DESGRIPPES GOBÉ GROUP ENTERS GREATER CHINA MARKET

Desgrippes Gobé group enters Greater China Market

(New York, June 2003)

Desgrippes Gobé group today announced the establishment of a Hong Kong office to provide brand design services for the Greater China market. This new office is the third dg* office servicing the Asia-Pacific region, complementing the Tokyo and Seoul offices, which have been in operation since 1991 and 1994, respectively. Desgrippes Gobé also has offices in Paris, New York, and Brussels.

In announcing the news, Joël Desgrippes President of the Group, commented:
"our success in establishing ourselves in Asia some ten years ago, the ever-growing number of our clients operating in the region and the credibility that we have earned in Japan and Korea justify our interest today in potentially the largest market in the world.”

The Hong Kong office of dg* will offer all the branding services in the agency's worldwide brand management portfolio, relying on a combination of local talent and the knowledge and experience of the group offices in Europe, North America and Asia. “We believe in this market; and we are ready to invest our necessary human and financial resources for the benefit of our clients and their brands”, added Mr. Desgrippes.
dg* have named Craig Briggs, managing director of dg* desgrippes gobé group Asia-Pacific. Previously Briggs was general manager of dg* tokyo. "We want to build on the success of our North Asia operations by expanding our presence into East Central and Southeast Asia. “Hong Kong was a logical choice for establishing our next office because of its central location, its rich pool of talent and its status as a multi-national business hub", said Mr. Briggs.

Desgrippes Gobé group‘s business philosophy and approach centers on the concept of "emotional branding". Co-founder Marc Gobé recently published this philosophy in a best-selling book "Emotional Branding: The New Paradigm for Connecting Brands to People". Clients benefiting from d/g*s emotional branding approach include such well-known brands as Godiva, Coca-Cola, Nestlé, Air France, Boucheron, IBM, Mitsubishi Motors, Shiseido, and Procter & Gamble.

Desgrippes Gobé group foresee a great opportunity emerging for brands and for branding services in Greater China. "As consumer demand and competition increase, consumer expectations about these brands will also increase," said Mr. Briggs. "Brands that can establish a deeper, more sensory connection with consumers will have an edge during this time of rapid growth and increasing consumer choice".

Desgrippes Gobé group apply their emotional branding philosophy in a variety of industries and for a variety of branding applications, ranging from strategy for brand creation and re-positioning, packaging and shape design, corporate and brand identity, naming, retail environments and interactive design.