JANUARY 2009 - BEIJING 
JOURNAL OF CHINESE ECONOMIC AND FOREIGN TRADE STUDIES

[We] examine the different strategies implemented by a number of successful Chinese firms currently striving to build global brands in order to improve their export capabilities. A particular emphasis is put on the transfer of marketing technology for brand engineering in order to achieve this goal.

[Our] analysis uses case study methodology to understand what many prominent Chinese exporting firms have achieved, and develops a theory about their general strategy. Five firms have been chosen: Lenovo, Haier, Cosco, Tsingtao, Geely. Aside from these five, information is also given on the branding strategy of Li Ning and Suntech Power. A great part of the information collected is coming from "desk research", except for Haier, Lenovo and Tsingtao for which personal contacts and visits took place in 2005 and 2006.

...

Haier
Its motto, "patently geared for global stardom" emphasizes the global objective of its leader Zhang Ruimin...

The author had a chance to vist Haier headquarters in Quindao in 2005 when it was at an early stage of its globalization [strategy], becoming local in foreign markets (Akio Morita's "glocalization" concept). As Mr. Zhang puts it, "Brand strategy is the most powerful weapon to defeat economic recession." (WHISPER, March 12, 2007)

Link to abstract, and to full article.