Creating Chinese brand recognition? An idea and rant

[u/No_Conference5443]

Hello,

I've been thinking about China a lot lately, the various propaganda on every side of things. We hear propaganda about China being such a big threat and these "inferior Chinese goods" and anti China speech and questioning loyalties of sides of critics of or voices in support of China.

It can get scary sometimes when you don't know what's going on. I recently came across Professor Jiang on youtube and he has helped me a lot understanding the world around me. As well, I saw that video of Chinese manufacturers speaking up about the criticism of Chinese goods as cheap and poorly made and it really hit a nerve with me. They showed they are the highest quality manufacturer of products and it was so clear they had pride in what they do and it really punched me in the gut. That's such a thankless and hurtful reputation to give Chinese goods and talent.

Since then, I've spent a lot of time trying to understand the geopolitical relations. I think in the past maybe there has been pressure about criticising aspects of China and it might be hard to know what your everday Chinese citizen thinks. The Chinese friends I've had were people that always made me feel welcome and like I had a friend. Cheer me up if I was having a bad day. China has been actually ahead of their time in some ways on things like censorship. Western kids are more depressed than every due to unfettered access to social media, their self esteems are at an all time low and once you see that play out in real time, things that seemed restrictive seem now more protective.

I had an idea today that might prove to be very valuable for everybody. I learned about the supply chains and how companies create brands for Chinese goods and take that profit to the bank. The Chinese make the goods and Westerners become disgustingly rich exploiting the work of the Chinese and the bank accounts of the citizens that buy the price inflated items at a discount to sell for a fortune.

There is a lot of talk about foreign influence in Canada where I live. As a consumer, there is an oversaturation of items everywhere that have generic pictures, names that sound long and confusing, many items that appear duplicate sold by several manufacturers. Amazon Haul was something I recently discovered - brilliant, you can buy by the item. You dont have to buy more than you need. The prices are reasonable for someone on a fixed income like myself.

The problem is, for me as a Westerner as a consumer, there is no brand recognition. Many products have no reviews, the names can be confusing and it might turn me off of buying something worried I won't know what I'm buying.

I want to create a platform that benchmarks these goods with a seal of approval. I want to develop a detailed and excellent standard to rate and certify Chinese goods for various marks of quality. It's hard to trust that someone who is sponsored by a company will be honest. If I develop a standard for certification, including a policy of anti slavery practice, it will be transparent in my reviews. Additionally, something I think that could be great for China Canada relations, I was thinking that once the product is reviewed I can donate it to the local foodbank. I access these services myself, and know how important they can be.

Taxonomy, "Provides a standardized global naming system that prevents the confusion of regional common names" maybe a play on words with Xin, Taxinomy or a play on words with Confusion to show respect for the culture and traditions of China and appreciation for quality items you would want to own. Maybe having nicknames for manufacturers that have a more Western appeal to create new brand loyalty in a system that I feel many consumers feel is confusing territories. AI is doing so much, working with the manufacturers to think of a name could show the personality of these brands to a new audience. Make them more relatable and create brand trust in a market that is so confusing.

Knowing the items will get donated to those in need in Canada will show great goodwill and generosity and the care for eachother across the ocean. It makes it more about humanity than brand sponsorship. Having low cost items that we verify we can trust will help Chinese manufacturers to sell more products at prices those of us who are on low incomes can afford and less greedy corporations to exploit all of us for money.

What do you think? I think this could become huge, honestly. Create brand trust internationally for good manufacturers and keep the product prices cheap for people who need them. Honesty, integrity, craftmanship. I hope someone likes this idea as much as me.

[u/werchoosingusername]

Agree with the challenges that Japanese products faced in the 70s and 80s. Yet it is important to keep in mind that Japan is a western ally. Still it did not prevent US, UK and EU to find ways to slow down Japan's dominance.

This is been tried in numerous ways with China as well of course.

As long as China is not consistently producing quality it will face a hard time gaining trust. Current EV craze in EU markets is mainly because consumers are desperate to get cheap EVs. Service and parts are still question marks which need to be solved.

