What does your Chinese translation say about your company? You may be surprised…
“I hired a student from a local university to do my translation…and it ended up hurting my reputation.” This was the story I heard from a business contact I met with a couple of weeks ago. He works for a large chemical manufacturer with a presence in China, and they needed their website translated into […]
A case for Mattel apologizing to Chinese manufacturers
There’s been a great brouhaha in the press over Mattel’s apology to China — particularly over the allegations that Mattel apologized directly to its Chinese manufacturing partners. It’s not a surprising reaction. This supposedly “Golden” year of the Pig is turning out to be more porcine than prosperous, thanks to the slew of recalls — […]
“No commerce, no evil” is no more: how China’s ethical standards affect your business
There was a Chinese saying: “no commerce, no evil”. Merchants were thought to be unscrupulous, and commerce was historically considered an ignoble industry in China. This contemptuous attitude towards businessmen no longer exists in current China. Making money is given priority now. However, problems come up when this priority may be the only consideration for […]
A very red summer reading list: books on marketing and business in China
In the spirit of “summer reading list” frenzy that signals the start of the season, I’m jumping on the bandwagon. Interested in learning more about business and marketing in China? Here’s a peek into what’s on my list for this summer and beyond. 1. One Billion Customers: Lessons from the Front Lines of Doing Business […]
Chinese weddings: the market for saying “I do” in the Middle Kingdom
When I say Chinese weddings are a topic dear to my heart, I write these words with a certain authority. As you read this, I will be putting the final touches on a ceremony to be held in Zhejiang Province early July. All the romance aside, let’s face it — weddings are big business. According […]
Five ways to tarnish your company’s image in China
1. Open a store at the Great Wall. We could learn a lot from Starbucks on this front. Their store in the Forbidden City has generated enough negative PR to warrant high-level government discussions on closing it for good. Why? Because the move was perceived as an imperialistic invasion into one of China’s most sacred […]
When red is green: the outlook for the environmentally friendly market in China
Can red be green too — if it’s red China we’re talking about? Headlines such as “With the Olympics Looming, China Goes Green”, “China urges end to polluters’ tax breaks”, and “Greenpeace rates Apple least green, China’s Lenovo scores high” suggest a new momentum to remake China as environmentally friendly. Let’s be clear here — […]
Book Review: Mr. China by Tim Clissold
Mr. China: A Memoir is a book for all of us who have ever longed to “crack” the China market and Chinese culture — and come out as the ultimate “Old China Hand”. “But in the end, it’s an illusion” states the author Tim Clissold of this pursuit. He should know — he’s gotten about […]