Growing without a stink

As the economic might of China grows, so too does the ambition of Chinese brands to expand internationally.   In fact, several Chinese brands have already started to gain traction in the West. Successful examples include Haier, a white goods manufacturer, and Lenova and Huawei, who offer computer and communication solutions.

A noticeable feature of first wave of successful Chinese brands abroad is a distinct lack of “Chinese-ness”.  There is nothing in the brands’ imagery that clearly marks them as “made in China” or culturally recognizable as Chinese. Read more…

23 January 2012: A pioneering study of Chinese domestic life has revealed unique insights into the next wave of growth in the Middle Kingdom.  WPP researchers spent time with extended families during the one time when Chinese people relax together for a long period – up to 15-days of New Year celebrations.

Combining ethnographic research and cultural insight from Added Value and data analysis from BrandZ and CNRS-TGI China, the study unlocks year-round brand and retail opportunities for marketers engaged with the Chinese market. Read more…

On the eve of the Chinese New Year, Steve Bale, Oracle Added Value’s Non-executive Chairman, explores what the Year of the Water Dragon will mean for one of the world’s fastest growing markets.

Dragons are notoriously unpredictable beasts.  There’s only one thing that can be said with any certainty about them… if you are going to ride one, you’d better hold on tight.

The good news is that this year’s dragon is easily the most civilized of the five that exist in the otherworld of the Chinese zodiac.  Read more…

Is China losing its appetite for the hustle and energy of its New Years celebrations?  Or is the holiday still an opportunity to connect with consumers?  Nicolas Peden, cultural-insight explorer at Oracle Added Value, delves into Shanghai to find out.

Nothing like a tall cup of coffee to reinvigorate.

I wouldn’t dream of starting my day without two large cups ‘o’ joe (forgive this hopeless New Yorker).

It’s what kept me chugging along the last couple days when trekking through hazy Shanghai to unearth the city’s “Chinese New Year Spirit.” Read more…

La chaîne de supermarchés Tesco a innové et crée le buzz en 2011 en proposant un supermarché virtuel sur les quais du métro de Séoul (Corée du Sud). Les affiches lumineuses proposaient des produits avec des codes barres QR que les passants pouvaient scanner avec leur smartphone et acheter. Une fois le panier rempli et validé, le passant se faisait livrer chez lui. Ce procédé a permis d’intéresser les consommateurs n’ayant pas le temps de se rendre en magasin.

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One of the biggest challenges of consumer research is that it is often focused on the present; consumers tend only to play back what they are currently experiencing and what they know is going on around them right now.

For brands this is tricky.  On the one hand, understanding ‘now’ is useful to get a sense of context and to course-correct on current strategy or to adapt to consumers needs.  But on the other, it’s hard to get a view on the future; how the bigger picture is changing and what opportunities – and threats – those changes might bring.  Read more…

The Wenchuan Earthquake, a 2008 disaster that claimed almost 70,000 lives in China’s South-west province of Sichuan, was a turning point for China. In addition to the tragic consequences for those directly affected, the event also reawakened a profound sense of social consciousness from Chinese citizens nationwide.

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Time was, the path to success was fairly linear: Get good grades, go to college, and pursue a profession that offers a decent standard of living.
If you were good at maths and science, become a doctor. If you were better at english and history, become a lawyer. If your verbal skills needed work, become an accountant.

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Luxury brands face a real challenge today to differentiate themselves from premium brands, as clearly, there is a growing lack of distinction in consumers’ minds between the two categories. To express and fuel this distinction is not evident…

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Premium brands are strongly anchored in a contemporary and modern reality whereas Luxury brands have a much more complex, deep and holistic approach to time.
Luxury brands shape their identity thanks to and over time. While, with the passing of time, others go out of date, wear out, luxury goods mature, acquire a patina and absorb the imprint of their holders.

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