Specialized and Innovative Benchmark Brand Column
Yaonian was founded in 2011, dedicated to promoting the brand development of enterprises. To date, it has provided services to over 400 companies, including Tencent, Haier, Fotile, Shentianma, Guanghetong, Microchip Technology, BGI, Han’s Laser, Huibeichuan, and Jinzheng Co., covering hundreds of technology enterprises in fields such as semiconductor technology, intelligent manufacturing, machinery, biotechnology, new materials, new energy, and digital technology.
In the context of global industrial chain competition and the promotion of development in niche areas, specialization and innovation have become a national strategy. Over the years, Yaonian has assisted the development of several specialized and innovative enterprises such as Guanghetong, Microchip Technology, Huibeichuan, Bolai Sheng, and Jieshifeitong, gaining deep insights into the characteristics of specialized and innovative enterprises and establishing a systematic approach to brand building. This column will focus on research into specialization and innovation and share a series of insights on branding.
Specialization and Innovation is a National Science and Technology Innovation Strategy
It is also a strategic choice for innovative enterprises
As early as 2011, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology proposed that “specialization and innovation” be an important way for small and medium-sized enterprises to transform and upgrade. According to the Ministry’s definition, specialization and innovation refer to “specialization, refinement, uniqueness, and novelty,” while specialized and innovative “little giant” enterprises are the leaders in this category, focusing on niche markets, possessing strong innovation capabilities, high market share, mastering key core technologies, and achieving superior quality and efficiency.Specialization and innovation represent a strategic choice for enterprises, focusing on niche areas, demonstrating strategic penetration, technological leadership, and market share, thus becoming benchmark brands in their respective fields. Based on the development strategy of specialization and innovation, enterprises can reverse-engineer their strategic goals, positioning, technological innovation, product business, brand building, and promotion, establishing a comprehensive approach for the enterprise. Furthermore, branding is one of the effective ways to help traditional manufacturing and R&D enterprises transform or upgrade towards specialization and innovation, and we will analyze this through Guanghetong’s branding and strategic upgrade practices.
Guanghetong | National-Level Specialized and Innovative “Little Giant” Enterprise
From Bluetooth Module Manufacturer to Global Leading IoT Wireless Communication Module Solution Provider
About Guanghetong Fibocom
Guanghetong was established in 1999, focusing on providing wireless communication modules and communication solutions based on industry applications. It is the first wireless module enterprise listed on the A-share market in China. Through over 20 years of deep cultivation in the wireless communication module industry, it has developed strong R&D capabilities in communication technology, RF technology, data transmission technology, and signal processing technology, becoming a global leader in IoT wireless communication solutions and wireless module supply.
In 2014, the company became the only IoT wireless communication solution provider invested by Intel. Currently, the company has over 1,000 employees globally, serving more than 100 countries, with products mainly covering applications in the Internet of Vehicles, smart grids, mobile payments, security monitoring, and cloud office ACPC (Always Connected PC).
Service Content:
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Brand Strategy and Strategic Expression
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Systematic Upgrade of Brand Image
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Creative Design and Promotion of Brand
/Background and Challenges/ From 1999 to 2007, Guanghetong acted as an agent for Motorola modules and provided technical value-added services; from 2008 to 2011, it independently completed design and development and collaborated with Motorola on ODM, launching its own FIBOCOM brand 2G wireless communication module; in 2014, it received investment from Intel, and with the completion and launch of 4G wireless communication modules, Guanghetong promoted the enterprise’s transition from a manufacturer to an IoT brand and embarked on a path of globalization and capitalization.In this context, Guanghetong faces the following challenges:1. How to upgrade from a traditional manufacturer to an IoT wireless communication module solution provider, reversing internal and external perceptions and creating a larger imaginative space;2. As a startup transitioning to a listed company, how to effectively build a systematic brand that serves the standardization of the enterprise’s brand, showcasing the comprehensive strength of the enterprise and the brand’s applicability to global development;3. How to ensure that brand upgrades can support future business development and promotional communication./Solutions/The first step in enterprise strategic upgrade is to clarify the strategic positioning and expression of the enterprise. Transitioning from a Bluetooth module manufacturer to an IoT wireless communication module solution provider signifies an upgrade in technology, solutions, and identity. Through deep insights and research, Yaonian identified that the core of Guanghetong’s field is to solve the connectivity issues between things, between things and people, and between people through communication modules, providing comprehensive solutions based on this. Therefore, Yaonian proposed the core proposition of “Perfect Wireless Experience“, which expresses:1. Guanghetong is committed to providing partners and users with a perfect wireless experience through technological innovation, which is the enterprise’s goal, and everything done serves to provide users with a perfect wireless experience. This strategic expression can lead internally and unify internal and external perceptions;2. The solutions and technologies provided by Guanghetong will surpass the original Bluetooth module services, focusing on the perfect wireless experience, representing the transformation of the enterprise’s identity.
