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Branding for Chinese manufacturers: What NOT to do!

Getting it right isn't easy, but it is possible

Being a Chinese manufacturer presents many great opportunities and benefits when it comes to branding yourproducts, if done correctly, but like with everything in life, there are always going to be setbacks when it comes toestablishing yourself on the global stage, setbacks that more often than not stem from your very own brand strategy.

If you are reading this then you are probably already on the road to becoming a brand, or at least you have thoughtabout becoming one, and you are on the lookout for things you are doing that may not be hitting the target in Westernmarkets.

In this blog I'm going to run you through some of the things you should NOT do when creating a brand strategyaimed at the West. It will help you to take a serious look at your current strategy and possibly change certain areas ofit that might be weighing you down (regardless of what you might believe works).

So let's get right into here with branding for Chinese manufacturers: What NOT to do!

1) Don't be just another carbon copy of your competitors

This is possibly one of the worst things that a manufacturer can do, and is one of the things that many manufacturersin China are still doing to this day. By copying your competition, their branding strategies, product ideas etc. you maybelieve that you will cash in on their success, but this is very far from the truth. By doing this you do nothing todifferentiate yourself from the thousands of other manufacturers out there and effectively end your brands chances ofgoing global.

Point to take away: Be unique, find different ways to make your mark, nobody likes a copy-cat, especially the law!

2) Don't stick with your Chinese name

Here is another one of those things that loads of manufacturers just can't seem to shake, and it's something that hasyour millions of potential customers in the West scratching their heads! Your Chinese name (albeit your identity inChina) has no marketable value in the West because it is not easily identifiable, consumers find it difficult to relate to,and unfortunately "MADE IN CHINA" with a Chinese name to boot on your product does little to shake fears of inferiorquality.

Point to take away: For your brand to succeed in the West you need a name that people can relate to. Over time,good branding and a relatable name naturally becomes the guarantee of your product's quality

3) Don't rush into anything

In your quest to get your products and brand noticed in Western markets your eagerness might lead to anunstructured branding strategy, if implemented too quickly will certainly doom your brand before it has even had thechance to make an impact.

Point to take away: Effective branding is the combination of a well-thought out, structured process that takes sometime. If you are having trouble with the process (or simply don't have the time) it's useful to cooperate withexperienced branding professionals to help you make the biggest impact once your brand is launched.

4) Don't rely on your old marketing channels

Whilst word-of-mouth marketing is still pretty influential in Chinese society today, it has no reach in Westernmarkets and you can't continue to rely on it and other familiar marketing and/or sales channels like Alibaba or GlobalSources that don't provide the real value that your potential customers are looking for in your brand's products.

Point to take away: The simple truth is that using these methods aren't working as well as they used to. Word-of-mouth will only begin to take effect once your brand is established in the West. You need to be present where yourideal customers are online and provide them with the information they are searching for so they can find you! Thisincludes dabbling in things such as content marketing, social media marketing, SEO, blogging and targeted emailmarketing.

5) Don't 'false' advertise

Another one of the pitfalls many Chinese manufacturers can't seem to avoid is promising a lot more than they areactually offering. Whilst this may seem like the clever thing to do to help convince potential customers that what youare offering is sensational, it really just makes your brand untrustworthy and FALSE.

Point to take away: Honesty is always the best policy! If anything, the best thing a brand can do is maintain a highlevel of transparency so people get to know the real YOU. By being honest you become a brand that people can relyon, they will be able to relate better to your products and their message!

Time to brand up!

At Oxygen 2.0 we are dedicated to helping Chinese manufacturers make their mark in overseas markets! Clickbelow to get your free website, brand and marketing assessment so we can help you identify where you are currentlyat, and what you need to do to get where you want to be!

Posted by Dewet Boshoff on Mon 13 Apr, 2015

Dewet is originally from South Africa and has been living in Asia for almost 10 years. He found his calling in China,becoming a fluent Mandarin speaker whilst studying Business & Chinese at Shenzhen University, and was amongthe first cohort of foreign students to graduate with honours there. He is an inbound marketing scholar and socialmedia enthusiast. Dewet delights in using his language skills to promote inbound in China and to educate the West onChinese social media. When Dewet isn't on the job he enjoys outdoor activities, traveling to exotic locations andsocialising with his friends-online and in the real world!

Topics: branding