In August, OSIM celebrated its 30th anniversary with a rebranding of its brand identity.

The rebranding refocused OSIM as a “customer-centric brand”. Based on research by global brand consultant Interbrand, the new brand image is focused on the consumer’s changing needs. Aside from a logo change which now features a man-shaped icon, the company streamlined its products into four categories: relax and relieve (stress-relieving and massage), tone and shape (body-toning and calorie-reducing), check and measure (health monitoring), and clean and purify (air purifiers).

The brand’s new tagline “Inspiring Well-Being” aims to reposition the company as one that inspires its customers to take control of their well-being.

“The new brand identity underlies a strategy to rejuvenate the company’s image and persona as it implements its next phase of growth in global markets. With better understanding of our customers’ needs, we will improve our specialty retail management and enhance product offerings to tailor to different consumers,” said OSIM founder Ron Sim, chairman and CEO of OSIM International Ltd in a recent email interview.

“The brand has always been health-focused but the new image has evolved into turning health into a lifestyle,” explained Gary Gan, marketing manager for OSIM Malaysia.
For example, products like the uSoffa Petit massage chair which functions as a massage chair but also looks stylish is easily incorporated into everyday life as more than just a massage chair, said Gan.

The OSIM story began 30 years ago with a one-table stall in People’s Park, Singapore selling general household merchandise. Sim, then in his twenties, built that single stall into a healthcare company named Health Check & Care which marketed home healthcare and diagnostic products. In 1994, Sim renamed the company OSIM — a combination of his surname and “O” to represent the world.

“During the late eighties, the market for home healthcare products was dominated by a disparate group of equipment manufacturers with little emphasis on marketing. We saw a unique opportunity and the potential for specialty healthcare products as people were becoming increasingly affluent and health-conscious. What we saw lacking then was brand consciousness among consumers,” said Sim.

Since then OSIM has built its brand into Asia’s top “healthy lifestyle brand” according to an Asia-wide survey by market research firm Synovate. Today, OSIM has over 1,100 outlets in over 360 cities across 28 countries and in 2006, Sim was ranked No 15 on the Forbes list of 40 Richest Singaporeans, with an estimated net worth of SG$255 million (RM609.5 million).

Malaysia was one of OSIM’s first international markets. Datuk Tay Sim Kim, OSIM (M) Sdn Bhd executive chairman who established OSIM Malaysia in 1992, said the concept was initially a hard sell to Malaysian consumers.

“We were the first in the market and Malaysian consumers simply didn’t understand. We had to educate using road shows and exhibitions which featured free health checks and allowed them to test our products,” said Tay in a recent interview. While the first five years were initially rocky, today OSIM has 70 outlets nationwide.

OSIM’s brand revamp will also include a new store concept which will be rolled out globally, and better service levels. Some of the findings from Interbrand’s research showed that consumers were not always comfortable with entering an OSIM store and trying out the products due to pushy sales staff, said Gan.

“So the new stores will feature salesman-free comfort zones to try products without any pressure. You see, we find that while customers trust our brand, they’re not very attached to us. With the new concept we want customers to love us, to feel welcome in our stores, and to always want to step in,” he added.

Previously a brand that appealed more to the older generations, OSIM is also hoping its brand revamp will increase its market share among younger consumers. “Until last year, OSIM didn’t have a single massage chair priced less than RM10,000. With the launch of more affordable chairs like the uDesire and uSoffa Petit, we hope to capture the mid to upper-income young working adults who are looking to buy their first massage chairs,” said Tay.

“We hope after owning their first OSIM product, they will want to cultivate a lifelong relationship with us.”