Strategic brand image
Client: Cirque du Soleil
The promotion of brand-equity
Before choosing to partner with Orchimedia, the Cirque du Soleil already had a presence in Asia for many years. However, its brand positioning was confusing, sometimes even missing and indistinguishable. Some Asians believed that Cirque du Soleil was a French company, others thought it was American. Cirque du Soleil went by about 15 different names across various regions in Asia. Among these, some were associated with a negative connotation, notably in China, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan.
Among the five most used names of the “Cirque du Soleil” in Asia, the most well-known referred to “a traditional circus with horses and other animals” and did not indicate any creativity. Our client could thus not set himself apart from the traditional circuses, among which there are many well-known Asian companies.
Until it realised that this was the problem, the various Asian names of the Cirque du Soleil did not correspond to the image that the company wished to project and notably, were perceived very differently in comparison to the North American perception.
Following a rigorous analysis of the markets, based on surveys conducted in the targeted Chinese regions, we suggested a striking official name as well as a marketing strategy for the Chinese market. We also created a new visual identity as well as promotional materials (printed and online) based on the new branding.
The new official Chinese brand of Cirque du Soleil, produced by Orchimedia, now perfectly reflects the unique expertise of the company. It now creates a positive impression to Chinese-speaking consumers and expresses the creativity, imagination, excellence, dazzling experience and diversity of the Cirque du Soleil.
The fact that it is now consistent across all the targeted regions brings value to the advertising while reducing costs and the time invested to penetrate and secure the loyalty of different Chinese markets.
Today, Orchimedia continues its partnership with Cirque du Soleil for other projects that aim to establish its stature internationally.
