24 THURSDAY JUNE 18, 2009 SHANDONGSPECIAL CHINA DAILY

Brand strategy boosts Shandong prosperity

By Ju Chuanjiang and “By the end of 2008, the goods strategy has promoted Wang Qian number of famous brands industrial restructuring originated in the province across the province and driven ranked the third in China. the development of its hi-tech The rise of its well-known Currently, Shandong is home manufacturing industry. branded products and the to 266 leading Chinese brands, Apart from branded prod- growth of its industrial clus- 1,479 leading Shandong ucts and services, the local ters have played a crucial role brands, 134 Chinese famous government has also sought in promoting Shandong as trademarks, 1,676 well-known to build the brand of the region China’s second most prosper- Shandong trademarks and 203 and its cities. In Shandong, 64 ous province with a 2008 GDP respected brands in the serv- percent of its most well-known of 3.11 trillion yuan. ice sector. Haier refrigerators brands are focused in four cit- Commenting on its success, and washing machine were ies – Weifang, Yantai, Qingdao, Wang Junmin, vice-governor of recently recognized as global- and Weihai. the province, said: “Shandong level Chinese brands, two of Assessing the success of province is the home to many only 10 Chinese brands to be the strategy, Zhang Dekuan, famous brands in China. The awarded this distinction.” a press spokesman for the government has successfully A large number of world-re- Shandong provincial govern- implemented a number of nowned branded products and ment, said: “The provincial brand strategies, all of which businesses have their roots in government has put forward enhance the competitiveness of the province, including Haier, a series of effective measures its local products in domestic Hisense, Inspur, SinoTruk and to promote brand development. and overseas markets. They Tsingtao beer. In addition, 32 Many preferential policies have also provided a dra- products have acquired the have been put in place to sup- matic boost for the province’s rights to assert their geo- port brand-friendly businesses economy”. graphical origin, including in the fields of commerce and Shandong has cultivated a Yantai apples, Longkou bean technological transformation range of well-known brands vermicelli, Zhanhua winter as part of a bid to enhance across several sectors, includ- jujube, Rizhao green tea and their competitiveness.” ing manufacturing, innovation, Weifang radish. A new round of economic and culture, as well as success- These recognized brands development plans has seen fully enhancing its own urban significantly boost the com- 422 goods placed on the list profile. The brand strategy has petitiveness of products made of key supported products, become one of the key engines in Shandong in the domestic accounting for 67.2 percent of for driving the province’s eco- and overseas markets. Accord- the total. Celebrating the success of its branded goods strategy: local officials gather to mark domestic and overseas success in Shandong. nomic growth. ing to official statistics, by the The significant efforts Guo Dalei, an officer with the end of 2008 the sales revenue made in developing branded tires, Zibo ceramics, Linqu These achievements have Shandong brands and establish light industry, textiles, non- Shandong Bureau of Technical of famous-brand businesses products has spurred business aluminum alloy sections, made the authorities in 50 world-class production cent- ferrous metals, equipment Supervision, said: “During the accounted for 25.1 percent innovation and has driven the Linshu compound fertilizer Shandong realize that imple- ers within three years. manufacturing, and electronic 1990s, Shandong was a pioneer of turnover of all companies establishment of a number and a number of others. In menting brand strategy is a key Over the next five years, information. in promoting brand awareness above a certain size across the of world-famous industrial Qingdao, “Haier” has become means of weathering the finan- Shandong is set to focus on The province is also commit- in China. In October 2002, the province, although the number clusters. China’s largest home appli- cial crisis and revitalizing the fostering 200 globally-rec- ted to supporting 58 leading Shandong Famous Brand Strat- of companies in the sector only Among these industrial ances industrial cluster, with province’s economy. Its 2009 ognized branded businesses industrial clusters, in a bid to egy Promotion Committee was accounted for 3.1 percent of the clusters are Qingdao home 18 leading Chinese brands and development plan calls for the across nine sectors, including cultivate a raft of high-quality established and initiated its total. appliances, Yantai wine, 460 supportive manufacturing province to develop 350 leading iron and steel, automobiles, production centers and create a long-term strategy. The growth of the branded Longkou vermicelli, Guangrao enterprises. Chinese brands, 1,800 leading shipbuilding, petrochemicals, range of regional brands. Urban branding bonanza proves tourism magnet By Ji Yuan and Famous Springs” initiative. and ceramics industry. The an- Ju Chuanjiang A total of 140 billion yuan nual China (Zibo) International over the past four years was Ceramics Exposition highlights invested as part of the run-up the city’s ceramic output, cur- Cities throughout east Chi- to the National Games, giving rently exported to more than 70 na’s Shandong province have the city a totally new look. countries and regions. launched a charm offensive, The coastal city of Yantai, Qufu, known as Confucius’ aimed at building their national as the “International Grape hometown, now stages the and global profiles. and Wine City”, is permeated China (Qufu) International Con- The Shandong Peninsula with the heady bouquet of its fucius Cultural Festival every is the epicenter of this ongo- most well known product. Its year in order to commemorate ing branding process, which grape wine’s 110-year history China’s greatest thinker and ed- has already seen the city of created the world’s seventh ucator. The sage has bestowed Qingdao designated as one of “grape coast”. Some 50 percent the city the reputation of being Foreign visitors enjoy a guided tour of Foton’s state-of-the-art production line. The company’s self-developed and self-branded China’s Top Ten Branded Cities of China’s wine is produced the “Eastern holy city” and sees products include agricultural equipment, notably its combine harvester and tractor, proving