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Tomorrow is Rising: KYOCERA Wireless Calls on Unique Heritage For New Global Brand Strategy
CDMA leader draws upon the best of Eastern and Western influences for new perspective on technology, style and philosophy
Orlando, FL -- (March 27, 2007) -- Kyocera Wireless Corp. (KWC), a leading global manufacturer of CDMA wireless phones and devices, today announced a new global branding initiative that draws on the company's unique lineage. From Kyocera Corp., its Japanese parent company, KWC combines the Far East's reputation for blending advanced consumer technologies with humanism and respect for the environment. This is complemented by the Western entrepreneurialism and style nurtured in the company's headquarters in San Diego, one of the global hotbeds of wireless technology. Under the tagline "Tomorrow is Rising," Kyocera Wireless is using the CTIA Wireless 2007 trade show to unveil the brand's new look, feel and messaging to the wireless industry.
KWC is well positioned to deliver on its unique "East meets West" pedigree and brand promise by creating elegant wireless handsets and devices that balance the consumer demand for leading-edge technologies with an Eastern sensibility. KWC and Kyocera Corp. have close organizational integration between their engineering and R&D functions.
"When it comes to consumer electronics, a common perception is that countries like Japan bring the newest technologies to market first, and eventually these technologies arrive in the West," said Tom Maguire, vice president of global marketing, product planning and design at Kyocera Wireless Corp. "Our new brand strategy embraces that tide of technology, along with other cultural characteristics from our parent company in Japan, merging it with our western history of CDMA innovation and proficiency in design. For example, the focus on organic elements in nature and attention to detail prevalent in Japanese culture will be reflected in the design of our products, in our operations and how we go about bringing new wireless phones and technologies to market."
KWC collaborated with its long-standing advertising agency, Vitro Robertson, based in downtown San Diego, to develop both the strategy and the expression of the new brand. "Tomorrow is rising." serves as the new company tagline representing the blend of KWC's heritage with a commitment to innovation and the potential the future holds. The branding initiative is also keyed by other aspirational phrases intended to evoke a sense of what the company's blending of cultures can offer for the mobile future, including:
- "The elegant solution is the only solution"
- "Tomorrow is where innovation comes from"
- "We believe even wires and buttons can have heart and soul"
- "Artificial intelligence is no longer artificial"
The brand expression conveys these themes, relying on a color palette dominated by red and black, the colors of the corporate Kyocera logo. It features illustrations that hint of "East meets West" and "humanizing technology," and also incorporates several organic graphic elements that signify the freedom of wireless technology. The company is also adopting a new brand design mark - KYO - a shortening of Kyocera's complete name - to help drive public recognition and assist in branding initiatives.
The brand is already being implemented by KWC's design team, headed by senior director Frank Tyneski. A recipient of numerous industry awards for design excellence including BusinessWeek's Design of the Decade award, Tyneski holds more then 45 U.S. and foreign patents and his work has been displayed in the Smithsonian and Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museums. The team has brought a renewed focus on design at KWC, and is executing on the new brand promise by applying inspirations from nature to develop new product IDs and to further humanize the interaction between customers and their mobile phones.
"Our goal is to eliminate the long-standing gap between Eastern technology and Western fashion and style," said Tyneski, senior director of industrial design at Kyocera Wireless Corp. "The tricky part about mobile phone design, particularly for many of the CDMA markets, is that thin is still very much in, yet people want all of the cool features and capabilities seen in Asia. By leveraging our parent company's organic approach to technological innovation, we can bring those features and capabilities to the compelling concepts my team creates."
In a new company-wide brand manifesto, KWC concludes with the following synopsis of the new brand positioning: "In Japan, it's already tomorrow. The Sun has risen. And the light is spreading. New ideas have stirred. Awoken. And they're already on their way. Our day is starting. Your tomorrow is here. Kyocera -- Tomorrow is Rising."
About Kyocera Wireless Corp.
Kyocera Wireless Corp. is a leading supplier of innovative, feature-rich CDMA wireless devices and accessories for customers worldwide. Kyocera Wireless maintains an operating belief in the genius of simplicity and strives to make the wireless experience as simple and intuitive as humanly possible. The company is a wholly owned subsidiary of Kyocera International Inc., which acquired QUALCOMM Incorporated's CDMA consumer wireless phone business in February 2000. Based in San Diego, the company is ISO-14001 and ISO-9001 certified and has won city, state and federal awards for its environmentally friendly manufacturing and recycling practices. For more information, please visit www.kyocera-wireless.com.
Kyocera Corporation (NYSE: KYO), the parent and global headquarters of the Kyocera Group, was founded in 1959 as a producer of advanced ceramics. By combining these engineered materials with metals and plastics, and integrating them with other technologies, Kyocera has become a leading supplier of telecommunications equipment, semiconductor packages, electronic components, cameras, laser printers, copiers, solar energy systems and industrial ceramics. During the year ended March 31, 2006, Kyocera Corporation's consolidated net sales totaled approximately 10 billion US dollars (1,181,489 million yen) with net income of approximately 596 million US dollars (69,696 million yen).
© 2007 Kyocera Wireless Corp. All rights reserved. Kyocera is a registered trademark of Kyocera Corporation. All other marks are properties of their respective owners.
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