The growing challenge

Even as the Chinese market becomes increasingly attractive to international brands - and despite their sophisticated marketing capabilities of major global companies - they regularly stumble when entering the Chinese market. Such mistakes often cost millions in lost revenue and damaged brand reputation in ways that can take years to repair.

Takeaways

Marketing effectively in China requires balancing three critical elements:

• Cultural authenticity: Understand that modern Chinese consumers are sophisticated, globally aware and proud of their cultural heritage. They expect brands to demonstrate genuine understanding rather than superficial adaptations.
• Local market intelligence: Invest in local expertise that goes beyond basic translation. Your team should understand both traditional cultural nuances and contemporary trends that are shaping Chinese consumer behaviour.
• Political awareness: Recognise that certain issues remain sensitive and require careful navigation. What may seem like a minor oversight in other markets can have major repercussions in China.

1 Misunderstanding culture

When it comes to marketing in China, the first and most fundamental thing you want to get right is getting your message across to your target consumers. While we all understand the importance of this, few foreign marketers are aware of how this seemingly simple task can be done completely wrong by simply forgetting cultural nuances.

Burberry: Burberry launched its first Chinese New Year campaign recently. With 4 million views and 90 thousand discussions under the Weibo hashtag #BurberryChineseNewYear, Burberry intended to showcase a modern Chinese New Year, with family members ‘nestling up and showing the togetherness of a family’. But the message was perceived quite differently. Burberry neglected minor things like dark outfits, gloomy faces, and a dull background that all worked against the code. Customers didn’t understand why the family looked so unhappy on this festive occasion. ‘Does Burberry think I am the kind of person who celebrates the New Year with a long face?, questioned one Weibo user.

Prada: Prada experienced responses like ‘creepy’, ‘spooky’, ‘perfect as a trailer for horror movie’ upon a campaign featuring new year blessings in huge red Chinese characters three times throughout a video, where people were not feeling very blessed at all. Why? Prada made several mistakes such as the classic old-Shanghai setting, a traditional square table that frequently appeared in Hong Kong horror films – and the models’ vintage outfits representing China in foreign countries, but very outdated and meaningless in a context of younger Chinese.

2 Not properly translating campaign messaging

Direct translations can be tricky and it is vital to have a native speaker who understands your target audience on your side. There are many examples of companies doing poor translations with disastrous results for the company's reputation.

Pepsi: Not very recently and yet very memorable, Pepsi’s successful campaign ‘Come Alive’ was translated to what actually meant ‘Pepsi brings your ancestors back from the dead.’

3 Misusing stereotypical images of the old China

When trying to make special products or campaigns appealing, don't pile on Chinese cultural motifs such as dragons and phoenixes, red lanterns, blue and white porcelain and so on. These may be the most easily identifiable Chinese cultural elements to the rest of the world, but that does not mean they will appeal to Chinese consumers today.

Nike: A 2016 China series included the traditional Chinese New Year blessing words ‘Get Rich’ and ‘Good Luck’ . However, Nike didn’t realize that when worn as a pair, they meant ‘getting fat’.

Many of the Chinese marketing campaigns run by foreign brands fixate on a stereotypical (and often inaccurate) image of old China. However, Millennials & Gen-Z in particular expect brands to recognise its current modernity.

Victoria’s Secret: In the 2016 fashion show Victoria’s Secret unveiled a series of dragon-themed lingerie to woo their Chinese consumers. Unfortunately, wrapping a model up with dragons came across as ‘tacky’ and ‘ugly. Victoria’s Secret use of traditional Chinese lion dance color scheme dominated by saturated yellow and red also proved known as exaggerated and out-of-style. Victoria’s Secret was out-of-touch with its’s modern Chinese audience. 

4 Degrading aesthetic standards and taste

Rather than delving too deeply into old Chinese images, some brands see the social evolution and try to incorporate it into their marketing campaigns. However, a completely new angle can sometimes mean a loss of brand image.

Fendi: The baguette campaign with the quote from Sex and the City ‘This is not a bag, this is a baguette’ was not well-known among Fendi’s Chinese audience and thus totally confused Chinese consumers. Besides the vague message conveyed throughout, the campaign was criticized for coming across as ‘corny’ and ‘cheap’ when misinterpreting Chinese consumers’ aesthetic tastes and behaviour by squeezing a group of super-rich Chinese girls’ crazy shopping spree at Fendi into one commercial along with singing karaoke, playing at a game centre, and shopping at a department store. 

5 Low sensitivity on sensitive issues

Touching on taboo subjects is definitely a mistake no brand wants to make when marketing in China. Long gone are the days when the Chinese felt bad about the "made in China" label. Millennials in China are proud of their heritage. Chinese consumers are becoming increasingly aware of the cultural superiority that is evident in many foreign brands' marketing messages for China.

D&G: Upon D&G’s notoriously racist ad campaign people were quick to catch the intention behind making a Chinese model look clumsy eating 'our amazing Italian pizza' with chopsticks. The fierce criticism and boycott that followed almost swatted the brand out of China completely, with their products disappearing seemingly overnight from various e-commerce platforms. Even after the brand made public apologies, the damage was done.

There are some political no-go areas that any brand should be aware of before marketing in China. The Dalai Lama, for example, is one of the last people you want to involve when marketing to Chinese consumers.

Mercedes Benz: In February 2019, Mercedes quoted Dalai Lama on a social media marketing advertisement. Though not intended for Chinese consumers, still triggered an uproar on the internet. It was taken so seriously that the People’s Daily Online published a commentary accusing Mercedes Benz of being ‘an enemy of the Chinese people’.

Recognising China's stance on territorial integrity is another uncontroversial issue to keep in mind.

Delta Air Lines, Qantas, and Zara: All companies had to update their websites recently for listing Hong Kong and Taiwan as countries separate from China. The Marriott’s website in China was shut down after categorizing Tibet, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau as separate countries as well.

Looking forward

China’s fast-evolving market demands authenticity, quality, and cultural respect from global brands. Success comes from adapting to these shifts and seeing cultural understanding as a gateway to deeper consumer connections.

The market will continue evolving, with rising consumer expectations for authenticity, innovation, and localized experiences. Foreign brands that integrate cultural understanding with digital engagement, sustainability, and premium quality are set to find long-term success.