Japanese Brands Meet Spanish Design
How many Japanese businesses have a presence or are operating in Spain, and vice versa?
Countless.
Although there are linguistic and cultural differences, the two countries continue to grow together. The differences between the two countries actually can be leveraged to help one another develop and transform. It has been 150 years since the diplomatic relations between the two countries were established. Since the establishment, the synergy of Japan and Spain created remarkable results in various industries.
Before I dive further into the synergy, let’s take a step back and look at just Japanese companies. Without a doubt, Japanese brands and products are known for their quality, and it’s difficult to argue with the tangible value they bring to the world. What I see lacking in the Japanese brands and products is the intangible value that can be extracted and delivered to the consumers. This is one of the reasons why we, at Erretres, work with clients in Japan. We bring out the intangible value in order for them to connect with the consumers on a deeper level and to succeed in the global market. This synergy between Japanese brands and Spanish design and thinking at Erretres led to success.
I’m focusing on Japanese brands here, but this need to bring out the intangible value is not exclusive to the Japanese brands and companies. We work internationally so that we can help clients all over the world reach their goal.
I recently talked with Synergy Media Specialists and The Japan Times, the largest and oldest English-language newspaper in Japan, about working with Japanese clients and the future of Erretres in the Asian market. It’s an example of the synergy between two different countries.
Read the exclusive full article below.
How important do you envisage the Asian market being to Erretres in the not too distant future?
To start with the conclusion, the Japanese and Asian market will be very important for Erretres for numerous reasons. In 2013, we decided to start working with clients in Japan and China as a strategic move, since not many service or B2B companies work with clients in Japan. We also wanted to help Japanese companies to play and compete internationally.
When we worked with EKO Instruments, a company that manufactures and sells sensors and systems for climate, meteorology, and renewable energy, and SIDO, an underwear brand, we traveled to Japan and executed hands-on research to extract valuable insights. This was absolutely necessary as we needed to understand their culture — not just the culture of Japan, but also the culture of their company and employees. For EKO, we did a rebranding to redefine its values and position the brand globally. We pushed them to expand their business in the international market, and in Europe, their business grew by 80% after the rebranding. For SIDO, we did rebranding and packaging to take the brand beyond the mere functional attributes of the product. Erretres helped SIDO increase the brand’s visibility, grow internationally, and reach a younger demographic segment.
You might have heard of these names: Hitachi and NTT Data. These two giants wanted Erretres to help them achieve their goals. We worked very closely with Hitachi Spain to develop several publishing and communication projects for their Air Conditioning division. In the case of NTT Data, we have been working through Everis, a huge international IT company they bought out in 2015. In this case, they wanted something completely different. They wanted the entire strategy and branding from scratch for a new consultancy agency operating in different countries. It was a huge challenge to take on, but our team did an amazing job creating everything from strategy to website.
We recognize that Japanese companies are good at manufacturing and creating cutting-edge technology — tangible value. However, they have difficulties with creating and communicating the intangible values. Still, in Japan, the communication — whether be it advertising or branding — focuses heavily on the product. So much of the product’s functionalities and benefits are highlighted that the human factor is forgotten or buried. This is where Erretres comes in. With our branding expertise, we balance out the functionality and emotion to create an impactful design. We believe that the synergy between Japanese technology and Spanish design can yield great results.
Our efforts to help transform Japanese companies doesn’t end with client projects. We also launched a series of events, Japanese Technology Meets Spanish Design, one of which was incorporated into the latest Erretres Open Lab event. EOL is a unique platform where professionals gather together and spark discussions on certain topics such as fashion, sustainability, art, design, culture, travel, etc. We chose the first international location of EOL event to be in Japan, at the Embassy of Spain in Tokyo. In the near future, we hope to have another event in Japan, as this market is important for us to expand internationally and learn more about the Asian market.
What message do you have for our readers in Japan regarding the future of the firm in the exciting Japanese market?
Erretres is constantly expanding. We want to work with diverse professionals all over the world. We have already organized four conferences in Japan, begun communicating in Japanese and discussed with top firms in Japan to have partnerships. Our relations with manufacturing and tech companies, startups, as well as top-consultancies, strengthen our ties to Japan so we can offer more integrated services that our clients require. We also actively reach out to the Japanese audience through the Japanese version of our website and social media. We hope to interact with more and more Japanese companies in order to accelerate our activities in the Japanese market. As we are a part of The Japan-Spain Business Circle (Círculo Empresarial Japón España) and are also continuously communicating with the Embassy of Spain and the Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Tokyo, we are excited about the future.Stay in touch with us, and we will continue to show you exciting adventures in Japan!
Check this article on The Japan Times online, published on November 13, 2018.
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Pablo Rubio Ordás is Chief Design Officer & Owner of Erretres.
From Erretres, he has developed many projects for clients across Europe, Asia and América, including: Canal+, ElPaís, Movistar, Sido Japan, Hitachi, Camper, Mapfre, Banco Sabadell, Virgin Money, Museo del Prado, KPMG, VISA or Museo del Prado.
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