Chinese overseas firms focus on building brand trust

Chinese companies expanding overseas increasingly face a new challenge: moving beyond simply entering the North American market to building brands, local partnerships and long-term trust, business leaders and experts said at a recent forum in California.

Michael Jordan, a global communications adviser and media relations strategist, said that the shift requires Chinese companies to rethink how they communicate with overseas audiences.

He made the comment at the Going Global Conference, held as part of the North America Investment Forum from Sept 4 to 7 in Orange County. The event brought together entrepreneurs, investors and professionals in branding, retail, e-commerce, AI, legal services and cross-border business to discuss strategies for Chinese and other Asian companies expanding in North America.

Jordan said international perceptions of China range from strongly supportive to firmly skeptical, with the greatest opportunity lying among audiences in between who remain open to persuasion.

"The only way to persuade that middle audience of skeptics is with evidence-driven content," he said.

More people in the United States and other Western countries are recognizing China's advances in areas such as electric vehicles, robotics and AI, Jordan said. But technological achievements alone do not automatically translate into trust in a company.

"Only credible evidence can touch the mind of a skeptic," he said. "You present concrete, credible, even verifiable evidence, and they start to believe you."

At the same time, companies need to make their stories more relatable by highlighting the experiences of founders, employees, business partners and customers, Jordan said.

"Humanizing content can touch the hearts of a skeptic," he said.

Uri Ferruccio, cofounder of KOVA, an e-commerce platform, said building a business in a new market is ultimately about creating a community of investors, partners, creators and customers who share the same values.

Companies should look for partners aligned not only with what they do, but also with how they operate and the value they seek to create, he said.

"What we care about most is people who are excited about bringing their products, their brands, and building trust across an international partnership," he said.

Participants said the next phase of globalization requires companies to move beyond simply taking products overseas toward deeper localization involving brands, capital, local teams, supply chains and ties with communities.

Long-term process

Jing Zhao Cesarone, founder and president of the Global Corporate Social Responsibility Foundation, said the challenge is no longer simply selling products in the US.

"Going global is not a short-term sales campaign," she said. "It is a long-term process of building a brand, connecting with capital, earning trust and creating local value."

Wang Mingming, general manager of Thunder International Group, said manufacturers entering the US often need to respond quickly to local requirements by adjusting packaging, licensing, trademarks and branding.

Local elected officials at the forum highlighted Orange County as a potential base for international businesses and investment, citing its diversity, redevelopment opportunities and public-private partnerships.

Orange County, in Southern California, had an estimated population of 3.15 million last year. About 25 percent of residents identified as Asian and 30 percent were foreign-born, according to the US Census Bureau.

The county's supervisor, Donald Wagner, said the region's diversity is accompanied by shared aspirations for family life, safety and economic opportunity.

He cited Irvine as an example of a highly diverse community with a sizable Chinese population, saying Orange County seeks to provide an environment where residents and businesses from different backgrounds can prosper.