Globalpets Forum Asia | speaker Vladimir Djurovic Chinese want to be embraced

A decade ago an explosion in purchasing power amongst China’s rich and famous, coupled with a taste for European finest luxury brands, created rich pickings for luxury labels. Vladimir Djurovic saw this as a business opportunity after which he started his own company in research and brand consulting.

Dozens of neuronal links

“There are different ways to look at branding and it’s certain that I have a very different one,” says Vladimir Djurovic. “Brands tend to be intangible, but the whole process of branding is definitely chemical, physical and biological: even the slightest brand association is supported in our brain by dozens of neuronal links and constantly shaped and reshape by our experiences. But we cannot operate at the chemical level for our daily client request. For that we need a more macroscopic view of branding.”

Worldwide success

Djurovic and his team worked with over 200 Western brands entering the Chinese market to help them develop localized brand strategy and brand identity. In recent years Djurovic sees a strengthening of brand relevance and differentiation in China. Also he states that Chinese companies invest more into brand knowledge. “In 2012 we witness the first global successes of Chinese brands, with the mobile brand Huawei rising to extreme success worldwide. This was a motivation for other Chinese brands. Global public relations, digital platforms, and social media are now the type of activity that Chinese brands are engaging in consistently and on a global scale.”

Localize their products

The situation for foreign brands has totally changed. “There is now an increasing number of affluent Chinese that can buy important products. Packaged food brands are increasingly ready to adapt their products to the Chinese market and translate their products rather than sticking on labels. Also for luxury labels, there is a new situation going on. Chinese consumers know they are important and are not only expecting to be impressed by the ‘foreignness’ but also to be embraced.”

More sophisticated

“I have been living in China since 2001 and we can assert that China has grown more confident. The essential Chinese spirit and vigor has not changed, but they are more experienced. Now China is confident enough to put some of its own.”

About Vladimir Djurovic

Vladimir founded Labbrand in 2005. He has assisted over 100 foreign and domestic companies in understanding the Chinese market, positioning their brands, and executing their strategies in China and abroad.

About Labbrand

Labbrand is a leading China-originated global brand consultancy, working collaboratively with consumers & corporations to build and strengthen brands through culturally relevant actions. To achieve success and brand innovations, Labbrand seamlessly coordinates research, strategic decisions, and creative implementation.