China Direct

L’Oreal launches virtual makeup for China Market

 

CBI member, L’Oreal has launched an alternative reality mini-programme on China’s WeChat social media platform that allows users to try on virtual makeup.

After testing the products, WeChat users can order them from Giorgio Armani Beauty’s mini-programme shopping site. Users also can compare “before and after” views of their looks, save the screenshots and share them on social media.

L’Oreal acquired the company behind the AR technology, ModiFace, last year and helped to develop the mini-programme for their parent company, Giorgio Armani.

CEO Jean-Paul Agon said: “The acquisition of ModiFace is a major milestone in the transformation of L’Oreal into a digital augmented beauty company.” L’Oreal’s AR mini-programme for WeChat shows how the social media app is becoming a more versatile platform for product demonstrations and mobile shopping. Moreover, through working with WeChat, L’Oreal has the potential to reach more than 1.1 billion customers.

Demonstrating the importance of the China market to L’Oreal, WeChat is only the second online marketplace on which the French cosmetics company has launched this AR service, following ModiFace’s initial launch on Amazon last month.

L’Oreal’s launch onto WeChat is particularly significant, since it demonstrates the social media app’s capability in providing end-to-end innovative shopping experiences for clients; perhaps serving as a sign-post to where China’s e-commerce market is headed.

Airbus celebrates 10th anniversary of Harbin joint venture

 

 

CBI member, Airbus celebrated the 10^th anniversary of its composite materials manufacturing joint venture in Harbin last Thursday. Airbus has been involved in a JV with the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) and the Harbin Development Zone Infrastructure Development Company to pursue research into the development of components for Airbus’s flagship A320 aircraft since December 2009.

The site expanding operations in 2010 to include the Airbus A350XWB model, and is now the sole composite structure supplier for A350XWB rudders, elevators, belly fairings and door-assembly packages, as well as all A320 single aisle rudder shells and 80% of A320 ruder assemblies.

Francois Mery, Airbus Commercial Aircraft China chief operating officer, said: “The 10^th anniversary is an important milestone for the manufacturing centre and for our long-term partnership with the Chinese aviation industry. [Airbus] hope that we can get a greater market share in China, and our cooperation will not stop here.”

Airbus has been present in China for over thirty years, and more than 1,700 aircraft have been put into service in the Mainland. As of 2017, industrial cooperation between Airbus and Chinese partners was valued at $641 million. The Harbin site has also seen some landmark moments! Just last month Airbus delivered its 2,000^th A320 rudder, as well as the company’s 300^th A350XWB elevator.

Mery said, “The value of industrial cooperation in China is expected to reach $1 billion by 2020, and the growing speed is further than our expectations. The Chinese market is growing quickly, and it will be the largest market one day.”

L'Oreal introduces new China skincare brand

CBI member, L’Oreal has launched its CeraVe skincare brand in China. The first range of products includes moisturisers, lotions and cleansers, and will initially be available on Alibaba’s e-commerce portal, T-Mall. Prices range from 45RMB to 374RMB, making CeraVe by far the cheapest foreign cosmetics label available in China.

Whilst L’Oreal’s initial distribution strategy for selling into the China market focuses on the country’s on-going e-commerce boom, the French cosmetics giant is also in discussions with Watson’s, for the offline distribution of CeraVe in China. Watson’s is the world’s largest cosmetics retailer, and is a household name in China. According to Chen Min, head of active cosmetics, L’Oreal China, “The company decided to approach selling into the China market through the country’s e-commerce infrastructure because most Chinese consumers shop for skincare products online.”

Ninell Sobiecka, vice-president for L’Oreal Asia Pacific said: “CeraVe will complement L’Oreal’s current product portfolio in China. […] moreover, the CeraVe series are labelled as accessible to all, with prices 40% lower than market rivals.”

It is CeraVe’s price-point that distinguishes it in-market. There currently is no foreign-branded skincare range for lower to lower-middle class consumers in China. With the launch of CeraVe, the French cosmetics manufacturer is particularly targeting Chinese consumers living in the country’s third and fourth-tier markets.

At the official launch held last Thursday, Ms. Sobiecka made the point: that, whilst The SkinCeuticals brand caters to China’s high-end and luxury market, and Vichy and La Roche Posay serve China’s middle-class consumers, the regions along the Western-side of China remain un-catered for.

This is L’Oreal’s second major product launch in China in six months. CeraVe will compliment a wider range of cosmetics products sold in China under the L’Oreal brand.

MediaCom Thailand shines at 2017 Dragons of Asia Awards

CBI member MediaCom Thailand collected 2 magnificent trophies at 2017 PMAA Dragons of Asia Awards on October 11th. The Dragons of Asia is one of the main event that celebrates the best and most effective marketing campaigns across Asia Pacific region and this year marks its 17th anniversary of this prestigious award ceremony

MediaCom Thailand took home one Gold Dragon and one Blue Dragon for work for Thai Health Promotion Foundation’s DeadFeed campaign in the following categories:

• The Gold Dragon - Best Use of Public Relations
• The Blue Dragon – Best Campaign of Thailand

Please read more here.

