What's In A Name?

Why are Chinese brands not popular worldwide?

As one of my blogging friends in China said: a sellable name is vital. I'd add: a marketable slogan is just as necessary. Recalling KFC's early forays into China in 1987, their English slogan - Finger Lickin' good! made for great ad copy in English speaking countries but horrified the Chinese because the translation: Eat your fingers off! was not appealing, to put it mildly.

We're all familiar with, and love laughing at Chinglish. Come time to market/distribute though, Chinglish does not inspire confidence. I'd even go so far as to say that, while Chinglish-labeled products might inspire a sales spike because of its novelty and humor, ultimately it would discourage potentially loyal customers/clients from long-term patronage. Seriously: how good can a product/service be if the company doesn't care to provide a credible translation, description or slogan?

King Long buses are a great case in point. Every city I've been to in China has 金龙 brand buses growling around the city. The actual translation – Golden Dragon would be much more culturally relevant and confidence-inspiring than King Long – the sound loan name actually used which really doesn't inspire much (other than perverse thoughts in some dirty minds).

Buy American / Buy Chinese

For years, Americans have been 'blaming China for taking their jobs'. This misperception fuels the Buy American campaign, inspiring people to only buy products made in America, and labeled as such. Some take this concept so far as to not buy Hondas, Toyotas or Nissans because they are foreign brands... disregarding the fact that those companies produce their vehicles in America and they are made by Americans. Some won't shop at Walmart because of all of the Made in China products for sale there. The negative perception of foreign-made products, especially Chinese-made products is perhaps one reason why Chinese brands are not considered for marketing in America. 

While Main Street America is only interested in buying American, the Chinese are indulging in the new overseas shopping opportunities. A recent article in ChinaDaily stated that several high end department stores such as Macy's and Nordstrom have partnered with Alipay just in time for Christmas, and Chinese shoppers have gone nuts!   

And then, there was an article about the young mother who uses her smartphone app to buy everything for her baby from overseas shops. The specific reason she gave is that she has no confidence in China-made products and feels her baby is safer consuming foreign milk and wearing foreign diapers.

Yet another article brought to light the plethora of counterfeit luxury goods in China. Because the discriminating Chinese consumer has no trust in or taste for Chinese-made products, s/he is willing to pay through the nose for imported products. Counterfeiters have cashed in on that trend by packaging Chinese-produced goods with labeling that indicates they were manufactured or come from overseas.

Here's a question: now that it has been revealed that some high end goods are actually China-made products with foreign labels, and Chinese with cultured palates have been consuming these China-made goods with no ability to distinguish them from actual, foreign-made products, shouldn't that inspire a surge of confidence in Chinese-made products?

People seem to overlook that in favor of venting their ire at being tricked. The government is intent on punishing the counterfeiters rather than focusing on Chinese brand promotion. Not to say that counterfeiters shouldn't be punished, but their trickery has highlighted a failing in the Chinese business sector: production and promotion of quality luxury goods. That would count as another deficiency in launching Chinese brands into foreign markets.

Back to the original question: Why aren't Chinese brands sold/promoted worlwide?

Let's answer that question with a question: if the Chinese business sector does not promote confidence in home-spun brands and Chinese consumers have no faith in domestic products, why should overseas markets be inspired to buy Chinese goods?

Chinese brands will not see positive results on the global market as long as news articles of Chinese people defaming Chinese brands/products make headlines. In fact, those commentaries have the undesired effect of supporting campaigns such as Made in America – whose rallying cry is 'Say NO to made in China crap!'. Until Chinese consumers stand by Chinese products – and news articles promote that consumption, until foreign (American) disdain for everything Made in China wanes, I don't see any way for Chinese products/services to hit the shelves abroad with any success.

One final note: As long as Chinese consumers are shopping abroad, what is happening with the Chinese economy?

Again I compare the Made in America campaign with Made in China. American shoppers may well buy products made in China (from Walmart or other outlets) and in doing so, they are supporting the American economy as well as China's. Chinese people shopping overseas via online outlets are doing nothing for the Chinese economy. Wouldn't it make more sense for the Chinese to support their GDP, promote confidence in Chinese products and thereby help launch Chinese goods into the world markets?   

