Pirozzolo Company Public Relations

"Great Powers Grand Strategies" Looks at the Global Consequences of a Regional Conflict

Book Review

by Dick Pirozzolo, Pirozzolo Company Public Relations, Boston

How regional conflicts become global conflagrations and what to do about it.

Throughout 2017, U.S. foreign policy has been conflicted, confusing, and churlish with the US withdrawal from the Transpacific Partnership, spats between the President and the Secretary of State, a paucity of foreign affairs officers and the threat of armed conflict between the US and North Korea involving China and Russia.

In this muddled foreign policy environment comes Great Powers, Grand Strategies, offering a thoughtful analysis of how a regional trouble spot in the Pacific—the South China Sea—can have far reaching global consequences that impact major world powers. The volume, edited by Anders Corr Ph.D., delivers much-needed insight into China’s behavior and desire to project its power worldwide. Its behavior in this vital region for shipping, fishing, and oil exploration has on occasion sparked armed conflict between China’s warships and Philippine and Vietnamese commercial and military vessels. Amidst the ongoing disputes, Vietnam, the Philippines, Brunei and other Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) with a stake in maintaining peaceful, multifaceted trade relations with China are being blackmailed by China’s overreach. What is more, the United States needs maintain a Naval presence in the Pacific or cede American influence and power to China.

In an advance copy of Great Powers, Grand Strategies, to be released by the Naval Institute Press on January 15, 2018, Dr. Corr writes, "This book is the first to focus on major power grand strategies including economic, diplomatic, and military strategies, and their interrelationships so that we can explore how global actors are, on the one hand, contributing to the solution and, on the other hand, perpetuating conflict."

Dr. Corr, who publishes the Journal of Political Risk, cites China’s behavior in the Pacific and elsewhere in the world as ample reason for the US Navy to maintain its cautionary

Anders Corr with Filipino fishermen in the South China Sea

presence in the Pacific, which he regards as, "part of a global system of defense of not only the United States but its allies and values, which include international law, democracy, and human rights. To criticize the United States deployment in the Pacific as offensive without geographic context ignores the global picture and principles the United States is defending.”

He is quick to add, “Viewing China’s actions in the South China Sea as defensive against U.S. forward deployment ignores China’s similar offensive actions in the East China Sea and Himalayan region of India.” He decried China’s suppression of democracy, human rights, and international law in Asia and abroad and its efforts to remake global governance to its own advantage rather than on principles of democracy adding, “China’s South China Sea actions are offensive when viewed in this global context."

Dr. Corr calls into question China’s disputed claims to the Spratly Islands and sea lanes in the South China Sea and its maneuvering to control the territory militarily.  After having established its boot print in the area, Dr. Corr notes that China then began to demand joint oil and gas development and sovereignty agreements, with ASEAN nations. “Xi Jinping calls this a 'win-win solution,' I call it China’s take and talk strategy.”

The volume assembles the thinking of foreign policy scholars and practitioners Bill Hayton, Gordon Chang, Bernard Cole, James Fanell, and others who examine the conflict in the context of a global big picture. As editor, Dr. Corr juxtaposes the grand strategies of the great powers to determine the likely outcomes of the dispute, and suggests ways to defuse tensions that are likely to spill over to other regions.

Eric Gomez, Policy Analyst, Cato Institute lauded Great Powers, Grand Strategies “for exploring the strategies of ASEAN, Russia, and other important but overlooked actors in the dispute.”

Oct. 19 - the North Korean oil tanker Ryesonggang 1 connected to a Chinese ship. U.S. Govt. Satellite photo

Alessio Patalano, King's College London credited the book for examining, “the South China Sea as a locus of strategic competition where simmering maritime disputes have significant implications for major powers well beyond its confines, and where the international power balance is being redefined.”

Dr. Corr visited all South China Sea claimant countries, undertaking research in Vietnam, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Brunei.  He has also conducted analysis for USPACOM, CENTCOM, and NATO, including work in Bangladesh, Afghanistan, and Ukraine.

Dr. Corr is the founder and CEO of Corr Analytics in New York, which helps governments and businesses evaluate strategic and international political risks as part of their decision-making process. 

Dick Pirozzolo is managing director of Pirozzolo Company Public Relations an international corporate communications firm based in Boston, and coauthor of "Escape from Saigon" with Michael Morris that focuses on the events of April 1-30, 1975, the last month of Vietnam War.

