NEWSFOCUS
GREAT Britain living up to its name
British brands continue to enjoy overseas success thanks to national treasures such as David Beckham and Downton Abbey, new findings show
research has found that the UK, and London in particular, represent a range of unique qualities difficult for competitors in France, Italy or the US to imitate. A survey conducted by Professor Qing
T
Wang of Warwick Business School found that ‘Britishness’ is an important factor in the decision of many Chinese consumers to buy brands such as Johnnie Walker, Aston Martin, Rolls Royce and Burberry.
When asked what Chinese consumers associate with Britishness, unsurprisingly the Royal family came top of the list, closely followed by David Beckham, the football premier league and the 2012 Olympic Games. TV programmes and films like Downton Abbey and the Harry Potter franchise, Sherlock Holmes, James Bond and BBC News broadcase oversees also serve as a huge influence on the Chinese perception of Britishness, as does the British elite education system represented by Oxbridge and the public schools. Professor Wang said: “Luxury goods are defined as those satisfying hedonic rather than functional needs and our research has found this is an area in which Britain enjoys a distinct advantage. A very important factor that makes Britain stand out is that it incorporates tradition and innovation seamlessly.” The love of British luxury goods abroad is clearly demonstrated by sales figures. Diageo derives about a third of its profits from Scotch whiskey brands, driven by demand in China, India and Russia, making Diageo the world’s biggest Scotch whiskey producer. Jaguar Land Rover, the UK’s leading manufacturer of premium luxury vehicles, saw
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he new affleunt class in China, India and other emerging economies constitute a huge market that luxury British brands are targeting and preliminary
Burberry store, Ginza, Tokyo
sales in China up 39 per cent in January 2014, while annual revenues at Burberry hit £2billion for the first time in 2013, owed predominantly to sales in China, which have grown 20 per cent year on year. It’s not hard to see why the fashion retailer has plans to open eight more stores in China in the near future. Professor Wang continued: “Emerging
markets like China and India offer huge potential for luxury marketers where advertising efforts should focus on selling ‘the dream’ and creating stronger ties with the super-rich. For luxury firms, unique product offerings combined with exquisite craftsmanship and the association with Britishness will continue to drive sales in emerging markets.” n
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