In the eyes of photography enthusiasts, the imaging and focus of the lens cannot be ambiguous; in the eyes of running shoe enthusiasts, the materials and design of the shoes are particular.
In the past, these most discerning consumers tended to choose traditional international brands; now, some Chinese brands have also entered their field of vision.
"Photographers, pen enthusiasts and running shoe collectors are trying their best to obtain products from certain Chinese brands." Bloomberg recently published an article saying that "Made in China" no longer only has a price advantage, but has also begun to become a status symbol.
According to Atwal, associate professor at Burgundy Business School in France, Generation Z consumers are increasingly favoring Chinese brands because they can quickly respond to trend changes and China is cool in terms of innovation and technology.
"The popularity of Chinese brands is based on products on the surface and meaning recognition on the deeper level." Jia Jinjing, a senior researcher at the Chongyang Institute of Finance at Renmin University of China, said in an interview with Sanlihe that a brand is a symbol that carries meaning. In the past, the supply of such symbols was mainly dominated by Western traditional brands. Now the new generation of consumers needs new expressions, and Chinese brands just provide new choices.
The changing consumer groups have provided new opportunities for Chinese brands, but from price advantage to quality recognition, to becoming a high-quality brand that “understands everyone” in enthusiast circles, the careful management and efforts of Chinese companies are indispensable.
Quality is the starting point for recognition.
At the beginning of this year, a training running shoe from China became popular in overseas running circles. The shoe is lightweight, capable of speed, and features high-performance midsole materials typically reserved for more expensive models.
This brand had not yet entered the U.S. market at that time, and there was not much information on the official website. However, runners who bought the product shared their reviews in the online community, and the comment area once turned into an exchange area for purchasing strategies.
Similar changes have occurred in consumer products such as pens and folding knives. Some Chinese manufacturers have won praise from overseas enthusiasts with their independent designs and workmanship comparable to high-end European and American brands.
"What some companies lack is not production capacity, but brand." Zhou Yuanzhu, a member of the Quality Brand Development Subcommittee of the National Strategic Advisory Committee for the Construction of a Strong Manufacturing Power and director of the Shanghai Corporate Culture and Brand Research Institute, told Sanlihe that over the past few decades, long-term overseas OEM business has allowed Chinese companies to accumulate manufacturing, product R&D and quality management capabilities.
"Listen to advice" is the key to gaining recognition.
Chris Lee, a YouTube blogger who has long reviewed Fujifilm equipment, said that in the past, consumers would naturally question lenses made in China, but now “there is almost no such argument.” He recalled that he pointed out the problem with the product in the video, and only two weeks later, the company fixed it through a firmware update.
In the era of social media, consumers’ opinions can be quickly and directly transmitted to companies. Whether these feedbacks can be transformed into product improvements affects whether a brand can turn temporary attention into long-term recognition.
"China has a highly segmented supply chain, with companies with professional advantages in many links. Together, these companies form the manufacturing foundation of the brand detrás, enabling product development, production and improvement to advance faster," Zhou Yuanzhu said.
Matt Klein, founder of the American running shoe review website, noticed that the quality of some Chinese running shoes is not inferior to that of international brands. As a physical therapist, he also found that these running shoes are more carefully designed in terms of biomechanics and other aspects.
He believes that some smaller Chinese brands are "willing to try areas that big brands dare not venture into" by launching products first, observing market reactions, and then gaining experience from them. This flexibility gives it the opportunity to find needs that are not fully met by big brands.
But for a product's reputation to sink into the value of the entire brand, it will take a longer period of accumulation.
Jia Jinjing believes that Chinese brands going global must not only make up for their shortcomings in overseas channels, after-sales services and localized operations, but also transform Chinese culture into brand expressions that overseas consumers can understand and recognize.
"National identity and cultural identity are still challenges faced by Chinese brands going overseas, and overseas consumers' awareness and understanding of Chinese brands need to be gradually cultivated." Zhou Yuanzhu said, taking Chinese tea beverage companies going overseas as an example, some brands have begun to influence consumers in different countries. This also shows that in order to gain wider recognition, Chinese brands still need to continue to explore ways to communicate with the local market.
Superior quality opens overseas doors, continues to innovate and accumulate reputation, and sincerely listens to users to expand the market... "Made in China" is blazing its own brand path internationally.
From winning attention once to gaining long-term trust, "Made in China" requires not only the strength of the product, but also the ability of the brand to continue to improve.
