On tOp Of my agendaTo succeed in China, you need to do your homework, says Cathy Huang, president of CBi China Bridge.

On tOp Of my agendaTo succeed in China, you need to do your homework, says Cathy Huang, president of CBi China Bridge.

Her objective is to help multinational companies understand Chinese customers and to assist Chinese companies in building world-famous brands.

Foreign companies often fail to consider the local culture and consumer behavior.

mistakes.

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Foreign companies often fail to consider the local culture and consumer behavior. Too often they simply assume locals are eager to try foreign goods.

mistakes.

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mistakes.

“China is a large and versatile country that should not be perceived as one entity. There are great differences within China in terms of weather, customs and socio-economic situations.

China is a large and versatile country that should not be perceived as one entity. There are great differences within China in terms of weather, customs and socio-economic situations.

Therefore, you should not make any assumptions other than that there is a lot of variation in the services and products Chinese consumers are looking for.

mistakes.

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You need to understand the culture and the market before you adjust your business strategy accordingly.

ReseaRch.

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You need to understand the culture and the market before you adjust your business strategy accordingly.

Because of the size of China, you need to decide where to go and how to best approach the area

ReseaRch.

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You need to understand the culture and the market before you adjust your business strategy accordingly.

Because of the size of China, you need to decide where to go and how to best approach the area – and then strategically plan for expansion.

ReseaRch.

“

You need to understand the culture and the market before you adjust your business strategy accordingly.

Because of the size of China, you need to decide where to go and how to best approach the area – and then strategically plan for expansion.

Be aware of and respect local differences.

ReseaRch.

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China is a very fast-growing market. The big cities are as global as their Western counterparts.

futuRe.

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China is a very fast-growing market. The big cities are as global as their Western counterparts.

China’s third and fourth tier cities, along with the western part of the country, are still to be evolved, so the business potential is huge.

futuRe.

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China is a very fast-growing market. The big cities are as global as their Western counterparts.

China’s third and fourth tier cities, along with the western part of the country, are still to be evolved, so the business potential is huge.

The Chinese government’s Western development program encourages businesses to “go west,” and in the coming years, it is these areas that have high-growth potential.

futuRe.

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magazine 3/2011

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