Getting Over the Great Wall: Marketing Successes and Failures in China

Written by

Orit Oz

May 14, 2017

Note: This is Part 2 of a 5-part series highlighting the speakers from our annual international B2B marketing conference this past November. Read Part 1 here.

Mike Golden, CEO of Adsmith China, gave us some tips at the B2B International Conference 2015 this November about what to do (and what not to do) when marketing your brand in China. This country of 1.3 billion people and an estimated 6.5% growth for the next five years (and that’s slow!) offers an exciting opportunity for global brands.

Fail Small, Fail Large

Although China offers a lot of opportunity, it can also be an overwhelming experience. “Some people come to China to try it for a year. It’s a disaster, and they leave. That’s a large fail,” explains Mr. Golden. “The small fails are going up this very steep learning curve and learning the problems marketing in China.” Mr. Bowden then detailed a practical list of marketing challenges companies face when entering the Chinese market and how to alleviate these “small fails.”

Fail Small, Fail Large

Challenge #1: No one Can Read or Understand Your Company Name

He brings the example of Heineken and Coca-Cola, who not only create Chinese versions of their names, but made sure that the Chinese characters that formed the words were meaningful and related to the brand as well. For example, Heineken in Chinese means “happy power,” and Coca-Cola means “happy mouth

No one Can Read or Understand Your Company Name

 

He told a cautionary tale of a luxury brand company that decided they didn’t need a name in China. As a result, newspapers came up with their own competing versions of the same brand. At one point, people started to trademark those names. That’s another reason why it’s so important to create a Chinese version of your company name. If you don’t do it, someone else will.

Challenge #2: Your Website and Marketing Collateral isn’t Localized

One method of localizing all of your marketing collateral is to have it translated into Chinese. But that’s not necessarily enough, Mr. Golden warns. The next step is to take the marketing collateral and give it to real Chinese marketing people and copywriters. Good copy is extremely important. Visuals are just as important as copy. While it isn’t necessary to completely disregard the global brand, you do need to combine it with some amount of localization. The amount of localization depends on the market and the brand. For B2B companies, you want to strike the right amount of balance between global and local branding. (For an example of localized content, see the example in Challenge #4).

Challenge #3: The Great Firewall of China

In terms of the web, China is a particular challenge to global brands, since it blocks many sites such as Google, Twitter and Facebook. Even if your site sits on the same server as a site China has decided to ban, your website page might not load. And according to Mr. Golden, this happens a lot. Make sure people can open and use your website to learn about your company and product.

Challenge #4: Creating a Website with Clean White Space

According to Mr. Golden, the Chinese don’t seem to appreciate the beauty of clean, white space on their homepages. He gives an example of an online trade magazine which shows the typical layout of many Chinese websites:

Creating a Website with Clean White Space

Fortunately, his company is successful at transforming Chinese versions of websites into clean, white homepages. One example he showed us was Lycored, a company specializing in food ingredients. They were able to localize the Chinese version of their website with images while at the same time create a nice, clean homepage:

The Great Firewall of China

“No one was talking about the threat of resistance. It was an invisible threat – but once it appeared, it was already too late. We gave this threat a face and a name, so people could start talking about it,” Mr. Asset explained. “There’s an old saying, `If you want to own the solution, you have own the problem.’ So we were the ones to start talking about it.”

They were also able to use a lot of red. Red is a very lucky color in China, Mr. Golden explained, so it was great that Lycored uses red.

Challenge #5: Distributing Your Content in China

Since China blocks all of the mainstream sites from the US, it has created Chinese alternatives. Your company will have to familiarize themselves with sites such as Baidu, WeChat, Weibo, and Youku and the differences between them and their US counterparts. The numbers on these sites and networks are huge, Mr. Golden says, but it can still be hard to reach the people.

