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 […]
Pay attention to your tech-savvy audience in China — or perish
Microsoft is getting sued…so is a search engine…in China. That’s right — China. These are not a couple of blips on the corporate radar in the litigious-happy Western World, but a show of discontent from a country that more than 25 years ago couldn’t have given a bowl of rice about what consumers thought. In […]
Independent travel is on the rise
National Day may be over…but travel is still going strong this month. Temperate weather from Beijing down to Hong Kong spurs those with the desire and means to hit the roads. But, to paraphrase a Bob Dylan lyric, travel habits they are a’ changing. These articles from the Xinhua news agency (Chinese) and Financial World […]
The Marketing Gold in China’s National Day Holiday
China’s National Day Holiday has just passed us — and they don’t call it “Golden Week” (黄金周）for nothing. Take for example this CCTV report surveying 36 retail stores in Beijing (Chinese). By October 4, their combined sales from the holiday already topped 143 million yuan — or around 18 million US dollars — which is […]
Wei, ni hao…mobile phones are a great way to reach the masses in China
If you’re looking for a new way to target consumers in China, why not consider doing it through mobile phone marketing? In this Click-Z article: a very large opportunity for mobile marketing I am once again reminded of the vast marketing potential of the mobile phone in China. The author Laura Marriott writes: China has […]