He Jiaxun

While Huawei and Xiaomi have had global success, building the Made in China brand must go beyond big tech

As part of its economic transformation, China needs to encourage brand building. For the best lessons, it must look beyond its high-profile tech titans and at traditional manufacturers like home-appliance label Casarte

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He Jiaxun

Published: 1:00am, 31 Oct 2019Updated: 2:02am, 31 Oct 2019

Shifting China’s growth model has been imperative for the country’s leadership amid a slowing economy and the trade war with the United States. Encouraging brand building could be the linchpin of this endeavour.

The significance of brands in a knowledge-driven economy has never been lost on Beijing’s top cadres. As early as June 2016, the State Council issued a landmark document hailing the “pioneering” role of brands in facilitating supply-demand structural reforms. This marked the beginning of the elevation of an intrinsically corporate matter into a national strategy.

The official endorsement of branding got a leg up the following year with the inauguration of China Brand Day on May 10, an annual occasion to acknowledge and promote the achievements of emerging indigenous brands.

These efforts have borne fruit, and the ascendancy of tech titans such as Huawei and Xiaomi has changed negative stereotypes about “Made in China” for the better.

But the road ahead is challenging. Although a growing crop of businesses actively pursue brand strategies, often with local authorities granting support in earnest, many lack a coherent conceptual framework regarding brand building. What is more, huge regional discrepancies defy a uniform approach to building brands.