SHANGHAI, October 15, 2015 – Global Branding Company Labbrand hosted a LABSquare breakfast seminar themed A Decade of Brand Innovations at UNDEFINE at M50 Creative Park. Vladimir Djurovic, CEO of Labbrand, and Feifei Xu, Brand Strategy Director, presented articles celebrating Labbrand’s 10th anniversary: “The Growth of Branding in China” and “10 Years of Best Branding Actions.” Guests hailed from a wide array of companies, including ActSocial, FRHI Hotels & Resorts, and recent Alibaba investment Mei.com.

Vladimir presented on his recent article discussing the history of branding in China, focusing on three major time periods:

• 2005-2008: The Spoils of Awareness
• 2008-2012: Rise of Ambitions
• 2012-2015: Adapting to a New Era

Describing all of these areas in the context of the four pillars of brand equity, he brought in real-life and oftentimes Labbrand-tested examples of brand adaptation. He discussed the increasingly focused strategies from foreign brands entering and redefining their space in the Chinese market, as well as how Chinese brands have integrated Western techniques and innovated in new dimensions – resulting in some serious competition. In addition, he shared with the audience three trends that will become relevant as branding development in China moves into the next phase.

Feifei presented the findings of Labbrand’s annual Best Branding Actions study (BBA). Sampling 800 consumers from Tier I and II cities across all income levels.  This year’s BBA sought out consumer perceptions on a variety of questions, including which brands were most successful, most unexpected, and most promising. Measured in “number of mentions”, the top three spots for these questions were claimed by Chiense brands, a divergance from past studies.

• Which Brand has been most successful over the past 10 years? Alibaba (188), Huawei (70), Haier (65)
• What is the biggest “dark horse” brand of the past 10 years? Xiaomi (177), Alibaba (142), Huawei (36)
• Which brand will be most successful over the next 10 years? Alibaba (175), Huawei (115), Xiaomi (55)

Recognizing the best performing brands in the study, she provided a deep-dive analysis into the branding actions of two domestic powerhouses: Alibaba and Huawei. Feifei also discussed why the recent Xiaomi craze may not be indicative of the company’s future: when asked “which brand is most likely to disappear in the next 10 years” Xiaomi was not only mentioned – it ranked 3rd. 

With an emphasis on consumer insights, Feifei ended the presentation by highlighting tectonic shifts occluding in the branding industry, such as the implications behind large-scale collaboration and the most widely perceived trends across consumer segements.  These trends are already underway.

For more data and insights from our reports, visit our 10 year website: 10years.labbrand.com.

About Labbrand

Labbrand is a leading China-originated brand consultancy and global branding company, working collaboratively with consumers & corporations to build and strengthen brands through culturally relevant actions. To achieve success and brand innovations, Labbrand seamlessly coordinate research, strategic decisions, and creative implementation.