Value expression and the enterprise’s image can become a combined force, and the upgrade of the brand image also represents the rebirth of the enterprise. Yaonian broke through Guanghetong’s original Bluetooth-shaped logo, combining the proposition of “Perfect Wireless Experience” to extend an infinite symbol, creating the Fibocom brand image for Guanghetong, which is internationalized and recognizable, suitable for global promotion. At the same time, the infinite symbol’s interconnected shape represents the connection of technology to application scenarios and a better life.
In terms of brand application and promotion, Yaonian created a visual system for Guanghetong to better convey the enterprise’s value philosophy and apply it to specific scenarios. Based on the decentralized characteristics of the IoT, Yaonian extended the brand application for Guanghetong by combining the concept of cellular technology, which can be applied in advertising, solution promotion, exhibition promotion, and more, while forming a comprehensive brand visual specification for Guanghetong.
/Project Outcomes/
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Assisted Guanghetong in successfully upgrading from a manufacturer to an IoT brand, becoming a global leading brand and achieving breakthroughs and growth in the global market. According to relevant data statistics: Guanghetong’s overseas revenue accounts for nearly 70%, with business covering over 100 countries and regions. According to Counterpoint data, Guanghetong ranked second in the global cellular IoT module market in the second quarter of 2021, capturing 7.9% market share; 2021 annual revenue reached 4.1 billion yuan.
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Guanghetong was listed on the Science and Technology Innovation Board in 2017, becoming the first IoT wireless module enterprise listed on the A-share market in China, with a current market value of 12.9 billion yuan. Guanghetong is also a model of systematic brand building from startup to listed enterprise served by Yaonian.
Yaonian Assists Enterprises in Strategic Transformation and Upgrading
Creating Benchmark Brands in Niche Fields and Achieving New Breakthroughs
In the context of China’s industrial upgrade, domestic substitution, specialization and innovation, and promoting the globalization of brands, we see many innovative enterprises and traditional companies with solid industrial accumulation, technological sedimentation, and production R&D capabilities. Most products and technologies in various fields are relatively homogeneous, with minimal differentiation. In the future, enterprises will shift from product competition to brand competition, establishing influence in the industry through brand development, thereby showcasing stronger resource, talent, capital, and market attractiveness, accelerating the innovative development of enterprises. This is the opportunity and development dividend brought by industrial and brand upgrades.
If your enterprise has a certain scale, focuses on a specific field, has solid technological sedimentation and industrial accumulation, is in a stage of transformation and upgrade, and is committed to following the path of specialization and innovation or aims to become a leading brand in a niche field, please feel free to consult and communicate.Contact UsZhu Ruiyong | Brand Innovation Division Brand Consultant Phone: 15521044139Email: [email protected]References[1]Understanding “Specialization and Innovation” and Related Policies https://new.qq.com/rain/a/20211121A03UPD00[2] Guanghetong: Net profit annual compound growth rate of 62% over the past five years https://zhuanlan.zhihu.com/p/342649376[3]Introduction to Guanghetong, Development History, Shareholding Structure, Shareholders, Directors, and Main Products https://www.sgpjbg.com/info/28594.html[4]Global Cellular IoT Module Rankings: China Takes 1st, 2nd, 8th, 9th, and 10th Places, with a 41% Share https://new.qq.com/rain/a/20210912A06DIJ00