Outdated image, updated lessons for China brands in South-east Asia

AS CHINA’S brands enter South-east Asia, they strive to shed old stereotypes while banking on capabilities previously developed for the domestic market.

Overcoming the ‘outsourced vendor’ image

In the past, Chinese manufacturers were known primarily as original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) for international brands – a reputation that they could not shake off even after launching their own brands.

Back then, the “Made in China” label implied poor quality and copycat products, according to the Research Report of 2021 on Chinese Cross-Border Brands by China-based market consultancy LeadLeo Research Institute.