Gaining trust on a global scale

By Liu Jie (China Daily) Updated: 2012-12-28 10:15

Chinese brand development in international markets is a long-term process and can take decades rather than years, said Doreen Wang, head of branding with the market research agency Millward Brown China.

Haier Group is a typical example.

Set up in 1984, the Qingdao-based company started as an equipment manufacturer.

It initiated a self-branding strategy in the early 1990s and began its overseas expansion at the end of the century.

To become a multinational company with a global brand, Haier has concentrated not only on technology and quality, but also on establishing a unique Haier image.

Its branding strategy has been consistent and aggressive.

The electronics and appliance company recently announced a two-year sponsorship of the Science Museum in London to build its brand in the UK and get itself associated with technology and innovation.

To attract global attention, a Haier refrigerator was carried on China's spacecraft Shenzhou 9 during its 13-day mission in June.

In the US, Haier renewed its sponsorship of the Haier Shooting Stars basketball competition, an annual event where players from the National Basketball Association and the WNBA compete in a basketball contest.

"Ad and marketing activities associated with sports, innovation and big national events have helped build a sound and healthy brand image for Haier," said Wang.

Her company and WPP, the international communications group, jointly released a list of what they consider the top 50 most valuable Chinese brands in December, and Haier was listed at 30th.

The Ipsos/Global Entrepreneur survey had Haier among the top five recognized Chinese consumer brands in the US, Japan and South Korea.

But a lot of work still needs to be done to raise the international image of Chinese brands, say experts.

The Ipsos survey said the typical opinion about Chinese brands abroad is that their quality and technical content is still not high.