The Making of a Brand's Verbal Identity 87 Uniqlo has grown to more than 700 stores in its home country and has launched stores across the globe. The Uniqlo brand is known for its strong visual identity. It designs and manufactures all the items sold in its stores and is identified with modern, minimalist design in both fashion, acces- sories, and store design. Not only is Uniqlo's product line unique, but the company is run by a leader who's not your typical Japanese businessman. Yanai is outspoken and writes about his views. In a 2011 article in the McKinsey Quarterly, titled "Dare to Err," Yanai says that "Japan is losing the economic game. Why can't the country learn from its mistakes?" 15 He feels that the Japanese tend to be strong at home and weak away, and that is a major problem in today's global world. Yanai feels that leadership means understanding the global sales force and that the natural Japanese standoffishness will hinder business success and its efforts toward globalization. It's a tendency that Yanai is determined to avoid as he expands the Uniqlo brand. What's remarkable is that Uniqlo's recent overseas expansion has come at a time when Japan's economy and many Japanese companies have hit