Brand Positioning Of ASUS

Submitted by:
Praveen Iyer
2013218
C2D1
Brand Positioning Of ASUS

Praveen Iyer (2013218) Page | 1

INTRODUCTION

ASUS takes its name from PegASUS, the winged horse in Greek mythology that symbolizes wisdom and
knowledge. ASUS embodies the strength, purity, and adventurous spirit of this fantastic creature, and soars
to new heights with each new product it creates.
Taiwans Information Technology industry has grown enormously over the last few decades and the
country is now a dominant force in the global market. ASUS has long been at the forefront of this growth
and while the company started life as a humble motherboard manufacturer with just a handful of
employees, it is now the largest motherboard maker on the planet, within their portfolio they also
produce graphics cards, chassis, laptops and a wide range of peripherals. Many of these peripherals are
grouped together under their Republic of Gamers (ROG) brand Breaking new ground and starting its own
collective of gaming peripherals is the STRIX Pro headset. A sub brand of the parent company designed
to sell alongside and complement the existing ROG range of products. It is a Leading Technology Company
in Taiwan with over 12,500 employees worldwide. ASUS makes products in almost every area of
Information Technology too, including PC components, peripherals, notebooks, tablets, servers and
smartphones.
ASUSTeK Computer Inc. usually referred to as ASUS is a Taiwanese multinational computer hardware and
electronics company headquartered in Beitou District, Taipei, Taiwan. Its products include desktops,
laptops, netbooks, LED/LCD panels, mobile phones, networking equipment, monitors, motherboards,
graphics cards, optical storage, multimedia products, servers, workstations, and tablet PCs. The company's
slogan/tagline was "Inspiring Innovation. Persistent Perfection." and is currently "In Search of Incredible
Chinese brands mostly concentrate on building durable and high customization phones. They are targeted
toward the mass consumers and power users.
Inspired by the diverse needs of consumers in all areas and phases of life, ASUS' foremost mission is to
deliver truly innovative solutions that in turn inspire consumers to reach for greater heights of
productivity and fun. By leveraging its intimate understanding of the requirements of today's digital home,
digital office and digital person, ASUS has the honour of claiming many world's firstssuch as the
introduction of the ground-breaking Eee PC, the ingenious use of renewable materials like leather and
bamboo in notebooks and the incorporation of its proprietary power-saving Super Hybrid Engine
technology into its notebooks and motherboards. By pioneering many new innovations, trends and
technologies that have had a genuine impact on its customers' lives and the Earth at large, ASUS hopes to
garner mindshare as well as market share.
ASUS in 2013 was knocked from the top spot in the Graphic Card segment. However the sources did say
that due to the growth of integrated graphics and PC market decline global graphics card sales are on the
decline
Vision
ASUS constantly strives to be an integrated 3C solution provider (Computer, Communications, Consumer
electronics) that delivers innovations that simplify customers lives and enable them to realize their full
Brand Positioning Of ASUS

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potential. ASUS products represent the best that technology has to offer, providing outstanding
performance and aesthetics that seamlessly accommodate all lifestyles, anytime, anywhere.

Mission
As a major player in the IT industry, ASUS corporate mission is to provide innovative IT solutions that
empower people and businesses to reach their full potential. ASUS philosophy behind product
developmentwhich is to accomplish the fundamentals well first before moving forwardhas resulted in
a dependable backbone of computer components such as motherboards, graphics cards, and optical
storage devices. ASUS has now over 16 product lines, including its industry-redefining Eee and Transformer
products, desktop barebones systems, servers, notebooks, handhelds, network devices, broadband
communications, LCD monitors, TVs, wireless applications, and CPT (chassis, power supply and thermal)
products.
ASUS plans to achieve its mission through Passion for Technology, Focus on Quality, Long-term
Relationships, and Perseverance

Management Philosophy
Inspire, motivate and nurture our employees to explore their highest potential
Commit to integrity and diligence; focus on fundamentals and results
Endlessly pursue to be number 1 in the areas of quality, speed, service, innovation and cost-
efficiency
Strive to be among the world-class high-tech leaders and to provide valuable contributions to
humanity

