As China opens up once again, many global businesses that had postponed or toned down their activities and engagement with this market will start thinking about the future. Here are three things that have changed over the last 3 years Within the space of a week in December, China relaxed all the COVID restrictions thatContinue reading “China 2023: Navigating changing tides”
Category Archives: China is Different
Think global or local? Confused?
MNCs often find it hard to manage their China business. Local teams insist that it’s different and needs a unique approach. Regional and global teams are worried about departing from a brand framework and business strategy that’s proven successful everywhere else in the world. How can you frame this interaction positively and help the businessContinue reading “Think global or local? Confused?”
The Goldilocks Zone (part 2)
IKEA vs. Home Depot 6.45 million new homes were built in China in 2019. Culturally, owning a home is a prerequisite to getting married and starting a family, and as a result 90% of households own their home; one of the highest ownership rates in the world. Two brands, IKEA and Home Depot seemed perfectlyContinue reading “The Goldilocks Zone (part 2)”
The Goldilocks Zone
That old trope about pencils in space Stop me if you’ve heard this one… During the space race, NASA discovered that typical ball-point pens don’t work in space. So, they invested a million dollars to develop a pen that would work in zero gravity, could write upside down and could withstand the extremes of outerContinue reading “The Goldilocks Zone”
6.18 – China’s second “shopping day”
As perhaps many people are already aware, 11.11 (November 11) was launched as a shopping extravaganza by Alibaba’s TMall – initially named “Singles Day” although now it’s become pretty universal. Jing Dong (JD) launched their own special shopping day on June 18 which was their founder’s birthday and over the years it’s become China’s secondContinue reading “6.18 – China’s second “shopping day””
Alibaba’s 11.11 (world’s biggest online shopping festival) – hype or honest opportunity?
Double Eleven (11.11, or 11 Nov), a.k.a. Singles’ Day Festival is a global shopping event initiated by Alibaba and adopted by other e-commerce platforms and retailers. For those who are not familiar with it, Alibaba’s online shopping event on November 11 every year is the biggest in the world. You could say Black Friday is Amazon’s weaker,Continue reading “Alibaba’s 11.11 (world’s biggest online shopping festival) – hype or honest opportunity?”
Opportunities and hurdles in China’s vast e-commerce market
At first sight, the China e-commerce market looks like a marvelous gateway to the land of 1.3 billion consumers. However, there are some key differences between the e-commerce world here and elsewhere. Brands are not in control of their online commerce in China the way they can be elsewhere. There is room in most marketsContinue reading “Opportunities and hurdles in China’s vast e-commerce market”
Little Ondine – the start-up cosmetics brand that made it big in China
Challenge: After an initial successful launch, many copycats launched cheap products on EC forcing Little Ondine to reduce prices. The business dropped in the absence of tactical price promotions. Offline stores lost revenue and became unprofitable. The consumer profile on Tmall is students or girls from T2 cities who can’t afford regular visits to theContinue reading “Little Ondine – the start-up cosmetics brand that made it big in China”
China’s Advertiser-Unfriendly Digital Media Ecosystem
There is one profound difference between the digital media landscape in China and everywhere else. The two key players who control most desirable digital advertising inventory / publishers in China do not depend on advertising for their revenue.This simple fact makes it easy to understand why, unlike Google, Facebook, Twitter or ad-exchanges elsewhere in theContinue reading “China’s Advertiser-Unfriendly Digital Media Ecosystem”
Addressing the right opportunity 