Intelligent branding;
mindshare before market share
Do you let your local management decide how your brand is managed in the Chinese market? Are you sure they can effectively look from the outside in?
B2B companies often face a “crises” when they are forced for competitive reasons to change from product feature marketing to benefit marketing or brand. Many Western companies start by establising the representative office in China and putting a local manager in charge. Nothing wrong in this, but do the headquarters give enough resources for marketing and communications in a market where active face-to-face communications is a must?
Show your true face
In order to get on the shortlist of brands in your customer´s decision processes, you simply must get visible in China.
Chinese characteristics
Gaining visibility in China creates a ground for growth. Understanding Chinese characteristics is the key for successul branding in China.
Communicate human tech
Building a brand does not simply mean that you register a trademark. In order to have a “brand” you need to fill customer´s psychological and social needs and be able to manifest their user´s tastes and values.
This also applies to B2B branding. One of the most common mistakes is thinking that B2B decision makers decide only by listing facts. That might be what they think themselves but in reality demand is linked with emotions much more than we think. Communicating “human tech” instead of “hich tech” in China can put your brand on the human path to success.
Power of word-of-mouth
In China the role of word-of mouth and personal experiences as communications tools is one of the key learnings for a communications professional. Face to face is always more efficient and event driven marketing the best way to get the message across. This applies both to B2C and B2B brands. “Experiencing” branding is how people would judge Western brands in China.
Respect diversity
China resembles Europe in the way that it is not at all a single homogeneous market. Regional cultures and profiles play a big role in the localization of communications content.