Panasonic strategy work could lead to a rebrand

Panasonic has appointed Fuore Design to create a product identity strategy and design products, as the electronics manufacturer attempts to differentiate itself in the marketplace and develop a consistent look across its ranges.

The industrial design and branding consultancy, which has its headquarters in Spain, will also ‘train’ Panasonic’s in-house designers to develop products according to the strategy it creates.

The consultancy expects the strategic phase of the project to take about five months. It will then develop a look for Panasonic products, followed by the implementation of that look ‘through redesign of products’.

It has not been decided how many existing product ranges will be redesigned, or if new ranges will be developed, but all work is be rolled out on a global basis. No launch date has been set.

The redesign of Panasonic’s corporate identity may also be part of the work, says Fuore Design managing director Dagmar Klien.

‘It is still too early to say how far the work will go, but we will establish a strategic concept and then design products that bring that idea to life. We will then look at [Panasonic’s] communications,’ she says.

A Panasonic spokesman says, ‘A lot of consumer electronics look the same. We want something that is uniquely Panasonic and [Fuore Design] will achieve that by giving us a distinct and consistent identity on the product side.’

The consultancy, which was appointed last week, won the work without a pitch. It worked with Panasonic, which is owned by Matsushita, last year on an undisclosed project.