Giant Bicycle, formerly an OEM manufacturer of frames for nearly every other brand name, has gone from a virtually no-name frame producer to one of the top few brand names in cycling today.

Some of the takeaways from Giant's rise:

• Branding cannot be an "afterthought", companies intending to develop their own brands must change their company strategy first and work to improve their products on a day-by-day basis to motivate them to innovate
  
• Successful products should be combined with good marketing strategies, distribution channels and after-sales service in order to develop a dependable brand (duh...)
  
• Establishing a brand in a massive market such as China can aid your cause due to the sheer scope and size of the market
  
• Having your own distinguished brand name is a sharp weapon in the positioning of higher value-added products

[via Taipei Times]