Some Chinese companies, after failing to set up distribution, wisely outsourced this to local players. Still the spare parts issue is an important one. Chinese in general are very bad at service. They want to sell and grab the money. This has to change.

You want to invest time and money setting up a platform and your counterparts just want to make money as they are used to. In addition to that if they feel your requirements are suffocation their way of doing business they will drop you like a hot potato and focus on the domestic market.

China will not get a fair fighting chance to prove its soft power. This does not happen in 20 years. It took western brands and societies way longer to establish soft power.

Brand loyalty in China even for own brands is rather limited. They consistently want the ride the next hype. And you want to establish recognition for Chinese brands in West. The day your done the brand might not exist or started producing something totally different. The reality in China is that SMEs have to be constantly fighting for survival. Your idea sounds like elevator music to them.

[u/No_Conference5443 → u/werchoosingusername]

Thank you for taking the time to thoughtfully respond. That's very insightful what you say about the lack of service. I guess there are pros and cons to selling high volumes of things with little markup. Little markup means little or no support.

I feel it would be very little investment for possibly a high reward.

I understand the brand might not exist the next day, because why should it if no oner is looking to be a return customer and there isn't any support you planned to offer? As a consumer, there is an assumption that if it feels like a fly by night operation, there will be corners cut and there is little incentive or no incentive to ensure the item is good quality.

Choice paralysis, for myself as a consumer, often has me debating between similar listings at a steep discount or a recognized brand for significantly more. If I knew someone would vouch for the quality of the item, it would seal the deal when there are sooo many listings.

The manufacturer gets its chance to shine twice. Once for the quality of the product, second for the virtue of charity. "Research shows that a vast majority of Western consumers now expect brands to actively display moral alignment rather than remaining neutral market actors."

I mean, it's for that very reason I'm wanting to do this without charging anybody. It won't cost more than the small amount for web hosting. Simply because as a consumer, I want to support a manufacturer that also values charity to those in need. The reciprocal gesture could definitely sway Western consumers. Maybe I'm just naive to think this type of thing matters to manufacturers. I can see things from the lens of a Western consumer, and can see a broad list of reasons it would be beneficial for China's image on the world stage.

As a regular citizen exposed to anti China rhetoric, it's genuinely scary (intentionally so). The unknown is scary, I hoped this would make China feel less unknown and scary. Company makes good product and it ends up in the hands of someone who needs it. I feel positively about supporting a company that thinks that is important. I understand why they might choose to just deal domestic to save themselves a headache. And the more that show that moral alignment, the better people's impression of China is.

The more exposure someone has to Chinese people in their life, the less something like this matters. Someone that doesn't really know Chinese people will project all sorts of traits and qualities on the only interactions they might have, ie manufacturer doesn't have after product support, extrapolates to thinking Chinese people care entirely for Chinese interests and they dont have regard for us and that's why we hear about Chinese spying they must be planning something bad. I know it's stupid but fear is irrational, and familiarity erodes fear.

I hope I'm not naive in my idea. Just like a rebranding from "made in China" to "made in China with love!" feels a lot different and then the world feels a little less scary and more easy to understand... as a consumer and citizen of the West, I know my needs, what is important to me and what would shift the image of China and the Chinese people. I thought it could be a nice bridge and I hope someone might think my idea could make a difference for people. Something that might generate a desire to learn more about Chinese people and get better acquainted.

[u/werchoosingusername → u/No_Conference5443]

Honestly? Yes you are (a bit) naïve. Well on the other hand it shows that you are passionate person. Problem is China does not do passion. It is still survival of the fittest.

Sadly China did not work in similar thinking patterns as you are accustomed to. Until 5-8 years ago turbo capitalism was rewritten in China. Making money was their biggest credo. An easy benchmark for a fast moving society. Typical question at social gatherings was the immediate question about how many apartments one owned. By that you savviness was established and maybe something could be learned from. No apartments? Poor schmuck. They turned to next one and the questioning started once again.

With current real estate crisis those who thought who figured it out are in for a rude awakening. Properties are in free fall, especially not so good locations. Anyway.