Portland/Seattle Notes

•                     Portland's climate is ideal for growing roses. In fact, that city was known as The City of Roses. 

•                     Portland's Rose Festival takes place every year in June and includes dragonboat races.

•                     Its current unofficial city slogan is 'Keep Portland Weird', borrowed from Austin, Texas.

•                     It was founded in 1845 and named after Portland, Maine

•                     Home to one of the oldest amusement parks in America, in operation since 1905. 

•                     Population has been, and remains predominantly white.

•                     In the 1800s, the law permitted immigration of Chinese laborers but forbade them to bring family or to own property. Fortunately, that has changed!

•                      Powell's City of Books, in downtown Portland, is reputed to be the world's largest independently owned bookstore.

•                     Voodoo Doughnuts – a fun, different kind of doughnut shop originated in Portland, and has since spread to Denver, Colorado.

◦                     On each of our downtown forays, where this fabulous store is located, the line was so long it was out the door and around the block. I wanted to have a doughnut from that shop as soon as I saw how popular it was, but I didn't want to stand in line with little Ben in the cold and rain.

◦                     While he was occupied at school, I saw my chance to experience Voodoo! After dropping him off I headed downtown and saw... no lines in front of the store! I thought it was truly meant to be: this is the day I would have a doughnut!

◦                     The store was closed: that is why there was no line. However, I found out that there was another shop, not too far away. After asking for directions, off I went!

◦                     I tricked my family by telling them only half the story: the store was closed. However, at eveningtime, after our dinner, I finished the story and took the doughnuts out of my backpack. We all laughed and enjoyed our Voodoo doughnuts: 2 kinds of sweetness to finish the day!

•                     Portland is home to the Classical Chinese Garden 兰苏园, a Suzhou-style walled garden.

•                     One of Portland's sister cities is Suzhou.

•                     Seattle was named after Chief Si'ahl of the Duwamish and Suquamish Indian tribes.

•                     The area was inhabited for over 4000 years before European settlers arrived.

•                     It is the largest city in Washington state as well as in the entire Pacific Northwest.

•                     Its nickname is The Emerald City because of the lush greenery in the surrounding area. 

•                     Seattle's noteworthy musical history helped develop the careers of Ray Charles and Quincy Jones, among others. It is home to the grunge rock music movement. Prominent grunge band leader, Kurt Cobain committed suicide on April  5^th, 1994 at his home. 

•                     Seattle is known as 'the whitest big city in America'. Asians have consistently been the largest minority, with Chinese comprising 4.1% of that 13.8% group.

◦                     I freaked this kindly erhu 二胡 (traditional 2-string Chinese violin) player out when I spoke to him in Chinese!

•                     Home to Boeing aircraft plants, where 707, 720, 727, 737, 747,757, 767, 777 and 787 model planes are put together. Those factories are visible from the interstate, and they are HUGE!

•                     Home of the 华美大屠杀 (Waa Mee massacre) – a gang related multiple homocide on February 18^th, 1983 in Chinatown. It remains the deadliest mass murder in Washington state history.

•                     Home to amazon.com, Microsoft and cell phone giant T-mobile.

•                     One of Seattle's sister cities is Chongqing.

These are just a few fun facts about these two cities, dashed off as I board the next plane.

Next stop: Carlisle, Pennsylvania. All Aboard!!!

Sleepless in Seattle?

5AM, and I'm wondering why I'm so giddy to be awake. Oh, yeah! Road trip! We're loading up at 6AM and heading to Seattle for the day. We've all wanted to go there and this was our chance. Our destination lies about 3 hours north of Portland and we could only spend one day there because Samantha had to be back in school on Monday morning. We wanted to make the most of that time so, after taking turns in the bathroom, preparing a bag full of snacks and gassing the car up, we were on our way!

Baby Benjamin was my backseat companion and we played many games during the drive. It was dark at the outset of our trip and raining heavily, so we weren't missing much in the way of sights while driving. The one attraction of note that I hope to explore further on my next visit is the start (or end, depending on how you look at it) of the Lewis and Clark trail, about an hour south of our destination city.