 

 

 Great Powers, Grand Strategies

NAVAL INSTITUTE PRESS

Publication date: 15 January 2018

China & the Asia Pacific | 336 pp.

Hardcover & eBook: $34.95

ISBN: 978-1-68247-235-4

Public policy not gee whiz technology wins the cybersecurity war says former Estonia president Ilves

The tiny Baltic nation of Estonia has become the free-world model for cybersecurity and online efficiency

When former Estonian president, Toomas Hendrik Ilves spoke at Harvard University recently, he was recognized for making Estonia a worldwide model of internet security and online efficiency by the Boston Global Forum and the Michael Dukakis Institute for Leadership and Innovation.

Ilves told delegates at the third annual Global Cybersecurity Day conference that Estonia's cybersecurity and access principals are based on assured identity for every online transaction. knowing who you say you are is who you really are is the cornerstone of Estonian cybersecurity.  It has made this former Soviet satellite a cybersecurity model for other nations.

In Estonia, just about everything you need to do can be done online from registering your birth, to writing and filling prescriptions, to applying for a building permit, to getting a driver's license, to registering to vote. Estonia is so advanced that bank checks no longer exist there.

Estonia now ranks highest in Europe and fifth in the world in cybersecurity, according to the 2017 cybersecurity index, compiled by the International Telecommunication Union. The country also hosts the headquarters of the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defense Centre of Excellence.

Ilves observed that when it comes to the cyber world, decision makers and government leaders are too focused on technology rather than policies that will enhance our safety on the Internet. He cited Estonia as a case in point: "Estonia's cybersecurity technology is not advanced, but we are ahead on implementation," adding, "Our focus was not on the gee whiz technology, but rather implementation of a system that relies on positive identity, which is the foundation of the country's cybersecurity program."

Additionally, "With assured identity, Estonia has eliminated the need to request personal information repeatedly. Once your personal information is on file, starting at birth, Estonian law prohibits any government agency from requesting that information ever again."

This is in sharp contrast to the US. Ilves joked that even though he now lives in Silicon Valley, with Facebook, Google and Tesla a within a one-mile radius, "When I went to register my daughter for school I had to bring an electric bill to prove I lived there. It struck me that everything I experienced was identical to the 1950s save for the photocopy."

He continued, "When Estonia emerged out of the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, we were operating with virtually no infrastructure, even the roads built during the Soviet era were for military purposes. By 1995 to 96 [however] all schools were online with labs so that every student could have access to computers even though they could not afford to buy them."

Estonia also determined that the fundamental problem with cybersecurity is not knowing who you are talking to. So we started off with a strong identity policy; everyone living in Estonia has a unique chip-based identity card using two factor authentication with end-to-end encryption. "This is more secure than passwords that can be hacked."

He admitted, "A state-guaranteed identity program seems to be the main stumbling block for security elsewhere. My argument is that a democratic society, responsible for the safety of the citizens, must make it mandatory to protect them."

Decentralized Data Centers

He added, "In Estonia, we could not have a centralized database for economic reasons. Every ministry had its own servers, but everything is connected to everything else including your identity. Even if someone breaks into the system, the person is stuck in one room and cannot get into the rest of the system."

Known as X-Road, this decentralized system is the backbone of Estonia's online environment. Claim the developers, "It's the invisible yet crucial environment that allows the nation's various e-services databases, both in the public and private sector, to link up and operate in harmony. It allows databases to interact, making integrated e-services possible."

The system is so well integrated that Pres. Ilves claims it streamlines submitting paperwork for various needs to a point where it saves every Estonian 240 working hours a year by not having to fill out tedious forms. Inspired by its efficiency, nearby Finland has joined in implementing such a system along with Panama, Mexican, and Oman."

Furthermore Blockchain technology is used to store personal information to assure data integrity. "I might not like it if someone sees my bank account or blood type, but if they do, it is not as bad as being able to change my financial records or blood type, which cannot be done with Blockchain.

Estonia further secures its data by having an extraterritorial server in Luxembourg where the information is duplicated outside its borders. As a result of its legal and policy approach to security, Estonia is the most cyber secure country in Europe, Russia the most secure in Eurasia and China the most in Asia. "Estonia is also the most democratic," he said.

Recognizing Pres. Ilves for his contributions, at the event were Michael Dukakis, a former Massachusetts governor, and Tuan Nguyen, cofounders of the Boston Global Forum think tank.

