The main objective of this thesis is to discover Chinese brand fields with strong potential and analyze the situation in order to discern a potential Chinese brand within one particular field. Through quantitative research and primary research of both Chinese and overseas consumer perspectives a detailed investigation will be conducted in order to discern ways to utilize Chinese elements of mystique as well as tangible and intangible values related to one particular Chinese brand. In the end, I have translated those findings into a creative brief for global branding development.
China has more than 1.3 billion people. Inside this huge populated country no Chinese brands stand out on the world stage. It’s strange. According to a new survey by the international marketing firm HD Trade Services, 94 percent of Americans cannot name even one Chinese brand. Most Americans just know that their phones, chopsticks and apparel are “made in China”. In response to the secondary research for this thesis, key elements, which affect Chinese brand development, will be defined.
With the combined trends of the Chinese market, consumption trends and the brand development situation in China, I have selected three potential brand fields that are strong representatives of China’s future brand development. Generally, I followed the logic of looking at the percentage of the domestic Chinese market the field occupies.
People from outside of China have the perception that a Chinese brand that wants to go global must include some Chinese elements. But on the other hand, some Chinese academics and professionals believe that time is the problem. They believe it is a process and that it is not necessary for a Chinese brand to include Chinese elements.
The conclusion I have drawn from this is that it is indeed a process, of that there is no doubt. But there are already a lot of famous brands and competitors in the world market. It is saturated. It will be easier for a Chinese brand to distinguish itself if it includes unique Chinese elements that can help build the brand on the global stage. In relating this to the beauty luxury brand field, a lot of Chinese beauty brands are based on Chinese traditional medicine. Traditional Chinese medicine is already very well known around the world and this is one of the first pieces of the puzzle.
Based on the defined key points, I have selected six Chinese potential brands within the beauty field. In chart below, I compare the brands from key aspects. Each brand has both advantages and disadvantages. In the end, I selected Kong Feng Chun for deeper research.
In order to observe both Chinese and non-Chinese consumer perspectives, I conducted a questionnaire survey of 120 Chinese consumers that included tier 1, tier 2 and tier 3 cities as well as spanned an age group between 20 - 50. The survey also included using Internet messaging or face-to-face interviews with 15 non-Chinese.
