Branding by Origin
While it’s widely accepted that provenance plays a role in shaping a consumer’s perception, what happens when a brand’s origin isn’t so clear-cut?
An insightful SCMP piece brings the idea of cultural branding under the microscope by examining Chinese brands that portray themselves as Japanese or Korean. From product design to retail environment, these brands appear culturally Japanese or Korean in order to leverage their trending popularity as well as perceptions of higher quality. The success of such brands begs the question - as long as a product’s quality lives up to its perception, does it ultimately matter where it’s actually from?
The merits of pursuing such a strategy are debatable, but experts appear to agree that the practice is not legally “cultural appropriation”. Regardless of your stance on the matter, it appears that these Chinese brands could actually be aiding the success of Japanese and Korean brands, rather than hindering it; in Japan’s case, local firms are poised to benefit from the higher profile of “Made in Japan” abroad - they are increasing their production to meet export demand in China and other Asian markets.