Lessons from successful British brands in China

What are some of the impressions by the Chinese people on the United Kingdom? The monarchy, football or the James Bond series movies? We must acknowledge that Britain itself is a highly valuable brand in China given the popularity of British culture among younger generation Chinese. Whenever you mention Britain to Chinese people, they often think about a country that is both historical and cultural. Which is a very different impression compared to the Chinese understanding of the American culture. And that gives British brands operating in China a competitive edge compared to their American counterparts.

Some of the most popular British brands operating in China include Dyson, Burberry and Rolls-Royce Cars. Dyson has made its marks by having its products sold in 200 stores across 45 cities in China. China’s number press People’s Daily estimated that Dyson held 61% of China’s vacuum cleaner market in 2018. What have they done right to stay successful and competitive in the Chinese market? The most important thing is their ability to advertise their ‘Britishness’ to the Chinese customers through their marketing, branding and advertisements. If you study the advertisements of these brands in China carefully, you will notice the frequency of the appearance of British elements. For example the Union Jack and famous landmarks in London will always be an important theme in their advertisements and branding. Chinese customers recognise these landmarks instantly when they see these adverts and they will then associate these brands with the British culture that they are familiar with. The ability of a brand to advertise its ‘Britishness’ to the Chinese customers is absolutely crucial to secure its popularity in the Chinese market. The fact that Burberry has accomplished this target in its advertisements in China is a great explanation for its success and popularity in China.

Another crucial factor for the success of these British brands in China is their ability to integrate into the local Chinese culture. Many of these brands have done extensive research into the Chinese market and culture. They really understand the importance and meaning of traditional Chinese festivals to the local people. And therefore they have combined their advertisements and branding with traditional Chinese elements. For example, Dyson published a special commercial for its hairdressing machine in the Qixi Festival( the Chinese Valentine Day) and received a huge success among its Chinese customers. Burberry also published a commercial featuring famous Chinese celebrities during Chinese New Year 2021. The ability to work with Chinese celebrities and the combination of the British brands with traditional Chinese cultural elements is another key reason to explain the two brands’ success and popularity in China. Chinese customers appreciate the efforts by these British brands to integrate with the local culture. As China’s economic power and influence further develops, the people’s pride in the country’s cultural heritage also increases.

The last reason to explain these British brands’ success in China is their ability to utilise the popularity of e-commerce platforms among the Chinese customers. British brand such as Dyson has collaborated with Chinese e-commerce giants such as Alibaba’s Tmall and JD.com to promote their products online. They have also capitalised on the famous Chinese e-commerce festival such as 11.11( the Black Friday of China) to promote the sales of their products. The ability for a British brand to engage with the Chinese e-commerce empire is extremely important to secure its position in the Chinese market. For British brands operating in China, they must have the willingness and determination to transform themselves into an e-commerce friendly brand. For Chinese people, e-commerce is truly an important part of their consumption behaviours.