Women entrepreneurs focus on brand building

Industries in China including beauty, early childhood education, personal image design, and tailored luxury goods are all areas with high potential to have a well-known brand, Wang Jing, general manager of Beijing Brand Asset Evaluation said at the 2013 International Forum of Outstanding Women Entrepreneurs.

"There are numerous beauty salons nationwide, but can you mention a well-known one?" Wang asked women entrepreneurs attending the forum which was held by the China Association of Women Entrepreneurs in Beijing on Dec 16-17. Most of the association's members are small and medium-sized private business owners.

Xia Hua, chairwoman of Eve Group. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The era that China's economy relies on low cost labor and develops at a double-digit rate has passed, and more companies are buying into the idea of upgrading and building their own brand.

Xia Hua, chairwoman of Eve Group which specializes on high-end men suits, said at the forum that it's very difficult to build a brand in an industry dominated by foreign brands.

She said that international luxury companies date back for generations, which is an embarrassment for Eve Group, a company that has only been around for 17 years.

She eventually fought back by beginning with China's history, where numerous stories illustrating luxury are recorded which her brand draws from.

Although having a short corporate history does not help build a brand, Eve Group has still managed to excel by making a few innovative moves.

Xia said the company has realized its target buyers are extremely busy and do not have time to go shopping.

"Based on this finding, we have targeted airport VIP waiting rooms and VIP rooms at conference sites as our marketplace," Xia told the forum's participants. "It has turned out to be successful as a lot of deals have been made there."

Eve Group now has brands including EVE de Vomo, EVE de CINA, NOTTING HILL, KevinKelly and JAQUES PRITT.

While Xia has had enough experience to share in building brands, some are still exploring, but at a loss.