Here is what Pres. Ilves told Public Radio International when he was interviewed at the third annual World Cybersecurity day symposium: PRI.

 

By Dick Pirozzolo, Managing Director of Pirozzolo Company Public Relations in Boston and a member of the editorial board of Boston Global Forum.

 

"Boston Voyager" Profiles Pirozzolo Company Client Jeffrey Ornstein, CEO of J/Brice Design International

A sure sign of Boston's cultural evolution is the debut of Voyager Media here.

 

After exceeding a million views with its flagship magazine VoyageLA - the trendy lifestyle media company came East to publish Boston Voyager.

 

Boston Voyager identifies local businesses, entrepreneurs, independent artists, institutions that matter and those who contribute to making our city a world-class destination. Part of their objective is to showcase the leaders in Boston's independent creative community, so we were honored when the editors chose J/Brice Design International as one of its Most Inspiring Stories. 

 

I hope you enjoy the Boston Voyager article about J/Brice Design —beginning, its influence as a hospitality design innovator, and its outlook.

 

 

Boston Voyager wants to introduce you to Jeff Brice Ornstein. So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don't you give us some details about you and your story. I have been a hotel designer all my professional life. I started with the Saunders Family which owned three of the historic properties in Boston, and worked for several other firms before starting JBrice Design. Founded in 1989, we are a global design firm, having directed projects in excess of $5 Billion USD.  Our most recent signature engagements include the fabled HMS Queen Mary, the iconic urban landmark The Helmsley Hotel in New York, The Royal Tulip Alexandria, and the Jeddah Crown Plaza, scheduled to open 2017. J/Brice Design has been a Certified Interior Design Giant since 1993, and Architectural Giant since 1995. We consistently ranked among the leading interior design firms worldwide, specializing in interiors for the hospitality industry. Recently named Top Interior Design Firm of The Year by NEWH, the nation's largest professional hospitality organization, JBrice has also twice been identified as one of the Top Ten Fastest Growing Design Firms nationwide by Interior Design Magazine. We have over 220 hotel and restaurant projects to its credit, as well as a diverse portfolio of corporate and residential interiors. JBrice has also been recognized for its work with distinctions such as Best Upscale Hotel Design of the Year, Hotel of The Year, and Intercontinental Hotel Group Renovation of the Year, Best Luxury Suite, Most Ambient Hotel Lobby, and Best Guestroom. J/Brice is a preferred design group for Hilton Hotels, Marriott International/Starwood Hotels, Intercontinental Hotel Group, Hyatt Hotels Corporation, and Wyndham Worldwide Properties. International credentials include work for TAJ Hotels, Kempinski, Royal Tulip, and boutique properties in Dubai, UAE, Qatar, and The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.I grew up in New York and graduated from Brandeis University with continued studies at Harvard University's Graduate School of Design. I am a guest lecturer throughout the Middle East, Europe and North America, and was the first American named keynote speaker of the Kingdom Hotel Expansion and Investment World Summit in Riyadh, KSA. I have twice been a featured speaker at Concepts Middle East in Doha, Qatar, as well as in Interior Design & Construction India, and many times at Heimtextil, the world's largest international textile trade fair in Frankfurt, Germany.  Other speaking engagements include lectures at HD Expo, HD Boutique, HOTEC USA, Asia and Europe, and Hospitality Match USA, and Europe.  I'm a contributing editor to Hotel Executive Magazine, and am featured in Boutique Design Magazine, Hospitality Design, Lodging and Hospitality, Gulf Interiors, Byouteit Magazine, Hotel Business, The Commercial Observer, Young Hotelier, The Improper Bostonian, and Scene Magazine, who named me one of Boston's 12 Most Influential People.  Academic associations include being on the Board of Advisers at the Prestigious New York School of Interior Design, a Visiting Critic at The Boston Architectural Center and The Rhode Island School of Design (RISD). I was called upon by my colleagues to be a Judge for the annual Hotel World Platinum Circle Awards in Las Vegas, and for The Boutique Design Global Hotel Design Awards. We're always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc - but we've spoken with enough people to know that it's not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you? Ouch... 30 years not all smooth! Three recessions in that time taught me a lot about business, people, my abilities (strengths and weaknesses) and priorities in life both personal and professional.  We'd love to hear more about your business. Much of this was included in your earlier questions, but I'm most proud of the character of JBrice. We are known to be exceptionally creative, responsible, and honorable. The average tenure of an employee at JBrice is well over 10 years.., with several over 20! WE take our responsibilities very seriously, and yet we never lose sight of the fact that work should be fun. (We're known to be a little irreverent as well). I am particularly proud of the many creative individuals whom I have played in part in their professional development, advancing the careers of so many who have go one to great things. When we were awarded top interior design firm of the year, dozens came out to celebrate. Many, if not most, expressed sincere thanks for my part in mentoring their careers, it was a magical evening. What were you like growing up? Brash. Funny. Confident. Loyal. Creative. Stubborn. Appealing. Troublemaker. Theatrical. Energetic. I loved having and cultivating new friendships, and adventure, and still do

