Are you thinking about entering the China market? Or are you currently trying to gain a foothold in China but are struggling? This episode with Josh Gardner, the CEO of Kung Fu Data, is sure to give you food for thought.

Kung Fu Data helps international brands with China market entry and advisory, Tmall store activation and optimization, and daily operations support.

Josh has a no-BS, super-honest approach. He knows how to make brands succeed in China, but he is also not afraid to turn down brands that he believes won’t find success.  

Today, Josh shares what brands should consider before entering China and how to evaluate if a brand is ready or not. He also shares tips for a successful China launch strategy. 

There are two particularly interesting ideas for China market entry discussed in this episode. The first is that it's actually easier to activate Chinese consumers outside of China and then enter the mainland China market. This is related to the second idea, which is his belief that “people follow people who follow brands.” 

Another thing Josh points out is that, in China, the faster you are, the more likely you are to succeed. Agility is extremely important in the China market, not only because consumer behaviors and technology are rapidly changing, but also because Chinese domestic brands tend to be very agile and international brands just entering the market are going to struggle to compete if they can’t keep up. 

Guest: Josh Gardner

Website | LinkedIn | Email: [email protected] 

Host: Lauren Hallanan

Website | LinkedIn | WeChat: H1212118514 

Check out Lauren’s book: Digital China: Working with Bloggers, Influencers and KOLs.

This podcast was edited and produced by Jason MacRonald.