Kangnai Group, a shoe company originating in Zhejiang province in China, plans to build about 35 new stores abroad in 2010, said Zhou Jinmiao, the Vice General Manager of the group.

The National Broadcasting Company (NBC), a famous American television network, has recently taken actions, together with P&G, to reach an underserved market on the Web— baby boomers. According to NBC, more than a third of all Internet users are adults between 45 and 64 years-old, who are still energetic but are now dealing with aging issues. NBC believes there is a unique opportunity to work with P&G Productions to build an online portal for this large but untapped group.

Recently, Dairy Queen kicked off a social media promotion to celebrate the 25th anniversary of its Blizzard ice cream treat by asking consumers to upload a one-minute video of themselves on YouTube singing “Happy Birthday” to the Blizzard. For those who weren’t comfortable singing, video submissions could also be in the form of a rap, rhyme or dance.

Recently, the world's second-largest food company, Kraft has signed a marketing alliance with National CineMedia, which will bring Kraft brands such as Oscar Mayer Lunchables, Stride gum and Ritz crackers to movie cinemas. This could be the first time a food brand has created long-form branded content for the big screen.

In order to reach moms with innovative ideas and business ambitions, diaper giant Huggies launched a new program, called HuggiesMomInspired.com, which aims to provide venture capital funding to entrepreneurial mothers. With this website, Kimberly-Clark brand further strengthened its relationship with its target audience and customers, many of whom are business women and social media users.

After setting up its Chinese headquarters in 2009 in Shanghai, JYSK opened its first store in the same city. This Danish retail chain, selling mattresses, sheets, furniture, and more, was founded in 1979 and has been operating internationally since 1984. JSYK has more than 1600 stores in 34 countries, and they open 2 to 3 stores every week somewhere in the world. Their ambition is clear- to be the worldwide leader by offering products at a low price.

When Diapers Go Digital
Recently, Pampers launched their first application for the iPad. This free app, called “Hello Baby – Pregnancy Calendar”, lets parents watch how their baby is growing week by week when they enter the baby’s due date. Pampers, belonging to Procter & Gamble, has tried numerous digital and social media communication methods to reach potential consumers. In 2008, they developed a community website called Pampers Village. The website offers the same type of information as the application on the iPad, but it also allows mothers (and fathers) to discuss about their future baby. During the past months, it has become a real “mother-to-be” forum, and has collected a lot of information about Pampers customers.

During the 10-day countdown to the opening of Expo 2010 Shanghai, McDonald’s officially launched a series of special products with the theme of "I’m lovin’ it--McDonald's Shanghai taste!”. These Shanghai-flavored products include chicken wings with preserved bean curd, sweet-sour boneless pork hamburger, and modern lemon salt soda water. McDonald’s has also made an "I’m lovin’ Shanghai" commemorative Love Bear.

With last month’s announcement of Starbucks’ plan to offer tea in its hundreds of China-based stores, old questions are resurfacing about how Western brands should approach the Chinese marketplace. Chief among these questions is how to balance advantages of being perceived as a foreign brand with the increased relevance that comes from catering products to a local market.