When people talk about Asian versus Western philosophy, it usually revolves around the idea that the East seeks harmony and unity, while the West likes to separate, divide, and analyse. Each way of looking at the world has its strengths and weaknesses, but when it comes to the issue of branding, approaching the subject from an Eastern perspective yields stronger results, especially over the long-term.

The problem is that most Asian companies don’t apply their Eastern perspective to things like branding. This is because branding is thought to be a relatively modern Western business practice, when in reality it can be traced back thousands of years to China, where early craftsmen placed their signature marks on things such as pottery and porcelain.

So what does taking an Eastern approach mean when it comes to branding? It means looking at the issue in its organic wholeness. Just as you cannot separate the flower from the ground without killing it, you cannot separate your products from the people who make them without harming your brand. There is an old piece of Asian wisdom that says “what is within is without.” This is especially true when it comes to branding. If the brand image you are projecting to customers outside the company is not in synch with the image your employees have inside the company, then your business is not working in harmony; and whatever success you may have achieved is destined to be short-lived.

The Asian jeweller who has realized this best is ironically a Westerner. That person is John Hardy, who over the past twenty years has crafted one of the jewellery industry’s biggest success stories. During his career, Hardy has built a brand image centered on traditional Bali culture and the ecology of sustainable luxury. It is an image that isn’t only promoted outside the company via John Hardy jewellery; it is cultivated inside the company too by its internal business practices.

At John Hardy’s manufacturing compound in Bali, one doesn’t find the typical cold assembly line manufacturing rooms which (let’s face it) are all too typical in Asia. Instead, Hardy has created an artisans’ studio complex, made of natural materials, which are surrounded by a large organic farm to feed nearly 1,000 workers. The company also educates its workers in sustainable living practices and has pioneered an eco-advertising program that offsets the carbon emissions of its corporate advertising with bamboo trees planted on the island of Nusa Penida. Although Hardy sold the company to his business associate Damien Dernoncourt in 2007, Dernocourt is committed to running the company under the ideals that Hardy and his wife established - wisely understanding that the John Hardy brand within must continue to reflect the John Hardy brand without.

So, if your company has already started external branding activities, now is the time to start asking yourself how well your company reflects this image internally. And if you haven’t started external branding yet but are thinking about a brand launch, today is the day to start working to ensure that your new brand is fully understood by your employees and is in synch with your in-house environment.

Never forget that every employee affects in some way the manner in which the world encounters your brand. It is not just the quality and style of your fine jewellery that impacts how your brand is perceived by customers. Every piece of correspondence, every business conversation, every media production, and every telephone call and email has the power to either enhance or diminish perceptions of your company brand.

When it comes to the jewellery industry, every successful brand image contains two things: consistency and attention to detail. Everything that you do should be as expertly performed as the jewellery you create. This would seem obvious. Yet with Asian jewellery firms we often find English websites riddled with mistakes; salespeople with insufficient training and foreign language skills; photography that’s clearly below standard; and trade fair showcases with smudges, nicks, and dings. First impressions are, as they say, everything. And, whether it is fair or not, if you are sloppy in any of the ways your company communicates your brand, it will make potential customers think you are going to be sloppy in your jewellery making and services.

Moving beyond consistency and detail, we arrive at the “style” issues of your brand, those unique aspects that give it its flavor and memorability. More and more Asian workers no longer want to be working for just a paycheck. They want to be working for a company that has style, a company that stands for something. They want to feel good about what they do and the company they work for. Therefore you need to look for ways to make all your staff feel like they are part of your external brand image. For example, decorate the walls of the offices and manufacturing studio with framed copies of any ads you’ve place or any editorial coverage that your company has received; reward employee performance with gifts of company jewellery; and create schemes where all employees can earn an opportunity to buy your products well below the retail cost.

Remember that you are in the luxury business. That means pampering your employees with a little luxury too.

D.A. Blyler is a freelance brand strategist and
communications consultant, specialising in the
fine jewellery industry. He lives in Thailand.