This generation is now slowly retiring. The kids they have raised are soft and spoiled people with no not much ambition. The ONLY thing they had to do is to be bring good grades. They don't have street smartness of their parents to make that kind of money or enter into businesses. Times have also changed or we are admits a transition.

The reason why I am telling this so that you better understand the society. Since 5 years China is stalling most people dont want to start a new business. They are disillusioned to say the least.

Manufacturers do not have the time or willingness to entertain your business model. They are really barely surviving.

In LinkedIn I see some wealthy local people who claim they figured it out how to promote wither a foreign product in China or abroad. Those are the ones with local connections to brands.

You will not get a chance to talk to those brands. Brands which understand the value of a platform you are suggesting. On the other hand I highly doubt that branding themselves to western audiences is their priority.

Your best strategy would be to go after brands in the US, I presume, which are established but lack the missing credibility to complete the circle of trust. They already have a US representative who will understand you and might want to join your platform.

[u/Tema_Art_7777]

I am not sure about internal brand loyalty but there are tons of companies established themselves as very high quality and market leaders. Take a look at BambuLabs and DJI - none of them are cheap by any means and both better than western counterparts. China is not a Western ally for sure but that doesn’t change the fact that they are getting better by the day.

[u/No_Conference5443 → u/Tema_Art_7777]

I am sure that could be the case, but there are no brands I am particularly familiar with except for Govee and Geekvape. I am wanting to make a system that helps people find maybe lesser known and obscure manufacturers and introduce familiarity. One thing I am frequently seeing is products with the same picture and same description that have different manufacturers so I don't know if there is a company duplicating listings to create fake competition etc there are a lot of questions that might lead me not to purchase something. The rather generic nature of many listings among lack of recognition of these brands is confusing for me as a consumer. Ecommerce has so many variables, I just really think a quality certification or seal for products could help consumers find the best product for the best price point.

Choice paralysis is very real! Different items might require a different level of standard for different situations, so knowing the cheapest option that guarantees the consumer they are getting what they need out of the item would be very helpful. I know I can't be the only one feeling nervous buying something that appears to be a duplicate of something else worried I will not get what I pay for. Thank you!

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Hello,

I've been thinking about China a lot lately, the various propaganda on every side of things. We hear propaganda about China being such a big threat and these "inferior Chinese goods" and anti China speech and questioning loyalties of sides of critics of or voices in support of China.

It can get scary sometimes when you don't know what's going on. I recently came across Professor Jiang on youtube and he has helped me a lot understanding the world around me. As well, I saw that video of Chinese manufacturers speaking up about the criticism of Chinese goods as cheap and poorly made and it really hit a nerve with me. They showed they are the highest quality manufacturer of products and it was so clear they had pride in what they do and it really punched me in the gut. That's such a thankless and hurtful reputation to give Chinese goods and talent.

Since then, I've spent a lot of time trying to understand the geopolitical relations. I think in the past maybe there has been pressure about criticising aspects of China and it might be hard to know what your everday Chinese citizen thinks. The Chinese friends I've had were people that always made me feel welcome and like I had a friend. Cheer me up if I was having a bad day. China has been actually ahead of their time in some ways on things like censorship. Western kids are more depressed than every due to unfettered access to social media, their self esteems are at an all time low and once you see that play out in real time, things that seemed restrictive seem now more protective.

I had an idea today that might prove to be very valuable for everybody. I learned about the supply chains and how companies create brands for Chinese goods and take that profit to the bank. The Chinese make the goods and Westerners become disgustingly rich exploiting the work of the Chinese and the bank accounts of the citizens that buy the price inflated items at a discount to sell for a fortune.

There is a lot of talk about foreign influence in Canada where I live. As a consumer, there is an oversaturation of items everywhere that have generic pictures, names that sound long and confusing, many items that appear duplicate sold by several manufacturers. Amazon Haul was something I recently discovered - brilliant, you can buy by the item. You dont have to buy more than you need. The prices are reasonable for someone on a fixed income like myself.

The problem is, for me as a Westerner as a consumer, there is no brand recognition. Many products have no reviews, the names can be confusing and it might turn me off of buying something worried I won't know what I'm buying.

