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Are you achieving overseas branding?

Do you have overseas customers who repeatedly order from you?
When you intuitively feel you might secure an order from a new overseas inquiry, does it usually work out that way?
Roughly how many times have you actually thoroughly persuaded an initially uninterested person of your brand’s value and made them believe your product/service is fantastic during an on-the-spot conversations at an exhibition?
As your brand penetrates overseas markets, you will start to feel in-sync with customers and experience a tailwind like never before.

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Introduction

Branding

This is the act of enhancing and deepening the joy customers feel when they notice your flag in a sea of flags and come back to you, time and time again.
Effective branding requires firmly achieving the below points for overseas audiences;

How to secure your company’s exclusive position setting you apart from rivals
How to continue being attractive to consumers
How to protect customers’ interests and manifest performance that preempts the problems customers face
How to ignite customers’ heightening anticipation, sense of persuasion, and trust both internally and externally

Any room for modesty you may have had to think that branding isn’t something an SME should strive for is bound to fly out of the window as soon as you begin international expansion.

“What are your company’s vision, mission, and values?”
“How will you develop your business further and for what purpose?”
“How do your products/services differ to other companies?”
“What advantage do you offer the customer?”
“What is the source of your company’s strengths?”

As a regular part of international expansion, you may either be asked these questions directly and unreservedly by potential customers or trade partner candidates, or, alternatively, you may be indirectly implicitly questioned, compared, then sorted in secret.

Stable overseas sales really do largely depend on your branding ( the reason customers continue to choose your company).

This is our first time to attempt branding. Do you think we can do it?

In simple terms, branding is about

Deciding your company’s future vision
Extracting your company’s strengths
Infusing (1) and (2) into visible elements (external appearance) and invisible elements (the hearts of all employees)
Daily diligence fueled by the sense of fulfilment obtained through (3)
Spreading the passion of (4) to customers

You won’t suddenly be able to envision your future vision from the outset; rather it will be a matter of forming a hypothesis while going back and forth between (1) and (2).

All companies have a future vision and strengths, however so that these are thoroughly reflected in product, services, the company, and employees, it is at least necessary that the company is being called upon by the market.

If the voice of customers or the market reaching your company is so small it cannot be heard, before proceeding with overseas exhibitions or sales, you should first stop and reconsider your marketing or business model structure.

A “brand” is also described as a promise between a company and its customers.

A company who can keep a promise and has customers that wish to make a promise with them is ready to engage in branding.

The president says we shouldn’t attempt branding because it costs money. What should I do?

The part of branding that costs money is the manifestation of visible (external appearance) portions amongst the abovementioned 3. Infusing (1) and (2) into visible elements (external appearance) and invisible elements (the hearts of all employees).

The process of “getting a makeover” toward your future vision by requesting a specialist such as a graphic designer, art director, or creative director to redesign or re-brand your product, service, company logo, tools, or business itself, could cost anywhere from several hundred thousand yen to several million yen.

The significant price variation is due to differences in the labor/service scope and company scale.

If you find it difficult to take care of 2. Extracting your strengths and 5. Spreading the passion of (4) to customers on your own, it may be necessary to seek the help of an expert.

However, the company top executive alone is able to

Decide your company’s future vision and 3. Infuse (1) and (2) into visible elements (external appearance) and invisible elements (the hearts of all employees)

Then, if we break the branding process down even further, we can see that half of the work is the responsibility of the company president, 20% is the responsibility of employees, and the remaining 30% must be left up to the knowledge and know-how of specialists, hence as shown below;

President: Employees: Specialists = ５：２：３

So, setting aside the idea that branding is something to be completely outsourced for a moment, first let’s think about what the company can do to at least get started, and this will allow you to begin the process within a rational budget.

Is global branding necessary for B2B companies too?

Yes.

A potential overseas customer is a party that already does business with a company in its own country. Your current initiative of international expansion aims to encourage that potential overseas customer to switch from the product they are currently using to your product, and start new a business transaction with you.

In the case of B2B (transactions between companies), overseas customers cover a broad variety of industries, including production goods, intermediate goods, consumption goods, and service goods.

An overseas company has various concerns when it contemplates ending its existing business with a company in its own country and making the extra effort to import your product and start a new business transaction with you. Such concerns include;

What about claim support and maintenance requirements?
Does the product comply with the necessary standard? Is there P/L insurance?
How can we procure new versions of the product or parts?
Will the payment conditions become more relaxed depending on the overall business transaction amount?
What is the inventory status like? Will the delivery date always, without exception, be met?
Does your company provide tools to explain not only to your business partner but also end-users/consumers?
Do you carry out additional tests in Japan if there is not enough technical data or evidence?

These concerns will need to be addressed through explanations and negotiations during marketing and sales activities in order to carve a path forward, however it won’t be enough to completely expel the overseas customer’s concerns about starting a new business transaction if you simply say “We can do that,” “We will do that,” “Everything will be fine.”

Below is a list of some possible methods for branding in B2B companies.

Strong reviews from existing customers
Executive appointment in industry organizations or contributions to industry magazines
Regular appearance at/participation in international industry conferences and fairs
Media coverage, winning of awards
High evaluation from government bodies, obtainment of international standards, etc.

Nothing beats the feeling of accomplishment you get when your small company is successful at branding to the point where a potential customer is convinced you are a company that can truly keep your promises, and makes the decision to place an order with you.

I definitely want to try branding!

Terrific! Nothing is more important than the president’s passion.

I didn’t feel like I’d be good at overseas marketing/branding, or setting up a global website, but now I realize these are very important.

Yes, they are important indeed.

Once you start to feel in-sync with customers and experience a tailwind like never before, you will really begin to enjoy international expansion!

We strongly urge you to try your hand at global website creation, marketing, and branding.

Next, it’s the section you’ve all been waiting for ? overseas exhibits and overseas sales.

>4A Exhibiting Products and Promoting Sales Overseas

Also, if you are considering overseas investment, please refer to the below page.

>4B Make Overseas Investments

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Do you have a global website?

Let’s Ensure Your First Overseas Exhibit/Overseas Sales Are Successful

ROAD MAP INDEX

Conducting a Feasibility Study

01-0

Is Your Company Capable of International Expansion?

01-1

Do you have a business model?

01-2

Have you considered risk management?

01-3

Are you managing your intellectual property?

01-4

Do you know about import/export regulations/standards?

02

Developing the Necessary Capabilities

02-0

Let’s acquire the necessary capabilities for international expansion.

02-1

Do you know how to carry out trade administration tasks?

02-2

Can you communicate in business English?

02-3

Are you ready for cultural adaptation？

03

Formulating Strategies

03-0

Let’s Formulate Strategies for Overseas Markets

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