Squatty Potty, Scrub Daddy, Amazon Launchpad, Stanley Black & Decker, Other US Innovators Back Invent-a-thon TV Series "Make48" to Spark American Ingenuity.

Some of the America's most innovative  brands like Amazon Launchpad, Squatty Potty, Scrub Daddy, Indiegogo and QVC, plus lead underwriter Stanley Black & Decker are backing Make48, a new invention competition series on Public Television aimed at sparking American ingenuity.

The eight-episode Make48 debuted this fall, has already begun production on Season Two, and is taking applicants for the Season Three competition.  The producers say they hope the show encourages entrepreneurship inspires more Made-in-America products.

In Make48, seventeen diverse teams are given 48 hours to come up with a new consumer product—going from idea to prototype in a televised invent-a-thon. Three winners, picked by judges from QVC, Indigogo, Pivot International and Handy Camel, will get to pitch their products to major retailers. The series is distributed nationwide by American Public Television, Boston, and underwritten by Stanley Black & Decker. Check local listings.

The teams are supported by tool technicians and industry mentors including some of America’s most successful product inventors. Once the top three winners are picked, professionals create prototypes, and produce marketing videos. The competition culminates in a crowdfunding campaign where the products are put before the public.

“Equipped with high-tech 3D printers, digital routers, hand tools, the internet, passion, inspiration, and lots of coffee, the inventor’s products coming out of Make48 might just make it into your home one day,” said Curt McMillan, co-founder of Make48, adding, “This is reality TV that works.”

 “Make48, dubbed, “reality TV that works”, fosters imagination, creativity, problem solving and the inventive spirit,” says Make48 CEO, Tom Gray adding, “Make48's educational product innovation series is more like swimming with a pod of dolphins rather than being thrown into a tank of sharks.”

Stanley Black & Decker is the Make48 exclusive production underwriter. “Both Stanley Black & Decker and Make48 know that the doers, the makers, and the inventors are our future,” says Tim Perra, Vice President, Public Affairs for Stanley Black & Decker, “This show is a reminder that everyone has great ideas. We hope Make48 inspires other individuals to see their ideas through to fruition.”

More than 207 public television stations are airing the show to reach over 90 million households including those in the three top US markets: New York, Los Angeles and Chicago. The series is produced by Outpost Worldwide, Kansas City and presented by KTWU Washburn University, Topeka, KS.

"We're confident that the Make48 series celebrating innovation and problem solving will resonate with a public television audience," said Christopher Funkhouser Vice President, American Public Television Exchange Programming and Multicast Services.

Supporters include Stanley Black & Decker, Amazon Launchpad, Squatty Potty, QVC, Duck Tape. Indiegogo, GoDaddy, ScrubDaddy, The Grommet, the Handy Camel, Wet & Forget, Ace Hardware, QVC, Pivot International. Complete list of sponsors at: Make48.com

Contact: Make48 LLC, Dick Pirozzolo, 617-959-4613, dick@pirozzolo.com

Llewellyn King on Scaramucci’s Quest to Stop the Leaks

 

Anthony Scaramucci makes an impression on The New Yorker

When Anthony Scaramucci first showed up he began with Italo-American gangsta-rap while speaking to Chris Cuomo on CNN's New Day and slid into vulgarity of the worst stripe with The New Yorker. He's made an impression all right and. Now as far as the PR profession's hand-wringing over Sean Spicer's ethics as White House communication chief goes—boring. The Mooch has laid raw the real PR problem: he came into an organization in disarray, with no clear direction from the CEO and communication department staffers spending all their time watching their own butts. If he thinks he can fix the messaging by simply shutting them up, well fuhgeddaboudit! 

That's pretty much how Llewellyn King, PBS-TV's White House Chronicle host and Inside Sources columnist sees the President's hard line on leaks and his effort to plug them. 

