Summary
Allegravita built the Chinese profile of architectural firm Woods Bagot from mid-2007 to mid-2008 through a combination of aggressive media activity, events planning, and localized Chinese collateral design. This brought a global architecture brand (17th worldwide by market value) of 140 years experience final and definitive recognition in a lucrative, yet elusive new market. During the course of the yearlong contract, Woods Bagot went from practically no recognition to being the go-to experts in China on sustainable architecture and design.
Through a combination of expanded media presence in China, brand recognition and profile building in Chinese markets, Chinese media training of Woods Bagot personnel, and events in key architectural circles in Beijing, Woods Bagot was given a proper introduction to the market and were impressed with the level of depth they were able to achieve in short order.
“The energy and commitment you and your team have repeatedly demonstrated combined with your ability to
deliver excellence in professional services has been second to none.
Your company has excelled many other professional services companies that I have come in contact with
particularly in terms of focus, commitment and going that extra yard to ensure an excellent outcome.”
– Jason Marriott
Woods Bagot, Principal
Oct. 15, 2007
An Unprecedented Strategy
Allegravita developed a unique three-pronged strategy, and executed and iterated it to help drive Woods Bagot’s China market entry. This strategy leveraged Allegravita’s proprietary PR techniques, design and studio expertise, linguistic and cultural mastery, and many other campaign elements to fully introduce the Woods Bagot brand in China.
Woods Bagot as thought leaders in the fashion and design establishment.
Fashion and design are the wellsprings of innovation and inspiration in architecture and the structural and urban engineering arts. Allegravita deemed it necessary for Woods Bagot personnel in China to present themselves in major fashion and design magazines, events and photo shoots to build credibility. Industry titans understood within months that Woods Bagot was a globally established architecture firm with a clearly positioned, powerful message for China. With Allegravita’s help, through 2008 Woods Bagot regularly spoke on the subjects of architecture and design at major events and in major publications in China. Their principal, Jason Marriott, became an industry thought leader and spokesperson.
Woods Bagot as Chinese cultural experts and sustainable architects.
A firm’s talent is the foundation of its genius, and Woods Bagot had both foreign and Chinese talent on its team with untapped public-facing intellectual and inspirational potential. Allegravita consistently placed local and international Woods Bagot employees in magazine photo shoots, panels and interviews with industry leaders, combined with delicately calibrated cultural positioning. The richness of Woods Bagot personality and talent were regularly on display and on the record telling their stories to a captivated and relevant audience.
Woods Bagot as artists deeply engaged in understanding China and the world.
The first principle of persuasion is context, and nothing is more difficult than missing the bigger picture, including both the broader brush strokes and the minute details. This is the art of cultural communications, and similar to the nature of architectural artwork, Woods Bagot learned consistently in their engagements, training, events, designwork, marketing, and PR with Allegravita that all of their messages and strategies would require both bold and subtle cultural sensitivity. Through careful design work and planning, Woods Bagot adapted its unique abilities to the Chinese market.
Examples
The following are a few examples of Allegravita work from the Woods Bagot campaign:
Localized Media Kits Developed the Voices of Woods Bagot Management
Though correctly positioned for Western markets, Woods Bagot’s media kits needed localization for the Chinese market, who would have difficulty relating to its messages as they were presented. Chinese equivalents used newly-invented terminology that emphasized sustainability values in design, concepts that were not yet understood in China.
Events
Allegravita was responsible for putting Woods Bagot on the map in China in terms of its public-facing events and media coverage. We consistently placed Jason Marriott, Principal of Woods Bagot in China, on public panels for architecture and spoke at public events in Beijing.
Invention of Terminology for Sustainability
As part of it mission, Woods Bagot engaged in sustainable living projects in all of its design-work worldwide. “Green architecture” terms had not yet been introduced to the Chinese lexicon. Allegravita coined the terms in Chinese media, setting the standard for the architecture industry.
As is often the case with introducing methodologies and products new to China, new terminology was expertly created by Allegravita’s language team. Today, many of the most commonly-used green architecture terms in use in China stemmed from Woods Bagot’s coinage.
Breakout spaces
New pedagogy
Learning commons
休闲空间
新型教学
公共学习室
Collaborative spaces
Self directed spaces
Syndicate rooms
合作性空间
自主空间
联合空间
Telling the Woods Bagot Story to a Chinese Audience
Allegravita converted Woods Bagot marketing materials to attractive, localized versions, telling their story in a compelling manner to an unfamiliar audience.
Context (环境)
Past (过去)
Market (市场状况)
Present (现在)
Media Coverage Built Woods Bagot Authority in a Market Previously Unaware
Allegravita placed Woods Bagot into more than 40 stories in Chinese print and online media in 2007-2008, thereby creating a solid foundation of credibility for the architecture firm’s business development successes.
Title: Feasibility studies are necessary to the Chinese real estate market
“In China, developers have money, land and a basic idea of what they want, but they need the architects to give them the ideas,” says Marriott. At present, a rapid return on the investment is at the top of most developer’s agendas, and is the reason there are so many untailored products on the market – undesirable developments where elderly couples live alongside young professionals and apartments that have been converted to offices. This will change, however. “As the market becomes more competitive, less will be left to chance, and there will be a need for a more science-based approach to projects through things like feasibility studies,” says Marriott. – December 25, 2007
Title: Woods Bagot Struts Its Stuff at Urban Development Exhibition
Recently, the Ministry of Construction held its 13th Annual Urban Development Exhibition at the 21st Century Theater. Due to its success and experience in green building designs, Woods Bagot was recently awarded by the British government as an internationally famous Australian architecture firm. This article describes Woods Bagot’s experience in green architecture and their employees qualifications in green building design. – January 18, 2008
Title: Razing the bars
“Sanlitun is no stranger to change. It has gone through so many changes in its life, and it’s going through more right now,” says Omid Ferdowsian, a senior associate at architects Woods Bagot Asia. “The challenge is to keep the memory of the old Sanlitun alive.” – July 14, 2008
Title: Woods Bagot Pitches for Tangshan Reconstruction Project
Nine design firms are pitching for six reconstruction projects in Tangshan, Hebei Province, including Woods Bagot and Beijing Architecture Design Research Centre, which designed the T3 and National Theatre. – July 28, 2008
Allegravita Architecture Client History
In addition to this ground-breaking campaign, Allegravita has represented a diversity of architectural clients over its 13 years history, including:
Asia Project Link
BVN (Bligh Voller Nield)
CCDI
Diane Bernstein Design
Dickson Rothschild
Design Landscapes
PTW Architects
UAI (United Architects International)