The Famous Japanese Brands Strategies And Its Implications For Chinese Companies

The European and American scholars are in the majority in the researches that relate with modern brand strategy all along. This aspect researches began with the brand image research in the 1950s, and it has passed through brand loyalty research, brand management research, brand equity research and brand identity research. Particularly in the late 1980s, after the concept of brand equity appeared, it made a transition for brand understanding from the past "the brand of marketing method" to "the brand of marketing activity result". Afterward, with the advent of theory of brand identity, "brand became a starting point of marketing again". Under this tidal current influence, discussions about brand became a hot spot in the circle of marketing, and also people started to recognize the importance of brand strategy in the field of enterprise management.My purpose of research in this paper is to organize some earlier period researches results, and proceed from the need of theoretical research to make a systematic induction and to deduction for the theories that relate with brand strategy. Besides, it carries out an in-depth inspection to existing researches state and its questions of brand strategy, and raise some my opinions. The aim of study cases is to draw a lesson and extract valuable experience from them for other enterprise to establish a brand, and to provide some meaningful advisory opinions to explore an avenue of brand growing.Although many scholars and enterprisers had different views about brand strategy, whatever we adopted any view, it indicated that brand strategy play a more important role in the modern market economy. In that case, studying and researching carefully the intention and extension of brand strategy have great immediate and far-reaching significance. It is contributed to map out a play of the enterprise management strategy and cultivate international competitive advantage of its own brand, promote the uninterrupted increase of the brand equity, become a world famous brand, and establish itself in an unassailable position in the international market.My basic train of thought in this paper, to start with, carries on the reorganization analysis to some already existing researches of brand strategy, draws out my research subject form it, and then inspects to the subject. Generally speaking, I select two methods. First, I integrated history investigation and comparative research, and used some theories as my research foundation; second, I combined theory with positive research; under the theories directions, rules of the case analytical approach are identified at two cases studies. In this paper, mainly from two aspects: (1) expounds the relationship between brand strategy and marketing strategy, or the relationship between brand strategy and business strategy, (2) cites Japanese typical enterprises Sony and Honda as examples to analyze the developing process of brand strategy in Japanese enterprises.My main points in the paper are follows.1. It become right acquainted with the function and significance of brand and brand strategy. Brand is an important management property for the formation of enterprise value; it causes the enterprise to seek the difference and to obtain the source of competitive power. How to construct a brand, or how to strengthen and develop the brand, is an important content of brand strategy. If it is said that the method of the goal achievement for the enterprise to win over the customers is the marketing, it can be said that the brand of the connection between the enterprise and customers is the central proposition of marketing. We can also say, brand strategy that in order to improve brand value is a business strategy in the true sense. In the past, people always thought that brand strategy is only a marketing strategy for specific function, however, from the enterprise overall speaking, how to consider the implementation of brand strategy can be said one of the most important decision-making.2. It become right acquainted with the relationship between brand strategy and marketing strategy, or the relationship between brand strategy and business strategy. When we formulate business strategy, in order to achieve business goals, enterprises must consider their own management resources and the market environment from a long-term point of view and the general situation. The formulation of brand strategy must reflect the guiding ideology of enterprise business strategy, and must adjust it according to the developing trend of brand strategy. The brand strategy and marketing strategy, or brand strategy and business strategy are as an organic union in form and content.3. This paper studies Sony and Honda's cases to inspect the developing process of brand strategy in Japanese enterprises by means of brand development, brand change, brand reposition and brand strengthens. Two enterprises both were established in the postwar, their management resources were limited, however, they formulated the brand strategy under its own brand consciousness's instruction, in the short time, they were from neighborhood factories turned the international approval well-known enterprises. The same point of their brand strategies is that both have an explicit idea to their own brand at the initial period, and seek a correct management behavior and the internationalization.4. Sony and Honda's brand strategies have enlightenment and reference to Chinese electronic product brand strategy and motorbike brand strategy as following. (1) Pay great attention to build own brand; (2) set definite brand positioning and foster a good brand image; (3) strengthen new and high technology and improve those ability to innovate; (4) use a whole variety of channels to open up international market; (5) enhance awareness of its own brand; (6) attach great importance to thought of brand strategy and a systematic thinking;(7) underscore the importance of management of the product life cycle; (8) step up organic combination between the technological innovation competence and competition or cooperation ability; (9) learn from the competition and grow in the learning.