Thursday, October 17, 2013
Monday, January 2, 2012
Chinese Design Appearing in Global Homes

Labels:
Apple,
Chinese design,
Hartmust Esslinger,
IBM,
Ming,
Qing,
Richard Sapper,
Yao Yingjia
Top 10 Advertising Capability in China

Labels:
Advertising capability,
Top 10 list
Top 10 Challenges for Local Chinese Marketing Firms

Cutting Edge Marketing Shows People Who Do in Beijing
Chinese metropolises like Beijing are becoming hubs for the creative class despite the unending traffic, pollution, and internet censorship. The web video that I wrote and edited shows five real-life creators in Beijing - a model, photographer, product designer, chef and business manager using PCs throughout their day to work smarter.
Labels:
Beijing,
China Marketing,
creative class
Four U.S. Brands are Most Engaging Brands in China, Says R3 Research 2H 2011

Despite China's Rise not a Single Chinese Brand on Interbrand Global 2011 Top 100 List

Labels:
Branding,
Chinese Brands,
Global Brands,
Interbrand
Friday, November 26, 2010
Sarah Palin's Foreign Policy
On Nov. 25th, 2010 Sarah Palin stated on the Glen Beck radio show "Obviously, we've got to stand with our North Korean allies" (1).
Palin has consistently demonstrated a lack of geopolitical understanding. The Idaho born Republican-Tea Party leader and Fox News Host entered college on a beauty pageant scholarship (2). Decades later, Palin received her passport at the age of 42 (3), and made her first international flight to Kuwait.
Before quitting as Governor of Alaska, in an interview with Alaska Business Monthly, Sarah stated she supported the Bush Administration in Iraq but admitted, "I've been so focused on state government, I haven't really focused much on the war in Iraq" (4)
Demonstrating her understanding of international diplomay on a May 29th, 2010 Fox News show, Palin stated President Obama would be reelected if, "he played the war card. Say he decided to declare war on Iran or decided really come out and do whatever he could to support Israel, which I would like him to do" (5).
After BP's Deep Horizon oil rig, which was being maintained by Halliburton, killed 11 men and pumped 185 million gallons of oil (6) into the Gulf Coast in the worst oil spill in history, Sarah stated defiantly, 'I repeat the slogan 'drill here, drill now' (7). Later saying, "I want our country to be able to trust the oil industry."
Sarah Palin holds a Univ. of Idaho BA degree in Communications.
(1) www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-11840828
(2)Johnson, Kaylene (April 1, 2008). Sarah: How a Hockey Mom Turned Alaska's Political Establishment Upside Down. Epicenter Press. p. 80.
(3)http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2008/09/03/palin_not_well_traveled_outside_us/
(4) andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/2008/08/pal...
(5) www.politicsdaily.com/2010/02/07/sarah-palin-on-fox-news-...
(6)http://pubs.acs.org/cen/news/88/i39/8839notw7.html
(7)http://voices.washingtonpost.com/right-now/2010/04/palin_on_oil_spill_no_human_en.html
Palin has consistently demonstrated a lack of geopolitical understanding. The Idaho born Republican-Tea Party leader and Fox News Host entered college on a beauty pageant scholarship (2). Decades later, Palin received her passport at the age of 42 (3), and made her first international flight to Kuwait.
Before quitting as Governor of Alaska, in an interview with Alaska Business Monthly, Sarah stated she supported the Bush Administration in Iraq but admitted, "I've been so focused on state government, I haven't really focused much on the war in Iraq" (4)
Demonstrating her understanding of international diplomay on a May 29th, 2010 Fox News show, Palin stated President Obama would be reelected if, "he played the war card. Say he decided to declare war on Iran or decided really come out and do whatever he could to support Israel, which I would like him to do" (5).
After BP's Deep Horizon oil rig, which was being maintained by Halliburton, killed 11 men and pumped 185 million gallons of oil (6) into the Gulf Coast in the worst oil spill in history, Sarah stated defiantly, 'I repeat the slogan 'drill here, drill now' (7). Later saying, "I want our country to be able to trust the oil industry."
Sarah Palin holds a Univ. of Idaho BA degree in Communications.
(1) www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-11840828
(2)Johnson, Kaylene (April 1, 2008). Sarah: How a Hockey Mom Turned Alaska's Political Establishment Upside Down. Epicenter Press. p. 80.
(3)http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2008/09/03/palin_not_well_traveled_outside_us/
(4) andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/2008/08/pal...
(5) www.politicsdaily.com/2010/02/07/sarah-palin-on-fox-news-...
(6)http://pubs.acs.org/cen/news/88/i39/8839notw7.html
(7)http://voices.washingtonpost.com/right-now/2010/04/palin_on_oil_spill_no_human_en.html
Friday, July 17, 2009
Local Chinese Clothing Retailers Copy Foreign Brands
To local Chinese living in Shang Di on the northern tip of Beijing, the new mall opening was a blessing. For four years residents have had to put up with long lines at the supermarket and little entertainment. The opening of Hualian Mall , the eighth Hualian Mall to open in Beijing alone, brought the first cinema, video arcade and mega shopping market to Shang Di. But during my first walk through the mall I couldn't help noticing dozens of local Chinese retailers knocking off established western brands. Here are some examples from the mall and down the road in nearby Wu Dao Kou.
This product line of baggages are branded similarly to the luxury brand 'Hugo Boss', which was founded in Metzingen, Germany in 1923 by Hugo Ferdinand Boss. -Hualian Mall, Shang Di, Beijing
A hybrid knockoff of luxury brands Calvin Klein and Paul Smith, a posh Nottingham based UK brand. -located nearby Shang Di in Wu Dao Kou, Beijing
Above the retail store scrambles the luxury car brand acronym BMW, which stands for Bavarian Motor Works, and inside the store a modified logo of the German car brand is on display. -Hualian Mall, Shang Di, Beijing
It should be noted that the Hualian Mall did contain a legitimate branch of the London based coffee powerhouse Costa Coffee. Within three months the Costa coffee shop was closed down, apparently not tailoring its beverages to the local tastes of Shang Di residents who are likely more accustomed to tea, or Tsingtao.
Labels:
Chinese Brands,
Intellectual Property,
IP
Thursday, July 16, 2009
China Censors Foreign Websites


