How to Build a Winning Brand: A Handbook on Developing Brand Positioning That Works and Advertising That Sells and Avoiding the Pitfalls of Line Extensions

By Antonio Adad

Antonio H. Adad, or "Tito" to close friends and family, devoted his whole corporate life to only one company: S.C. Johnson & Son (SCJ), a family-owned company based in Racine, Wisconsin. SCJ is renowned as a world leader in the area of industrial and household cleaning and specialty chemicals with brands such as Raid insecticide, Off! insect repellant, Glade air freshener, Toilet Duck, Mr. Muscle all-purpose leaner, and Pledge furniture polish. Throughout his thirty-six years at SCJ, Tito distinguished himself by constantly achieving record market shares, sales revenues, and profits that consistently met or exceeded targets across different departments, various divisions, multiple subsidiaries, and ultimately the Asia-Pacific region, earning him dozens of coveted Directors Awards and successive promotions in rank and responsibility. Armed with a bachelor of science degree in chemical engineering from the De La Salle University in Manila, Philippines, the youthful Tito started his stellar career in SCJ as a salesman for the Philippine subsidiary in 1959. He was soon promoted to become a manufacturing supervisor for various product lines including floor waxes, air fresheners, insecticides, toilet, and furniture care. Only ten years after joining the company, Tito was tapped to lead the Indonesian subsidiary of SCJ as general manager for six years; after that, he was appointed general manager for the larger Philippine Johnson for three years. In 1979, twenty years since joining the company, Tito was promoted to become area director for seven Asia-Pacific countries for the industrial/professional division. After six years, his role was expanded to include both the consumer and professional divisions for the same seven Asia-Pacific countries. After working for thirty-six years with SCJ, Tito retired and set up a private consulting firm dedicated to helping Asian companies achieve their business objectives by sharpening marketing strategies, specifically brand positioning statements and advertising campaigns. Guided by the discipline of a chemical engineer and enriched by his extensive experience as a general manager and wisdom as an area director for Asia-Pacific, Tito concluded that one of the most vital factors responsible for the sterling success of SCJ brands and subsidiaries that he managed lay in a brand positioning that was relevant to consumers, specific and unique vs. competitors. After seventeen years as an independent consultant for various Asian companies in strategic planning and marketing/advertising, Title decided to "retire from retirement" and write this "guidebook" which he hopes will help many current and future practitioners of marketing and advertising obtain a better understanding of "why brands fail and what makes them succeed," avoid the pitfalls of line extensions, and help them develop for their brands a "brand positioning that works and advertising that sells."

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Mar 15, 2018
• ISBN: 9781641408080

Book preview

Tribute

(Excerpts from a Tribute by the S.C. Johnson & Son Company to Mr. Antonio H. Adad on his retirement.)

With a career at our company that has spanned thirty-six years, Antonio Tito Adad places high value on integrity and honesty in the workplace.

And that’s no bola-bola.

The end of June marks the beginning of a new chapter for Tito Adad, who will retire after thirty-six years with our company. Tito describes his three-plus decades at Johnson Wax as very stimulating, rewarding, and motivating.

If Shakespeare hadn’t coined the phrase to thine own self be true, Tito Adad probably would have instead. Since joining Johnson Wax in 1959 as a household and industrial products salesperson for Philippine Johnson, Tito’s creative concepts have gone far beyond product and business innovations. They include sage words of advice for those of us who may have started elementary school when Tito began his career. Most notably among his axioms is be yourself.

Yes. Be yourself, the area director says with characteristic intensity. Do not try to imitate others. If you try to change yourself, you will be seen as a fake. You have to be yourself.

According to Tito, being true to oneself is the foundation for effective teamwork. So is integrity. Always keep your promise with fellow employees. Be factual, be true, and honor your commitments. If you make a mistake, admit it. This is how you develop trust with others. If you don’t earn trust, you will not succeed.

Perhaps his perspective is derived, in part, from living and working for twenty-five years in the Asia Pacific region. According to Tito, who was born in the Philippines, relationships in the East are forged on trust and honesty. His familiarity with the various cultures of the region contributed to his many professional achievements. While living there, he was general manager of Indonesian Johnson then area director for Professional and Consumer Products for the Asia Pacific region.

During that time, Tito pioneered hydrogenating castor oil, an important ingredient in floor wax products. As he recalls, the innovation, which occurred in the early 1960s, resulted in 200 percent profit sharing.

Tito was also instrumental in the development of the ware-washing business for Professional. Under his counsel, it began in Korea, and was then rolled out in Singapore, Taiwan, Philippines and other countries. "I championed ware-washing and did not give up, despite the challenges we faced. Today it