Jörg Wuttke, President of the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China, discusses how European companies are faring.
Stephan Kothrade on the Value of Integration
Stephan Kothrade, BASF Greater China president and chairman, discusses plans for the company’s first wholly owned plant in China and the benefits of an integrated value chain.
Multinational Companies in China: Stuck in the Middle
The Sino-US trade tussle has had the greatest impact on multinational corporations in China—precisely the group that the US started out trying to support. Many have begun considering radical courses of action to stay in business.
Why Chinese Consumers are Leaving Multinational Brands on the Shelf
More domestic brands appearing on store shelves may indicate that the golden days for foreign brands are slipping away. “Made in China” was once considered a sign of cheapness and low-quality, but the belief now has changed. Chinese consumers now think that Chinese brands are equal to, or even exceed, foreign brands. As buyer confidence grows and domestic quality improves, what can multinational brands do to regain ascendancy?
Ioana Kraft on European Dreams and Chinese Realities
Ioana Kraft began her career in international law, and moved to China 14 years ago. Since 2009, she has been the General Manager of the European Union Chamber of Commerce’s Shanghai chapter, working tirelessly to promote the interests of European businesses operating in eastern China. In this interview, she discusses the challenges and opportunities European businesses face in China.
Big Blue Dances in the Digital Era: An interview with IBM China’s CMO
Companies are dying fast these days. In the 1950s, the average age of a company on the Standard & Poor’s 500 index was 60 years, now it is less than 20. But International Business Machines (IBM), known as “Big Blue”, seems to be an exception. Over the past few decades, it has managed to keep up as others were dying and has successfully transformed itself. Now it has become a provider of cognitive solutions and cloud services. How has such a giant company managed to transform? Gill Zhou, chief marketing officer of IBM China, offers an answer in this interview with CKGSB Knowledge.
Torben Pheiffer on Chinese Consumer Behavior in a Rapidly Changing Market
Chinese consumers have changed faster than consumers in probably any other market. Increasing exposure to international media and social media is changing the expectations of Chinese consumers. On top of that, the broad economic slowdown and brand saturation in China has ratcheted up competition to new levels as the days of easy money disappear. For both multinationals and Chinese companies, the changing market dynamics present challenges they have never seen before. In this interview, Torben Pheiffer, Managing Director of SapientNitro, China, explains how companies need to adapt their branding strategies.
Will Fosun Group Become Another Berkshire Hathaway?
Fosun Group, the largest private conglomerate in China, has been on what looks like a no holds-barred acquisition spree for a few years now. It controls the largest number of listed companies in China. It has invested in sectors as diverse as fashion, films and tourism outside China, whereas within China, the company relies heavily on its industrial operations. It is known for having a good relationship with the government, yet last year, Fosun’s founder suddenly disappeared to supposedly assist a graft investigation. How has Fosun scaled up? How do the acquisitions tie in with its business model? And will it realize its ambitions of becoming China’s Berkshire Hathaway?
Uber China Faces a Massive Challenge in the China Market
Doing business in China has never been easy for foreign-owned companies, but Uber has largely managed to avoid conflict by operating as a separate Chinese subsidiary, Uber China, on the mainland. However, Uber China still faces many challenges: competing with Didi, not being profitable, and even worse, its business has always been riding on a government regulation fence. In a market that is as challenging, and competitive as China’s, the answer to winning over China’s smartphone users lies deeper than just competitive pricing or partnerships.
Apple in China: Can it Retain its Shine?
Greater China is now Apple’s number two market after North America, comprising 24% of its business. In October, Apple CEO Tim Cook told investors he expects Greater China will eventually become the company’s top global market. To be sure, Apple faces challenges in Greater China. Sales in the region rose 14% in the company’s first fiscal quarter ended December 26 to $18.4 billion, compared to 70% in the same period a year ago. In a January earnings call, Cook said Apple is starting to see “signs of economic softness” in Greater China. Does the tech giant have staying power in what is now its number two market?
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