For instance, Baidu, he explains, uses a completely different algorithm than Google. Speed and number of pages are major factor, as are metatags and other factors that Google no longer takes into account. In addition, sites with more pages rank higher. From Mr. Golden’s experience, sometimes companies will need to call Baidu personally in order to increase their website’s loading time.

Trade magazines are another excellent source for distributing content. They can offer cost-effective advertising opportunities, as well as paid advertorial opportunities. Advertising laws, however, are very strict. Any advertising consisting of experts that speak of benefits of a product must be cleared with the Chinese government beforehand or risk being fined.

Successful Penetration of the Chinese Market

Mr. Golden ended his presentation by telling companies interested in entering the Chinese market to first ask themselves the following questions:

  • Is your brand ready to travel? If not, maybe go to a branding company (Oz or one of the E3 partners :P)
  • Do you have a solid strategy? Don’t go to China just to try it out.
  • What are your priorities? Think especially in terms of your geography, people, and target markets.
  • What marketing actions are right for your brand and your customers? Do you understand the media your customers are using?
  • Do you have all the information you need? It takes talking to a lot of people to find out what’s really going on.

If your company has good answers to all these questions, then the practical tips above should help give you a smooth entry to the Chinese market. It can be a challenging ride, but also a very rewarding one as well.

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Don’t Be Afraid of the Monster: B2B Websites Aren’t Actually That Scary

By 
Naomi Lifshitz
, 01/12/2025

When B2B sites become complex, smart design brings order and clarity — guiding users, strengthening trust, and helping them move forward with confidence.

min read
A few weeks ago, in a meeting where I presented new website pages to a client, she told me something that stuck with me:
“Honestly? Above everything else, it just looks like you’re really enjoying working on this.”
And she was right. I really am.
Because websites are one of the things I love most in the world.

Why do B2B websites always seem a bit more intimidating?

When people hear “B2B website,” they immediately imagine something heavy: catalogs, products, integrations, CRM systems, and a content tree with thirty pages. And it’s true - this isn’t the website of a jewelry shop or a restaurant. But that’s exactly what makes it interesting. When handled correctly, this complexity turns into clarity.

So how do you actually make it simple?

A website is not a filing cabinet that needs to store every piece of information accumulated over the years. It needs to be focused and relevant. In almost every B2B website I work on, the same pattern repeats itself — templates that help organize the information clearly. And once every piece of content knows where it belongs, everything starts to fall into place. There’s the product - sometimes physical, sometimes digital, sometimes an entire range that needs to be sorted into a clear catalog. Sometimes products are scattered across applications, technologies, or different solutions. In those cases, it’s better to centralize everything under one catalog with smart filtering. This preserves a clear hierarchy and creates a smooth, intuitive user experience. Behind the product lies the technology, which often interests professional audiences and differentiates the company from competitors. On this page, we presented technical and seemingly “dry” information — but in an airy, clean, and clear way. We added a scrolling visual element inspired by the client’s industry, which made the page feel less mechanical and more pleasant and flowing. Then there are the industries or segments where the product operates — because in B2B, there is no “everyone,” only context. There’s also the company’s reputation, the services it provides, and the people behind the scenes. On the Agmatix website, we organized the entire Case Studies archive in a simple, comfortable way. “About” and “Management” pages are almost always among the most visited. Because even in B2B, people look for people. They want to see faces, understand who stands behind the company, and sometimes even recognize someone they know. Look at this innovative About page we created for trendlineslab, It’s innovative because it’s not just “About” - it tells a story. A brand is a story, and that’s exactly what users feel here: a short, clear journey that presents the company through a narrative rather than dry text. And then there’s one of the most important parts — knowledge hubs B2B customers aren’t looking for slogans; they’re looking for information. Articles, guides, real-world examples, case studies. Knowledge that builds trust.

Staying focused throughout the process

One of the biggest challenges in B2B website projects isn’t necessarily design or technology - it’s the people. Every company has several departments with different viewpoints: marketing, sales, product, support, leadership. Everyone has something to say - and rightly so. But if each person sees the website as theirs, the project quickly spreads in all directions. The solution is to work with a small decision-making team: three to four key personas representing the core needs. They don’t need to agree on everything - but they do need to speak the same language and hold the same goal. Once you have that core, every decision becomes easier.  

