Global Brand and Tech Strategy: Insights from Bennet Bayer, former Global CMO and VP Strategy at Huawei, on Web3 Integration

Introduction

During Bennet Bayer’s tenure at Huawei, the company witnessed remarkable growth, consolidating its market presence across various global regions. In 2022, Huawei’s revenue reached approximately CNY 642.3 billion (about $92.4 billion), with China contributing the lion’s share at CNY 405 billion ($58.8 billion). By mid-2024, Huawei’s revenue rose to CNY 417.5 billion (around $58.8 billion), marking a significant year-on-year increase of 34.3% and a net profit margin of 13.2%. Bayer’s leadership was pivotal in Huawei’s global expansion, steering partnerships, managing vast teams, and driving the company’s success.

In this exclusive interview, Bennet Bayer shares insights on the potential integration of Web3 into global branding and tech strategy, offering valuable lessons from his extensive experience in the telecom industry.

Al Leong (Interviewer): Thanks for joining me today, Bennet. Let’s start. How do you see global brands, especially in the telecom industry, adapting to the Web3 space? What strategies did you consider at Huawei that might be relevant for this shift?

Bennet Bayer: Goodness, to an extent, they don’t care about “Web3” — they are in the transport business, so what people use is not the point. However, they do look for ways to increase traffic and develop products that encourage or leverage Web3 activity.

Huawei is primarily a telecom supplier, so their interest is more in Web3 adoption and differentiation, both for their direct business and their telecom/network service provider (NSP) customers.

Al Leong (Interviewer): In a Web3-driven environment, how should global brands like Huawei rethink their branding to maintain relevance and authority amidst decentralization?

Bennet Bayer: Huawei is largely B2B-focused, so I suspect they would not significantly alter their brand strategy for Web3. If anything, they would focus on furthering trust, especially in their home markets in China and Asia, and in Africa, with a regional differentiation away from “Western solutions.”

Al Leong (Interviewer): How did you evolve Huawei’s tech strategy to keep up with rapid technological changes, and what lessons can Web3 companies learn from these experiences?

Bennet Bayer: We did a lot of blockchain work, but it was all in supply chain and fiscal tracking for Global 2000 customers and “as a service” for telecom NSPs. I would say while I was there, we were ahead of most of the market… but with perhaps a different focus. Remember, their business has been about the transparency of every packet for nearly 40 years.

Al Leong (Interviewer): What approach did you take when building Huawei’s global brand presence, and how can Web3 companies replicate this success when entering diverse markets?

Bennet Bayer: Firstly, Web3 is growing but it’s not a standard. It seeks to exclude “big tech” and put control with the users. Doing that with a technically illiterate market is one challenge. Web3 still needs to answer the “What’s in it for me?” question. The messaging should focus on that — why it’s better and why it should be used. I haven’t seen much of that. For someone in Nigeria or Indonesia, why should they use this? How can it be made easy and automatic (without Big Tech’s involvement or NSP adoption)?

Al Leong (Interviewer): Web3 emphasizes community-driven cultures. What key cultural adaptations did you implement at Huawei that Web3 brands can apply to gain global traction?

Bennet Bayer: I can’t speak to using Web3 at Huawei (I left in 2015); it was still in the early adoption phase. The culture is a miniature of the markets. Why do this? How is it better or more efficient than what was done before? As a tech company, many teams were focused on understanding and driving Web3 as a means to generate new business.

Al Leong (Interviewer): How do you believe global brands can build and maintain consumer trust in the emerging Web3 space, especially given your experience with Huawei’s positioning?

Bennet Bayer: Use it! How many of the Global 2000 companies are actually using Web3? How many are using it for their customers? Not many.

Al Leong (Interviewer): In what ways do you see Web3 changing traditional marketing practices, and how should companies prepare their global marketing strategies to adapt?

Bennet Bayer: Sorry, not at all. Why? How is Web3 different? You put what you’re doing in a ledger available for all to see, right? Does the individual consumer really care that much? Will they pay more for this? Will they choose you over another because of this? Those questions haven’t been answered… so why change until they do?

Al Leong (Interviewer): Given Huawei’s experience with complex regulatory challenges, what advice would you offer Web3 brands on navigating global regulations effectively?

Bennet Bayer: Every country is different. And every country will want to have a backdoor key. How do you keep them out? At some point, do you use regulation as a factor for adoption, like telecom standards have? But then again, telecom has been around for over 100 years.

Al Leong (Interviewer): How important is the alignment of sales and technology strategy in global branding, especially as companies transition to Web3 and blockchain technologies?

Bennet Bayer: Huge, if your business is dependent on it. Firstly, “blockchain” has to remove the negatives associated with crypto and the nefarious characters acting in it.

Al Leong (Interviewer): How do you envision the telecom industry integrating with Web3 technologies, and what strategic moves should global telecom brands make to stay ahead?

Bennet Bayer: Sure, if or when there is money in it, they will take it over with their own offerings (the weaker ones will partner) and seek to dominate. That is what they do.

Al Leong (Interviewer): Bennet, I want to thank you for sharing these invaluable insights. Your experience and perspective, especially from your time at Huawei, provide a unique lens on how global brands can navigate the complexities of Web3 integration. You’ve given us plenty to think about when it comes to strategy, cultural alignment, and the challenges of building trust in this evolving space. I truly appreciate your time and the knowledge you’ve shared with us today.

Conclusion: Bennet Bayer’s insights provide a candid and strategic outlook on how global brands, particularly in the telecom sector, might approach Web3. His experiences at Huawei underscore the importance of clear messaging, cultural alignment, and leveraging Web3 technologies to support existing business models. For Web3 companies seeking global traction, Bayer’s advice is a reminder that success depends not only on innovation but also on the ability to deliver tangible value to diverse markets.

If you’d like to continue the conversation or explore these topics further, feel free to reach out. Connect with Bennet Bayer and Al Leong on their social media channels:

• Bennet Bayer: LinkedIn: https://www.dhirubhai.net/in/bennetbayer/
• Al Leong: LinkedIn: https://www.dhirubhai.net/in/alleong/ | Twitter: https://twitter.com/iDesignStrategy