From 'Domestic Products Hot' To The Problem Of Modernized Old Brands

The year 2008 saw a hot demand of domestic products, and it was the first year that classic domestic products emerged. Many products which used to play important roles in our daily life, after being neglected for years, reappear in people's life in a sudden. Heated discussions about domestic products can be heard either on the internet or in the street. Domestic products, once again, become favored by the mass, and of course hot in the market.Through attentive observation and analysis, we can spot the following problems:Hot demand of domestic products reflects people's badly need for nostalgia satisfaction; the utilizations of Chinese elements and old brands by overseas companies indicate that China actually is not short of"icon brands"and that many of China's old brands have great potentiality for becoming world famous brands; however, while being positive with the hope, we should also notice that the restorations of these home-made products, in much degree, are attributed to their joint venture with overseas brands. Without the international support-such as the perfect combination of international and Chinese elements, and the professional design--, it is doubted that they would prosper all the same. Besides, the hot demand of domestic products is but a tide which is driven by the young who fashionable andFlexible, therefore nobody is sure how long this tide will last and how far can it go. That how these home made products regain their importance if the tide fades is in question. All these questions have drawn people's attention to the development of China's old brands, and the only way out is that we track down the fundamental problems and root them out.For this reason, we started the research on the renewal way of China's old brands.The old brands are those names of companies or products which have been widely recognized for their inheritance and development of Chinese cultural traditions, local specialty and historic features, and enjoy a good reputation for their exquisite workmanship and characteristic operations. Though the old brands have their own special edge, they also have some weak points where they have been outdated, and are outperformed by excellent modern products.The development of old brands is accompanied by both prosperities and setbacks. They have been to the mountain top where they were surrounded by honors and applaud, but they are now trapped in the swirl of the market economy's powerful tide. Even though some of the olds tried to shake themselves up, they ended up with frustrating failures. An survey indicates that among these old brands, 70% are barely maintaining their businesses, 20% facing long term losses and bankruptcy, and only 10% are expanding and making money. The old brands, like an aged man, are fading.What exactly are plaguing the progress and even the survival of the old brands? From the example of Shanghai Spiced Beans, we can learn a lesson and summarize the common problems encountered by all as follows:1. Inexperienced in brands management and unsystematic in work of preserving and protecting the patent rights of old brands.2. Lack of means of building brand culture, and less creative, less influential, less characteristic and less appealing, if any.3. Slow in marketization and incompetent in operation.In allusion to the above-mentioned problems, we advance a concept of"modernizing"old brands, namely, dual-brand model. The old brand with fine tradition will have the excellent modernized character through the modernized course of old brand. Entity, differentiation and recognization are three important factors of excellent modernized brands, and the modern is blended with the old, on the basis of being organically combined with these three factors, thus making a most steady structure.In the course of old brand modernization, different companies face different problems. In general, we need innovation, which means, on the base of traditional conception, we can find some new ways and methods to innovate our technology, management and market. Referring to the innovation, we cannot but mention Buzz Marketing, which is the best marketing method of old brands. Buzz marketing is a way of company spreading its products and brands through the communication of relatives and friends. This marketing method is always successful, with high reliability. The brands with buzz marketing should have the following characteristics: having rich brand culture, uniqueness, high quality, solid marketing basis and high brand recognization. However, only the old brands have the above-mentioned characters. Meanwhile, we also find the influence of Internet during the active a hot demand of domestic products, and advance the concept of buzz marketing network, which is a best way for the marketing of old brand. We'd better focus on the modernization of old brands'images, modernizing old brands through package design and unique characteristic orientation.At last, we would make an analysis on some hot issues occurring recently, from which we could find some inspirations for the development of old brands. Considering in the culture angle, the re-rise of a hot demand of domestic products, Chinese factor, Chinese culture provide a good chance for old brand development, and the old brand should seize the chance and take good advantage of it. Considering in the sense angle, Sense of nostalgia also bring a good chance for old brand, and the old brand should make use of the sense marketing and create a new method and thought to grow up.Look forward to the growing up and of the modernized old brand, which can be known far and wide well.