HOTELEX Shanghai 2016 caters to growing Chinese traveller business

 

CBI member UBM announced that the 25^th Shanghai International Hospitality Equipment and Supply Expo (HOTELEX Shanghai 2016) lasted for four days and closed with great success on 01 April 2016 at the Shanghai New International Exhibition Centre.

Organised by the China Tourist Hotels Association, the China Cuisine Association, and Shanghai UBM Sinoexpo International Exhibition Co. Ltd., a UBM Asia company, and supervised by the Shanghai Municipal Tourism Administration, HOTELEX has showed its growth and progress in respective aspects since its launch.

HOTELEX Shanghai 2016 created records in exhibition scale and visitor attendance. There were 126,020 professional visitors who attended the exhibition, which was up 30% compared to last year’s statistics. Those visitors came from 116 countries and regions. There were 2,500 leading industrial brands and representative enterprises.

HOTELEX Shanghai is one of the most large-scaled, influential, and top quality hospitality exhibitions.

Please read more here.

BrandZ Top 100 Most Valuable Chinese Brands 2016

According to the sixth annual ranking announced by CBI member WPP and Millward Brown, the total value of the BrandZ Top 100 Most Valuable Chinese Brands rose 13% to US$525.6 billion in the last year despite China’s slowing economic growth. Tencent remains China’s most valuable brand, growing its brand value 24% to US$82.1 billion.

For the first time ever, market-driven brands – those that are owned by entrepreneurial companies – contribute more than half (51%) of the value of the China Top 100; evidence of China’s continuing transition to a market economy. These brands have taken full advantage of their freedom to innovate and generate value from technology.

The robust increase in brand value reflects the continued optimism of Chinese consumers, and their confidence in the possibility of realising the ‘Chinese Dream’. It also demonstrates how resilient strong brands are in times of economic turbulence: China’s GDP growth was 6.9% in 2015, down from 7.3% the previous year.

Tencent has held on to the top position through its successful ‘Connection’ strategy, which links users with content, services, and hardware that enhance their lives. It has monetized its social WeChat platform by partnering with JD.com to develop profitable new big data-backed marketing solutions, while TenPay is now China’s No. 2 online payment platform.

The highest new entries are CBI member Huawei (No.7; US$18.5 billion) and online retailer JD.com (No.15; US$9.4 billion). Huawei has a strong worldwide presence, and its smartphone business has been a powerful growth engine. JD.com, a challenger to Alibaba, has benefited from the expansion of its mobile offering, the worldwide extension of its ecommerce platform, and partnerships with premium international brands.

The BrandZ research also shows that Chinese brands are now as competitive as multinationals. They score more highly on two of the key factors that create competitive advantage – building brand awareness and connecting with consumers on both a functional and emotional level – but lag behind on differentiation. The increasing power of ‘home-grown’ brands may help to stem the current outflow of capital from China that is concerning economists.

The BrandZ Top 10 Most Valuable Chinese Brands 2016 are as follows:

1. Tencent
2. China Mobile
3. Alibaba
4. ICBC
5. Baidu
6. China Construction Bank
7. Huawei
8. Agricultural Bank of China
9. Ping An
10. China Life

Please read more here.

All Aboard HSBC's Pearl River Express

 

 

CBI member HSBC announced a train sponsorship in the Pearl River Delta, branding half of the trains running between Shenzhen and Guangzhou as the HSBC Express.

 

With the HSBC Express making its inaugural journey from Guangzhou East Railway Station to Shenzhen Lo Wu Station on 06 April 2016, the sponsorship signifies HSBC’s long-term commitment to China’s economy.

 

It is estimated that close to 30 million passengers each year will board the HSBC Express. Other than external branding of the train carriages, HSBC will also bring passengers travelling on the HSBC Express in-train TV content to help them stay informed and connected during the 72-minute journey.

 

Connecting two of the largest and busiest metropolises in the Pearl River Delta, Guangzhou and Shenzhen, the HSBC Express reflects HSBC’s commitment in supporting human ambition through connectivity.

 

Please read more here.

CBI Member CKGSB has a record 2014

 

 CBI member Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business (CKGSB) and its faculty were mentioned in more than 300 original articles in leading international media in 2014, representing a 200% increase over the previous year, and that impressive figure doesn’t even include a whole range of additional media coverage through reprinted articles and syndicated materials.

Please read more here.

CBI Member Successes in China - Snapshot of Year of the The Horse

 

Dear CBI members and strategic partners,

China Direct would like to share with you a snapshot of CBI members' successes in China through 2014. We hope that you found our new format easy to use, visual and informative and wish you all every success for the forthcoming year of the sheep.

Please do keep sending us your updates and press releases so that your business can also be highlighted in 2015.

Thank you.

Download CBI Beijing, Member Milestones in China, 2014

UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) Inward Investment Report 2013/14

 

U.K.Trade & Investment (UKTI) recently released its Inward Investment Report 2013/14.

Highlights include:

• During the 2013/14 financial year, the U.K. attracted the most inward investment projects since records began in the 1980s.

• In total, 1,773 investment projects were set up by foreign businesses, up 14% on last year.

• These projects are estimated to bring with them over 111,000 new ans safeguarded jobs.

• The leading industry group for both projects and jobs was advanced manufacturing.

Please click here to access UKTI's full report.