The irony is social media facilitates one of humanities most basic needs - the sharing of ideas. Much has been written about how China needs creative people to help the country transition from a largely agragarian economy in rural areas and low-skilled manufacturing to high value added service industries. But how many creative ideas are blocked with a swift invisible hand of censorship? How many innovative new technology videos such as Google Tech Talks will never be seen by local Chinese? How many inspiring photos will never be seen by any of China's more than 50 ethnicities? And how many potential business conversations and relationships will never be forged online? Yes, China has its own search engines like Baidu, and its own versions of youtube such as Youkou, but in a 'flat world' a country cannot benefit from the collective wisdom of the crowd when billions of people's outside voices are restricted. As Richard Florida states in Flight of the Creative Class, a country's ability to compete is largely based upon its ability to attract the most talented and creative global people. Mr. Florida states that this is facilitated when regions embrace openness, and harnesses the power of creative individuals. What would my hometown of Silicon Valley, California be like without creative immigrants like Google co-founder Sirgey Brin of Russia, Intel co-founder Andy Grove of Hungary, or Sun Microsystems co-founder Vinod Khosla of India? If the U.S.A. had restricted individual forms of self expression and sharing then these creative individuals may have never have chosen to work and live in America. Each foreign website that China blocks deters talented people from choosing to make the move to China. Ironically, it is a global creative class who can help China realize its ambitions to establish the modern service economy it so badly craves.
Monday, July 6, 2009
China's Economic Growth Continues Faster than the West
Labels:
Economic Growth,
Economy,
Stimulus,
Trade
Millions of Boy Security Guards
Note: Once I saw a badly beaten guard, who looked about 16, but a elite police officer who arrived stopped me from helping him and refused to let me give him a cold Coke for his swollen cheek. Often I donate my old clothes and magazines to the guards who stand freezing for hours in the cold winters and sweating during hot summers. If China wants to be a world class country, and not only the largest economy, then the 50,000 young men standing in place at Beijing apartments will need a high school education and a more purposeful role in society. For a start, how about an Eco-Corps of newly trained botanists, forestry majors and biologists planting trees and plants in the barren, deforested hills surrounding Beijing?
Labels:
Chinese Guards,
Paranoia,
Security
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
H1N1 Lands in Hong Kong and China Reacts
On the morning of Friday, May 1st I decided to book a three night stay at the Renaissance Hotel over the Metropark Hotel in Wan Chai, Hong Kong. That was a fortunate decision. Upon landing in Hong Kong from Beijing I saw that people were taking the H1N1 flu seriously. As the above photo illustrates, numerous passengers, and every HK airport employee were wearing protective masks. I was asked to fill out a new type of health form that asked if I had 'contact with pig'.
Once in Wan Chai, HK my girlfriend and I passed a chaotic scene of police, medical workers and press photographers wearing masks outside the Metropark Hotel as we walked to the nearby entertainment district Central. I commented that someone inside the Hotel was probably infected with the H1N1 virus. I was right.
Earlier in the day flight MU505 from Shanghai to Hong Kong carried a Mexican passenger who was infected with the H1N1 virus and checked in to the Metropark Hotel. The passenger became the first confirmed H1N1 flu victim in Asia. The Hong Kong and Chinese government swiftly reacted by placing all 354 hotel guests and staff under a seven day quarantine inside the Metropark Hotel. In addition all flights between Mexico and China were cancelled indefinitely. Throughout China crowds are the norm, personal space is a luxury, and public spitting is prevalent. Under such conditions it is easy to understand China's reaction to prevent an epidemic from catching hold of the population.
Labels:
H1N1,
Hong Kong Quarantine,
Swine Flu
Sunday, April 26, 2009
China's GDP Growth Slows to a 17 Year Low
This clip states that China's GDP growth grew at a mere 6%, its lowest rate since 1992. The growth decline has been less global demand for Chinese made products with exports declining 20% from this time last year. Domestically China's (USD) 600 Billion dollar stimulus is contributing to heightened domestic growth with China's stock market up and auto sales growing to record levels. But as the former blog post shows, growing consumption of auto sales has its own social and long term economic impacts.
China's Environmental Challenge will equal a Talent Challenge

