Building a healthy brand in China

This article discusses how to build healthy brands in the complex Chinese market. Key points include: China is very diverse, and it is essential to understand regional and local variations in attitudes and behaviour; online blogging is highly popular and central to brand marketing, and has led to new tracking techniques; the retail experience is much more important than in the West, and greater flexibility makes more creative retail designing possible; the brands that do best are those that take creative risks and offer new experiences; and relationships with consumers can be built through storytelling methods.

Building a healthy brand in China

Susie Hunt

When working recently with Motorola in developing its retail brand experience for the Chinese marketplace (see the Appendix), I was reminded once again of the key challenge faced by global brands in translating their brand storytelling and experience for these consumers.

While consumers in the West may value a relatively minimal 'less is more' curated experience at retail, brands in China, especially in the technology sector, thrive on 'more is more' experiences; these radiate a sense of leadership and success, while a minimal experience can feel passive and less compelling. So...

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