FROM COMPETITIVE SERVICE TO BRAND BUILDING

Heaven Lake at Changbai Mountain has long been well known. The vast water between heaven and earth quietly reflects the changes of the world. Looming in and out of the clouds and mist, it is deemed a wonderland on Earth. The moment I climbed to the top of Changbai Mountain, the mist happened to scatter. The awesome tranquility and depth of the lake that resembled the look of the Mother Earth were beyond description. The dreamlike scene will be cherished in my memory forever.

Then I noticed that the Director of Changbai Mt. Management Committee was more excited than I was. He told me that the worst thing that could happen was if guests experienced bad weather during a tour. Guests would feel regretful if they didn't see Heaven Lake despite being treated warmly by staff, but if they did see Heaven Lake, they wouldn’t mind small faults in our service. My professional sensibility reminded me that his understanding revealed a truth in the service industry: “Heaven Lake is the most important thing.” In other words, offering a branded service is the most valuable thing to do.

In Chinese, brand consists of two characters, the first one is Pin, meaning stack, hence words like goods, commodities, and products containing the same character; Pin is interestingly structured like a pyramid of rocks with clear layers, hence the differentiation of grade, class and the masterpiece, all of which words contain the character too; Pin consists of three mouths, suggesting word of mouth, hence words like taste, assess, and brand containing the same character. Brand equals public praise gained for good quality, or unanimous recognition.

It is easy to register a trademark but difficult to create a brand. Many enterprise owners that are capable of setting up factories and mastering manufacturing techniques would rather be an OEM, earning slender process fees than launch their own brands, so we can imagine how hard brand-building can be. The fact that plenty of customers prefer to buy branded products while knowing the prices are considerably higher, proves the great charm of brands.

Brand is a culture. Big brands can represent the aesthetic preferences, customs and national ethos of a country. Brand is an orientation. People often say he/she dislikes Maotai, or Cuban Cigarettes, but I rarely hear anyone saying these products have bad taste. Customers are in awe of brands due to the function of orientation. Brands are formed imperceptibly throughout time. Once recognized, they turn into faith and consuming habits.

We are creating an international brand, which we hope will embody the etiquette and style of Chinese civilization, and carry the essence and compatibility of the oriental culture. It’s said that brand is the soft power of an enterprise. Comparatively, hard power is always limited but soft power is ubiquitous and omnipotent.