Less than a year since Science Magazine placed the title, 'China's Environmental Challenges' on its cover, the New York Times reports that China is cutting back on its environmental projects and instead focusing more resources on creating economic growth in an effort to smooth the impact from the global financial crisis. Obviously China's leaders need to continuously create employment opportunities for its enormous population and sustain social stability. However the Government should continue to invest in environmental protection and green projects because they can ensure higher efficiency, GDP growth and lower health and environmental costs. Critically important a clean environment will ensure the flow of global human talent required for China's future economic and technological advancement..JPG)
The China Price is especially high for the environment and its inhabitants. The photo above shows the personal effect that Beijing's pollution had on me during an hour motorcycle ride behind scores of smoggy diesel trucks. When I returned to my Beijing apartment I coughed up dust and blood. A book titled The River Runs Black: The Environmental Challenge to China's Future by Elizabeth C. Economy states that the cost of being the world’s largest manufacturing center is that China is now the leading contributor to climate change. The River Runs Black states that air pollution contributes to the deaths of 300,000 Chinese people a year. In 2006, Economy delivered a grave report to U.S. gov. officials titled, China's Environmental Challenge, that states 75% of 340 monitored cities in China have unclean air.

Air pollution not only kills people, but it also deters the world's top talent from moving to Beijing. Richard Florida details in his book Flight of the Creative Class, that today's top innovators relocate globally to places that provide the best local environments, business opportunities and overall quality of life.
Modern day Silicon Valley in California would not exist without the top innovators from around the world such as Google co-founder Sergey Brin of Russia, Sun Microsystems co-founder Vinod Khosla of India, or Intel co-founder Andy Grove.
As long as Beijing residents face choking traffic, burning lungs and itchy eyes, the creative class of the world who can collectively fuel the high value service economy that China's government leaders yearn for, will stay at home.
Labels:
air pollution,
Elizabeth C. Economy,
Richard Florida,
talent
China leads World in Traffic Deaths