Shortly after the trailhead sighting we pulled into a McDonalds' for a coffee refill/bathroom break. It was there that I saw a sign discouraging patrons from lingering for more than 30 minutes, even if they had purchased food. “How unusual” I thought, “that a hospitality enterprise should be so inhospitable”. I contrasted that McDonalds' declaration with the KFC in China that recently made the headlines for allowing a woman to stay for a week after her romance collapsed. I wonder what would have become of her if she had been forced out of the restaurant after 30 minutes.

Unbeknownst to me at the time, that unwelcoming admonition set the tone for our visit.  

Samantha had planned many activities for our day. Per her investigations, we parked near the world famous Space Needle to take the monorail into the city center. That was one freaky ride! Usually, when riding a light rail or train one can look out the window and see the ground, or at least the platform that the tracks sit on. Monorails straddle their track, so there is no need for an elevated path upon which tracks are mounted. When looking down from the inside the monorail cab, one sees only the ground rush by. I'll admit it made me queasy.

Our target was Pike Place Market, otherwise known as Public Market Center that has operated continuously since 1907, in the same building at the same location. It is a combination Farmer's Markets, crafts distributors and food vendors. There are also quirky little shops that sell memorabilia of all kinds, from the normal 'tourist kitsch' to Dr. Who life-sized cardboard cutouts. It was lively and bustling, although there were not nearly as many people as someone used to China's crowding might anticipate.

The fish markets are famous for throwing fish, as I've already mentioned. Here is how it works: a customer selects from the arrayed product. The vendor, at floor level, shouts the request to his co-worker behind the raised counter, while throwing the fish. The co-worker trims and packages the customer's order and then tosses it back to the fellow at floor level, who then hands it to the customer. It is quite a spectacle, especially when 3 or 4 customers are being served at one time.

Across from this market is the original Starbucks. We didn't go inside but we did glance in, and took this picture beneath the sign. Why didn't we go in? I'll tell you in just a minute.

After a while of walking around in the rain we got hungry. Our options: the Russian deli which, on our fist pass was fairly empty of customers, the Mexican food stand, or a French place. Originally I wanted to try Russian food but changed my mind when Darrell said he was in the mood for French. Samantha cued up at the now full Russian deli and I made my way with Benjamin, in his stroller, to the French establishment.

As with Starbucks, there was no ramp to wheel the stroller in (that, and the fact that we'd gotten coffee just an hour before is why we didn't go in). Again, an oddity: America is usually very generous with accessibility for handicapped. Why not in this tourist mecca? Maybe they didn't want to ruin the authenticity of the building.

How was I to get the stroller down those stairs by myself, and where would we park it in that small shop? Darrell returned from his short walk to help carry Bun and stroller down and we edged our way into the seating area as carefully as possible. After helping my non-French speaking son make his selection – everything on the menu was in French, and being rejoined by the lovely Samantha,  we sat down to our meal.

I took that occasion to look around. Here, here, here and there: people sitting and eating alone, staring out. Walking down the street: people with their heads down, perhaps to shield against the persistent rain. Even couples and groups seemed to maintain their distance and silence. Recalling: in the market, no one seemed particularly ebullient or joyful, not even obvious tourists. Was it the rain, the early hour or just the place?              

Seattle has long been unfairly touted as the suicide capital of the Northwest because of its gloomy weather, drug problem and unemployment rate. Even my son,  while walking down deserted sidewalks proclaimed that 43% of the nation's suicides happen in Seattle. I could find no facts to substantiate that myth, perhaps perpetuated in the wake of musician Kurt Cobain's death by self-inflicted gunshot. In spite of that, there is a disturbing tendency to nickname the George Washington memorial bridge, or Aurora Bridge as 'the suicide bridge', prompting the State to enclose it with a tall safety fence in 2011. Buses advertise suicide prevention hotlines – phone numbers one can call should s/he feel that life is not worth living. And I saw plenty of people who appeared lonely and dejected.

