Behind every successful global firm is the fusion of excellent design and well-fitting marketing strategies, according to the CEO of Han Sung Motor Co. , the largest Mercedes-Benz dealer in South Korea. “What almost all successful global companies have (in common) is that they have great design and great marketing,” said Dr. Ulf Ausprung during a lecture delivered Thursday to students studying marketing communication at Yonsei University. “The key message is that design creates great products, and with good marketing these products can be profitably sold,” said the CEO, who has spoken at a number of other educational institutions including Tsinghua University in Beijing. Ausprung noted that there are various factors to successful design, emphasising that a designer has to consider not only creating a beautiful design but the subsequent stages that follow, including manufacturing, branding, materials and costs.