Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Thursday, August 21, 2003
First Chinese Enterprise Neon Bulletin Board up in Tokyo's Ginza Avenue
Haier Group, a leading Chinese home appliances maker, is launching a new round of marketing campaign in Japan in a bid to grab a larger chunk in this coveting market, according to company officials Thursday.
Haier Group, a leading Chinese home appliances maker, is launching a new round of marketing campaign in Japan in a bid to grab a larger chunk in this coveting market, according to company officials Thursday.
In order to take a hold in the Japanese market swamped with strong competitors, Haier joined in 2002 with the major local counterpart -- Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd.-- in helping tap each other's market.
As a spearhead of the new campaign, Haier presented a brand-newtype of washing machine with dual function of washing and drying, targeting Japan's white-collars aged between 26 and 35.
Sanyo expects the washing machine would take a share of 10 percent in Japan's rolling washing machine market in one year.
The debut was followed by a ceremony in which Haier established a huge neon bulletin board on a building in Tokyo's upmarket Ginzaavenue, the first time for a Chinese enterprise to show up in this gorgeous downtown area.
Sales in Japan from January to July this year boomed by 140 percent from a year earlier, and are expected to reach 10 billion yen (84 million US dollars). It's products have taken a hold in 10major Japanese home appliances chain shops and five leading supermarkets. It's refrigerators landed in Japan last July are sold at a 3-digit-number pace, according to the company.
Haier attributes the success to the high quality and personality of its products, mainly favored by the well-off unmarried and vogue hunters.
In 2002, Haier's overseas sales stood at 1 billion dollars, and took the first place in the list of China's top 100 electronic and information appliances suppliers.
But as for the Japanese market, Yang Mianmian, President of Haier Group, said more efforts are need if Japan's economy remains stagnant.