embraces current and pending changes in the consumer, media and market domains. Second, it houses Dr. Yuen’s penetrating and unparalleled thoughts on building, equipping readers the cutting-edge knowledge. Third, the book is purposively designed as a starting point of a platform where experts and scholars can freely share their innovative intuition in this topic of global significance.
Prof. David Tse Chair Professor of International Marketing Director, Contemporary Marketing Centre The University of Hong Kong
Decoding Branding is a reference the market has been waiting for. It integrates the scholars’and practitioners’ perspectives in delineating and solving branding issues in the disruptive age. The book is insightful, with real life examples and case studies. It is a key reference in my MA class in Branding.
Professor Kineta Hung, Department of Communications Studies Hong Kong Baptist University
Dr. Yuen has been helping businesses by sharing his unique insights and perspectives on branding for decades. Now, with the global pandemic accelerating the disruption of consumer behavior, the timing is perfect to have those decades of experience and expertise translated into a comprehensive guide that will help businesses re-examine how to effectively communicate the value they bring to the world.
Margaret Fong Executive Director Hong Kong Trade Development Council
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