Heading east? (difficulties experienced by UK marketers and brand managers when translating the growth of the Chinese economy into opportunities for their brands)

Citation

Costa, M. (2011), "Heading east? (difficulties experienced by UK marketers and brand managers when translating the growth of the Chinese economy into opportunities for their brands)", Strategic Direction, Vol. 27 No. 9. https://doi.org/10.1108/sd.2011.05627iaa.009

Heading east? (difficulties experienced by UK marketers and brand managers when translating the growth of the Chinese economy into opportunities for their brands)

Article Type: Abstracts From: Strategic Direction, Volume 27, Issue 9

Costa M.Marketing Week, April 2011, Vol. 34 No. 14, Start page: 16, No. of pages: 5

Discusses the difficulties experienced by UK marketers and brand managers when attempting to translate the growth of the Chinese economy into opportunities for their brands. Explains that China is expected to be the world’s largest economy in the next decade, but western brands are experiencing mixed success in their attempts to become involved, with B&Q and Best Buy both opening stores which have since closed down, but with Tesco and power tool manufacturer Bosch thriving. Suggests that joint ventures can be a good way for European brands to enter the country, and Volkswagen, Volvo and Mercedes-Benz are working with local competitors to tap into the growing car market. Affirms this strategy with reference to a report (“The Future of Global Brands”) claiming that 44 percent of privately held businesses in Brazil, Russia, India and China are planning to grow by acquisition in 2011, up from 27 percent in 2010. Concludes that the future of global brands may well lie in the determination of well-financed companies in vibrant developing markets to take ownership of established brands and then make them into more authentic local brands through a process of co-creation. Includes the views of Nick Thomas, executive director at the China Britain Business Council, and a question and answer (Q&A) session with Catherine Peng, corporate communications director, Bosch China.Article type: ViewpointISSN: 0141-9285Reference: 40AK280

Keywords: Brand management, China, Marketing models, Marketing philosophy, Marketing planning, Marketing strategy, Marketing theory, Organizations, Strategic marketing, United Kingdom