Entering China, Every Brand ‘Comes Up As A Junior’

Matthew McKenzie, co-founder and director at The Export Group, understands what it takes to make or break it in China—one of the most crowded and competitive marketplaces in the world.

To say Matthew McKenzie, co-founder and director at The Export Group, is a man with a passion for Asian business would be an understatement. And with an impressive record working across Australia and Asia for some of the world’s biggest brands, he understands what it takes to make or break it in China—one of the most crowded and competitive marketplaces in the world.

“If there is no history of your product and your brand, and, in many instances, there’s not a long history of the category in China, you really need to be thinking quite differently,” he told CMO Show hosts Mark Jones and JV Douglas during this episode of The CMO Show podcast. “It’s an exceptionally fragmented marketplace from a brand perspective, and every brand, regardless of their size and scale back in their home market, comes up here as a junior.”

Tune in as Mark and JV discover what it takes to redefine yourself from market leader to market challenger, how to understand Chinese market demographics, why you need to think about all of these factors before you attempt to break in—with plenty of cultural anecdotes, to boot.

The CMO Show is a podcast about brand storytelling and the future of marketing. To listen to previous episodes, visit the website or follow along on iTunes or SoundCloud.