On the 22nd of August 2010, Consulus Director for Strategy Development Mr. Lawrence Chong was invited to speak at the HPAIR 2010 Asia Conference Seminar.
HPAIR, or Harvard Project for Asian and International Relations, is a collaboration between the students and the faculty of Harvard University to promote discourse on critical issues affecting Asia and its relations with the world. As Harvard’s student outpost in Asia, HPAIR offers a sustained academic program and a forum of exchange to facilitate discussion of the most important economic, political, and social issues relevant to the Asia-Pacific region.
Speaking on the topic of Symbols, Icons and Brands: How Design Builds Longevity, Chong touched on how religion and nations were successful in using art to design unique experiences in order to establish legitimacy and consolidate identity, and how design still has the power to build enduring organisations.
Evolving these icons and symbols are essential to a brand, and in order for these icons and symbols to represent the brand fully, the brand needs to understand the strategic value of the relationship, ensure the clarity of the symbols and appreciate the persuasive powers of icons. Participants were given examples through the use of case studies to show how symbols and icons were used to ensure that the brand remains relevant. Several case studies were used, ranging from large corporations such as Apple to nations like the United States. Chong explains that the reason that they are able to grow and maintain their success is that they are able to constantly evolve their icons and symbols that represent what their brand stand for.
