Editor’s note: In January, Chinese magazine Global Entrepreneur published the 2011 results of their annual"Chinese Companies in the Eyes of Foreigners" survey. As in previous years, the survey was conducted in cooperation with Paris-based market research company Ipsos, which surveyed a total of 1,400 people (200 per country) in December 2011. The survey analyses various elements of the perception of Chinese brands abroad, including their overall image of Chinese companies, their awareness of these Chinese companies, and their attitude towards them and their perception of the Chinese market in the post-financial crisis era. The survey also sought to identify which Chinese companies are best suited for becoming global brands and what could help drive them onto the global market.
Some of the companies appearing on the 2011 "Chinese Companies in the Eyes of Foreigners" survey are first-timers, and are thus not very well-known abroad, while other Chinese companies, such as Lenovo, Haier and Huawei have already been in overseas markets for quite some time, and have thus become the representatives of "the Chinese company" in other countries. The most obvious trend of the 2011 survey is that Japan and South Korea’s perception of Chinese companies and products are much less impressive than in other countries, which illustrates that the Chinese companies must continue to develop more advanced technologies and put out better products in the future if they wish to improve their international image.
Below are several items from the 2011 "Chinese Companies in the Eyes of Foreigners" that highlight these trends.
1) Ranking of the awareness of Chinese companies and the usage of their products/services abroad
According to the survey, despite the rising awareness of Chinese companies in foreign markets, the usage of their products and services is still quite low. As compared to the 2010 survey, awareness in the Bank of China, Huawei and Chery all increased significantly, although the use of the products and services of Huawei, China Southern Airlines and Bank of China only somewhat increased.
United States | Britain | Germany | Australia | |||||
Awareness | Usage | Awareness | Usage | Awareness | Usage | Awareness | Usage | |
1 | Lenovo | Tsingtao beer | Bank of China | Tsingtao beer | Bank of China | Lenovo | Bank of China | Tsingtao beer |
2 | Bank of China | Lenovo | Tsingtao beer | Lenovo | Lenovo | Tsingtao beer | Lenovo | Lenovo |
3 | Tsingtao Beer | Haier | Lenovo | China Southern Airlines | Air China | Huawei | Air China | Air China |
4 | Haier | Huawei | Air China | Huawei | Huawei | Air China | Huawei | China Southern Airlines |
5 | Air China | Alibaba | Huawei | Bank of China | Tsingtao beer | Chery | Chery | Huawei |
Japan | South Korea | Brazil | ||||
Awareness | Usage | Awareness | Usage | Awareness | Usage | |
1 | Tsingtao beer | Tsingtao beer | Tsingtao beer | Tsingtao beer | Lenovo | Lenovo |
2 | Lenovo | Lenovo | SAIC Motor | Haier | ZTE | Huawei |
3 | Bank of China | China Eastern Airlines | Hainan Airlines | Lenovo | Chery | ZTE |
4 | Haier | Baidu | Bank of China | China Eastern Airlines | Huawei | Midea |
5 | Air China | Air China | Haier | Hainan Airlines | Bank of China | Chery |
2) Chinese Companies are more "innovative" (but the advanced technology they use was likely stolen)
According to the survey, a majority of the respondents believe that"There are excellent Chinese companies that have grown with technology innovation." Yet despite this near-unanimous praise, more than 70% of the respondents from Germany, Japan and South Korea believe that: "Most Chinese companies are suspected of stealing advanced technology from foreign firms."
United States | Britain | Germany | Australia | Japan | South Korea | Brazil | |
There are excellent Chinese companies that have grown with technology innovation | 78% | 81% | 72% | 85% | 62% | 74% | 79% |
Most Chinese companies are suspected of stealing advanced technology from foreign firms | 49% | 39% | 73% | 53% | 87% | 76% | 44% |
3) The most successfully internationalised Chinese companies
Despite the general lack of awareness of Chinese companies abroad, over the years a few companies have nonetheless developed a relatively strong awareness in various countries. In particular, Lenovo has faired quite well in the majority of the surveyed countries.
United States | Britain | Germany | Australia | Japan | South Korea | Brazil | |
1 | Lenovo | Bank of China | Lenovo | Lenovo | Lenovo | Haier | Lenovo |
2 | Haier | Lenovo | Bank of China | Bank of China | Air China | Tsingtao Beer | Huawei |
3 | ICBC | Tsingtao Beer | Huawei | Huawei | Bank of China | SAIC Motor | Chery |
4) Chinese products still regarded as "cheap" and not "high quality"
Although Chinese products are still widely considered "cheap" (particularly in Japan and South Korea), since the 2010 survey, the approval rating for the "cost performance" of Chinese products in foreign countries has improved ("cost performance" refers to a product's ability to deliver performance for its price). Regardless, the global opinion still does not view Chinese products as possessing "high technical content" or "high quality".
United States | Britain | Germany | Australia | Japan | South Korea | Brazil | |
Cheap | 57% | 48% | 49% | 60% | 91% | 74% | 68% |
High Cost Performance | 36% | 44% | 52% | 42% | 7% | 9% | 41% |
General Quality | 35% | 27% | 41% | 37% | 24% | 29% | 30% |
High Technical Content | 8% | 23% | 30% | 11% | 3% | 3% | 21% |
High Quality | 14% | 17% | 10% | 12% | 2% | 3% | 10% |
Source: To read the full report (in English), check out the Ipsos website here. To read a summary of the report (in Chinese), check out the Global Entrepreneur website here.
Related links
Tips on How to Protect Your Intellectual Property Rights in China
Why Chinese Companies are Failing in the US Stock Market
6 of China’s Most Successful Foreign Businesses
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Keywords: Chinese companies global market foreign perception of Chinese companies Chinese brand awareness most popular Chinese brands
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If they want to improve their image, stop corner cutting. if i make a good product i feel proud, if i make a bad one i feel assamed...... just add "making a bad product" on the list of things to make you lose face
-BAM! china wins
May 19, 2012 21:27 Report Abuse
Most of the companies listed are some of the few decent ones. As the scummy ones like Sina forest get outed more, kiss this progress goodbye.
Apr 10, 2012 03:42 Report Abuse
Look who's talking about character, nice comment on roughly 1.3 billion people. I'm going to go ahead and assume that you're white and western, maybe you should look into your own culture, previous and current demonising of any culture BUT white. Enslaved black people and continue to oppress, look down on Asians, fearing the entire middle East as terrorist.
How's you individual character? Or lack there of?
Apr 09, 2012 02:25 Report Abuse