Russian made ice cream is gaining popularity in China after Russian President Vladimir Putin presented a box of ice cream to President Xi Jinping during the G20 summit in Hangzhou. President Xi Jinping expressed his gratitude to Putin and added that he always tasted Russian ice cream during his every trip to Russia, according to a report by Cankaoxiaoxi, a Chinese newspaper.
Russia-China partnership at best level in history: Putin
Encouraged by this gift of Russian President “Vladimir Putin” Chinese businesses are using the image of the Russian President for their own commercial purposes. Made in Russia is popular for Ice cream… and cream from Russia is rapidly gaining awareness in China
Russian Ice cream in the Chinese market
A major importer of Russian ice creams to China is the Manzhouli Ange Import & Export Company, in Inner Mongolia autonomous region. It started importing Russian ice cream six years ago, and the sales of the company have increased 200 percent than that of last year, according to Manager Wang Xianzhe. In addition, he said that Putin’s gift really caused a sharp rise in the popularity of ice cream from Russia, so the company expanded the range from 50 titles to 400.
Rapid growth in the Chinese market
It was noticed that the number of requests that come from all over China has doubled. The company ships the goods even to such far from them provinces as Zhejiang, “says Wang. According to China’s Manzhouli Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau’s statistics, the popularity of Russian ice cream is on the rise in China with more than 270 tons valued at $863,000 imported in the first eight months in 2017, which is a 267 percent increase from 2016.
Furthermore, another Russian ice cream company called IceBerry also wants to take over the Chinese market. IceBerry being one of Russia’s time-honored brands, this company for decades has been producing desserts for the Kremlin.
After Putin’s visit in 2016 to China, IceBerry has dubbed its chilly sweet treat as a “national gift”, and has been selling them in Qing-Feng Steamed Buns Shop, a renowned food chain in Beijing, ever since.
Denis Kazmin, deputy director of Russian company IceBerry, shared with Rambler News Service, that the company is willing to buy an ice cream factory in Siberia in order to reduce the cost of exporting the ice cream to China, it was also added that there is a possibility that they might start producing ice cream in China.
High-quality standard is welcomed by Chinese customers
According to Russian news site Sputnik, the traditional manufacturing standard for Russian ice cream, which was introduced in 1941, was considered some of the strictest in the world due to the Soviet standards for ice cream which is responsible for the unique taste of Soviet ice cream. Such a high standard is welcomed by Chinese customers, who prioritize food safety.
Remarkably that the growing popularity of Russian ice cream in China is associated not only with its good taste but also with natural ingredients, which has recently become important for the Chinese consumer. Milk in Russian ice cream accounts for more than 80%, and chocolate is much thicker and tastier than other brands, Chinese trade companies note.
According to Beijing Daily, in addition to quality and taste, Russian ice cream is considerably affordable than other foreign brands in terms of price. For instance, IceBerry’s ice cream costs about 6 to 30 yuan, and each store sells an average of 300 ice creams a day.
However, nowadays transportation and storage remained the main problem. Therefore, the Chinese side was actively working on the construction of new freezing stores. Last year a complex was opened in Suifenhe where 50 thousand tons of ice cream can be stored.
Anyway, the main fact that is not being taken into consideration by companies in order to boost their sales in China, it is all about marketing. For instance, other foreign brands sell in China hundreds and thousands of times more, but for this, they put huge budgets in marketing, without which it will be very difficult to promote your brand and make it well known.
How to Build a Strong Brand in China?
Chinese buy Brands, not Product
To develop a Successful Ice cream Business in China, you need to develop your Own Brand in China.
Website & Traffic
Have a nice website, plus work on your visibility it is a good first step. You have to get a good presence on Baidu (and not Google) in China.
Social Media, WeChat and Weibo.
- WeChat, it is a closed platform, where you have to create great content, long blog post …
- Weibo is more short news, nice Photos and Advertising on this platform is effective
PR & Ereputation
A new Brand in China needs to work on its Reputation because the Chinese do not trust new Stuff. In China, you can find any Cheating Fake Brands, and the Chinese are really careful about what they buy.
Influencers & Endorsement
Chinese consumers trust in Other … They will buy what friends recommend and What Internet Celebrities have Tried…
Brand promotion in China is related to digital marketing, because :
- Cost-Effective
- Better Results
- Measure actions
- Because everybody uses their mobile, all the time…
If you want assistance to develop your Business in China, you can contact our Agency, our Expert will Guide you
Read also:
https://marketingtochina.com/new-wechat-sales-venture-jd-com-partnership-chinas-pinterest-meilishuo/
https://marketingtochina.com/luxury-fashion-brand-china-market/
You can also read our full Strategic Guide to Export Food Brands in China