After our lunch and leaving the Marketplace behind, we strolled to Pioneer Square, Seattle's first historic district. It was during that jaunt that our little Ben fell asleep, oblivious to the rain or any surrounding noise.

The architecture was stunning! Many of the old marquees were still in place, advertising hotels and card parlors. One such building had turned its rooms into high priced apartments. The sidewalks were well-paved and wide... which didn't matter, because we were about the only visitors. An occasional unwashed, obviously in hard times shuffled by but we were not accosted, assaulted or harmed at all. In doorways we saw plenty of downtrodden resting among their possessions – blankets, cardboard and tarpaulins. Rounding our tour of the historic district, we walked past Occidental Park, also deserted.

As always in America, but especially on visiting Seattle I have to remark on how unpeopled these public venues are. Compared with China's teeming streets and crowded malls at any season or in any weather, I am at a loss how to describe how haunting these empty, rain-washed streets were. Even buses were devoid of passengers. Was it because it was Sunday, or the weather?

We wanted to take in other attractions: the underground tour – walking along the old sidewalks and storefronts of Original Seattle. Smith Tower, once the tallest building on the west coast, that offers a view of the city from above. The Locks – a series of water containments teeming with fish in the summer but avoided by us due to the cold and rain. Ferry rides and Puget Sound. Various museums, conservatories, gardens and the University of Washington campus. Of course, Chinatown, one of the first established Asian communities, started by the Chinese as they were recruited to lay  tracks for the transcontinental railroad. However, there was a certain puppy at home who would soon need attention, and the rain was worsening, making the drive back more hazardous. We did walk, and then drive past the stunning Public Library buiding, hailed for its architectural innovation.

There is so much to see and do in Seattle that costs little or nothing. It would take more than one day to appreciate it all, but I'm reluctant to go back.

Seattle struck me as a city of 'lonely', where people are isolated and not necessarily friendly or kind. Walking past the mission district, where those whose lives have taken a bad turn and the only thing they had to look forward to or hope for was their next fix and a warm bed, all of the otherwise deserted streets and empty buses, the single diners who stared out forlornly... and perhaps even her reputation as 'suicide city' leads me to feel not completely happy about Seattle, especially in contrast with Portland, where people will say 'hi' to you on the street, cede the right of way while driving and greet you in the stores.

Which is really strange because, according to the most recent statistics I could find, Portland, Oregon ranks higher in suicides than Seattle does.    

First Week in Portland

That title is actually a misnomer because I've been sojourning in a suburb of the big city itself, but that doesn't mean that we had no forays into the metropolis.

My arrival on December 23^rd was fraught, as reported in Saddle Up, Ride out. After a night with my precious Zeva (my son's dog) battling my sleeping form for couch space, I was all ready to experience the wonder of the holiday and discover Portland.

My son's new job dictates that he is to work from Tuesday through Saturday, holidays notwithstanding. While he was at work Samantha and I spent our Christmas eve catching up. When he came home, we all went into downtown Portland for a drive-thru tour and dinner at one of the famous food trucks.

I'll talk about the food trucks in a minute. Right now, I'd like to answer your question: why a drive-thru tour? Because it was raining cats and dogs, that's why. The northwest region of the United States, where Portland lies is prone to heavy rainfall this time of year. December cold did not help us warm to the precipitation, but the Grilled Baby Cheezus did.

Portland is famous for many things, among them food. Specifically: ethnic foods prepared in food trucks – trucks modified to become mobile kitchens. There are clusters of food trucks around the city and others that roam the streets during working hours, catering to the lunch crowd. Because we were more in time for dinner, the roving trucks were parked for the night but the bunch in the Pearl District, permanently located in a parking lot central to the area was open. Temptations included: Egyptian, Moroccan, Mexican, Indian, Thai and of course Chinese. I had to have a Baby Cheezus – a grilled cheese sandwich with a hamburger patty inside named after an a running joke from the TV show Modern Family.

From what I could see out the car window and during our brief foray to the food trucks, I decided I wanted to see Portland, up close and personal.

