In a world that is truly becoming more connected, where products are becoming more homogenized, and where brands become all too familiar, it is difficult for a product to stand out among the crowd. This is where the power of branding comes in. Branding enables a product to have a distinct look, a unique proposition, and a deeper purpose which eventually translates to a compelling customer experience and cultivates brand loyalty.
Japan is an inspiration when it comes to great brands. The clean aura and elegant lines of Japanese design is seen in products, in packaging, in architecture, influencing a lifestyle that is neat, organized, and sustainable. More importantly, Japanese brands are known for giving its customers engaging and memorable experiences. One Japanese company has made branding its passion and lifelong mission, making it the most prominent, credible and longest running in the industry: Creative Intelligence Associates or CIA.
CIA was founded in 1984 by its CEO Sy Chen who has over four decades of experience in branding, architecture, space and environment design. Chen is joined by Senior Managing Partner Shogo Yoshihara, an architect who now leads business development and strategy. Completing CIA is an international team of brand strategists, designers and experts in marketing and innovation. Some of CIA’s most successful projects and brands are familiar to Filipinos: Uniqlo, Mitsubishi, UCC, ANA, Nike, Gap, Aoyama Flower Market, among others. In the last 35 years, they have revitalized brands, designed new products, stores and environmental spaces, innovated business models and even restructured organizations. CIA’s works for their clients regularly win awards and accolades in and outside of Japan.
Today, CIA expands its footprints first in the ASEAN region, and soon in Asia, via its partnership with Bootleg Innovation Design Philippines, a company formed in 2013 by Aaron Palileo, Paolo Abella and Jay Amante, three entrepreneurs with a reputation for their innovative take on consumer insighting, brand building and designing experiences. Bootleg has done innovation research and brand strategy projects for Ayala Malls, Carmen’s Best, FWD Insurance and Serenitea, aside from running innovation workshops and bootcamps for Ayala Land, Unilab, URC, Servier and Wyeth. This groundbreaking partnership, which is now known as CIA Bootleg Manila, will make it possible for companies in the Philippines and other Asian countries to experience the best branding consultancy from both the Philippines and Japan.
"It started in 2017 when I was doing research on top branding and innovation companies in Japan since my partners and I have always had great appreciation and respect for Japanese brands, processes, aesthetics, lifestyle and culture. It was then that I discovered CIA and learned how they help brands evolve and innovate. My favorite is what they did for an outlet store named Unique Clothing Warehouse back in the 1990s. CIA developed their new brand strategy, store design and concept, tagline, logo and even gave it a new name – Uniqlo," Palileo recalls.
"I contacted them to get a chance to learn from them and exchange ideas and was surprised that Sy himself, the CEO, responded. I went to their Tokyo office to meet Sy. We found each other to be kindred spirits as we learned about our companies and personal interests. I was eager to suggest the idea of possibly pitching in on some of their work."
Chen, who is always on the lookout for likeminded collaborators, eventually welcomed Palileo into CIA via an "internship" program which tested whether or not the chemistry would prove to be fruitful.
Palileo was assigned a project for a major Japanese firm in January 2018. "CIA's project for that company was to envision the future city of Tokyo, and I was asked by Sy to be part of the team. For one month, I was in Tokyo and one of the things that he made me do is to analyze and synthesize some of the major research done because they interviewed dozens of international experts on urban planning, design and architecture."
Palileo became immersed in CIA’s processes such as "futurology strategizing” and “innovation prototyping". For the Future City project, CIA’s team featured a core team composed of marketers, journalists, architects and designers who regularly brainstormed with academes, digital practitioners, sensor technology experts and people from other disciplines. These sessions tackled and ideated on questions such as 'How will the future be in 30 years?' 'What will be the future of work, life and play?' 'What kinds of lifestyles, people, structures, buildings, products, services will emerge in 30 years?' etc."
"It was an exhilarating process that I could relate to as we were already doing something similar in Bootleg with our team of artists, psychologists, sociologists and marketers. CIA’s process was far more intense and rapid, and I learned the key secrets to their branding success" Palileo says.
Palileo was asked to work on two other projects during that one-month stay. After a month, the top CIA honchos offered Palileo the position of Strategy Director. He worked on other CIA projects even from Manila, with several trips back to Tokyo throughout the year. Abella and Amante soon followed and visited CIA's headquarters in August and October 2018. During these visits, the three Bootleg founders connected with the CIA heads on a personal level and imbibed the firm’s vision and values.
The emergence of CIA Bootleg Manila could not come at a better time.
"I think the Philippine market is more sophisticated than ever. People are mindful of great branding, quality products, and how they’re presented. The expectations are a lot higher than before," Abella says. "We're sure that the market is hungry for a different form of business consultancy. Traditional approaches heavily dependent on the consultants’ previous experiences and the company’s framework are no longer enough. A multidisciplinary team able to adapt to every client’s situation is more suited in today’s complex world."
With the fusion of two companies who are 'ahead of their time', innovative things are expected to come out of the partnership, says Amante. "Partnering with a Japanese company is already a feat in itself, but doing so with Japan’s most prominent and successful brand consultancy is a momentous event. We are hopeful that Filipino companies can benefit from this and level up their branding to become part of the world's best."
Learn more about CIA Bootleg Manila by visiting: www.ciabootleg.ph.
