8/3/2019 The Global Brand Face

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The Global Brand Face-Off

byAnand P. Raman

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Natasha Singh was amused to see almost every guest at the black-tie gala sporting the samefuturistic sunglasses. It was past 10 pm in Los Angeles, and the party to celebrate the release ofthe summers most anticipated movie, The Grid Revisited, was heating up. Earlier that evening, a

select audience had watched the long-awaited sequel to the 1998 blockbuster The Grid, and thescene-stealers had once again proved to be the lead pairs eyewear. In fact, there had been a nearstampede when the invitees realized that each of the goody bags of TGR memorabilia containeda pair of the new shades, designed by the legendary Tom Strider.

Singh, the executive vice president and global marketing officer of one of the worlds best-known cosmetics companies, $1.1 billion Espoir Cosmetics, rarely found the time to attend suchevents. When she wasnt visiting one of the 75-odd countries where the company marketedlipstick and nail polish, she liked to spend time with her husband and 12-year-old daughter. Buther friends at Supreme Studios, which had produced the blockbuster, had insisted that she shouldattend, along with Espoirs chairman and CEO, Ed Johnsonand Tasha knew why.

http://hbr.org/search/Anand+P.+Raman/0/authorhttp://hbr.org/search/Anand+P.+Raman/0/authorhttp://hbr.org/search/Anand+P.+Raman/0/authorhttp://hbr.org/email-article/2003/06/the-global-brand-face-off/ar/1http://hbr.org/email-article/2003/06/the-global-brand-face-off/ar/1http://hbr.org/2003/06/the-global-brand-face-off/ar/1http://hbr.org/2003/06/the-global-brand-face-off/ar/1http://hbr.org/2003/06/the-global-brand-face-off/ar/1http://hbr.org/2003/06/the-global-brand-face-off/ar/1http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=250&winname=addthis&pub=harvardbusiness&source=tbx-250&lng=en-US&s=linkedin&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhbr.org%2F2003%2F06%2Fthe-global-brand-face-off%2Far%2F1&title=The%20Global%20Brand%20Face-Off%20-%20Harvard%20Business%20Review&ate=AT-harvardbusiness/-/-/4e3e9bc46ade6efd/1&frommenu=1&uid=4e3e9bc4a80aa8c9&ct=1&tt=0http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=250&winname=addthis&pub=harvardbusiness&source=tbx-250&lng=en-US&s=linkedin&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhbr.org%2F2003%2F06%2Fthe-global-brand-face-off%2Far%2F1&title=The%20Global%20Brand%20Face-Off%20-%20Harvard%20Business%20Review&ate=AT-harvardbusiness/-/-/4e3e9bc46ade6efd/1&frommenu=1&uid=4e3e9bc4a80aa8c9&ct=1&tt=0http://hbr.org/2003/06/the-global-brand-face-off/ar/prhttp://hbr.org/2003/06/the-global-brand-face-off/ar/prhttp://hbr.org/product/baynote/an/10352-HBK-ENG?referral=00505&cm_sp=baynote-_-featured_products-_-10352-HBK-ENGhttp://hbr.org/product/baynote/an/10352-HBK-ENG?referral=00505&cm_sp=baynote-_-featured_products-_-10352-HBK-ENGhttp://hbr.org/product/baynote/an/10352-HBK-ENG?referral=00505&cm_sp=baynote-_-featured_products-_-10352-HBK-ENGhttp://hbr.org/product/baynote/an/10352-HBK-ENG?referral=00505&cm_sp=baynote-_-featured_products-_-10352-HBK-ENGhttp://hbr.org/product/baynote/an/13292-PDF-ENG?referral=00505&cm_sp=baynote-_-featured_products-_-13292-PDF-ENGhttp://hbr.org/product/baynote/an/13292-PDF-ENG?referral=00505&cm_sp=baynote-_-featured_products-_-13292-PDF-ENGhttp://hbr.org/product/baynote/an/13292-PDF-ENG?referral=00505&cm_sp=baynote-_-featured_products-_-13292-PDF-ENGhttp://hbr.org/product/baynote/an/12795-PDF-ENG?referral=00505&cm_sp=baynote-_-featured_products-_-12795-PDF-ENGhttp://hbr.org/product/baynote/an/12795-PDF-ENG?referral=00505&cm_sp=baynote-_-featured_products-_-12795-PDF-ENGhttp://hbr.org/product/baynote/an/12795-PDF-ENG?referral=00505&cm_sp=baynote-_-featured_products-_-12795-PDF-ENGhttp://hbr.org/product/baynote/an/12795-PDF-ENG?referral=00505&cm_sp=baynote-_-featured_products-_-12795-PDF-ENGhttp://hbr.org/product/baynote/an/12795-PDF-ENG?referral=00505&cm_sp=baynote-_-featured_products-_-12795-PDF-ENGhttp://hbr.org/product/baynote/an/12795-PDF-ENG?referral=00505&cm_sp=baynote-_-featured_products-_-12795-PDF-ENGhttp://hbr.org/product/baynote/an/13292-PDF-ENG?referral=00505&cm_sp=baynote-_-featured_products-_-13292-PDF-ENGhttp://hbr.org/product/baynote/an/13292-PDF-ENG?referral=00505&cm_sp=baynote-_-featured_products-_-13292-PDF-ENGhttp://hbr.org/product/baynote/an/13292-PDF-ENG?referral=00505&cm_sp=baynote-_-featured_products-_-13292-PDF-ENGhttp://hbr.org/product/baynote/an/10352-HBK-ENG?referral=00505&cm_sp=baynote-_-featured_products-_-10352-HBK-ENGhttp://hbr.org/product/baynote/an/10352-HBK-ENG?referral=00505&cm_sp=baynote-_-featured_products-_-10352-HBK-ENGhttp://hbr.org/product/baynote/an/10352-HBK-ENG?referral=00505&cm_sp=baynote-_-featured_products-_-10352-HBK-ENGhttp://hbr.org/product/baynote/an/10352-HBK-ENG?referral=00505&cm_sp=baynote-_-featured_products-_-10352-HBK-ENGhttp://hbr.org/2003/06/the-global-brand-face-off/ar/prhttp://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=250&winname=addthis&pub=harvardbusiness&source=tbx-250&lng=en-US&s=linkedin&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhbr.org%2F2003%2F06%2Fthe-global-brand-face-off%2Far%2F1&title=The%20Global%20Brand%20Face-Off%20-%20Harvard%20Business%20Review&ate=AT-harvardbusiness/-/-/4e3e9bc46ade6efd/1&frommenu=1&uid=4e3e9bc4a80aa8c9&ct=1&tt=0http://hbr.org/2003/06/the-global-brand-face-off/ar/1http://hbr.org/2003/06/the-global-brand-face-off/ar/1http://hbr.org/email-article/2003/06/the-global-brand-face-off/ar/1http://hbr.org/search/Anand+P.+Raman/0/author

