Issued by: Brands & Branding


I'm willing to bet you ‘saw' the Nike ‘swoosh', the Adidas stripes, the Gucci interlocking ‘Gs', the Levi patch, the Mercedes ‘star'. And that's because the majority of successful brands have readily recognisable logos or logotypes that differentiate them from their competitors and provide that all important brand presence.

In fact, brands and their logos are so closely linked that I'm also willing to bet that you'd argue that a brand without a logo is a brand that won't succeed. In many cases, you'd be right but did you know that a brand without a logo has taken Japan - a country that adores brands - by storm?

The secret of the ‘brand without a logo' is revealed in an article by Gerhard Fourie, a South African who is on a three-year working stint in Japan as the senior manager for Brand and Communication for Global Overseas Markets at Nissan Motor Company. His responsibilities cover markets across South America, Africa, the Middle East and Asia. Before his transfer to Tokyo in January 2008, he was the general manager for Marketing and Planning at Nissan South Africa.

Writing in the upcoming edition of The Encyclopaedia of Brands & Branding in South Africa, Fourie describes how, since arriving in Japan, he's been completely bowled over by local retail chain Muji, at first by its product range, but more recently by its bold and clear brand strategy.

The Encyclopaedia of Brands & Branding in South Africa is published annually by Affinity Publishing and has, over its 14-year history, established a reputation for delivering the most comprehensive content and providing a platform for thought leaders to assert their views and share insights on brand development. While it relies on Ipsos-Markinor and other research contributors to survey and identify South Africa's leading brands, its articles are written by local and international thought leaders. The 2008 edition is being launched in October this year.

'Muji', says Fourie, is short for Mujirishu Ryohin, which translates to ‘no brand, good product'. Established in the early 1980s as a private brand of the local Seiyu department store, it has grown not only into a major brand with more than 300 stores in Japan, but one of the few Japanese retailers with a presence in Europe, Asia and the United States.

It offers an extensive product range that covers homeware, clothing, stationary, furniture and other lifestyle products, like bicycles and luggage, at reasonable prices. Designs are beautiful; always simple, modern and practical.

“The twist, as the name suggests, is that there are no logos anywhere on the product. And trust me, ‘no logo' does not mean ‘no brand',” quips Fourie.

“Muji products are designed with a strong ethos around recycling and minimising waste through careful selection of materials, streamlined manufacturing processes and simple, standardised packaging. They enjoy high brand recognition, huge customer loyalty and trust, similar to the reputation that Woolworths Foods enjoy in South Africa, but they built their reputation and brand recognition without using one of the fundamental items in the brand building toolbox; a branded product.

“What strikes me most about Muji is how clearly integrated its core values are in all the activities. From design, manufacturing and retail everything echoes the principles of simplicity, practicality and affordability. This is more than mere consistent visual identity application or thorough brand roll-out, it recognises that brand management goes beyond branding and is based on much more fundamental values. Values that will resonate with consumers more than a well-positioned logo ever will. The measure of the store's success is how easily and consistently my Japanese colleagues can explain its essence, how often a Muji product is recognised based on its design alone and how easily I got it, and got hooked,” he says.

If you'd like to know more about how Muji built its brand, order your copy of the 2008 edition of The Encyclopaedia of Brands & Branding in South Africa from affinity@iafrica.com or call +27 11 442 2366.

Visit our PRESS OFFICE: Affinity Publishing has an established reputation for producing high quality “benchmark” books on Branding, Advertising, Design and now Renewal and Development in Johannesburg. The flagship Encyclopaedia of Brands & Branding is going into its 14th edition in 2008 and is regarded as South Africa's leading brand knowledge resource.The 2nd volume of Joburg! “Towards 2010” is being compiled and is due for release in September 2008.- more....

[1 Oct 2008 16:56]

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