Kimberly A. Whitler

<article-ideainbrief class="article-ideainbrief">
 <h4 class="ideainbrief-title">Idea in Brief</h4>
 <div class="ideainbrief-contents">
  <h5>The Problem</h5>
  <p>Western executives of multinational brands seeking to expand globally are quick to export their media and ad strategies to developing markets. But these theories and practices, created largely in the West, are not enough to succeed in China’s new landscape.</p>
  <h5>The Context</h5>
  <p>Chinese marketers rely on the creation of shareable, viral content and the presence of dominant, channel-straddling media giants. The Chinese approach is faster, cheaper, and often more effective than Western marketing is. It’s also more embracing of risk.</p>
  <h5>The Way Forward</h5>
  <p>Western firms must learn to adapt in six ways to successfully market in China. These techniques may also help them compete around the world.</p>
 </div>
</article-ideainbrief><p>In 2017, the fast-growing Chinese liquor brand Xi Jiu wanted to launch an ad campaign to boost sales in anticipation of Chinese New Year. If Xi Jiu were a large Western company in a developed market, its brand managers would have begun laying plans many months in advance—consulting with an ad agency; allocating money to TV, online, and billboards; brainstorming creative approaches; and filming commercials.</p>

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<p>For decades, Western executives of multinational brands seeking to expand globally have operated under a simple premise: Marketing content and channel selection should be customized to local markets, but Western marketing principles are universal. Firms are particularly quick to export media and ad strategies to developing markets, where advertising and media are more recent developments.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, Chinese marketers have developed a unique approach tailored to China&#8217;s mobile-first consumer. It relies on the creation of shareable, viral content and the presence of dominant, channel-straddling media giants. It is faster and cheaper and often more effective than the Western marketing paradigm. It also is more embracing of risk. For companies that hope to enter China or grow existing operations there, understanding the Chinese marketing mindset will be essential to achieving success.</p>
<p>This article examines the adjustments Western companies must make to succeed in China&#8212;and around the world.</p>

What Western Marketers Can Learn from China

For decades, Western executives of multinational brands seeking to expand globally have operated under a simple premise: Marketing content and channel selection should be customized to local markets, but Western marketing principles are universal. Firms are particularly quick to export media and ad strategies to developing markets, where advertising and media are more recent developments. Meanwhile, Chinese marketers have developed a unique approach tailored to China’s mobile-first consumer. It relies on the creation of shareable, viral content and the presence of dominant, channel-straddling media giants. It is faster and cheaper and often more effective than the Western marketing paradigm. It also is more embracing of risk. For companies that hope to enter China or grow existing operations there, understanding the Chinese marketing mindset will be essential to achieving success. This article examines the adjustments Western companies must make to succeed in China—and around the world.

What Western Marketers Can Learn from China

Summary.

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