And what about all the content?

Almost every company has a sea of materials - presentations, brochures, PDFs, guides, old documents. Instead of trying to “fit everything in,” it’s better to start with the opposite question: What does the user actually need to know here? Not everything needs to become a page. Topics like customer stories, updates, or technological innovations are often better as blog posts or part of the Resources section. Blogs are an excellent way to add knowledge and context without overwhelming the site. You can write about almost anything, and the volume can be endless. You can always enrich the content hub, and with smart filtering, still maintain order and clarity.

Functionality comes first

Not long ago I finished designing an especially complex website - catalog-based, with many digital tools and templates. What made it truly successful was its functionality: clear, intuitive, and easy to use. Visitors know exactly where to find what they’re looking for - and to me, that’s the biggest achievement. B2B websites are, first and foremost, work tools. They need to be functional, comfortable, and clear for users. That doesn’t mean giving up on design - the opposite. A modern look that conveys innovation is part of the message: if the website feels up-to-date, the user will feel the company behind it is moving forward. Like on the Aquestia website, where we highlighted the certifications clearly.

It’s all a matter of mindset

If you approach a B2B website with fear - it really will feel like a monster. But if you approach it as a process of organization, structure, and listening - everything becomes clear. A good website doesn’t need to be big, it just needs to work. And to me, that’s the heart of it: turning complexity into clarity - step by step, methodically, and with a small smile along the way.
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Design as an Anchor in a World of Constant Disruption

By 
Amit Sakal
, 19/11/2025

When the market shifts fast, design becomes your anchor—creating clarity, stability, and trust at every touchpoint.

min read
The world around us doesn’t slow down. Markets shift overnight. New competitors appear out of nowhere. Technologies, especially AI - rewrite the rules faster than we can learn them. For most companies, this constant change is both thrilling and exhausting. One moment you’re ahead, the next you’re trying to catch up. But in all this chaos, there’s one thing that can help your brand feel steady - design. Not “design” as in nice colors or a modern website layout, but design as a language of trust. Because when everything around your audience feels unstable, design is the thing that quietly says: We’re still here. We’re solid. You can rely on us.

Why design matters now more than ever

In the B2B world, design has often been treated as an afterthought, something that comes after strategy, product, or pricing. But that view is outdated. Design today does something deeper. It shapes how people feel about your brand, before they even read a word or see a product demo. When the world outside feels unpredictable, a clear and consistent design system becomes your anchor. It tells your customers: “We know who we are, and we’re not going anywhere.” Consistency across your website, social channels, trade shows, and sales decks helps people navigate complexity without getting lost. It’s like a compass - helping them find their way back to you, no matter how much the landscape shifts

Stability and innovation aren’t opposites

Here’s the misconception: that consistency limits creativity. In reality, good design gives innovation a safe place to land. Take IBM. They’ve reinvented themselves countless times - from hardware to cloud to AI, but their design DNA has stayed recognizable: bold typography, clean grids, and that unmistakable IBM blue. The message? Technology evolves, but our foundation is steady. Or Siemens. They operate in industries that are changing by the minute - energy, healthcare, infrastructure, yet their design system ties everything together. It’s what makes them feel like one brand, no matter where you meet them in the world. And Adobe, a masterclass in transformation. They moved from selling software boxes to building creative ecosystems in the cloud. Now they’re redefining creativity with AI tools - but the red square, the simple geometry, and the minimal style haven’t changed. That visual continuity made it easy for their customers to follow them through every pivot. These brands prove a simple truth: Consistency in design doesn’t stop innovation. It makes innovation trustworthy.

