April 3, 2007 Shanghai
The CEO Learning Consortium held its CEO Forum on the CEIBS Shanghai campus today, on the topic of "Marketing Innovations in China and Building a Global Brand." The forum featured Mr. Stan Shih, founder of Acer Inc. -- the world's fourth largest IT vendor -- and CEIBS Professor of Marketing and Strategy Willem Burgers, who also serves as Bayer HealthCare Chair in Strategy. A total of 27 CEOs and senior executives from multinational and Chinese companies took part in this intensive one-day learning event.
During the morning session, Prof. Burgers shared his perspectives on marketing innovation in China by presenting common marketing fallacies and stressing the importance of innovation in marketing as a key to success. While no marketing project is bulletproof and mistakes can happen, he urged companies to continue trying new concepts and approaches. In his teaching and consulting experience, Burgers said he has seen the marketing campaigns of many companies in China fail because the companies did not listen to their customers in forming competitive strategies. Opportunities abound in China, he continued, but companies must be willing to explore new concepts and to gain understanding based on strong marketing fundamentals.
In the afternoon, the Godfather of the Chinese IT industry, Mr. Stan Shih, discussed his experience in building Acer into an internationally renowned brand. Shih emphasized that companies must at times venture into new and uncharted territories, but must also be willing to accept defeat and to retreat from failed projects quickly. Acer's success in building its global brand can serve an example to other Chinese companies as they take a more prominent role on the global stage.
During the ensuing discussion with participants, Prof. Burgers and Mr. Shih both reiterated that one of the most important aspects of brand building is to ensure that the company -- and every employee in the organization - to show full commitment to building the brand. This strengthens the brand value for both internal and external stakeholders.
As Chinese companies continue to grow and to transition into global companies, they must carefully manage their launch onto the global stage, the speakers said. The global brand-building experiences of Acer, as well as other Chinese companies such as Lenovo, Haier and TCL, can serve as models for other companies as they seek to follow in their footsteps.
About the CEO Learning Consortium
The CEO Learning Consortium was jointly established by CEIBS and the University of Michigan Ross School of Business to meet the burgeoning demand of CEOs in China for a well-orchestrated, rigorous, and time-efficient learning consortium. The goal of the event is to assist CEOs in analyzing critical business issues in the fast-paced China market.
The CEO Learning Consortium is a post-graduate programme custom-developed for CEOs. Participants are invitees from the CEIBS' Global CEO Programme plus a select group of CEOs from multinational and domestic Chinese companies.
CEIBS has rated as the leading business school in the Asia-Pacific region for the past four consecutive years by the Financial Times in its annual global business school survey. In January, 2007, the school's MBA program ranked 11th worldwide by the London-based news organization, while the EMBA program ranked 17th.
