Massifying Your Brand in China

Nationalism is a particularly powerful impulse in China. For brands keen to create a stronger connection with Chinese consumers, national sentiment is tempting territory. While the slogans of local brands often double as nationalistic pledges, international brands have learnt to be more careful in their deployment of the nation's symbols and iconography.

Examples abound of global brands that have earned the scorn of local consumers by using dynastic emblems in ways deemed disrespectful to Chinese culture. In the context of the Olympics, local notions of symbolic ownership have strengthened. For example, Nike was reprimanded for its subjugation of a dragon to a sponsored basketball star. There was even considerable sensitivity surrounding the casting of the national mascot in the animated blockbuster Kung Fu Panda.

Faced with the high risk and potential backlash of 'getting it wrong', marketers have drawn on the Maoist years to better negotiate local nuances. A prominent feature of Maoist revolutionary symbolism is the motif of the “faceless masses”, used to remind citizens of the proletariat's selfless dedication the socialist cause. Visuals present an amalgam of societal members depicted as a unitary force, usually in the context of milestone events in the history of the Communist Party such as the Long March, anti-Japanese war and Great Leap Forward. This type of stirring imagery, in the form of large sculptures, still holds pride of place in public city squares across The People's Republic.

For brands keen to sidestep direct deployment of national symbols, the trope of the masses provides a more allusive route to the heartstrings of Chinese consumers. For example, Adidas, as part of their Olympic sponsorship, have produced a series of communications recasting the public as the engine behind the achievement of native Olympians. Using animated sketch imagery, massive waves of people are depicted as a constant shadow that holds and supports the winning movements of national heroes. While nationalist in tone, this work appeals to the universal Chinese theme of people power, serving to give an alibi to its blatant ideological appropriation. The more open-ended symbolism used here allows room for self-interpretation, reducing the chance that consumers will be uncomfortable with the brand's take on nationalism.