What B2B brands should take from this

Many industrial or tech companies still believe design is “just aesthetics.” They assume customers only care about ROI, performance, or reliability. But customers are human. And humans notice design - even subconsciously. A strong design system sends emotional signals of stability and confidence. It helps people trust your innovation, not fear it. So if you want to build long-term relationships, treat your design system as your North Star:
  • Keep it consistent across every touchpoint.
  • Use it to simplify complexity, not add to it.
  • Let it evolve, but never drift away from your brand’s essence.

The AI twist

Now that AI can generate visuals, videos, and brand assets in seconds, design systems matter more than ever!. Without clear guidelines, AI will create a hundred different versions of “you.” That’s not innovation - that’s confusion. Your design language gives AI the guardrails it needs to stay on-brand. So every ad, presentation, or post still feels unmistakably you - even if it was made by a machine.

Final thought

When the world keeps changing, people look for what feels steady. In business, that steadiness often shows up through design. So ask yourself: When your company launches a new product or pivots strategy - will your customers still recognize you? Because in uncertain times, design isn’t just what people see — it’s what makes them stay.
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Let’s Talk About the Cheetah in the Room

By 
Nirit Elyovich, MBA
, 26/08/2025

Is your marketing sprinting in the right direction? A simple five-step process keeps focus on what drives real business results.

min read
Why a cheetah and not an elephant? Because an elephant doesn’t run anywhere - but a cheetah does. Blink, and the year may sprint past you before you’ve managed to focus your marketing on what truly matters for your business. You’ve finally closed your business strategy. The executive team is aligned and committed to the decisions and ambitious goals that were set. Until now, everything fit neatly into the Excel sheet. From this point forward, it’s up to the leadership team to prove execution. Each executive must ensure their function contributes directly to reaching those goals. You return to the office energized - yet not always clear on what this means in practice. How do you turn strategy into action? How do you transform ambition into results? Marketing owns the revenue side of the business. Which means it must be directly tied to business decisions. In our view, any marketing initiative that doesn’t move the needle on company performance - whether short or long term - is irrelevant. As one frustrated CMO once told me: “Unfortunately, whoever shouts loudest wins my attention.” Too often, urgent matters push aside the truly important ones. There are many reasons behind this frustration, which often prevents CMOs from focusing marketing efforts on the company’s core business anchors - prioritizing initiatives with deep impact on business results long before other requests land on their desks. As a company that leads Israeli B2B companies to success in the global market, we’ve developed a structured five-step process to ensure marketing directly advances the company’s business decisions.
  1. Translate business decisions into marketing initiatives Take a disciplined look at your strategy through a marketing lens and identify which decisions can be transformed into marketing moves. Not every business decision needs to land on the marketing desk - that’s exactly why you have multiple executives around the table. The CEO ensures nothing falls through the cracks.
  2. Prioritize five key initiatives Establish clear criteria and select the marketing initiatives with the greatest potential to impact business performance. Keep the list realistic and aligned with budget and leadership attention.
  3. Deep-dive into the chosen initiatives Define success metrics, risks, internal stakeholders, milestones, and timelines for each initiative. This thorough review will also help you reassess whether the initiative you’ve chosen truly has a meaningful impact on business results.
  4. Win executive approval Confirm these are the most meaningful initiatives and gain budget approval. This stage is also an opportunity to sync with fellow executives.
  5. Build the annual marketing plan Break each initiative down into specific actions, map them across the year, and create a logical, effective flow of execution.
From here, it’s all about consistent management - making sure the team works according to plan, monitors results, and improves along the way. The beauty of this process lies in its clarity. Every marketing effort is measured by its direct contribution to the business. If it’s not in the plan, there’s a reason. It may sound simple - and it is - but it requires you to pause, plan, and sometimes partner with an external professional. Someone who will hold you accountable, challenge your thinking, and keep you focused. Someone who’s done this many times before and knows how to steer the process. The cheetah doesn’t wait - and the year won’t either. Now is the time to focus your marketing on what truly matters for your business and drive real impact. We’re here to help.
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