export winners. Ju Chuanjiang at the Third China Brand Festi- here and more than 50 well it attract four million tourists val. It was granted the title of known wine brands have every year. Most Famous Branded City in branches in the city. The Yan- Weihai, a coastal city in the China in November 2005. Now tai International Wine Festival, province, attracts increasingly Proprietary exports soar in 2009 it is poised to become one of held every two years, attracts large numbers of residents from the world’s most well-known some of the world’s leading South Korea and Japan due to cities. wine exhibitors. its high quality of life and opti- By Zhao Ruixue 10 months have seen the com- nized brands are set to be in- purchasers, an endorsement Qingdao won the accolade Weifang is known as the mum business environment. pany sell 7,000 sets of these to troduced by 2010 according to of the success of its design and through being the home to “International Kite Capital”. Dezhou, known as the “sun overseas purchasers. Shandong’s development plan. research centers, manufactur- two of the world’s most famous In 1984, the first International city”, has seen its solar energy Shandong generated $56.42 This success has brought The number of companies now ing bases and distribution agen- brand names, 69 of China’s Kite Festival was held here. industry expand by 20 percent billion from exports during home to authorities in Shandong engaged in brand development cies in 30 countries across the most well-known trade name Since then, Weifang has held each year. Its solar water heat- the first three quarters of this that cultivating proprietary has seen an average growth of world. The company sees this as and 36 leading Chinese brands, an International Kite Festival ers now account for 70 percent year, $8.46 billion of which was brands is the key to the prov- five percent over the past five a sign of the success of its new which together account for 25.1 every year. of the Shandong market. Offi- accrued by branded products ince’s sustainable development years. Twenty percent of the global brand. percent of Shandong’s turnover. Centered around Mount Tai, cials in Dezhou now envisage developed by businesses in of foreign trade. export-oriented companies now Export-oriented brands It is now China’s second-largest the city of Tai’an has now held an output of 50 million yuan the province. According to the Statistics from the Shandong have their own-brands. have naturally triggered city for well-known brand-name 23 International Climbing Fes- from the solar industry by 2010, Shandong Statistical Informa- department of commerce These own-brands cover a export-oriented industrial products, number two only to tivals and established a moun- accounting for one third of the tion Net, self-developed brands show the province has spent wide range of sectors, including clusters to develop. Currently, Shanghai. tain-alliance with other world domestic market. are playing an increasingly sig- more than 25 million yuan on textiles, mechanical products Shandong is home to several As the host city of the 2008 famous mountains across the The growth of its branded nificant role in the province’s brand-building initiatives in a and food. Currently Shandong such clusters, representing Olympic sailing events, Qingdao world, including Mount Fuji. cities has boosted tourism foreign trade. bid to establish the province’s is focusing on developing 146 global competitiveness in is building on its reputation as Zibo, whose ceramic con- and investment in Shandong These self-developed and own-label presence in domestic export-oriented enterprises fields such as home applianc- China’s “Sailing City”. The city nections date back more than province. More than 200 in- self-branded products include and overseas markets and to with an own-label presence. es (Qingdao), home textiles now attracts more than 35 mil- 8,000 years, is renowned as the ternational expos are now held Foton’s agricultural equip- further enhance its competi- One of the pioneers in this (Wendeng) and tire manufac- lion visitors a year according to “capital of ceramics” due to its annually in 10 cities of the ment, notably its combine tiveness. sector is the China National turing (Guangrao). its own figures and sells 400 associations with the porcelain Shandong Peninsula. harvester and tractor. The first Another five globally-recog- Heavy Duty Truck Group Corp, As an agricultural strong- billion yuan branded products which has enhanced its com- hold, Shandong has made a to domestic and foreign markets petitiveness in overseas market considerable effort to boost annually. by investing in its independent the export of its food and farm More than 50 cities in innovation capability. produce. This saw the province Shandong province are now As part of its profile raising achieve agricultural exports of seeking to brand themselves activity, the company has intro- some $9.3 billion last year. A through cultural festivals, duced the “SinoTruck” trade- total of $1.48 billion worth of sport events and economic mark. This marque is now used vegetables were sold overseas expos. Shandong has seen a on a global basis, including its during the first three quarters spectacular growth in its urban adoption by the company’s 20 of this year in Shandong, repre- branding sector. overseas distribution agencies senting a year-on-year growth Jinan, the capital city of and four assembly plants. of 10.5 percent. Shandong and the setting for As well as the trademark, the One successful example in the 11th National Games, has company has independently de- this sector is the Longda Food- branded itself as “the city of veloped more than 760 types of stuff Group Co Ltd, which sells springs”. It is the city with the trucks in order to meet the local 70 percent its products to more most springs in China, with requirements of the domestic than 20 countries and regions some 560 scattered across Luthai Textile Co Ltd, located in Shandong province, is a high and overseas markets. across the world, including its landscape. Some 140 are grade yarn dyed fabric producer whose production lines This year has already seen Japan, Korea and Germany. concentrated in the downtown including cotton planting, spinning, dyeing, weaving, finishing the company sell more than Longda is now a well-known area and many have been his- and shirts sewing at one point. 20,000 trucks to overseas food brand in Japan. torically listed under the “72 Qingdao beer: a branded product boosting the local economy.