Shengtai Brassware's Multi-strategic Approach to Branding Success

Faucet maker takes part in global design contests to raise brand recognition

Calling for considerable time and effort, branding is a long-term strategy that challenges Taiwanese small- and medium-sized traditional manufacturers. Undaunted, Shengtai Brassware Co., which set up its own brand JUSTIME several years ago to inject new energy into growth, has been focusing on building a world-caliber brand with R&D and marketing.

Shengtai started out by making conventional brass and copper bathroom fittings in the central Taiwan county of Changhua in 1976, and has become a seasoned OEM (original equipment manufacturer) and ODM (original design manufacturer) in this line.

Supplying a comprehensive range including faucets, basins, showers, mirrors, and other bathroom accessories, some of which branded JUSTIME, Shengtai has some 200 workers in its local plant and more than 2,000 in Thailand, exporting some 97% of output, with 40% to Europe, 50% to the U.S. and more than 2% to the Middle East.

Enjoying solid recognition overseas, the JUSTIME line is distributed in more than 20 countries, including Spain, Germany and New Zealand. The company's sales in the U.S. and Europe, despite being soft markets, saw robust growths in 2011, with those in Asia posting banner increases compared to 2010.

R&D Benefit

Refusing to accept that faucet exteriors and functionality have nearly hit a ceiling after several centuries of development, the seasoned manufacturer has discovered new improvements by concentration on R&D.

Shengtai's latest iF award winner in 2012—the Nature series faucet—is living proof of the benefit of investing in R&D. Marketing director Chinger Pan said that the designers observed various organisms for inspiration, which resulted in sketches of organic, flowing forms.

The series features streamlined form with minimum joints and screws to enable easy cleaning, a key characteristic in the company's design concepts. Pan confirmed that the visually, functionally impressive faucet is scheduled to hit the market in the second quarter of this year, and several foreign agents are negotiating distributorship, and that shower faucets and basins will be added to the series in the second half of the year.

The 2011 iF Award winner, the Lucky 7 faucet, also underlines JUSTIME's motto that simpler is better in exterior design. Pan noted that budding seeds symbolizing hope and happiness inspired the design of the stalk-like faucet spout, shaped like the lucky numeral 7.

The faucet is also designed for ideal height and distance for water flow, as well as minimizing use of materials and an integrated aerator that simplifies the faucet's appearance. Furthermore, the spout is 360-degree rotatable for better utility as well as moderately height-adjustable.

Chicago Athenaeum Museum Endorsed

Another notable product is the Story Rain Shower faucet, which, following Still One, Lucky 7 and Charming, was chosen by the Chicago Athenaeum Museum as one of its collections in 2011 for achievements in aesthetics and functional innovation.

Pan stated that the design of the faucet shatters people's rigid concepts that faucets are a wall-mounted device. The new faucet, Pan emphasized, features a classic design that is a reinvention, incorporating contemporary elements—a fashionable floral-shaped spout of ABS along with the handle of brass and ceramic. “The Story Series is the evolution of faucets through time, from the very beginning to the future. One day people will remember the Story Faucet whenever talking about the subject.”

Pan continued that the Story Faucet has many practical features, including an adjustable showerhead, an improved diverter for saving water, adjustable chain length for different requirements and a beaded chain that can be repaired without tools, and automatically disengages when overloaded.

“JUSTIME products are designed to enhance aesthetics of bathroom spaces,” stressed Pan, “Such design philosophy is increasingly sought-after by customers to help raise brand recognition among consumers worldwide.”

The award-winning faucets along with thematic exhibits of JUSTIME bathroom fittings will be displayed at Kitchen & Bath China 2012, held May 23-26 in Shanghai, and at 2012 TaiPei Int'l B,C+Dex (Taipei International Building, Construction & Decoration Exhibition), held December 13-16 in Taipei, said Pan..

Marketing Strategies

Knowing that branding success is achieved with not only good design but sound promotion, Pan relies on several slick marketing strategies to make JUSTIME products marketable.

“A faucet is a durable good typically for builders, so consumers tend to buy such product with more reasonable expectations of good quality and design and according to familiarity of brand,” explained Pan based on years-long observations of real-world markets. “This shows that we have to pay attention to building brand recognition and expanding distribution channels.”

So Pan prioritizes taking JUSTIME products to global design competitions, having participated in iF, Red Dot, G-Mark, Chicago Athenaeum Good Design, IDEA and frequently won prizes to build brand recognition. Pan said that though costly, participation in design competitions gives JUSTIME a better stage to show its unique product designs to stand out from rivals.

Opening more outlets is also part of Pan's strategy, who confirmed that the company, which has two outlets each in northern and central Taiwan, will open another in southern Taiwan by the end of this year. “We plan to set up outlets in each of Taiwan's counties as short-term objective initially, and then build more overseas footholds in cooperation with agents in the future,” added Pan.

To build a bigger customer base and retail sales, the company has also adjusted product mix this year. Pan indicated that more budget-priced faucets and bathroom fittings have been added at retailers, which is necessary to sustain and grow JUSTIME's consumer base. “Building brand recognition by promoting only top-end, award-winning products will be very slow,” said Pan. “So we are adding entry-level products at popular prices to attract consumers.”

Downstream Cooperation

Pan doesn't neglect the importance of cooperation with interior designers and construction companies, adding that the company has been building more partnerships with such downstream partners, and working out bathroom decoration solutions tailored for public places, commercial and office buildings, hotels and luxury houses.

“Providing such solutions to meet demands of interior designers and construction companies calls for all-around knowledge of design, production and marketing,” stressed Pan, and that the company uses computers to enable customers to track, access products, which helps build brand image, especially when users require timely replacement and maintenance services.

In addition to physical stores and downstream partners, Pan has also directed the marketing team to set up social networking accounts to speed building JUSTIME fans while making good use of online shopping websites to promote new products. For example, JUSTIME's Facebook followers can immediately learn the latest information about new product releases and award-winning products anytime and anywhere. The effort is paying off, Pan affirmed, for the brand followers have been steadily increasing in 20-some countries where online distribution channels are accessible to local consumers.

Meanwhile, the company will also meet growing demand for eco-friendly products worldwide. Initially, Pan said that the company will apply for green building material certificates for its products. Moreover, the company will try to join forces with the Industrial Technology Research Institute, Taiwan Water Ware Association and its Taiwanese counterparts to establish a credible certification authority and proper quality standards for environmentally-friendly bathroom and kitchen fittings. “Each operator will want to be part of this plan to make Taiwan's faucet industry more competitive globally,” said Pan.