LAPTOP COMPUTERS

ASUS is the world's fifth-largest PC vendor by 2013 unit sales (after Lenovo, HP, Dell and Acer). ASUS
appears in BusinessWeeks "InfoTech 100" and "Asias Top 10 IT Companies" rankings, and it ranked first in
the IT Hardware category of the 2008 Taiwan Top 10 Global Brands survey with a total brand value of
US$1.3 billion.
If the ASUS EeePC series attracted peoples attention because of its price, the newly launched EeePC S101
clearly states ASUS move from being a cheap PC manufacturer to be a superior PC brand one that
matches low price with sleek design, innovations and high quality.
Whereas some Chinese brands, such as well-known Lenovo, acquire foreign assets to raise awareness and
get rid of unwanted associations to the Made in China = low quality products label, ASUS is investing in
its own brand technology and design to broaden general perceptions to enhanced quality matched to
reasonable pricing.
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The Eee series starts at a very attractive $ 320 with the Eee PC700 and goes up to about 700 with the Eee
S101 a very thin, light, and prettily designed notebook.
With its superior finishes and up to standards tech features, the netbook is clearly targeted at the higher
end of the market. As the company itself declares, ASUS knows how to combine aesthetics and
technology.
The primary target audience comprised the digital entertainment-savvy and sophisticated user. They want
their computers to do it all and are willing to pay for it. Power, performance and flexibility are all key
criteria
The secondary target audience was the trendy and stylish individual who used technology to make a
statement, express their creativity, communicate with friends and enjoy entertainment in their highly
competitive mobile world
The target audience favoured laptops that offered a unique combination of style, performance and
desirability. At a product level ASUS delivers on this requirement, but as a brand it was seen as functional
and unemotional.
To appeal to these discerning audiences, they created a branded content platform called 'In Search of
Incredible'. Tapping into the best talent in music, films, photography -They worked to create inspiring
content that would encourage audience to engage with them and share incredible stories via a
competition. This could be a sight, a sound, a moment - something they had done or created; they then
wrote a brief description, uploaded their photos, videos or sound files. The winner, had their story made
into a film and showcased at one of the worlds largest independent cinema festivals, the Sundance Film
Festival. There were also winners in each country who received a new ASUS N series laptop.
ASUS, recognised the importance of their own brands and have switched their investments and
endeavours towards high value-added activities such as research and development, product innovation,
and brand building.
ASUS relies upon lean thinking to create the greatest value for consumers by encouraging open
communication between all levels within organization. This core value incorporates Lean Six Sigma
principles to maximize the effectiveness of any process, cut down on unnecessary cost and wastage, and
constantly improve management processes.
Turns out, the game theyre trying to change is their brand positioning: shift the ASUS brand from
representing smaller, cheaper, geekier laptops and netbooks to being a full-on, mainstream portable
computer maker, with a design-driven, consumer electronics edge. Nowhere near, say, Sonys level, but
theyre certainly taking their first steps along that road. The goal is to become one of the top three
portable computer makers by 2011.
Worlds first panda-recyclable laptop, ASUS supported the positioning with new products. A streamlined
product line for gamers and power users, with a full sized, full powered, Darth Vader-look laptop. High
concept netbook styling by a brand name designer intended to appeal to women. Social responsibility and
lower carbon footprints across the product line. Computers made out of bamboo. A big laptop thats trying
to evoke the black tie aura of an orchestral instrument.

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Future Suggestions
With the advent of Tablets and Phablets the future of Laptops are uncertain, ASUS should probably stick to
its core competency, i.e OEM supplier. As that segment is dominated by ASUS, be it motherboard or
Graphic card, ASUS is a global leader there. ASUS should also get aggressive on its smartphone and tablet
segment, as failure to do so at right time might attract negative results for the brand.


SMARTPHONES
Innovation is one of the fundamental elements contributing to a brands success, and this is especially true
in technology industries. Whether developing a custom Android skin or experimenting with new OSs, most
of todays rising Chinese smartphone brands are innovative in a way. Still, to make a difference in this
highly competitive market, one must bring something unexpected to the table, be it a new technology or a
refreshing design. Chinese brands need to be even more innovative and differentiating in order to match to
the big names.
A good example would be ASUS. In fact, taking another look at this years MWC, ASUS might have
generated the greatest buzz by bringing its cutting-edge PadFone Infinity. Bearing in mind the motto of
Innovation beyond Expectation, ASUS has launched a series of innovative devices over the past 10 years,
from Eee PC to Transformer AiO. Widely acclaimed for its innovative and adventurous spirit, ASUS has
established a convincing image of technology expert and innovator in front of its global audience, which
isnt always easy for a Chinese/Taiwanese brand
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In 2009 ASUS collaborated with a GPS system provider company called Garmin, they basically positioned
those handsets for premium class segment who needs better value proposition, which they offered by GPS
connectivity of renowned player GARMIN, and the excellent hardware of ASUS. Garmin-Asus competed
against popular devices such as the iPhone and T-Mobile's G1 Android-based handset by specializing in
location-based services (LBS).
As is known to all, ASUS, it launched the PadFone, PadFone2 and PadFone Infinity and other products, with
innovation and bold design have been attracted the attention of the industry, these products are
positioned at a premium price, but a higher price is hard to win the mainstream consumer groups, and the
positioning midrange ZenFone series is its first regular smartphone, this made up the ASUS cell phone blank
from a certain extent in the mainstream market, it also provide more choice for mainstream mobile phone
consumers.
Asus on 9
th
July 2014 unveiled three new handsets under its 'ZenFone' range positioned for mid-range
buyer in the fiercely competitive affordable smartphone category in India to take head-on the likes of Moto
G, Lumia 630, HTC Desire and Samsung's Duos.
As ASUS ZenFone series flagship product, ASUS zenfone5 is equipped with 5 inch screen, Intel Z2560
processor and 8.0 million pixels PixelMaster cameras, can meet the demands of mainstream consumers?
Core Competencies
In order to maintain a secure competitive advantage, ASUS utilizes its core competencies which, may seem
easy to replicate, but is hard for competitors to duplicate. ASUS core competencies in
Creating affordable, high quality electronics that are very innovative.
Creating truly bilateral partnerships with manufacturers.
Developing a reputation for being the leading provider of motherboards in the world.
Time to market performance.
ASUS will expand on these competencies with the release of new products, marketing strategies and
staying competitively priced.

Future Suggestions
ASUS should continue launching phones At sub 10,000 category, because that segment is getting
immensely competitive with another Chinese major Xiaomi announcing a high configuration handset at a
price of 6,999 namely Red 1S, Asus should also provide value proposition at that price point in Indian
market, as Indian market is highly price sensitive, and Motorola already got a taste of success with both
Moto G and Moto E at this price point.