Outstanding Brand Marketing Annual Meeting

On October 23rd, the "2026 Outstanding Brand Marketing Sharing Conference" jointly organized by the Economic Observer and the Hong Kong Management Professional Association was held in Beijing. Yu Zheng, visiting professor at the School of Economics of Fudan University, dean of the Institute of Economic Observation and Research, and chairman of the China Arts and Culture Foundation, stated in his speech that the core competitiveness of Chinese brands in going global lies in the three in one approach: product branding as the foundation, enterprise branding as the foundation, and entrepreneurial branding as the soul. It is a combination of using tools and using them to achieve excellence. The combination of the three creates a three-dimensional picture of Chinese brands going global.

Yu Zheng emphasized that brand is the face of the country, and culture is the soul of the brand; A strong brand leads to industrial prosperity, and a rich culture leads to confidence. In this era full of uncertainty, technological power gives us strength, economic power gives us a stage, and cultural power gives us direction. The encounter between Chinese culture and world brands is not a simple physical superposition, but a profound chemical reaction.

The following is the full text of the speech:

Good afternoon, everyone!

Firstly, on behalf of the organizers, I would like to extend a warm welcome and heartfelt thanks to all of you for coming!

I am delighted to gather with you all to explore the grand and profound topic of "Chinese Culture and World Brands" together.

What are we talking about when we talk about brands?

In the past, people understood brands as trust relationships mediated by goods. In today's world of interconnected and diverse values, this definition needs to be expanded.

A brand is no longer just a vassal of a product. It connects trust and identity through products, services, organization, and personality.

So, Chinese brands going global is a combination of three levels:

One is the product brand, which stands out with excellent quality and service;

Secondly, the enterprise brand should establish itself with long-term credit and public value;

The third is the entrepreneurial brand, which is rooted in vision, personality, and lasting reputation.

The combination of the three creates a three-dimensional picture of Chinese brands going global;

And what supports this scene is the profound cultural foundation of the land beneath our feet.

Looking at the global competitive landscape, the competition between countries ultimately boils down to the competition of technological, economic, and cultural power.

Technological strength determines how fast we can go, as it provides the physical foundation and technological boundaries for a brand to establish itself;

Economic power determines how far we can go, providing market space and capital support for brand expansion;

Cultural power determines who we are, endowing a brand with a unique soul and irreplaceable recognition.

For example, technology is the backbone, economy is the pulse, and culture is the soul——

A brand can only truly establish itself if its bones are hard, its veins are smooth, and its soul is stable.

Brand stands at the intersection of technology, economy, and culture.

Brands without technological support are fragile,

Brands without economic scale are small,

Brands without cultural connotations are pale and difficult to sustain.

Chinese culture needs to rely on strong technological and economic capabilities to go global;

And in order for China's technology and economy to win the respect of the world, it must also rely on brands and inject the soul of Chinese culture.

So, how can Chinese culture truly empower world brands?

Based on the product brand, based on the enterprise brand, and based on the entrepreneurial brand as the soul - the trinity, using tools and using them, and using them as the way.

It cannot stop at printing dragon and phoenix totems on products,

It's not just about telling an ancient story,

And we need to delve into the underlying logic of capital and value.

Culture itself is a core capital.

In the past, we focused more on financial capital and physical capital;

Opening one's perspective reveals that cultural capital can be transformed into enormous economic and social value through the production of meaning.

Ultimately, cultural capital answers the question of 'who are we',

Brand capital answers' why does the world identify with us';

One is the source of meaning, and the other is the flow of the market,

The two transform into each other and jointly support the deep competitiveness of national brands.

Chinese brands going global is essentially a process of "meaning reconstruction"——

From product output to value output,

From industrial manufacturing to cultural creation,

From integrating into the global market to leading global aesthetics.

We need to have self-awareness and no longer be passive followers of Western standards,

And to become the active definer of the Eastern way of life;

We need to respond to the common challenges faced by humanity with the ecological concept of "unity of heaven and man" and the ethical concept of "do not do to others what you do not want done to yourself".

We also need to have a spatial and temporal pattern:

Walking into time, connecting tradition and the future, and revitalizing the 5000 year civilization in the era of digital intelligence;

Going into space, connecting the local and global, not only deeply cultivating Chinese soil, but also possessing the ability to allocate resources globally.

When brands start to export values, define aesthetics, and provide Chinese solutions,

Cultural capital is truly transformed into brand capital.

Based on this judgment, I would like to share three thoughts with the entrepreneurs and brand operators present here.

Firstly, the product should be 'hard' and the technology should be 'strong', which are the backbone of the brand.

Fully leverage China's advantages in new energy, artificial intelligence, and high-end manufacturing, and create a hard currency that is recognized by the world.

Remember, without solid products, culture is like a castle in the air.

Secondly, organizations need to have "trust" and values need to be "positive", which is the flesh and blood of a brand.

The root of a corporate brand is trust.

Improve modern corporate governance, fulfill social responsibilities, and demonstrate the responsibility of Chinese enterprises,

Let the world see that Chinese brands are not just "manufacturers", but also "contributors".

Thirdly, personality should be 'true' and vision should be 'far', these are the soul of a brand.

Entrepreneurs are the first spokespersons for brands.

Ren Zhengfei's resilience and wisdom have supported Huawei's breakthrough in the blockade;

Cao Dewang's gentleness and responsibility have made a piece of glass a trusted Chinese quality in the world.

Chinese entrepreneurs should demonstrate the charm of an Eastern personality that is gentle, resilient, intelligent, and open——

The power of this personality is the shortest path connecting the emotions of global consumers.

Dear friends, a brand is the face of a country, and culture is the soul of a brand;

A strong brand leads to industrial prosperity, and a rich culture leads to confidence.

In this era full of uncertainty,

Technological power gives us strength,

Economic power gives us a stage,

Cultural power gives us direction.

The encounter between Chinese culture and world brands is not a simple physical superposition, but a profound chemical reaction.

It requires us to use products, organizations, and personalities as carriers, and technology, economy, and culture as driving forces,

To build a great brand that has both Chinese heritage and global influence.

Let us work together to light up world brands with Chinese culture, and let the world understand a trustworthy, lovely, and respectable China through brands.

Finally, I wish this Outstanding Brand Marketing Sharing Conference a complete success!

May all guests and colleagues exchange ideas, share wisdom, and embark on a new journey together.