Strategic options and challenges of chinese brand buildings in Southeast Asia.

Abstract

Chinese brands have achieved notable success In the domestic market and are consciously or unconsciously participating in global resource-, market-, and profit-seeking activities. Different from western winning brands', conventional advantages of advanced technologies or tactful publicizing methods, Chinese brands are more than often labelled as "cheap with bad quality". To change this infamous image and build Chinese brands globally thus calls for strategic actions taken by multinational companies. Enjoying the special geographic, historical, and cultural closeness with Southeast Asia, China has certain advantages in building brands in Southeast Asian market. With the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area established in 2010, remarkable achievements on lowering trade tariffs have been made among China and ASEAN members, and this undoubtedly facilitates bilateral trade, investment and branding as well. Based on these facts, this paper attempts to examine the challenges that Chinese brands are facing when they enter into Southeast Asian market by reviewing cases, and advocating strategic branding policies for Chinese multinational company leaders based on three core elements: business goal; brand resource; and cultural opportunity.