Da Ernie Tadla

Ciò è la storia di un imprenditore che sviluppa un commercio vantaggioso battendo tutti i tipi grandi globali.
 
Dan Mintz è stato sopportato ed alzato stato a Brooklyn ed era il giovane da accettare nell'accademia de New York di effettuazione delle arti. Ha cominciato nel commercio di film come supplemento dell'allievo nella fama di film. È andato a Los Angeles in cui ha avanzato la sue formazione ed esperienza di produzione della pellicola ed ha generato i buoni collegamenti con alcuni degli studi principali di film.

Nell'inizio degli anni 90, è andato in Cina installare un'impresa unita per un studio importante di film. Ciò era subito dopo il fiasco quadrato di Tiananmen ed il clima per le associazioni con le ditte americane era freddo, se non congelato, specialmente con il Ministero di coltura, che dovrebbe essere implicato.

Ha osservato che le agenzie di pubblicità globali 4A che fanno le campagne per gli Stati Uniti le multinazionali hanno trasmesso la produzione della pellicola per gli annunci pubblicitari della TV a Hong Kong, a Taiwan ed a Singapore perché la qualità di lavoro nelle case cinesi di produzione era inferiore alla media. Filmi la produzione, come molti commerci, consiste dei fissaggi (l'apparecchiatura) e del software (le abilità per utilizzare l'apparecchiatura). Dan ha visto un'occasione. Era il software - ed è facile da assumere dai suoi contatti della rete della LA - e potrebbe ottenere i fissaggi. Nel marzo 1993, ha cominciato le immagini del Pacesetter internazionali (PPI) sul suo appartamento che pranza la tabella della stanza in Beijing.

Tredici anni più successivamente - con 450 genti a Beijing, Schang-Hai, Guangzhou, Los Angeles e New York - di PPI erano diventato DMG, an international, independent full-service advertising and communications agency specializing in the greater China region generating more than $100 million US a year.

The big boys — Microsoft, McDonald’s, Boeing, GM, and Dell — were all there. They had deep pockets, global operations, pricey lawyers, accounting firms, and consulting firms behind them.

He developed DMG into China’s hottest creative, independent agency. He then added an events and public relations firm, ICN, and nailed international global accounts along with a portfolio of high-profile Chinese companies wanting to keep pace with the advertising expertise of their American competitors.

He’s a charismatic, creative genius in tune with the Chinese culture. He has never worked for a Western agency, didn’t attend college, but with street smarts, talent, an uncanny ability to handle diverse personalities and cultures, earned the respect of the domestic and international advertising world.

How did he beat the global 4A agencies to capture the creative account for Volkswagen-Germany’s first Chinese brand campaign in addition to a four-year Olympic marketing assignment for VW, a national sponsor of the 2008 Games in Beijing?

He did it the Chinese Way.

The others, the global hotshot 4A agencies, do business in China the way they do successful business in other countries. They are successful all over the world, but not in China.

Let’s break that down.

Mintz began with two Chinese partners. DMG chairman Peter Xiao had a deep and wide financial background and connections, tons of guanxi at high levels of the central government and the banking system.

Wu Bing, VP of DMG, has drive, determination and the operational savvy to get things done quickly in a society of bureaucracy and censorship. She was born in Beijing and at an early age was selected by the government to be trained as a gymnast for international competitions. When she was six, she was sent away to training facilities for grueling national competitive training, and eventually became a coach for international team competition.

While in Hong Kong, she met martial arts and action movie star Jackie Chan and appeared in movies with him. Dan was doing film production scouting in Hong Kong and met Jackie and Wu Bing.
 
Using the guanxi of Peter and Wu Bing, DMG targeted First Automotive Works (FAW) as the company they wanted to do business with. They made many trips to Changchun, delivering gifts liberally and personally, hosting banquets, developing deep friendships and cultivating relationships with the many Chinese managers, many of who ascended to high positions of authority and decision-making power over the years.

The three partners were unyielding in their demands on their staff to provide the highest levels of customer service and to exceed customer expectations. Their demands and expectations caused high turnover, but resulted in corporate relationships that were cemented to last. The true Chinese business objective — mutual benefit, win-win, and long-term relationships — was met with dedicated, committed staff.

Ernie Tadla, www.odysseychina.net

Excerpts from How to Live and Do Business in China: Eight Lessons I Learned from the Communists.

Next Week: Another Case History
An outstanding successful executive in North America, but not in China.