There’s nothing quite like a global pandemic to test the value of a brand. Some brands have increased in value by virtue of their category; others have become more valuable by adapting swiftly to changing consumption priorities, differing usage occasions, and shifting customer journeys. Yet in this untravelled COVID-19-influenced world, the underlying trust and connection that consumers have in brands has never been more important.

Localizing, creating social buzz and targeting Generation Z. Here is a look at what it takes to launch a successful brand partnership on the China market.

Xinliangji is a Beijing-based seafood supplier, founded in 2015. Until recently, the company had earned a pretty penny supplying products like frozen crayfish and basa fish to restaurants such as fish hotpot chain New Spicy Way. But like almost every business in food service in China, its income sources fell off a cliff from mid-January with the abrupt closure of China's restaurants.

The current Year of the Pig was a particularly tough year for its namesake, seeing at least a quarter of China's 500 million pig population culled and even a hog forced to bungee jump. Thankfully, there are some signs that the Year of the Rat may be a little kinder. While we're not counting our chickens (and mice) just yet, there have been some positive developments which may see compulsory animal testing for foreign cosmetics phased out.

Eight weeks ago, Versace, Coach, Givenchy, Calvin Klein, Fresh and Asics were forced to publicly apologise after labelling Hong Kong (among other regions) as independent countries.

The experience and knowledge that you’re likely to be getting from marketing to Chinese consumers – and from resources such as China Skinny – are hopefully helping you sell more in China. There’s also a good chance that they’re equipping you with expertise that spans far beyond the market. Chinese marketing campaigns are faster, cheaper, and often more effective than traditional Western ones, and in some ways they are better suited to today’s global marketplace, according to a study by US-based academic and former practitioner Kimberly Whitler.

Many people in the West still believe that China’s tech giants are built on thieving IP, not creating it. Those folk will probably be startled to learn that the US-based magazine Fast Company ranked a Chinese firm as the world’s most innovative company in 2019.

2011-2013 felt like bad years for fakes in China. When writing the Skinny it seemed like there was a new exposé every week to include, whether it be rat meat dressed up as lamb, fake Apple stores that even fooled the staff or even fake chicken eggs.

“Analysis by the Environmental Working Group found that 160,000 people living in the region may be harmed by pig waste … pigs are treated with antibiotics, vaccines and insecticides, all of which eventually pass into the lagoons, which have been found to contain toxic chemicals, nitrates, parasites, viruses and more than a hundred strands of antibiotic-resistant microbes, including salmonella, streptococci and giardia. People die with distressing regularity in the waste.”

Happy 2018! The year has started off on a positive note with China’s premier Li Keqiang announcing last year’s GDP growth is expected to roll in at 6.9% – north of the 6.5% target and the first acceleration in seven years; a time when GDP was less than 40% of today’s value.

‘Tis the week before Christmas with not a reindeer in sight, Yet Chinese streets brim with trees and twinkly light.

Food and Hotel China (FHC), is one of the biggest trade shows in China and China Skinny was on the floor to scope out the latest trends, newest product entrants and to hear from attendees on their China experience.

Alibaba and Tencent have done it again. They’ve delivered record-breaking profits that blew past analysts’ forecasts, signalling just how healthy China’s consumer market remains, particularly for the digital sphere. Alibaba’s profit almost doubled to ¥14 billion ($2.1 billion) and Tencent’s grew 70% to a handsome ¥18.2 billion ($2.7 billion). The results have seen their respective stock values soar into the $400 billion-plus-club, which was formerly the sole domain of American tech giants Apple, Google, Facebook, Microsoft and Amazon.

When a Chinese consumer makes a decision – from picking a bottle of water, to choosing which country will best educate their child – the influence of KOLs (Key Opinion Leaders) can be dramatic. A feature of Chinese thought since the days of Chairman Mao, the KOL economy is set to boom; 2016’s value of ¥53 billion ($7.8 billion) is estimated to near double to ¥102 billion ($15.1 billion) next year. To bring some perspective, that is three times the forecasted value of China’s newspaper and magazine advertising in 2018.

If you ask a Chinese consumer for their thoughts on imported food, you’ll get countries described with a dreamlike reverence. Australia and New Zealand conjure images of endless green fields and roaming livestock taking in the crystal-clear air and water. The clean paddocks assisted by efficient systems and leading technology denote European farms, with North America associated with strong regulations that make for well-policed and protected farmland. These perceptions have contributed to imported food growing 17% last year to $39.4 billion.

Welcome to the final part of China Skinny’s Food and Beverage Trends in China series.

Following part 1 of China Skinny’s Food & Beverage trends, we bring you part 2 which delves into premiumisation and packaging.

The allure of its enormous 1.4 billion population and rising affluence has seen China become one of the world’s most attractive markets, but also its most competitive. Many international brands have struggled to gain a presence and generate sales.