Scaramucci’s Vain Quest to Stop the Leaks

By Llewellyn King

There’s a new sheriff in town. He has strapped on his shooting irons and has been hunting down varmints — varmints right in the ranch house.

The sheriff is Anthony Scaramucci, the new White House communications director, and the varmints are the “leakers.” Watch out!

Scaramucci has threatened to fire people. He says he may be contacting the FBI and the Justice Department. He has also hinted that the leakers are high officials who are using juniors to contact the press.

This is a strange interpretation of “communications.”

The White House is leaking because it isn’t talking coherently. The Trump administration is not rooted in policy or philosophy, and the White House staff is divided against itself; a deeply unhappy place wanting in direction and internal clarity.

So, it leaks. It leaks for personal reasons. It leaks for patriotic reasons. It leaks out of frustration. And it leaks because no one

Llewellyn King

is in charge administratively: too many assistants — including Scaramucci — are reporting directly to the president, eschewing the line of command that normally flows through the chief of staff and the national security adviser. With Scaramucci on the loose, Reince Priebus is chief of staff in title only: a male nipple.

The communications failure is enormous and extends down to the inability of the press office to answer simple questions, like who was playing golf with the president? One wouldn’t assume this to be a state secret, but reporters ask and get no answer. They aren’t rebuffed, they’re just not answered.

In this instance, a question not answered is a revelation of another sort: the communications staff members are willfully kept in the dark. It isn’t claimed that state secrets and initiatives are being discussed on the greens. It’s a simple matter of the president’s recreation. Is Trump ashamed of the company he keeps?

The avalanche of leaks are cries for clarity in a chaotic administration. They are the symptoms, not the disease.

The leaks may just get worse. But the mechanics or leaking will get more inventive as Scaramucci ferrets around, suspecting his colleagues who will live in increasing fear.

Leaking is as old a journalism and was going on long before the invention of movable type. Journalists regard it with equanimity, as part of the trade, an integral part of the job — also as part of their right to collect the news, and the public’s right to know.

However, leaking does have large consequences when it comes to how the government makes decisions. The anti-leakers have a point here: Nowadays, ideas can’t be batted about inside government with abandon. Particularly, they can’t be committed to writing without the fear of them getting into the press.

Leaking classified information is criminal. WikiLeaks troubled many journalists; delicate choices in a democracy.

But that’s not what Scaramucci is fishing for; he wants to end the embarrassment of the president.

For those who keep secrets, technology has made the job a thousand times harder. When I was a young reporter, a congressman or White House staffer wishing to show you some document — to leak it — either had to tell you what it said or allow you to see and copy it by hand. This was risky, as only a few hands would’ve had access to the document or letter.

The Xerox machine changed that instantly, and the arrival of the digital age put a leak a keystroke away. Privacy and secrecy aren’t what they used to be.

But the hunt-and-kill mission Scaramucci is on won’t stop this White House — this seething hive of fear and ambition, this policy free for all, this scarcely controlled chaos, this gyre of half-formed purposes — from leaking.

With Sheriff Scaramucci nosing around, casting doubt on everyone, the leaking might accelerate but will be more devious: Tell a junior to tell friend to tell a reporter, rather than telling the reporter something directly. Email and telephones will be eschewed, or used with great care.

If the communications director wants to control leaking, he should try communicating. He shouldn’t send the press secretary out there looking like a pudding before the custard is poured over it, without her knowing what the president’s policies are or what he meant by his latest enigmatic tweet.

Sheriff, calm the chaos, and start communicating. Then, pardner, the leaks will dry up like them thar desert.

 

For InsideSources 

Can a Commodity Steel Producer in Vietnam Become a Global Brand? Can your B2B Company do the Same?

Intel, Stainmaster, Goretex prove the power of "ingredient" brands

By Dick Pirozzolo, Pirozzolo Company Public Relations

“Building a brand is a long term investment in the financial health of the company.” Prof. John A. Quelch 

Can Vietnam’s leading producer of sheet steel, pipes and girders establish a global brand since the products it manufactures are components that go unnoticed by consumers?

According to Prof. John A Quelch the answer is an unequivocal, "Yes."

Prof. Quelch recently addressed some 40 senior managers of Hoa Sen Group who were at Harvard University to study contemporary marketing strategies—including the latest global branding principles. Harvard Graduate School of Business Prof. Quelch has just been named vice-provost for Executive Education and Dean of the School of Business Administration at the University of Miami.

