K. K. Johan

Dr

How can a man climb so many tall buildings with just his bare limbs and why is Robert nicknamed The Spiderman? What are the special features of the spider? This led Johan to research the spider and he found that it has many attributes related to branding and business. Interestingly, this became the topic of his lecture during The BrandLaureate –Tun Dr Mahathir Lecture Series recently.

The spider is an arachnid that is highly intelligent and survives in any challenging environment. It has the incredible strength, ability and agility to climb walls and ceilings.

It is also resilient, tough, well organised and has an instinctive sense of survival. These attributes are found in a successful brand.

Spiders have excellent vision and their visual acuity is by far the best amongst insects. They are aided by four pairs of eyes (ocelli), two main eyes, two compound eyes and four secondary eyes on the side and top of the head.

Vision is defined as the ability to see or the formation of a vivid mental image. Johan told the audience that brands need to have a strong vision that will give them the purpose to move forward and excel. The vision must inspire, be clear and focused, and staff must have a strong buy-in to the vision.

To achieve the vision, companies need to have a brand strategy or blue print to grow the brand. The brand strategy is directional and has to cover both external and internal branding. It needs to be reviewed to take advantage of opportunities or challenges that come along.

The spider spins its silky web to trap insects. Insects are the spider’s source of food. The spider web possesses high ultraviolet reflectivity like that found in flowers. It is this reflectivity that attracts insects to flowers. The function of the web is to intercept and retain.

Brands must have a positive brand image and products and services that are functional and relevant in order to attract new customers. Having attained new customers, they must deliver on their brand promises and provide a positive brand experience to retain them.

Spiders have been in existence for over 300 million years and they have adapted themselves to living in different environments on earth – in the desert, cold weather, jungle and under water. They also have strong survival instincts and adopt various behavioural ploys such as playing dead on the ground, camouflage or mimicry to resemble another animal species in order to outwit their enemies.

Like the spider, brands must be able to overcome all challenges and to regenerate themselves. They must be able to adapt to the changing needs of the consumer and stay relevant in order to ensure their longevity.

History has shown that strong brands such as 3M, Coca Cola Mercedes Benz and luxurious time piece brands which have been in existence for over 100 years have been able to survive because of their ability to customise to stay relevant.

They are able to move out of their shores and establish brand presence as they are able to adapt their products to meet the taste, needs and customs of the countries that they are domiciled in.

According to Johan, the spider with its eight legs can jump up to fifty times their length by suddenly increasing the blood pressure in the third or fourth pair of legs.

In the branding context, brands must have the ability and agility to expand their reach. Brand owners must realise that the brand is the key driver of growth and must capitalise on its potential. They must not be contented with just being a market leader in their country but aspire to have global reach. To do that, they need to have strong legs or a foundation that will enable the brand to expand to other markets.

The eight legs of the spider each correlate to a function in branding:

» Brand Vision – define your future;

» Brand Strategy – the blue print that will achieve your brand vision;

» Brand Positioning – what is your USP (Unique Selling Position) and attributes that differentiate you from the rest?;

» Brand Communication – allows you to engage with your staff and customers on the attributes and core essence of the brand;

» Brand Innovation – addressing the changing needs of the consumer and environment;

» Brand Experience – the best experiences are emotional, so it is important that you deliver on your brand promises and engage your consumers;

» Brand Culture – values and guiding principles that help to build a strong brand;

» Brand Equity – capitalising on your brand to create brand value.

There are many things that we can learn from the animal kingdom. Animals possess various tactics that enable them to survive in harsh environments and they use their natural abilities to get what they want. Brands must capitalise on their strength to stay ahead of the competition.