This burg is known as one of the most environmentally friendly cities in the world. Public transportation, primarily in the form of light-rail trolleys supplemented by bio-diesel powered buses, both of which are environmentally safe and financially economical, can take you pretty much anywhere. The city is easy to navigate using only public transportation. Buses will take you out to the farther reaches of the metroplex: into Washington park and up Skyline drive, where you can see spectacular views of Mount St. Helen's, an active volcano whose most recent eruption was in 1980.

Portland is a bike-friendly city. Every road I've been on, from the suburbs to the inner city has clearly marked bike lanes. Two local news channels offer a bike traffic report. The trolleys and buses have racks especially to transport bicycles. Many establishments offer bike-only parking, including the prestigious Intel campus, where my son is newly employed.

Industry thrives! Besides the computer giant Intel and other technology mega-firms, Adidas, Nike, Jantsen, and LaCrosse footwear companies all have headquarters in or around Portland. That is perhaps to be expected due to the fact that natives to this area love the great outdoors and all activities related to it: camping, hiking, skiing, kayaking and the like. Columbia Sportswear, named for the Columbia river that Portland is built around is also domiciled here. As of 2010, Chinese shoemaker Li-Ning has its American headquarters and factory in this area.

For its employment possibilities, diversity, environmental friendliness and outdoor adventure/activities, Portland has been ranked 42^nd worldwide in quality of living. I've found her to be especially friendly, with smiling drivers ceding the right of way and everyone on the streets giving seasonal greetings. There is a darker side to her, though: unemployment and homelessness is rampant, the drug culture thrives and her crime rate is slightly higher than the national average. When I expressed the desire to visit Chinatown I was quickly dissuaded. My son said that that is where the homeless and addicts congregate, and the area is run down and neglected. Our driving tour of the city proved it.

Whereas the first few days I was here it rained nearly constantly, after Christmas the clouds broke, revealing a deep, blue sky. Unfortunately the artic winds bore down, making my and Samantha's outing on public transportation a less than pleasant experience. It gets bone-chilling cold in the city, amidst the tall buildings that make valleys for the wind to whip through. Poor Benjamin's face ended up wind-chapped and his little hands were aching from the cold in spite of his mittens. 

The Gorge, where the Columbia river passes is even colder and the winds sustain a force of about 60 miles per hour. I wanted to experience it for myself!

Because of the terrible cold and Little Benjamin, too small for such extremes, we opted instead to head southwest from the city, to the foot of Mount Hood – another active volcano, on Darrell's first day off from work. There the rain had turned to snow, promising fun for all! Appropriately suited, everyone loaded up, including Zeva. I think she was most looking forward to icy fun.     

I was expecting only to frolic and kick around in the snow, perhaps help Ben build a snowman and play with Zeva but Darrell had another idea. He, an outdoor sports enthusiast with gear to match invited me to try snowshoeing! So, for the first time in my life I had a pair of snow shoes strapped to my feet, and with visibility only about 10 meters because of the falling snow, Zeva and I set off down a deserted trail. What an experience!

At first elated at doing something new, I soon grew tired and out of breath. Snowshoeing is not as easy as it looks and after a while, the snow builds up on the already heavy shoes, making them weigh a ton! I didn't realize I had hiked out so far until I had to stop for breath every so often. No doubt the higher altitude didn't help my breathing. When I rejoined my family, it was all I could do to make it back to the car, where our packed lunch awaited us.

Now in the warmth and safety of the car, we devoured our stores. Sandwiches made from Christmas leftover ham, crackers and cheese have never tasted so good! Snowshoeing is hungry work. I was never happier to have a sandwich in all my life.

While eating, Darrell consulted the weather forecast. It was due to snow heavily for the next 4 hours and it was already late afternoon. We decided to use what daylight was left to head back down the mountain, where we would only have rain to deal with. Carefully, he negotiated the frozen trails and soon we were back on wet, not icy roads. We all slept like logs that night!

That was not the only adventure we had, but it is the only one I have time and room to write about. Tomorrow will be Ben and Mema's day out: just my little love and I into the city alone. This weekend we'll head to Seattle, only about 3 hours by car from here.

Stay tuned!