While you can never predict future, you can definitely make a strong estimate of which direction things might go for a business based on their past and present performance. Such estimates can help you as investors so you make only the most lucrative investments in brands that are soaring high. They can also help you as individuals looking for jobs so you can be associated with a company where your growth is inevitable.
As a brand consulting firm specialising in Asian brands, we have compiled for you a list of the top Asian brands to watch in 2018. We are no fortune tellers, but from their current growth it seems likely that they will go even higher in 2018.
Huawei (China)
Huawei has been around for three decades now and with great efforts in the telecommunication and networking industries, it is now the biggest smartphone brand in China. In fact, it has recently beaten Apple in its market share in China and is penetrating the global market share pretty fast. It won’t be wrong to say that their latest smartphones have personality and can easily be called executive phones. It has already made it to the Fortune 500 list in 2010 which is no small feat for an Asian firm.
Lucky Me! (Philippines)
Lucky Me! is a Monde Nissin brand and it claims itself as the undisputed no.1 instant noodle brand in Philippines. How powerful can a brand be? This brand reaches 98% of the homes in the country. It is a noodle brand and its popularity has beaten even Nescafé. According to a report, consumers buy Lucky Me! noodles at least 40 times every year. At the moment, it seems to rule the hearts of consumers in the Philippines.
Karex (Malaysia)
If we tell you Malaysia is one of the biggest producers of rubber, what will you guess Karex makes? If you haven’t already thought of the right answer, here is what Karex makes: condoms. This company is currently the biggest condom maker in the world.
From its product you may feel that Karex is not going to grow as a brand since there are so many other brands competing with it. Let us tell you that Karex has produced nearly 7 billion condoms in 2017. The company is growing fast and its condoms are sold in over 120 countries in the world. According to a RHB Report, Karex will be making a recovery in 2018 after a bad 2017.
TWG (Singapore)
Do you think tea is a luxury product? Nobody could have imagined considering tea a luxury until TWG came up with the idea. TWG made its appearance in 2008 and it has already become a big brand with $90 million in sales every year. The brand is only covering a little more than 40 countries at the moment. However, this is a good sign because it means there is a huge path of improvement and growth still ahead of the company.
Tea has been around for centuries, but it is shockingly surprising that TWG is considered the first brand in the world presenting tea as luxury. The company has recently reached UAE with the opening of its boutique at the Mall of Emirates. The fast growth of the company is not a secret anymore as this location was the fourth one in UAE alone.
Sony (Japan)
Sony is a well-known brand and you probably know about it just like the rest of the world. Sony makes electronic items such as TVs, LCDs, Cameras, smartphones, etc. While Sony has not been the most famous smartphone brand in the recent years—overshadowed by Samsung and Apple—it still has a cult of followers. What makes Sony a watchable brand in 2018 is its move to bezel-less smartphones. These smartphones have become common in 2017, but Sony stayed behind in this area.
However, the passiveness from the company has played in its favor. If there are any smartphones highly expected for being bezel-less in 2018, they will be Sony. In addition to that, Sony’s Future Lab has also been getting attention for disclosing its innovative approach to designing hardware well before the launch of its public-ready products.
ASUS (Taiwan)
ASUS makes personal computers and monitor, and its growth in the current years is nothing short of a shock. With the increasing number of smartphones in the world, it would seem that the market for personal computer monitors is going down.
However, Taiwan’s personal computer brand has surprised everybody with its recent growth in the market share of personal computers monitors. While the growth had gone down for the brand in the previous year, it has gone up in the second quarter of 2017. A major Dell competitor, ASUS has also seen YOY growth in its market share internationally during the same period. It will be great to see what strategy change the company goes for in 2018 because despite the recent growth, it still has to come up with plan to move into a new market away from personal computers and monitors.
TATA (India)
TATA is an Indian brand that does so many things, and one of them is manufacturing passenger vehicles affordable for the masses. TATA saw some decline in its market share in the previous years; however, the company has planned to invest in new technologies to grow its market share in the coming years. According to company executives, they have new cars planned for their customers and they will be introducing quite a few until 2020.
The company has also planned to make its SUV strategy stronger as their efforts for sports utility vehicle did not bear a delicious fruit. In short, the company has a lot in the pipeline in the coming years and for better or worse, you would want to watch this brand in 2018.
Conclusion
There are many reasons why you would want to keep an eye on these brands. First, you want to invest in companies that are growing. However, you also want to watch these brands because you have a heart of an Asian and you want to see Asian brands making it to the top brands of the world.
Despite their great market shares in almost any industry, Asian brands are still missing from the top brands of the world. It won’t be wrong to say that companies with unique brand strategies and strong technological approach will be the ones to lead the pack.