Brand Building and Sales Acceleration – How to Localize for the Chinese Market
On September 2, the German Chamber of Commerce in China | Shanghai delved into the intricate relationship between marketing, communications, and sales, in one of Shanghai's largest marketing and communication forums: maXcomm 2021. The half-day forum, titled "Brand Building and Sales Acceleration – How to Localize for the Chinese Market," offered a jam-packed program consisting of panels, workshops, and a keynote, delivered by industry leaders in media, business, marketing, and sales. During the event, the audience had a unique opportunity to network and share best practices with fellow professionals. The forum took place at Azul Italiano and was organized with the support of Storymaker and UNICEPTA.
Maximilian Butek, Executive Director and Board Member of the German Chamber of Commerce in China | Shanghai, welcomed participants and kicked off the event. Shortly after, Moderators Dr. Sigrid Winkler, Executive Chamber Manager at the German Chamber of Commerce in China | Shanghai, and Dr. Stefan Justl, General Manager of Storymaker, took the stage to introduce the panelists and guide the discussion.
"maXcomm brings business people, marketing and communication experts together. Great content, exclusive keynote speakers, amazing panel discussions and a professional audience all in one room. I personally enjoyed this year's breakout sessions. It gives the guests the opportunity to have a deep dive on a specific topic."
Daniel Yoo, Chief Representative of VDMA Shanghai
The panel, titled "How to Navigate Change and Stand Out From the Crowd," included Nina Kong, Strategy Director at MediaMonks China; Elisabeth Türk, Head of Inhouse Sales and Business Development at TRUMPF China; Crystal Wang, Strategy Marketing Director at Lenze (Shanghai) Drive Systems and Marius Berlemann, General Manager at Messe Düsseldorf in China. The panel reviewed numerous characteristics and challenges unique to the Chinese market, discussing B2B and B2C marketing, localization practices, pairing content with the suitable format, and more. A lively Q&A session followed suit, with the audience asking for more localization best practices.
Following the panel discussion, guests enjoyed a short break with finger food and coffee, before splitting into four breakout sessions:
Session 1: How to Market B2B - an executive discussion round on the world of b2b marketing
After a short introduction speech by Sean Yan, Head of Marketing for Konecranes Industrial Crane Division in Northeast Asia, participants joined in to discuss B2B marketing in China. Guests shared personal experiences and best practices for marketing to companies in China, and had a vivid discussion on how digital marketing tools can support B2B companies in generating new leads and support business planning. Daisy Zhu, Regional Manager Shanghai at the German Chamber of Commerce in China | Shanghai, moderated the discussion.
Session 2: How to Livestream - a hands-on workshop on starting your livestreaming journey in China
This workshop was headed by Wen Xiaofei, Livestreamer, Lead of the German Chamber's "Discover Germany" platform and Regional Director at the German Chamber of Commerce in China | South & South West; Ruohan Liu, Product Operations Manager at Taobao Livestreaming of Alibaba; and Damian Maib, Founder and CEO of Genuine German. Facilitators shared the fundamentals of livestreaming in China, how to start and what pitfalls to avoid, as well as visual and practical presentations.
"The conference was organized at a very high level despite the difficult time of the pandemic. It was a great event as usual and thanks for providing such an interesting space for knowledge exchange and networking."
Mandy Xia, Marketing Manager at fischer automotive systems
Session 3: How to Tell Your Core Story – a strategical storytelling masterclass for companies
In this session, Dr. Stefan Justl, General Manager of Storymaker, introduced the concept and power of storytelling. Participants learned the essential elements that constitute a company's core story, and how to make one's story stand out from the crowd.
Session 4: How to Avoid Legal Pitfalls in China Marketing - a deep-dive into the exciting and risky world of advertising, consumer protection and more.
In this hands-on session, Zhang Zheng and Raymond Kok, Partners at Luther Law Offices Shanghai, presented the legal framework for marketing in China, legal pitfalls including several advertisement examples, Do's and Don'ts of advertisement claims, and much more.
"The German Chamber continues to improve maXcomm, which I visited three years in a row. I liked the addition of workshops and the structured approach of visualizing theoretical & practical examples. Well done & keep giving us food for thought!"
Michael Wolf, Managing Director at Palas Instruments Ltd. Co, Shanghai
Following the sessions and a short coffee break, participants once again gathered in the main room for maXcomm's keynote speech: "CONRELEVANCE vs. IGNORAGANCE: Finding the Consumer Sweet Spot - A Journey from Brand Building to Sales Success" by Bernd Pichler, Managing Director Chinese Mainland, Hong Kong & Macao at Bentley Motors. Mr. Pichler shared his views on marketing to Gen Zers and Millenials; the future of KOLs and KOEs (Key Own Experience), the dos and don'ts of marketing in China, and more.
Once the keynote speech concluded, participants were invited for complimentary drinks at the neighboring Colca. Guests continued to mingle and discuss marketing practices with their peers well into the night.
"An excellent event! Harmonious format that exceeded my expectations"
Ulrike Vogt, GCN Manager Academy at TÜV SÜD Products Testing (Shanghai)
We would like to thank the speakers, moderators, our supporters Storymaker and UNICEPTA, our event partners GEA Process Engineering China, Genuine German, Oppermann and Porsche Consulting, and our media partner Shanghai Daily, for making maXcomm 2021 such a success. A big thank you to all our participants, and see you next year!
