When are we ready for Asian brands?

Personally in ways of branding I think Asia is a amazing inspiration for associative branding. The so-called BRIC countries like China and India rush to gain acceptance as viable economic entities; a key business engine for sustainable growth will be the development of global brands. Both countries may boast remarkable economic success, but there is still a notable absence of recognizable Chinese and Indian brands especially in the foreign marketplace.

For instance, not a single brand from either country rated mention in Interbrand and Business Week’s list of the top 100 Global Brands by value in 2006. Of course, this list was dominated by the “usual suspects” such as Coca Cola, Microsoft, Louis Vuitton and Toyota. Recently, however, brands from one Asian country, namely South Korea, have begun to join this elite club. Samsung, LG and Hyundai are now fully entrenched among the “big boys,” and their rankings are steadily climbing.