Thoughtful China Podcast

This week's show is a year-end special episode featuring four of China's leading creative figures -- Jimmy Lam, DDB Group's chief creative officer, North Asia; Leong Wai Foong, ECD of BBDO & Proximity Greater China; Johnny Tan, ECD of BBH China; and Graham Fink, Chief Creative Officer, Ogilvy & Mather China -- discussing the best ads produced in Greater China during 2012. In addition, Thierry Halbroth, exec creative director of McCann Worldgroup's Cathay Pacific Global Team shares a western perspective about how China ranks globally as a creative market. Watch this week's show to find out which ads they picked as the top work made in China in 2012.

Advertisers in China are shifting ad dollars into digital media, but navigating China's media industry has long been a difficult task due to the size, scope and fragmentation of the market. This week on "Thoughtful China," we analyze the behavior of young Chinese consumers--the "digital generation"--with an academic eye, rather than our usual business focus. Host Kitty Bu interviews Don Schultz, Professor Emeritus at Northwestern University's Medill School and the co-author of "Understanding China's Digital Generation," which will be published later this year.

With the West still in economic turmoil, companies continue to look at Asia, and particularly China, as a cherished center for growth. This week on “Thoughtful China,” we examine how long that trend continue by talking with senior executives at some of the industry’s largest players about projected ad spending for 2013, including Mykim Chikli, Chief Operating Officer, China at ZenithOptimedia; Carol Potter, BBDO’s President & CEO, Greater China; Nick Waters, Asia-Pacific CEO at Aegis Media; and Bryce Whitwam, General Manager, China at Wunderman.

Chinese companies are eager to expand into western markets but they face many hurdles, including low experience selling to western consumers and some negative stereotypes attached to the "made in China" label. This week on "Thoughtful China," we take a close look at one of those companies making strong moves in European markets, Shanghai Jawha United, owner of the Chinese beauty brand Herborist, and talk with branding experts about how to successfully build Chinese brands at home and overseas.

This week on "Thoughtful China," host Kitty Bu talks about issues facing women in the workforce with Allen Wang, CEO and founder of Babytree, the presenting sponsor of Ad Age's Women to Watch China. Fourteen of the marketing industry's most promising female professionals will be honored this year at a gala dinner on Sept. 5, 2012. This episode also features four women based in Greater China who were selected as Women to Watch by Advertising Age globally since the franchise launched in 1997, including Carol Schuster, global marketing consultant at Lafayette 148, the event's supporting sponsor. You can find out more about the "Women to Watch China" honors and gala dinner at this link: http://events.adage.com/china/index.php?page=w2w

The characteristics of beauty and interpretations of what makes someone beautiful change over time and across borders. Poets and politicians alike have debated the concept of beauty throughout history. Today in China, it's debated by the world's fashion and beauty leaders, which are struggling to keep up with local trends. This week on "Thoughtful China," we look at how Chinese define beauty, and the impact of foreign beauty advertising. You can see other episodes of "Thoughtful China" on our website, www.thoughtfulchina.com. Thanks for watching.

Every western agency operating in China faces enormous challenges, like learning to work with local clients, finding and retaining top talent and keeping up with this market's rapid pace of change. Is it harder for agencies that choose to enter China without a local joint venture partner? We'll find out this week on "Thoughtful China," when host Kitty Bu interviews Arto Hampartsoumian, CEO of BBH China. Watch more episodes of our talk show at www.thoughtfulchina.com.

China is the world's largest mobile phone market with over 900 million subscribers and local consumers use phones for everything from social media to search to shopping. Marketers should be flocking to mobile devices, but that medium gets about one percent of total ad spend in China today. This episode of "Thoughtful China" looks at the reasons advertisers are holding back on mobile as a marketing platform and why the next wave of digital marketing in China will be a super cocktail of location-based services, shopper marketing, and mobile advertising working together. You can see additional episodes of our show on www.thoughtfulchina.com.

Media convergence has become a hot topic for ad agencies and marketers, because consumers now have access to media through multiple screens--computers, smart phones, tablets, and TV. This week on "Thoughtful China," host Kitty Bu dives into the world of convergence and learns how it's influencing the future of marketing and communications by interviewing Jean Lin, Isobar's CEO, Asia-Pacific and global chief strategy officer in Shanghai. You can view all the episodes of our show at www.thoughtfulchina.com.

Aegis Group has completed its fourth major acquisition in China this year with the purchase of OMP, one of China’s leading local digital marketing agencies. Nick Waters, CEO, Asia-Pacific of Aegis Media, share details about the deal with “Thoughtful China” host Trevor Lai, along with an inside look at China’s M&A environment. Find out more about the OMP acquisition and Aegis Media’s investment strategy in China in this week’s episode.

Media convergence has become a hot topic for ad agencies and marketers, because consumers now have access to media through multiple screens--computers, smart phones, tablets, and TV. This week on "Thoughtful China," host Kitty Bu dives into the world of convergence and learns how it's influencing the future of marketing and communications by interviewing Jean Lin, Isobar's CEO, Asia-Pacific and global chief strategy officer in Shanghai. You can view all the episodes of our show at www.thoughtfulchina.com.

Nearly every major multinational operating in China identifies human resource issues as their leading challenge. Despite its vast population, China has a shortage of trained, experienced and educated workers. The problem is even tougher for marketers selling high-end accessories, jewelry, watches, and other luxury goods. This week on "Thoughtful China," we address the special challenges facing the luxury sector when it comes to finding and training staff in China.

China has emerged as a political super power in the last twenty years as well as a major economic power and the leading consumer market for products ranging from cars to cognac. This week on "Thoughtful China," host Trevor Lai interviews Tom Doctoroff, JWT's North Asia Area Director & Greater China CEO, about China's recent rise as well as the misconceptions that exist between western and Chinese businesses each looking to expand at home and overseas. A resident of Shanghai for 14 years, Mr. Doctoroff recently published his second book, "What Chinese Want: Culture, Communism and China's Modern Consumer." Find out more about marketing and brand-building in China by watching our other episodes on YouTube or at www.thoughtfulchina.com.

Even if China's economy continues to slow down, the country will remain a titan, both economically and politically, but it is not a creative powerhouse. Awards for Chinese agencies remain rare at global creative festivals like the Cannes Lions International Festival as well as regional events such as AdFest. This week on "Thoughtful China," host Trevor Lai talks with AdFest President Jimmy Lam about China's creative market, its performance at AdFest '12 and his favorite Chinese ads among this year's winning work.

The internet has become a powerful marketing platform in China so, unsurprisingly, advertisers have eagerly jumped into digital media to accelerate brand engagement, activation, leads and sales. What is surprising is how little marketers know about calculating the effectiveness of online campaigns, especially when social media is involved.