Porsche, which went from consultant to carmakers to the most profitable automaker in the world, is in the middle of an extreme brand makeover – not an easy call for a company that only a few years ago received the title of most prestigious automobile brand in the world and year after year occupies a leading position in the 100 top brands globally.

Two metatrends convinced Porsche to undergo this painful and risky transition: wealth is now primarily driven by emerging markets (led by china), and sustainability is becoming a global force.

Emerging wealth is changing the world: There are now more rich people in China than in the UK and more millionaires in Brazil than in Australia – within the next three years the Asia-Pacific region will surpass the United States in regard to the number of high net worth investors.

Sustainability beyond trash: Germans have long paid attention to recycling, but it was limited to penniless perennial students: now, across Europe and the world (even the U.S.), the wealthy ask about sustainability beyond trash. As discussed in a recent blog on sustainability, everything from food to investments and clothing is being looked at through an ethical screen. It is no surprise that an emerging superpower such as China in just a few years has become the world leader in renewable energy.

Combining the power of both trends, Porsche decided to act – quickly.

In 2009 it unveiled the Panamera. The Panamera was presented at the Shanghai motor show and was the first of its models completely redesigned with more space in the backseat area for its Chinese customers, who prefer to be driven by a chauffeur.

And last week in Geneva it continued its makeover with the 918 Spyder, a plug-in-hybrid that is faster than the Porsche Carrera GT due to its combined 718 horsepower total power output. Porsche is not alone in embracing this sustainability trend (partially due to upcoming regulatory changes): Ferrari in Geneva presented its HY-KERS experimental vehicle, Volkswagen voiced its ambition to be the leading electric carmaker in the world by 2018 and Daimler announced a partnership with Chinese automaker BYD.

We are, as recently speculated by me based on our global data, at a great historical turning point, and many of the leading companies understand the urgency of change.

Kodak had to reinvent itself twice in the last few years, first when film died and digital took over (no more Kodak moments) and then when growth for the firm shifted to Asia (with heavy investments in emerging markets).

Although finance is a bit more sleepy, Prudential PLC last week announced its intention to buy AIA from AIG in Asia for a deal worth north of $35 billion to further strengthen and expand its flourishing Asia business.

AIA, by the way, has been behind two of the most innovative and influential marketing campaigns of the recent past, “We are Asia” and “The Power of We”. We are Asia was featured in the second half of 2009 and the Power of We introduced in January 2010. The campaign shows visuals formed by faces, handwritings, and thumbprints of AIA employees (as compared to countries that like to take too many fingerprints in a non-marketing related context).

In an era where one company can collect $50 billion in net new cash in one year from investors to one product alone, brand matters.