Tag: UNIQLO

Maebashi, Japan – Global apparel retailer UNIQLO is set to open a new prototype store in the city of Maebashi in the Gunma prefecture in Japan. Said store will represent the future of UNIQLO stores globally, as it features a combination of environmentally friendly features and expanded lifestyle services for customers.

The new UNIQLO prototype store, conceptualised by Kashiwa Sato, creative director and CEO at SAMURAI Inc. and chief creative director for the project, developed a new roadside store concept that both appeals to customers and embodies the UNIQLO philosophy of contributing to the development of a prosperous society and realisation of a better world.

To achieve these aims, the store has been designed with range of energy-saving features, as well as an expanded suite of lifestyle services. Going forward, the company intends for the store to serve as a prototype for new roadside stores globally.

In addition, the store also brings together a range of the newest UNIQLO lifestyle services, including the UNIQLO FLOWER florist shop, UNIQLO COFFEE cafe, and Japan’s first permanent RE.UNIQLO STUDIO – the company’s repair, reuse, recycle and remake service.

For UNIQLO Group Executive Officer Masahiro Endo, the new Maebashi Minami IC Store, has created a new type of UNIQLO, where customers can both shop for our clothing, as well as gather and connect with each other. 

“Reducing our energy consumption was also at the front of mind when developing the store, and the various technical and design features utilised represent meaningful steps towards meeting our 2030 greenhouse gas reduction targets. Going forward, we look forward to using this store as a prototype for our new roadside stores globally,” Endo said.

Manila, Philippines – Talkwalker, the leading consumer intelligence company, and Hootsuite, the global leader in social media management, have released their Brand Love 2022 report. Each year, Talkwalker uses its consumer intelligence capabilities to analyse over 1,500 brands, to see which ones are the most loved.

This year, the leading brands for Southeast Asia (SEA) include names like Sulwhasoo, UNIQLO, Jollibee, AIA, and DBS Bank, in addition to other international leading brands such as Asics, Jimmy Choo, Fjällräven, Apple, and more. By partnering with Hootsuite, the report now also includes tips on how brands can improve their brand love immediately.

The report uses a refined methodology to create the Talkwalker Brand Love Index. With over 10 years of client research and in-depth analysis of use cases, the index identified 3 critical scores for monitoring brand love – Passion, Trust, and Customer Satisfaction (CSAT). These scores were calculated by analysing over 2.6 billion conversations from social media, news, blogs, and reviews, to identify the brands consumers really care about.

“This is the third year running Talkwalker has developed the Brand Love report,” said Elena Melnikova, Talkwalker CMO.

Melnikova adds, “And each year it reveals a clear picture of what’s driving consumer passion at that time. Consumer priorities, values, and behaviours change constantly, and only those brands that are close to their consumers, foresee these changes and adapt. These are the brands that are sustaining and growing their brand love. Love your consumers, and your consumers will love you.”

In the past year, there was an increased focus on sustainability in the world, particularly on what impact brands are having on a social, economic, or environmental level. As many of the top 50 brands have prioritised sustainability efforts, we can see that this should not just be a consumer priority, but a critical brand strategy that can help create or kill brand love.

“As a marketer, if the past year and a half taught us anything, it’s that the traditional ways of advertising have changed drastically. Brands who put authenticity and courageous creativity at the core of their plans are the ones who generate the most brand love,” said Maggie Lower, CMO, Hootsuite.

“This year’s Brand Love report features shining examples that we can all learn from of how companies are innovating and connecting with their audience in different ways to build loyalty and affinity,” added Lower.

To discover more, download the Brand Love 2022 report here.

Singapore – Apparel brand UNIQLO in Singapore has appointed dentsu’s media agency arm Carat to be its integrated marketing solutions agency partner.

As part of the mandate, Carat will be responsible for UNIQLO’s omnichannel planning and performance marketing to drive full-funnel outcomes.

Joyce Tan, UNIQLO’s marketing director for Singapore, shared that Carat Singapore presented a very balanced and holistic view that addressed their business needs for online transformation, while respecting their roots in brick-and-mortar stores.

“This approach speaks to our focus to be relevant to today’s omnichannel consumer. More importantly, the Carat team demonstrated passion and a drive for results, and the ability to see through a local lens to address the needs of our customers – values that UNIQLO holds close to heart. We look forward to working closely with them to take the UNIQLO brand to the next level in the years ahead,” said Tan.

Meanwhile, Jean Lee, dentsu’s client partner of media group for Singapore, hopes to achieve the shared vision of seamless O2O experiences for UNIQLO Singapore to become a truly omnichannel retail company.

“There is much potential for omnichannel media planning and hybrid models, and we are certain that our one dentsu service model and capabilities in O2O marketing will bring UNIQLO to the next level of digitalization,” said Lee.

Japan – Global apparel retailer UNIQLO has appointed Doraemon, the famous fictional character in the Japanese manga and anime series of the same name, as its global sustainability ambassador.

The ambassadorship will see the blue Japanese manga and anime character turned into a green model, to be called ‘Doraemon Sustainability Mode’, with the UNIQLO logo also rendered in green. The green color signifies the many ways in which the apparel retailer company materializes its sustainability message, “Changing our future through the power of clothing.”

The Doraemon character will be responsible for presenting the brand’s sustainability initiatives in fun and easily understandable ways. The company said that in turning Doraemon and the UNIQLO logo to green, it aims to emphasize the company’s determination to strengthen its sustainability efforts. ‘Doraemon Sustainability Mode’ will be featured in UNIQLO stores around the world, the brand websites, and other channels.

Doraemon will join Japanese actress Haruka Ayase, the sustainability activities lifewear special ambassador of UNIQLO, and other global brand ambassadors, which are Swiss professional tennis player Roger Federer, Japanese professional tennis player Kei Nishikori, and Japanese competitive snowboarder Ayumu Hirano, as well as British professional wheelchair tennis player Gordon Reid, and American actor Adam Scott, among others.

Doraemon and Ayase are slated to participate in the UNIQLO school outreach program for elementary, junior high, and high school students in Japan, while the other global brand ambassadors will also contribute to these endeavors through sports and by wearing everyday apparel incorporating environmentally friendly materials.

The company also shared what the new fictional ambassador would have commented: “Hi, everyone! I’m Doraemon and now I am Green! I’ll do my best as UNIQLO Global Sustainability Ambassador to help create a much brighter future! I want to work with you all, so we can make people everywhere more interested in the future of our world!”

Koji Yanai, the group senior executive officer of FastRetailing, shared that they are delighted to partner with Doraemon, saying that over the past two decades, UNIQLO has undertaken numerous sustainability initiatives through business to contribute to a better, more sustainable world. 

“We believe that the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social transformations, and evolving consumer attitudes make it more important than ever to collaborate with customers and other stakeholders in driving positive social change,” added Yanai.