Campaign plays host to over 1,300 Chinese brands in online expo

To celebrate the 2020 China Brand Day, which fell on May 10, a three-day campaign was launched nationwide.

The campaign was aimed at promoting Chinese brands and how those brands can be used in the fight against COVID-19.

The event featured an online Chinese brands expo and an online international forum with more than 1,300 companies taking part.

Brands are the pursuit of both consumers and producers and represent the strength of enterprises and even a country, said He Lifeng, director of the National Development and Reform Commission, at the opening ceremony.

The event was of great significance to boost market confidence, expand domestic demand and promote anti-epidemic cooperation, He said.

Due to the health crisis, it was the first time that the campaign had been launched online, said the organizers. "Adopting glasses-free 3D technology, it aimed to better showcase made-in-China brands and offer consumers an immersive experience."

The online expo set up one central exhibition area and 37 local exhibition areas, gathering renowned brands from provinces and cities across the country.

Beijing's online exhibition, for example, was divided into three sections, attracting 48 local brands.

The capital's intelligent manufacturing section focused on artificial intelligence, smart devices and energy conservation.

Products on display included e-commerce company JD's logistics and warehousing system and the AI temperature check equipment from Megvii, a Chinese facial recognition pioneer.

The online exhibition demonstrated Beijing's competitive edge in technology and innovation. This not only improves the city's image but drives high-quality economic growth, said Lin Enquan, vice-director of the Beijing Commission of Development and Reform.

Under the topics of "brand building in the post-epidemic era" and "Chinese brands help fight against COVID-19", an online international forum invited scholars and business representatives to share their insights on Chinese brands' growth and how to push forward global cooperation in the anti-pandemic effort.

Traditional brands strived to upgrade and transform amid the outbreak, according to corporate leaders at the forum.

Leading Chinese beverage maker Hangzhou Wahaha Group has embraced digital marketing models since the outbreak. It plans to establish four e-commerce platforms in the future, said Zong Qinghou, chairman of the company.

"The pandemic has fostered new consumption habits and new business models such as remote diagnosis and online education have been widely recognized," said Jiang Xiaojuan, dean of the School of Public Administration at Tsinghua University, at the forum.

Although the virus is now subdued in China, the creation of new models and the application of new technologies will continue. Chinese brands are expected to flourish with the government's strong support, advanced internet technologies and intense competition at home and abroad, Jiang added.

Also benefiting from internet technology, a large number of new brands are springing up. Shanghai, a city known for its time-honored brands, displayed dozens of products of new proprietary brands in the online exhibition. They included smart chips, lithography machines and high-end medical imaging equipment.

Shanghai will continue its efforts to get online platforms into full swing, said the city's Party secretary Li Qiang. He added: "With a focus on 12 key areas, such as unmanned factories and online distribution, we are committed to building Shanghai into a hub of new brands related to the digital economy."