What do you get when you add Starbucks to the Forbidden City in China? The answer is no joke.
Well, China’s given us that rare opportunity to use “Starbucks coffeehouse” and “Forbidden City” in the same sentence. And now it’s making headlines once again, almost six years after opening in one of the country’s most iconic tourist destinations. In case you missed the news back in late 2000/early 2001, here’s a quick review courtesy […]
Christmas becomes the third biggest consumer spending holiday in China
Christmas may not be an indigenous holiday to China — but retailers had a VERY merry one this year. Merry enough to merit dubbing Christmas the third largest consumer shopping season in China. Here’s the story published in Sohu (partially translated by yours truly): Christmas Day is not an official holiday in China. Yet this […]
Get out the Ginseng and Maotai: giving gifts during Chinese New Year
Ginseng. Vitamin supplements. Top-shelf liquor. Fancy snack foods. These might be a few of the things gracing my shopping list as gifts for Chinese New Year. Ginseng a gift? You bet. Ginseng, one of many treasured remedies in Chinese medicine, is a welcome gift for more senior folks. As are any number of nutritional and […]
Why Avon sells whitening cleansers in China: culture matters
You’ll find live frogs and turtles at Wal-Mart. “refreshing tea” toothpaste from Crest, and a whole line of whitening products from Avon…in China. Frogs and turtles may not be on your menu; heck, tea might not be the first thing that comes to mind as “refreshing”. But it’s another story for the Chinese — and […]
China + automotive industry marketing…think brand competition
When it comes to China’s automotive industry marketing, one thing is for certain — it’s a branding nightmare out there. The Shanghai Daily doesn’t mince words about it, titling a recent article Car War Sparks Battle of Brands: “China’s car market continues to be driven by novelty, with a majority of potential buyers attracted to […]
AC Nielsen President/CEO claims Chinese are “brand sluts”
In an interview with the People’s Daily, Steve M. Schmidt, the President and CEO of AC Nielsen, claims that Chinese tend to be a little more fickle when it comes to their brands — or as Marian Salzman of the Economic Times might say, they are brand sluts. Schmidt states: Chinese consumers are very brand […]