New product development

It is a vital factor for a company to continually develop new products. Because it strengthens the company competitive advantages. Well, as far as I thought, the product could be any kind of form. For instance, it could also be service.  Xin Dongfang( sometimes it might also be written New Orient), it is a company which targets on provides educational  services. And it is private, normally when students are off the normal school study and take this course. New Oriental Education provides a range of educational programs.But most of them are languages training and test preparation. (e.g. IELTS & TOEFL)

Well, what I'm thinking is for New Orient, new product develop could be expanding new services. And for recent years, this company's going quite well, it's even listed on the Wall Street.

From long term aspect, New Orient seize the opportunity of offering test preparation take IELTS  TOEFL as an example. Studying abroad is taking a bigger amount in Chinese youth students' pie chart. So, it's a 
market which shouldn't be ignored.

New Orient is not the only group who's offering language learning, especially test preparation. I think they sure do study how other competitors do and learn from them, continually introducing new sources and ways of teaching. I used to take some course from them. Well, I have to say, it's really good. And every teacher is very energetic and humorous.

 Besides, any group they are targeting, based on what kind of group they are trying to develop any new service. They all can be seen as ways of new products development. Their products are English teaching or Tests preparation. I heard they are continuously developing some other new things, like Interpreting training, Baby English, or some others services targeting different group who is some other needs. 

Shan Zhai---is it counterfeit?

In today's class,  I saw this word--counterfeit. Truth be told, for a second I don't know the meaning of the word.  Had to look it up in dictionary. Then I got this thought---there's been a Shan Zhai culture and if I am right it's still going on.  Shan Zhai culture means a kind of postmodern  characterization subculture and massive culture phenomenon which is characterized by anti-authorization,  anti-main current with some carnival and anti-intellectual, and it's growing up strongly by relying on plagiarism, high imitation.

 Maybe the above explanation is  too academic, well, let's say Shan Zhai is fake, well, part of me would believe that, but is it really so ? In China, is really a heat topic. But recently it seems like cooling down, and people become tolerant to this phenomenon, ' TOLERANCE' might not be a proper word to this, but people do become like numb to this. By using some similar  trademark to confuse consumers , is it really counterfeit? I don't know. But I do think that make the market disordered. And it surely do give the main current brands some pressure. Because normally these Shan Zhai brands or products means low quality and cheaper price.  But the outer package or outer look is a lot like the real one.

Of course, with help of the internet, Shan Zhai culture spreads even faster, like Shan Zhai pop stars or Shan Zhai news ( most of them just try to amuse the audience), then it comes to products , famous brands, like Nokia, Samsung, Sony- Ericcson, Shan Zhai makers just change a few spellings managed to produce the same products but with low quality. Like Nokir, Samsing, Suny-Ericcsun.

Well, how will this change our main tendency?  I don't know the foreign market, how is it like, but I do know that one of my foreign teacher who is a French lady. She bought this Shan Zhai Nokir and used it in China, and it worked ok. but she can't take it back to France. She can't make it out through customs.

Feng Shui & Suan Ming

Well, as a matter of fact, this is something related to last class, but I think I have something to present, so now I try to do some digging.


Actually, this is a very complicated area, I am just trying to write some I know of .  I remember that Mrs. Ulla mentioned that Hong Kong used a lot this Feng Shui thing, when they try to do some construction, build a house or something. In mainland is the same thing. I think it's deeply spreading into folk people's lives.  And it's also, they are some people who are not that into it. They say if you believe it's true, but if not then it might not exist.

Typically speaking, in China when someone tries to building a high building, normally he or she would ask for some like Mr. Feng Shui to give some advice about this building.  Or if there's some tragedies happened, they would redecorate it. Or ask for some Mr. Feng Shui to hold a major event to stabilize the neighborhood.

Or let's take another example when some directors try to shoot a movie or something, usually, they would set forth a worship thing, before they start shooting it. Or let's they are paying their tributes to the ancestors.  Hoping that they could bless them. That's very deeply rooted in our culture.

This is a picture about decorating your house. Well, the first one is trying to say, do not live in a transparent house, because this may make you feel less secure, less private. Not only there might be many  quarrels within this family, but also the hostess may very easily get into some love affairs.  And the second picture is trying to present that avoid opening your door directly towards the right north. Because that might cause some big trouble. Either is no good for your wealth or health. The last one, basically is saying, no matter how your house is decorated, do remember to fixed your window in the east way, because we believe good luck is coming from the east.

Well, that is a rambling knowing how I see Feng Shui. Next comes Suan Ming.

