The Big Question - Nov07

How do top China brands stop from being associated with poor quality Made-in-China brands?

Although US brands don't have the same quality issues that China does, it knows how to win hearts and minds of consumers and business people. Mostly this is done via the historic and sentimental nature of a US product. Maybe China should do what new US software companies do and continue to do on a regular basis. These companies have no historical history to fall back on but just ingenious and compelling technology.

Take Salesforce.com, today it could be considered the leader in CRM, why because it decided to take its company to the masses, physically. When SFDC launched they spent little or almost nothing on advertising, instead diverting the advertising budget to holding highly staged and strategically located events in key cities around the world. Hundreds and even thousands flocked to hear about the new on-demand offering, an offering which its main competitor was selling for more than a million bucks per customer.

This strategy of meeting people works. My advice to Chinese vendors is to embark on a global roadshow to prove quality and innovation.

Andrew Peters

Regional Director Asia Pacific

The Pacific West Communications

The starting point will be a firm understanding of their own positioning and strengths, by further narrowing the definition of quality to specify the exact brand promise, be it speed, safety, opulence, durability or any other aspect.  The PR initiatives and events will derive from specifics of the brand promise.

From an understanding on the specifics of the brand promise, the brand should seek to build on it by creating events that emphasise and showcase its abilities directly to target audiences and to media that talk to its publics. This should be further reinforced by advertising creatives, and advertorials where credible third party (industry) sources verify and testify to the quality of the product in question.

It may also be an opportunity to fund tests or studies that play to the strengths of the brand. A second strategy is to partner and co-brand / co-sponsor events with acknowledged leaders in their brand promise in a different industry.

Darryn Johnston

Business Development Director

Flex Integrated Marketing