Globalization means that traditional industries in Taiwan must not only strengthen their core competencies but also adapt to local and overseas trends by cultivating their soft power through brand messaging, brand experience and innovative services. To support innovation and transformation in the traditional industries, the Ministry of Economic Affairs is drawing upon industry, government, education and research resources as well as related foundations to help businesses create new value through the introduction of ICT, environmental, cultural aesthetics and design elements.
The company Puhu believes in supporting the local industry. It insists on remaining a Taiwanese company that makes quality shoes in Taiwan without using foreign workers or exporting its technology. The Foot Health Management Center set up by Puhu uses a German foot scanning system to analyze the pressure on the soles and supply ergonomically designed custom arch supports. This successfully established Puhu as the leading brand for healthy footwear; at the same time, marketing promotion was strengthened through the MOEA Industrial Development Bureau’s Brand Footwear Promotion Plan. The expansion of domestic outlets, the introduction of sensory-based sales services, and a custom footwear sales service model successfully established a role model for footwear brands seeking to expand beyond manufacturing into branding.
“Kaohsiung Specialty” is a century-old bakery next to Lotus Pond. The youngest son of the bakery’s founder was obsessed with chess, so his mother joked that “chess was his bread and butter”. This lighthearted dig became the foundation of their transformation into a cultural & creative enterprise. Through the Industrial Development Bureau’s Innovative Experience Service for Traditional Industries Promotion Plan, a century of history as well as the local culture, aesthetic design and cross-disciplinary integration were combined with “Min-style Brick and Mortar” as the theme. First, specialty products such as the Chess Cake and Fire Lion Cake were matched with world-famous Taiwan teas. Custom cake dishes and tea-ware were also produced in cooperation with the well-known local company San-He Tile Kiln. The result was a taste sensation unique to Lotus Pond that allows local and foreign tourists to savor the traditional tea cakes with all five senses.