高级英语阅读高等教育出版社Business Reading In The International Business.docx

高级英语阅读高等教育出版社Business Reading In The International Business.docx

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高级英语阅读高等教育出版社BusinessReadingInTheInternationalBusiness

Chapter1

TheLongMarch

"MadeinChina"lostitsnoveltylongago.Thelabelhasbecomeubiquitousinmuchoftheworld,affixedtoshoes,toys,apparelandahostofotheritemsproducedforglobalcompanies.Whatisanovelty,however,areChina-madegoodssoldunderChinesebrandnames.OnlyahandfulofChinesefirmssofarhavethemoneyandthemanagementexpertisetoestablishinternationalbrands;mostofthevastremainderarestrugglingtoattainevennationalrecognition.Butthepioneeringcompaniestestingthewatersoverseascouldbeonthethresholdofsomethingbig.

Somebelievethatindividually,withthehelpofenterprisinglocalmanagementoreagermultinationalpartnerswantingtoaddnewproductstotheirstable,Chinesebrandscouldbecomeaglobalphenomenonwithinadecade,marketedonqualityandexoticappeal,aswellascompetitivepricing.SaysVivecaChan,HongKongbasedmanagingdirectoratGreyChina,anadvertisingagency:

"Ifthere'sonecountryintheworldthathasamplepotentialfortakingbrandsglobal,it'sChina."

Intheshortterm,thestrongestpromiseisinChinesemedicine,herbsandspecialtyfood,aswellasgoodsthatplaytotheromanticforeignnessofChina----whetherincosmetics,fashionormusic.SaysKevinTan,generalmanagerforChinaofmarket-researchfirmTaylorNelsonSofresinShanghai:

"There'sstillalotofmystiqueassociatedwithChina.Ifyou'retakingsomethinglikecosmetics,whichisimage-driven...suddenlyyou'vegotastrongplayer."AlsomakingabidtogoglobalareafewtrendsettingChinesebeverageandbeerbrands.Furtherdowntheroadthereisbrand-potentialforproductssuchashomeappliances5thatcanofferqualityatacompetitiveprice.

Someofthesebrandswilleventuallygoabroadviajointventuresormergersandacquisitions.Fortheirforeignowners,thebrandswillprovidespeedieraccesstoChina'sconsumermarketanddistributionchannels,whileatthesametimeservingtocomplementtheowners'premiumbrandsinglobalmarkets.

TheconceptofChinesebrandshasbeenevolvingthroughthe1990s,butisnowgettinggreaterattentionathome.Althoughthedomesticmarketisstillrobust,ahandfulofstate-ownedenterprises,orSOEs,includinglistedChinesecompanies,arenowlookingtoestablishinternationalbrandsbecausetheyreckonthequalityofboththeirproductsandtheirmanagementhasimproved.Chinesejointventuresthinktheirproductscancompeteonqualitywithforeignbrandsanywhere,whileenjoyingtheadvantageofbeingperceivedasexotic.

Besidesbringinginadditionalrevenue,aglobalbrandalsoburnishesacompany'simageinChina,stimulatingsalesamongstatus-consciousdomesticconsumers.Forexample,state-ownedsoft-drinksmakerJianlibaohasdevelopeditsoverseasmarketinpartto"establishagoodimage",whichinturnenhancesconsumptionathome,saysChiefExecutiveHanWeixian.Butbuildingabrandtakestime,moneyandmarketingsavvy.SomeChinesebrandshavenudgedintotheinternationalmarketonthebackofcompetitivepricing,buthavealsoutilizedotherstrategies.JianlibaohashighlighteditsAsianappeal,presentingitselfasthepreferredrehydratingsports-drinkofChina'sathletes,whileMeidi,anair-conditionermaker,ispushingforgreaterbrandrecognition.OtherslikeHaler,oneofChina'sleadinghome-applianceproducers,havepointedlysteeredawayfromprice,competinginsteadonproductqualityandanefficientdistributionandafter-salesservice.Inanotherexample,theAmericandirectinvestmentfirm,AsianStrategicInvestmentCorp.,orAsimco,haspositioneditsrecentlyacquiredFiveStarbeerasapremiumbrand.

Ofcourse,globalsalesdon'tmeanglobalbrands,asGreyChina'sChanpointsout.Andit'sstillearlydaysforChinesecompanies.Forastart,investmentfundsforbrandpromotionarehardtocomeby,saysChuLiangjin,theQingdao-baseddirectoroftheoverseasdivisionofChina'sTsingtaobrewery."Nomorethan5%ofourtotalexportsalescanbereinvestedinpromotingourbrandoverseas,"explainsChu,addingthatTsingtaoistryingtopersuadetheforeign-currencyauthoritiestochangethisstandardpracticeforSOEs.Withthegovernment'semphasisonpreventingtheoutflowofforeigncurrency,thechancesoftherestrictionsbeingliftedareslim.

AlthoughtargetedatSOEsprivatecompanieshavegreaterspendingfreedomthe5%limitisboundtohamperChinesebrands.Jianlibao,forexample,hasinvestedabout$10milliontosellitsbrandintheU.S.market,butLiJingwei,thecompany'sgeneralmanager,knowsthat'sjustadropinthebucket.SittinginhisofficeatJianlibao'sindustrialcomplexinSanshui,a40-minutedrivefromGuangzhou,LireckonsthattosuccessfullygeneratebrandrecognitionamongAmericans,thecompanyneedstospendatleast$50million-100milliononmarketing.HehasnodoubtthatconsumerswilllikeJianlibao'srangeofsportsandsoftdrinks（whichtasteremarkablylikeCoca-Cola'sCoke,SpriteandOrangeFanta）,butexplainsthat"weneedmoneytoinvestinpromotingourselves."

