由Ernie ・ Tadla

這是建立有益的事務的企業家的故事通過摔打所有全球性大人。
 
丹Mintz是出生和上升在布魯克林，并且是將被接受的最年輕的人入表演藝術的紐約學院。 他在電影業在電影名望開始了作為學生額外。 他去到洛杉磯，他在影片生產促進他的教育和經驗并且創造與某些的好連接主要電影演播室。

在早期的90年代，他去中國設定合資企業為一個主要電影演播室。 這是在天安門廣場徹底失敗之後，并且氣候為與美國企業的合作是冷，如果不結冰，特別以文化部，將必須是包含的。

他對美國觀察了做競選的4A全球性廣告商。 因為工作的質量在中國生產房子裡低於標準，多民族送了影片生產為電視商務到香港、臺灣和新加坡。 攝製生產，像許多企業，包括硬件(設備)和軟件(使用設備的技能)。 丹發現了機會。 他是軟件-，并且從他的LA網絡聯絡聘用-是容易的，并且他可能得到硬件。 在1993年3月，他在北京開始了標兵圖片國際(PPI)在他的公寓飯廳桌。

Thirteen years later — with 450 people in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Los Angeles, and New York — PPI had become 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.