03.14
It’s been two weeks since I moved from Shanghai to Singapore to join FutureBrand, but I still have one last post in my “top brand stories from China” series. Previously, I posted five of 2010’s top brand stories in China, a recap of something I wrote for last December’s issue of Labbrand’s LABReport. This final post looks at the overarching trends and “brands to watch” related to each of the five stories. Each story demonstrated a broader trend that will continue in the near and long term.
To read the original five stories, click the links below:
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02.05
This is the final story in a series of posts about 2010’s top five brand stories in China. This is one of my favorites—I think the revival of some of these old Shanghai and Chinese brands has a lot of growth potential over the next 5 years, and it’s really fun to watch.
My next post will summarize all the stories and the trends they represent. A complete version of this article is available in last December’s issue of Labbrand’s LABReport.
Shuang Mei (双妹) Returns as Shanghai VIVE
What Happened
State-owned Shanghai Jahwa Group is China’s largest cosmetics company and owner of Herborist, a natural-ingredient cosmetics line that has recently exported products to Europe and the USA. This past summer, the group re-launched one of its own iconic legacy brands, previously known as Shuang Mei (双妹). The brand has a new name, Shanghai VIVE, but everything else about it looks old, nostalgic, retro.
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01.28
This is the fourth in a series of posts about 2010’s top five brand stories in China. All five are listed in the December issue of Labbrand’s LABReport.
Hermès Launches Shang Xia (上下)
What Happened
French luxury giant Hermès helped fund the creation and launch of Shang Xia, a new luxury brand designed and manufactured in China. Aside from owning over 75% of the company, Hermès’ specific involvement is not yet clear. The first Shang Xia boutique is in Hong Kong Plaza, a luxury shopping mall in Shanghai.
The brand’s products are slightly more affordable than those of Hermès, which has 20 stores in China already. Also, Shang Xia is positioned as a Chinese brand, led by a designer from Shanghai (although trained in France), with products—such as tea sets, apparel, and jewelry—made from local materials and designed based on traditional Chinese craftsmanship.
Why It Matters
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01.20
This is the third in a series of posts about 2010’s top five brand stories in China. All five are listed in the December issue of Labbrand’s LABReport.
Levi’s Launches dENiZEN in Shanghai
What Happened
137-year old American apparel company Levi Strauss & Co. launched its first brand to debut outside the US in August of 2010. Dubbed dENiZEN, the lower-priced sub-brand is targeted at 18 to 28 year-old men and women in Asia, and specifically China, where Levi’s has been operating for 10 years. Levi’s hopes dENiZEN will present a more affordable entry point for Chinese consumers, and has emphasized the brand’s accessibility by using amateur models—“everyday people”—in runway shows and advertisements. dENiZEN first launched in Shanghai, with plans to expand to Beijing and other cities.
Why It Matters
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01.13
1. It’s different.
You’d think this kind of knee-jerk reaction would be limited to amateurs, but even Laura Ries writes, “when it comes to branding, the best kind of change is usually no change at all.” Really? Companies change, market conditions change, competition changes, consumers and their preferences change. The world changes. But logos shouldn’t?
2. They got rid of “Starbucks.”
CoreBrand contends that “dropping the Starbucks name from their logo will only serve to confuse consumers who are not as familiar with the company” (posted on Branding Strategy Insider). Seriously? Starbucks has 16,000 stores. Nike, Apple, McDonald’s and others have dropped their names, and seem to be ok.
Besides, this will aid the company’s global expansion efforts by focusing on a universal design rather than a language-specific name. “Starbucks,” or a localized name like “星巴克,” can still be printed nearby, like on the opposite side of the cup.
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01.12
This is the second in a series of posts about 2010’s top five brand stories in China. All five are listed in the December issue of Labbrand’s LABReport.
Volvo Purchased by Geely
What Happened
In March, Ford Motor Company sold Volvo to Zhejiang Geely Holding Group for over 1.5 billion USD. The holding company
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