SaysB.C.Lo,HongKong-basedvice-presidentanddirectorofexternalaffairsatCoca-ColaChina:

"I'mnotsurewhethertheycanreallypenetratetheU.S.marketorbecomeaninternationalbrand,butcertainlytheyareastrongcompetitorinChina."Indeed,Jianlibao,whichexportstomorethan20countries,willneedagreatdealmoremoneyandyearsbeforeitcanbeconsideredaseriousplayerabroad.LastyeartheChinesecompanysoldjust200000casesofdrinks（thereare24bottlesorcansinacase）intheUnitedStates.Althoughthecompanyhasfundedahostofpromotionaleventsdonating$100000forU.S.floodreliefin1997,advertisingatMissAmericapageants,sponsoringthe$20000JianlibaoCupGolfTournamentin1997----itsmarketingeffortspaleincomparisonwiththoseofthelikesofCoca-Cola.

OnepromisingareaforChinesebrandsintheglobalmarketplaceiswhitegoodsoflow-tomid-technology.Bysomeestimates,Chinesebrandshaveroughly90%ofthedomesticmarketforrefrigeratorsandwashingmachines,70%-80%ofthemarketforair-conditionersand60%forcolortelevisions."Inmanyareasthequalityofproductshasimprovedtothepointwheretheyarequitemarketable,"saysPhilipDay,avice-presidentatconsultingfirmA.T.KearneyinHongKong."Whatwe'renowseeingisChinesecompaniesgettingtheiracttogetherintermsofmarketing."

Halerisamongthebest-knownwhite-goodsbrandsinChina.Undertheguidanceofitsdynamicpresident,ZhangRuimin,thecompanyhasturnedfrombeingaloss-makerintoanexporter.Itclaimsthatmorethan60%oftheimportedwashingmachinesinJapanaremadebyHaler,andthatintheU.S.,itholdsa20%marketsharefor36-litreto180-litrerefrigerators.Inthefirst11monthsoflastyear,Haler-brandrefrigeratorexportstotheU.S.reached$15.6million,upfrom$12.6millionforthewholeof1997.

MarioZhu,ananalystatABNAmroSecuritiesinShanghai,saysHaier'smarketingteamhashelpedbuildthecompany'sreputationinEuropeandnowintheU.S."Theyhaveresearchcentersthatgivethemupdatedinformationonmarketdemand,"sheadds."Theydoaggressiveadvertisingandthey'vegotgoodR&D.''Haier'sZhangsaysthecompany'sstrengthsarehighqualityandgooddistributionwithgoodnetworksforsalesandservice.

Certainly,Haierdoesn'tspendmuchonmarketing,comparedwiththeamountearmarkedbymostinternationalcompanies.IntheU.S.,Haier'spromotionbudgetaccountsforonlyapaltry1%ofitsAmericansales.ThecompanyhasopenedaspecialtyshoponNewYork'sFifthAvenueandinMarchhiredadesigncompanyinLosAngelestodeterminewhatAmericanconsumerslikedbestinarefrigerator.ZhangadmitsHaierhasn't"developedarealbrandnameyet"amongaverageAmericanconsumers,butpointsoutthatit'sstartingtogetsomerecognitionamongrefrigeratormakers,distributorsandspecialtyshops.

AnotherChinesebrandintheU.S.marketisMeidi.Acollectiveenterprisethatchurnsoutair-conditionersinGuangzhou,Meidiin1997achieved$386.5millioninsales,ofwhich$70millionstemmedfromexports.In1998thecompanystressedoverseasmarkets,andasaresultexpectsexportsfortheyeartoreach$80millionoutoftotalsalesof$604million,accordingtoPengQiang,directorofthecompany'soverseasdivision.Hebelievesthe"timeismature"todeveloptheoverseasmarketforMeidi,whichcompetesonbothpriceandbrandrecognition."Weareattendingmoreoverseasexhibitionstofurtherimprovebrandrecognitionandhavespentmoreonadvertisements,especiallyinHongKong,"Pengnotes.

Chinesebrandsunderthewingsofforeigncompaniesusuallyhavetheadvantageofplumpermarketingbudgetsandbetteraccesstomanagementexpertise.ButalthoughoverseascompaniestypicallybuythesebrandstogainaccesstoChina'sconsumersanddistributionchannels,theyalsocanhavelargeplansfortheiracquisitions."ThemultinationalsthatarebuyingupChinesebrandsarenotgoingtorestricttheirbusinesstothedomesticmarket,"saysDayofA.T.Kearney."Someofthesebrandsaren'tnecessarilygoingtobepitchedagainstpremiumbrandsabroadimmediately,buttheymightbepitchedinothersegmentsofthemarket.I'dlookatChinainthelong-termasbeingthesourceofsignificantcompetitionformultinationalbrandsglobally."

TakethecaseofUnilever,oneoftheworld'slargestconsumer-goodscompanies,withannualsalesofabout$50billion.ThismammothAnglo-DutchgroupinJulyboughtLaocai,aChinesepickled-vegetableandsoy-saucebrandthatitplanstotakeglobalwithinthenextfiveyears.Unileverwouldn'tspecifyexa