Ep. 114: How to sell your brand in China? A Case Study.

EPISODE SUMMARY

We love promoting China Business, but also love promoting success stories on how others made it in China. Our new co-host Lina Bartuseviciute was invited to NAPA BALTIC Packaging Design Awards where she shared how they reached 500 shelves in Chinese supermarkets with a new Lithuanian mayonnaise brand in 2020, during the harshest months of pandemic. We welcome you to listen to this story on the podcast or access its original version on NAPA BALTIC youtube channel.

- We hope you’ll enjoy - Let’s tune in!”

EPISODE NOTES

The Conference Speech.

How to sell your brand in China? Real Success Story of ‘Daumantai’

In 2020, a Lithuanian sauces & condiments producer ‘Daumantai’ hit 500 shelves in Chinese supermarkets with their new brand ‘Wow Mama’! It is no small achievement for any brand at any time, but this particular story emerged during the months of pandemic and with products representing one the most competitive categories, most sensitive to consumer tastes and preferences. 

So how did this happen?

During this session, Lina will be interviewing Domas and sharing the story of what it really takes to make it happen in China. Domas managed China market entry for Daumantai and developed 10 new products specifically for Chinese consumers. Lina managed a team of cross-cultural consultants at LITAO and designed the B2B sales strategy & execution. For the first time, you will learn all the tips & tricks first-hand, from people who have ‘walked the talk’.

Domas Grinkevičius.

Product Develpment Manager of Daumantai LT. He has spent more than 3 years in the UK finishing a Masters Degree in Strategic Management and collecting experience in such companies as Unilever and Nestle. Since then he dedicated his work for Daumantai LT expansion to international markets. Started with local markets such as Poland, Latvia, Estonia and some Nordic countries. Now he managed to get their products to China, Saudi Arabia, South Korea and Japan. 

Daumantai LT is a condiment producer in Lithuania with almost 30 years expierience and the highest level of quality. They are the only condiment producer in Lithuania which can produce organic products and at the moment they have almost 200 products in their portfolio. 

Lina Bartusevičiūtė.

Originally Lithuanian, she has lived in Shanghai since 2009. She speaks fluent Mandarin Chinese, and started out as an interpreter for business and negotiations. Lina soon found that language is just the first barrier in cross-cultural projects, so she did a Master's degree (in Chinese) and upon graduation opened a boutique cross-cultural business consulting firm LITAO in 2015. 

LITAO works on bringing the world’s best products and ideas to China by building sustainable market entry solutions, managing B2B sales and helping the foreigners understand how the Chinese think. 

NAPA BALTIC Packaging Design Awards.

NAPA Baltic Packaging Design Awards are organized annually by the Lithuanian Design Association. The NAPA BALTIC Packaging Design Awards aim to assess high quality and innovative product packaging design created in the Baltic Region and publicise the best examples to various professionals and to the wider public as well. 

The project is financed by the Lithuanian Council for Culture.

Episode content:

We will be discussing the recent story of a new sauces and condiments brand from Lithuania entering China market. We will share the step-by-step process, the required investment (of financials, of time and of personal commitment) and the results that come out of following the process. 

• What is the China Market Entry process for a new, unknown foreign brand?

• Differences in product design and consumers’ expectations

• Creating 10 SKUs specifically for China market

• How working with China can benefit your native market

• What is the ‘flexible channel’ in China distribution?

• Performing Customs Compliance Assessment before exporting your product

• Choosing the right partner

• How to talk with your Chinese partner?

• The importance of being humble and patient

Episode Mentions:

• Find Domas Grinkevičius on LinkedIn

• Website: https://www.daumantai.lt

• NAPA BALTIC Packaging Design Awards https://www.napa.lt

• Youtube video https://youtu.be/no-9-M0EV2A

• Find your hosts Lina on LinkedIN, Jons on LinkedIN and Simon on LinkedIN

• Join China Business Cast WeChat group

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