Sell the Experience

Prof. Quelch told the executives a brand is not merely a trademark or logo; it is an “experience consistent with a promise.” He explained that when Starbucks, which started out in Seattle selling coffee beans to brew at home, expanded to become a global icon, the company did not focus on the coffee but rather on “providing a safe place for women to gather. The coffee is good, but it was secondary to the Starbuck's experience that customers participated in creating.”

Before a brand can rise to the level of a Starbucks, GE, Toyota, Apple, Coca Cola, or American Express to name a few big world brands, it must evolve through three distinct levels. Explained Prof. Quelch, the company must first have a history and a reputation for quality before it can move up to creating user imagery followed by winning over customers so that they come to appreciate the company values and establish an emotional bond with the brand.

Even though Hoa Sen, produces only components for the finished product—ingredients as Prof. Quelch notes—it is still possible to establish a Hoa Sen as a world brand. He pointed out a number of famous ingredient brands that are respected worldwide and showcased as part of the finished product’s quality positioning— Gore-Tex, Shimano bicycle shifters, Dolby Sound, NutraSweet, Stain-Master and Intel are among the examples.

For example, explained Prof. Quelch, Intel, the maker of computer microprocessors, launched the “Intel Inside”campaign to
co-market this internal PC component or ingredient directly to the PC customer. “Intel Inside” became a catch phrase synonymous with speed and reliability.

The same goes for bicycle racers who are assured by Shimano components or homeowners who perceive value in buying a new

Hoa Sen Group at Harvard University

carpet treated with Stainmaster to repel dirt and spills. Even though these ingredients are not immediately obvious, these brands offer convenience, assurance, satisfaction, product differentiation and affiliation. Rather than Hoa Sen, being perceived as a supplier of commodity steel products, Prof. Quelch said the company needs to focus on branding the experience of dealing with the Hoa Sen and its people. “Brands have value especially if things go wrong. When the computer system crashes, and the IT manager can say ‘I chose IBM’ it gets him out of a jam because he chose a brand that everyone recognizes and trusts.”

A number of brands engage their customers emotionally by getting them to feel they are part of an exclusive “club” such as Harley Davidson and American Express. Their products bestow prestige upon their customers who become attached to a larger family. To underscore the point, a Hoa Sen manager at the seminar said he likes to use the American Express Card when he checks into a hotel because of its prestige, and the feeling he will be treated more respectfully. This prestige comes in several levels ranging from green, to gold, to platinum and black—all at escalating prices.

Prof. John A Quench at Harvard Faculty Club

Though GE produces locomotives, jet engines, wind turbines and even toasters, that single GE brand is successful across the entire spectrum of business and consumer markets. In the case of Toyota, however, the market would not accept the company as a maker of luxury cars until it created the Lexus brand, said Prof. Quelch.

For the most part, new markets will accept the brand as is. However, adaptation may be required to respond to local conditions. When Marlboro entered China it also acquired a less costly local brand to tap into a segment of the population that could not afford the pricier Marlboro brand. Likewise, toothpaste companies had to introduce new flavors such as green tea to appeal to Chinese tastes. “Do not adapt for the sake of adaptation," warned Prof. Quelch, "Adapt because you will sell more product at a higher margin.”

And don’t hold back. When HSBC acquired Great Britain’s venerable Midland Bank, it immediately replaced Midland with the HSBC brand “despite protestations from Midland employees who believed the customers would be put off by losing the old name so abruptly.”

In addition to commanding a higher a well-known brand’s price and sales volume will fall less in poor economic times and recover more quickly when good times return. Additionally, brands enhance employee retention, speed distribution and encourage shareholder loyalty. Added Prof. Quelch, consumers do expect companies behind their favorite brands to have active Corporate Social Responsibility programs to channel some of their profits from the higher prices into social good works.

The Seminar was organized Tuan Anh Nguyen, CEO Boston Global Forum a think tank dedicated to the promulgation of peaceful solutions to global tensions.

The biggest brands in the world are: Apple, Google, Coca Cola, Microsoft, IBM, Toyota, Samsung, GE, McDonalds and Amazon.

Dick Pirozzolo is managing director of Pirozzolo Company Public Relations in Boston, a corporate communication firm serving clients in the US, UK, EU, China, Japan and Vietnam. He is active in Vietnam-US business and cultural relations as a member of The Boston Global Forum Editorial Board and coauthor of "Escape from Saigon."