Case Studies

The client and project backgrounds of WATATAWA’s Founding Partners span borders, industries and issues. We showcase here some of the work of which our partners are most proud—and the range of experience we bring to bear in addressing the needs and challenges of the organisations with which WATATAWA works.

International Bidding: 2002 World Cup Korea.

WATATAWA principals drew on a track record including management of the worldwide media programme for the 1988 Seoul Olympics to create a compelling strategy to help Korea win the right to co-host the 2002 FIFA World Cup. In little more than a year, The Rightful Choice campaign transformed the international football community’s understanding of the legitimacy of Korea’s bid to stage Asia’s first World Cup. By the eve of the FIFA decision, rival bidder Japan—long seen as the clear favourite—had become the underdog and had no choice but to agree to co-hosting. The bidding programme included support for Korea’s global lobbying of football leaders and administrators; outreach to key sports media; and writing of bidding documents, speeches and presentation video scripts.

Retail Banking: Creating Asian Growth.

The aggressive retail distribution expansion of a leading international bank in Asia was led by one of WATATAWA’s Founding Partners. Over a three-year period the bank’s retail network grew from 450 to more than 1,500 outlets with 25,000 front-line staff. ATM presence in the region quadrupled from1,000 to 4,000+ and the bank launched its first global internet and mobile strategies. Profitability more than doubled. Behind the success was the initial recognition that, operating as a largely product focused organisation, the bank had reached optimal market penetration levels and had limited scope for growth. The strategy drew on analysis of geographic and customer segmentation, more productive state-of-the-art distribution including the rapid building of physical and digital presences, and key acquisitions totaling more than US$4 billion.

Trade Issues: A Spirited Lobby.

In the late 1980s, the American lobby’s influence in Korea was such that only the market-opening demands of US producers of wine and spirits were being heard by the Seoul government. British, French and other EU producers had much less influence. A WATATAWA principal led a team lobbying individual European embassies, foreign chambers of commerce, Korean government offices and the EU commission to make the case for the liberalisation of the market for European products at the same time and under the same conditions for American products. As a result, the issue was put on the agenda of a succession of EU trade delegations to Korea. In July 1989, the market was opened for both American and European products and under the same conditions. Today, Korea is one of the world’s major markets for scotch whisky and the fastest growing market in the world for French wine.

Brand Development: Turning Challenge into Opportunity.

When the EU decided in 1999 to abolish duty free sales to intra-union travelers, manufacturers of high duty product lines, especially liquor and tobacco, were faced with the prospect of losing a significant business channel. The solution developed at one major wine and spirits firm by a team, then led by one of our principals, was to develop a new line of products exclusively sold at airports and competitively priced even though taxes and duties where now included in the retail price. They were designed and created so that they would have appeal and be recognisable to consumers who had bought the original product lines duty-free—but would be different enough to prevent an outcry from domestic trade now competing directly with airport stores. By carefully selecting the appropriate product line to differentiate and the airports at which they should be sold, the company’s European airport sales grew 12 percent between 1999 and 2000 while competitors who continued to promote their original lines but with no price advantage over domestic sales, saw their business decline dramatically.

Global Marketing: Incheon International Airport.

Korea’s main gateway. Incheon International Airport, was positioned as The Winged City when it opened in 2001. A two-year programme—both pre and post-opening—included the branding development, marketing to airlines, and promotion to international business, aviation and travel media. Counsel was provided to the airport’s leadership in responding to issues in the lead-up to the airport’s opening and in developing opportunities to highlight the unique elements of IIA’s design and operations. Incheon International Airport now regularly features in awards and polls honouring the world’s best airports.

Crisis Response: Banking on Reputation.