This is also very common to see in China , especially in folk life. People believe it . One thing now is when it comes to a couple who are about to get married. They will ask for Mr. Suan Ming to make a divination. Well, they would basically ask for your born date. And they do some counting. From the dates they could name some major events of your life. Sounds very unbelievable. I myself never tried it. Because I haven't got married yet. : ). But some say it's quite true. I don't know. At least, we can see lots of Chinese find their true one in another country. So did they do this divination thing? Or, they tend to do this constellation thing. Well, this just related to coupling thing, there are also some who go to Mr. Suan Ming to ask for some suggestions concerning to job, or promotion in job, you know we Chinese believe in being a officer working in government, and get some promoting in it. So , some of them might go to Mr. Suan Ming. Or concerning to their children's future they tend to ask for suggestions about that. But one thing I want to mention is that, if you go to see Mr. Suan Ming I mean if you ask them for advice, remember to give them Red Pocket (= money wrapped up by red paper) As for how much you should give, there's no  specific limit to it.  It's up to you. Or let's say how sincere you are.  It may sound incredible, but it's quite real. And it's happening in real life. People are still doing it.

PR.

Public Relation is  a kind of social relation which is a social organization connecting with. It is the social relation that affects its existence and development.

In marketing system, PR  is company's only tool to build public trust.

Well, recently  I noticed a few cases. In Chinese entertainment circle, some composer or some celebrities did some bad things, or let's say they did some things might be against the normal regulations. And after that, they became even more popular than ever before. Well , that got me thinking, what just happened, and how did they mend this, how could they reverse the situation so successfully. That is so called  crisis public relations which is exactly what I am trying to talk about today.

Crisis public relations are using quite often in some companies, like food safety or some other problems we all need to handle it. Crisis public relations might be seen as one type of public relations. When emergency happened you need find ways to solve especially to fix your relations with your customers. Well, let's go back to the cases what I mentioned before. One of Chinese composers, Gao Xiaosong who is a known music composer. He had some works could be seen as quite some hits back in 1990s. But, his career might be going some slipping road, probably 2 years ago, he got fined due to drunk driving.  And even got 50 days or so detention, his behaviors caused some serious consequences due to his celebrities status. But after his release from jail. He came forward and went public apologized for what he did which is very convincing. Gained him some public trust. And that is just his first step saving his public image. Then he became the spokesman for do not drive after you had alcohol.

And that just one case what I am trying to present PR.  Well, when it comes to crisis public relations. I have another case, which can also be seen as a successful example.  There's a Chinese actor who selected by a show which is much like the American Idol. He is not only a singer but also a actor. When he was shooting a TV series  back in 2010. There was on scene which might be a little dangerous, cause some explosions related. Unfortunately, when they were shooting, fire gone out of control. He got burned. And together with him, there was an actress, they played a couple in that show. They both got burned. And it happened all of a sudden.  The explosion gone badly, when they were pulled out of the scene, people could not even separate  them. Because their faces all covered with the black ashes. And there were sent to hospital immediately. That was a bad accident. But what I am trying to present is how their agents react to such a tragedy . Their career might've gone. And they are quite  young. They could have a bright future.  The good thing is , when this got reported, their agents called for a press immediately, and though they didn't give much information the fact is they themselves  didn't know either. But they told their fans to wait. And their stars will come back. And he is hero. It is true, when it exploded , he covered the actress. And he blocked most of the heat and the smoke. And during his treatment and recovery, his agent continually  released some good news. Finally, in the end of 2012, the  New year's Eve Concert, he came back.  Well, that got me thinking, his agent must've done a lot of thinking, chose a perfect time a perfect event give him a showback. And after that, they let him be the love ambassador. donated to some charity. And cared for some kids who might be suffering from burn scars.

Well, what I think is if you are an agent, the performer is you product. This metaphor might not be a good one, but it is true. You've got to think when you promote them how's the massive going to react.

Starting New ----International Marketing2013

This is my first blog of 2013, I'm ready to start something new.  One thing for sure is that this is a new course. And is related to International Marketing which I think the view of it should be more broader.

In today's class, Mrs. Ulla happened to tell us, 'that Facebook might slightly no longer be in favor of the massive media. Because there are too many ads filled with it. '  It might be quite true. And it might be very useful at the very beginning which the entrepreneurs began to advertising on social network, but with time rolling on, it might not work any more. People started feeling fed up with it. Well, it also got me thinking, though Facebook is not welcome in China, then how should they start to marketing and marching in the Chinese market which clearly we can see enormous profits of it.

Though we don't use Facebook in China, well, we have our own social networks to social net-working with our friends, if you look at the Chinese cybers normally, they are big fans of two these two major chatting& sharing tools ----Tencent (or call it QQ) and Weibo. These are much like Facebook and Twitter. Lots of  people who are involved into business would add QQ number into their  business card. And companies which are casting their ads through QQ that's a very common thing.

I think it's sort of a way which the entrepreneurs to combine their marketing strategies with the current social engines. there is one more thing needs to be mentioned is that there's also majority of people who are used to using Renren which is also engine about sharing& communicating.