Commitment, innovation and distinctive market positioning are key to successful brand development, according to Josephine Ng, marketing director of GPI International.
'Companies have to make continuous efforts in the branding exercise and creating a difference in the consumer's mind. Here, we are talking about true differentiation from others.'
The company's GP brand is a household name in Hong Kong, and its primary and rechargeable batteries are exported around the world.
Ms Ng said the GP brand was first developed in the 1980s, with its batteries selling not only to Hong Kong but also the mainland, Asia, Europe and other places in the world. She said the group had made a lot of effort in customer-focused innovation and upgrading product quality as part of its brand development strategy.
Environmental protection is a key element in the market positioning for the GP brand. Ms Ng said producing rechargeable batteries had become a focus of business development for the group in view of consumers' growing awareness of protecting the environment.
'Brand differentiation is very important and we have an edge in the production of rechargeable batteries. We have a good grasp of the technology, and we also develop a range of different charging devices with added features to suit diverse customer needs.' In the beginning, however, it required a lot of time and effort to promote the use of rechargeable batteries when consumers were largely used to primary batteries. Continued investment proved to be fruitful.