I want to create a platform that benchmarks these goods with a seal of approval. I want to develop a detailed and excellent standard to rate and certify Chinese goods for various marks of quality. It's hard to trust that someone who is sponsored by a company will be honest. If I develop a standard for certification, including a policy of anti slavery practice, it will be transparent in my reviews. Additionally, something I think that could be great for China Canada relations, I was thinking that once the product is reviewed I can donate it to the local foodbank. I access these services myself, and know how important they can be.

Taxonomy, "Provides a standardized global naming system that prevents the confusion of regional common names" maybe a play on words with Xin, Taxinomy or a play on words with Confusion to show respect for the culture and traditions of China and appreciation for quality items you would want to own. Maybe having nicknames for manufacturers that have a more Western appeal to create new brand loyalty in a system that I feel many consumers feel is confusing territories. AI is doing so much, working with the manufacturers to think of a name could show the personality of these brands to a new audience. Make them more relatable and create brand trust in a market that is so confusing.

Knowing the items will get donated to those in need in Canada will show great goodwill and generosity and the care for eachother across the ocean. It makes it more about humanity than brand sponsorship. Having low cost items that we verify we can trust will help Chinese manufacturers to sell more products at prices those of us who are on low incomes can afford and less greedy corporations to exploit all of us for money.

What do you think? I think this could become huge, honestly. Create brand trust internationally for good manufacturers and keep the product prices cheap for people who need them. Honesty, integrity, craftmanship. I hope someone likes this idea as much as me.

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[u/Tema_Art_7777]

"criticism of Chinese goods as cheap and poorly made and it really hit a nerve with me" - this image is definitely changing. believe it or not, Japan goods had the exact same impression when they started. Now everyone knows Japan is super high quality. China is going the same way - it just takes time. Also people's expectation of China is low cost which enforces low quality - this will also change and people will turn to India and others. This is all typical.

[u/No_Conference5443 → u/Tema_Art_7777]

I think it would be much more rapid without these bad actors inciting this fear. Don't buy from China! Buy a brand you trust. (its still Chinese manufacturing though) haha. With someone creating a platform that is neutral to China who doesn't stand to make a fortune will show transparency and more quickly attitudes can change. As a Western consumer on a fixed income, it feels more urgent to establish this relationship. Gasllit by Western companies selling Chinese goods telling you they are bad. "I wouldn't be warning you if I wasnt trustworthy!" as well, hopefully we can show eachother we care by denouncing any slavery.

[u/ApartExperience5299]

If you take Jiang seriously then you are stupid and a genuine fool.

[u/No_Conference5443 → u/ApartExperience5299]

What a crazy divisive comment. That's what you came away with from my post? Unhelpful for anyone. Happy to talk about this privately so my main post idea doesn't get derailed by geopolitics. I am very genuinely curious why you say that and if you have anything to back it up, but I don't want it to sabotage the overall meaning of my post. I'm not falling for the bait.

[u/ApartExperience5299 → u/No_Conference5443]

Jiang thinks many events in history didn't happen because he feels like it, he thinks the Second Punic war didn't happen, Hannibal never existed. He has no background in history, he thinks Dante couldn't have written Divine Comedy because it's just too good for a human to write so he thinks God basically wrote it for him. He has a bachelor's in English, he doesn't know anything about history, geopolitics or reality, he's not a professor. So if you take him seriously then you are genuinely stupid or even more ignorant than him.

[u/No_Conference5443 → u/ApartExperience5299]

Your political or financial motivations are transparent by only responding to what should be positive, me finding a reason to reconsider anti China propaganda. Clearly, whatever reason I find to step back and take a more realistic and open mind about China and the Chinese people should be positive.

Professor Jiang is fantastic and having someone Chinese talking about history and geopolitics, discussing controversial topics that educate people is a good example of a Chinese person who cares and shows with example a Chinese person who wants transparency of knowledge and cares if we are fed fear inducing propaganda. It reflects great on China, bad on the West.

What's it to you what makes me think better of China? A Western feeling reaction to incite conflict. Too bad, goodwill and kindness is contagious. I would rather be a fool with warm intentions than "smart" with divisive intentions and sour attitude.