A world-renowned bank faced a significant reputational crisis in North Asia when regulators determined that operating procedures within the bank had breached financial regulations. The issue arose against a backdrop of political demand for the country’s regulators to apply the same strict standards to international banks as they were arguably beginning to apply to domestic institutions in an effort to raise the bar on good governance. One of WATATAWA’s founding partners provided strategic counsel to the country CEO and the office of the global CEO on communication of the responsibly remedial measures the company chose to take in response. Services included development of a phased strategy to demonstrate action and rebuild reputation; key messages for internal and external key audiences; international and domestic media management; public positioning of key global and local executives as drivers of the actions taken; training and preparation for both media outreach and parliamentary testimonies; and development of a longer term recovery strategy. The company received wide-spread plaudits and coverage for its open approach to dealing with the issues.

Corporate Communications: Building Respect.

A WATATAWA founding partner worked as lead communications advisor to one of the world’s leading providers of high performance global management consulting, technology services and outsourcing, assisting that company to build its brand and reputation over the long-term in Asia Pacific markets including Japan, Australia, China, India the Philippines, Singapore and Korea. For more than a decade, our founding partner worked with the client on media relationship building, thought leadership development and roll-out, client engagement and acquisition, tender support, issues management and senior executive positioning.

Business Development: Mining For Growth.

A WATATAWA Founding Partner was the key driver in assisting a medium-sized minerals company in investing into a cement plant with US$12 million paid up capital and providing strategic direction for the growth of the business. Since that time, the venture has expanded into five cement plants in China with an annual production capacity in excess of 30 million tons. The company is now listed on AIM in London and a Taiwanese conglomerate has recently acquired the firm’s entire Chinese cement business for close to $500 million representing a many-fold return on the initial investment.

Strategic Investment: A Company Transformed.

Our eye for investment opportunities transformed the fortunes of the owners of a relatively small company focused on manufacturing and marketing of furniture. The funds made available by the sale of the furniture business were re-invested into a venture coking coal. A WATATAWA Founding Partner provided and assisted funding for the initiative, the development of its distribution network in China, and subsequently engineered its listing on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. Just three years later, the company’s market capitalization had grown from US$7 million to approximately US$200 million.

Corporate Revival: The Platinum Standard.

A WATATAWA principal led the complete re-engineering and revival of an ailing consumer finance company in a major Asian market—culminating in an international IPO which valued the firm at over US$1 billion. The programme saw the re-organisation and re-positioning of the company from a volume-driven/low margin business to a marketing focused, client-centric profit-driven operation with over seven million retail and corporate customers. The distribution strategy was completely revamped and among its many marketing initiatives was the most successful platinum card product launch Asia had ever seen—300,000 new cards issued in only eight weeks—as well as the development of a number of leading chip card products.

Financial Transactions: Across Issues, Across Asia.

WATATAWA’s Founding Partners have developed retail and institutional investor-acquisition marketing programmes, financial media communications, investor relations and crisis and issues management programmes for IPOs, friendly and hostile M&As, trade sales and demutualisations in a wide range of sectors. We have worked with many of the world’s leading investment banks and legal advisers on these transactions. Our partners’ experience includes advising on and directly supporting IPOs in a number of Asian markets, the ground-breaking merger of two of Japan’s largest banks, acting for the acquiree in a merger of two major banks in Malaysia; the trade sale of insurance operations of a multinational company in Asia and the demutualisation of a major insurance company in Australia. Our partners have also led the positioning, media relations and roadshow presentation development for one of the first foreign hostile takeover attempts in China and provided communications strategy and key messages for a complex proxy battle for a prominent Hong Kong-listed company.

Going Public: Connecting with Investors.

A WATATAWA founding partner worked with major telecommunications companies in Malaysia and Australia to assist them in their moves from private to public ownership and from government to private retail and institutional ownership respectively. The communications and stakeholder engagement approach was instrumental in building demand to optimise floatation price tension. Advice and activities included developing key messages and an overall positioning that gave voice to the investment opportunity, marketing and building demand for the IPO among retail and institutional investors, creating differentiation for and awareness of business operations with industry and financial analysts, engaging domestic and international media for potential investor education and then a clear call-to-action to invest and dealing with potential demand-dulling sectoral issues during the course of the transactions. Both IPOs closed significantly over-subscribed in both the retail and institutional offerings. One was the largest and arguably the most successful IPO in any sector globally at the time.