Becoming names in global game

Tech | Joel Backaler

What makes a brand global? According to the former head of marketing for Starbucks and Nike, a global brand "can travel worldwide, transcend cultural barriers, speak to multiple consumer segments simultaneously, create economies of scale, and let you operate at the higher end of the positioning spectrum - where you can earn solid margins over the long term".

Based on this definition we have yet to see any Chinese companies develop brands with global appeal. Even current success stories such as Haier, Huawei, Lenovo and Tsingtao have brand names that are more challenging for some Western consumers to pronounce than childhood tongue twisters.