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Just as she had given up hope of spotting her boss in the melee, she heard his deep baritonebehind her. There you are. I knew Id eventually find you, Johnson called out. As she turned to

greet him, Singh was surprised to see Johnson triumphantly brandishing a pair of Strider shades.Noticing her expression, he chuckled. My son, whos studying Spanish in Peru this summer,

wanted them. You gotta hand it to this guy Strider, eh? Hes got a global cult following for his

product, thanks to some sci-fi movie Johnson said as he looked around the crowded ballroom.

Singh couldnt have asked for a better cue. She grabbed two flutes of champagne, handed one to

Johnson, and determinedly steered him to a deserted alcove. Ed, I want to bounce an idea offyou, and it cant wait. I started talking to some people at Supreme Studios six months ago, and

theyve offered Espoir the cosmetics sponsorship for the second Dianas She Devils movie.

Is that why those folks were so keen to have me come here tonight? asked Johnson, his

eyebrows shooting into his hairline.

Theyd want you here anyway, Im sure. But its true theyre looking for a decision. And Id

love to ink the deal soon, replied Singh enthusiastically. Dianas She Devils was a hit twoyears ago, and our research suggests that the sequel will probably be an even bigger draw. Thereare more romantic elements in it, by the way. Most important, Ive seen the studios publicityplans. Theyre huge. And we can associate Espoirs new summer line with the release all over

the world.

Weve been offered deals like this in the past Johnson pointed out. But we never thought it

was worth the money. And particularly if its only our summer products range

Heres why I think its right for us now Singh cut in. First we should be doing something

splashynext year is our 50th anniversary, after all. Second, this is an ideal vehicle to launch a

global brand-building strategy. Think about it, Ed. The three stars are from Europe, Asia, andSouth Americaour fastest-growing markets. And theyre all on board for the sequel. What ifwe created three new lipstick and nail polish combinations, in the right palette for each of thethree stars, and then associated the stars with the advertising? As the film gets released in eachcountry, we can launch the new products in specially designed combination packs.