The Knowledge to Decide

Successful rebranding involves restoring a brand’s overall goal, message and culture – not just a logo or name change. It means connecting with consumers. But do all rebranding exercises bring the desired results? Or can they go horribly wrong? Branding and rebranding can be a very tricky business. Brands distinguish a company for who they are and convey value to customers. But when a brand’s value proposition, personality and values no longer align with their vision, function and purpose; it prompts a marketing message realignment or rebranding. A successful rebranding can refresh, renew and improve customer’s sentiments towards the company. But rebranding can also become a costly affair if it fails to re-build that all-important emotional connection with customers. Some implications of unsuccessful rebranding include: High level of expenditure Rebranding burns up a great deal of money and energy. And reversing an unsuccessful rebranding cost even more. In 2010, Gap att...

Spire Research and Consulting was honored to be appointed as the Official Research Partner for DiverseCity’s Kuala Lumpur (KL) International Arts Festival (KLIAF) 2017 – an ambitious program of performing and visual arts to showcase the diverse, complex, yet rich nuances of the country and its people. The event organizer, DiverseCity, along with Spire and the University of Nottingham, conducted a survey to draw out participant feedback and generate fact-based insights to improve the development of the arts landscape in Malaysia. Jeffrey Bahar (Regional Advisory, Deputy Chief Executive Officer), Yap Far Loon (Lead Consultant), Iqmal Roslin (Project Manager) and John Yam (Country Manager for Spire Malaysia) worked on the project. The KL International Arts Festival encompassed a range of concerts, performances, showcases and workshops from global artists in five genres: music, dance, theatre, literature and the visual arts, across 20 venues in Kuala Lumpur. To genera...

5 December 2016 The Business Times – Views from the Top Donald Trump’s victory in the U.S. will impact Asia massively As the year 2016 draws to an end, there have been many upsets and surprises. Leon Perera, CEO of Spire Research and Consulting shared his insights in The Business Times – Views from the Top section on 5 December 2016 on the impact which Donald Trump’s victory will have on Asia. Donald Trump’s victory in the U.S. elections presages a change in direction for US foreign and economic policy but in ways that are not yet completely predictable. Perera opined that President Trump is expected to curb America’s economic and military engagement with Asia. However, his commitment to improve expenditure for domestic infrastructure may contribute a growth boost to the US and global economy. His ability to push through his spending plans is plausible as Republicans control both houses of Congress. Nonetheless, a volatile and cautious outlook is expected fo...

With ASEAN rail infrastructure expenditure projected at USD8 to10 trillion from 2010 to 2020, lack of funding could put the brakes on growth. Despite an ASEAN railway development policy – albeit a non-formal agreement – member states are under no obligation to comply and not all countries have financial capacity to pay. Is there an alternative for funding of stalled multi-billion projects? Leon Perera, Chief Executive Officer of Spire Research and Consulting, shared his insights in China Daily – Asia Weekly. Inadequate funding of rail projects at the regional level mean regional connectivity is yet to be established. Projects such as the construction of the planned high-speed Singapore to Kuala Lumpur rail line is yet to begin mainly due to negotiations on cost sharing. At the same time, China’s USD9.7 billion rail agreement with Thai Government (in December 2015) and an USD5.5 billion deal with Indonesian state-owned companies (in October 2015) are among many that have b...

In 2014, the total number of outbound trips organized for Chinese tourists rose to 114 million, overtaking the U.S. as the world’s largest outbound market. Do-It-Yourself (DIY) trips have become popular among Chinese tourists. Most are keen on traveling to East Asian destinations. Although expenditure on skin care products is the highest, preference for Japanese electronics is not far behind. Tourists also prefer online platforms for their airline and hotel bookings. However, frequent fliers complain of language barrier, harsh weather conditions and lengthy Visa procedures. These are the findings from a survey conducted by strategic market research consultancy Spire Research and Consulting in May 2015. Spire’s survey of 100 tourists from Eastern China (across Shanghai, Zhejiang, and Jiangsu) – the most developed area in China with booming DIY travel – concentrated on preferred tourist destinations, shopping and expenditure patterns, DIY travel trends as well as challenges encount...