After the 2008 Beijing Olympics and Space launches, the world community awoke to China's concrete aspiration to become the world's next super power. But to accomplish this feat, the citizens of the country will need to develop respect for the regulatory laws that can enable world-class development. Countries whose citizens respect intellectual property rights, uphold workers safety and obey civil regulations have shown sustained growth that have withstood the economic downturns of time.
Monday, April 20, 2009
The China Price
The book also states in 2006 the China Government moved to strengthen legal protection for workers, but both the American Chamber and European Chambers of Commerce representing multinational firms warned that the law would greatly reduce employment opportunities for PRC workers and hurt China's competitiveness for foreign investment (p. 258-259). One day maybe firms operating in China will learn that the best way to sustainable global economic growth is to raise the bar for the well being of all people regardless of geography. That will require meaningful China innovation.
Labels:
Alexandra Harney,
book talk,
The China Price
Sunday, April 19, 2009
China's Demand for Salmon Grows
In 2006, the USDA reported that China was the second largest single country to consume US salmon products, after Japan. Between 2005 and 2006 US salmon exports to China grew 25% to reach 36,000 tonnes, worth nearly $110 million USD. During the same period the US imported 22,000 tonnes of salmon from China at a value of $80 million. Evidently salmon is one commodity that the U.S. enjoys a favorable balance of trade with China. But is this sustainable? In California officials have cancelled the Chinook Salmon fishing season because of low fish populations caused by over fishing and environmental impacts from dams, pesticides and pollutants from cities. The message is clear, China's growing consumer purchasing power will continue to grow demand for salmon imports and other seafood. However as California has demonstrated, nature is increasingly unable to sustain the market's demand for salmon. Please click this link for a useful Sustainable Seafood Guide from the Monterrey Bay Aquarium to learn how you can help conserve dwindling fish populations.
Labels:
China salmon imports,
Sushi,
Sustainability,
US salmon exports
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Monday, April 13, 2009
China's Electrifying Car Strategy

Sunday, April 12, 2009
China now the World's Largest Car Market
Above, an international model named Marta Wojcicka attracts more attention from Chinese spectators than the convertible SAAB car behind her.
Last year Beijing hosted one of the largest Auto Shows in the world. Tens of thousands of people were pushing and shoving to take photos of the gleaming cars and attractive women surrounding them. As the U.S. economy is slowing, in Jan. 2009, China outpaced the U.S. to become the world's largest car market. Monthly car sales in China totaled 735,000 cars, nearly 12% more than in the U.S.
Motorcycle Mania - China's Mechanized Cash Crop
But with the right regulatory framework motorcycles, especially electric powered, could be used to curb pollution, reduce gasoline consumption, and ease traffic. Taiwan is a good example where thousands of scooters share the roads with cars. Imagine the traffic jams if every scooter rider in Taipei were driving a car! In Beijing, millions of new middle class car drivers, construction and transport trucks, and low-income motorcycle riders share the same roads. But motorcyclists are restricted from many areas of the city.


Despite the large motorcycle riding population in China, driving a motorcycle in the country carries enormous risk, especially in the southern city of Shenzhen. After a series of crimes were committed by thieves using motorcycles, the Shenzhen government confiscated nearly 600,000 motorcycles since 2003, and publicly destroyed 14,000 last year. This would be unthinkable in Taiwan, for countless people use motorcycles and scooters as their primary transportation. But at the same time that China is destroying motorcycles at home, the country's motorcycle production continues to grow. The Chairman of China's giant motorcycle firm Lifan states that the company is seeking to use China's rural stimulus support to expand motorcycles into the countryside. Also global exports continue to rise. In 2008, according to China Economic Net nearly 90 Chinese firms exported over 9.7 million motorcycles.
According to the China Daily, in 2006, China was already the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer - producing half of the world's motorcycles. However premium motorcycle firms like Ducati have not entered Mainland China, although Ducati is present in Hong Kong. Most large motorcycles are banned in Beijing, and nearly all foreign motorcycles have been brought into China illegally and are using falsified registration and fake license plates. The photo above shows a Ducati dealership in Taiwan.
Driving a motorcycle as a foreigner is especially challenging. The China Transportation authority does not provide a traffic rule book in English, so a person must go to FESCO and purchase a traffic manual that has been translated into English for $22. You must also have copies of your home license, and a document that translates this information into Chinese, along with passport size photos on a white background. The traffic exam is 100 questions in English with a 45 minute time limit. Many foreign citizens have been seriously injured in motorcycle accidents, and are consistently questioned and even pursued by police.
Soon it may be time to hang up the helmet. Below is a clip of what driving my Ducati is like on the commute to work in Beijing.
Labels:
Beijing commute,
chinese driver license,
Ducati,
traffic
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