The Rise of China's Homegrown Brands — and Why They Matter | Roger Hu | TED

譯者: Lilian Chiu 審譯者: Yanyan Hong

Picture a boardroom in China.

想像在中國的一間會議室。

What do you see?

你看到什麼？

Well, big changes are coming.

嗯，重大變革即將來臨。

In the next decade,

在接下來的十年，會看到 這類空間中滿是更年輕的面孔。

you will start to see much younger faces filling up these spaces.

I'm not just talking about China's international giants.

我不只是在說中國的國際巨擘。

I’m talking about China’s small- and medium-sized local businesses.

我也是在說中國的中小型本土企業，

With 100 to 500 million US dollars in revenue.

營收為一億到五億美金，

在飲料、零食，或時尚產業 都有本土巨擘級的企業。

There are local giants in beverage, snacks or fashion.

As we speak,

此時此刻就有五十、 六十、七十多歲的創辦人

there are 50-, 60- and 70-year-old founders

who are getting ready for a boardroom transition.

在準備進行董事會交接。

And a whole new generation will rise to power.

會有全新的一代崛起掌權。

Why does this matter, you might ask.

你可能會想問，那又怎樣？

Because competition is only about to get fiercer in China,

因為，在中國， 競爭只會越來越激烈，

and the new masterminds behind these businesses

而這些企業背後的新智囊

are also eager to take their family businesses onto the global stage.

也渴望將其家族企業帶上全球舞台。

I live in China.

我住在中國。

過去十年我一直在提供 諮詢服務給中國企業，

I spent the last 10 years consulting with Chinese companies,

and I've worked with over 50 chairpersons.

已經與至少五十位董事長合作過。

From my conversations with them and the broader data,

根據我與他們的談話 以及更廣泛的資料，

I can tell you that those local players

我可以告訴你，這些本土企業

are gradually gaining market share across many industries.

正逐漸在許多產業中 取得更高的市佔率。

So why are these local companies suddenly more competitive?

這些本土公司的競爭力 為什麼會突然大增？

One big reason is that these new leaders look nothing like their parents.

其中一個重要原因是

這些新領導人完全不像他們的父母。

They grew up with greater access to the internet.

他們在成長過程中更容易上網。

They left China to study business in the US, the UK, Australia,

他們離開中國去攻讀商業，

去的國家包括美國、英國、 澳洲、加拿大和新加坡。

Canada and Singapore.

They are multilingual.

他們會說多國語言。 他們的學歷很高。

They have advanced degrees.

They can tap into their vast networks of professional services,

他們可以善用他們龐大的 人脈網，取得專業服務、

private equity and venture capital.

私募股權，和創投資本。

And now they are coming home to take over their family businesses,

現在他們要回國接管家族企業，

catapult them onto the world stage

將這些企業推向世界舞台，

and change the face of business in China forever.

永遠改變中國企業的面貌。

Here is what you can expect.

各位可以期待的是：

Number one, fewer copycats and more innovation.

一：抄襲者變少，創新變多。

In the 1970s and '80s,

在 1970 和 1980 年代，

許多創業家面臨資金短缺。

many entrepreneurs were cash-strapped.

To succeed fast,

為了快速取得成功，

let's just say imitation was the sincerest form of flattery.

姑且這麼說吧—— 模仿是種最真誠的奉承。

If you saw someone selling energy drink,

如果你看到有人販賣能量飲料，

you'd launch your own energy drink.

你就推出自己的能量飲料。

然而，這個新世代知道 採用抄襲模式是死路一條。

However, this new generation knows that copycatting is a dead-end model.

They are figuring out how to kickstart innovation in-house

他們在努力摸索如何 在公司內部透過競爭推動創新。

through competition.

For example,

例如，

我曾與一家零食公司合作， 他們當時為銷售表現低迷所苦。

I worked with a snack company who was struggling with sluggish sales.

Their research and development process was just not working.

他們的研發過程就是行不通。

They developed a lot of new flavors

他們開發了許多新口味，

but nothing truly innovative.

但沒有真正的創新。

Until the second generation came up with a surprising idea.

直到第二代想出了 一個讓人驚訝的點子。

They split this large R and D team into two smaller teams

他們將這個龐大的研發團隊 拆成兩個較小的團隊，

to compete against each other.

讓團隊互相競爭。

The team with the winning product would get a share of profits.

產品賣得最好的團隊可以獲得分潤。

When one of the teams talked with their consumers,

其中一個團隊去和他們的消費者談，

they realized there is an unmet need.

發現消費者還有一個需求未被滿足。

Their beef jerky packaging was difficult to open,

他們的牛肉乾包裝很難打開，

and the beef was too long and too tough.

且牛肉太長又太硬了。

The consumer felt self-conscious eating it in public or at work.

消費者在公共場所或工作時吃 這種牛肉乾會感到不自在。

因此，這個團隊把包裝重新設計，

So the team redesigned the packaging

and made the jerky smaller and softer.

並把牛肉乾做得更小、更軟。

This design won the blind test

這項設計在盲測中勝出，

and was launched to the market,

接著推出上市，

where it enjoyed great sales,

在市場上賣得很好，

especially in the company's original flavor jerky.

尤其是該公司的原味牛肉乾。

And the winning team got five percent of all the profits

超過目標值的所有利潤 有 5% 分給了獲勝的團隊。

that exceeded the original target.

Since the new generation launched this new system,

自從新世代推出這個新系統以來，

new products have generated over 40 percent

公司的年營收有超過 40% 都來自新產品。

of the company's annual sales revenue.

Number two,

二：

smart investments in bold ideas.

對大膽的點子做精明的投資。

Many first-generation entrepreneurs in China succeeded through grit,

在中國，許多第一代創業家 能夠成功，靠的是堅毅，

through experience and through keen market intuition.

靠的是經驗，靠的是 敏銳的市場直覺。

They didn't have an MBA or professional team to fall back on.

他們沒有企管碩士學位， 也沒有專業團隊可以依賴。

When it came to making big decisions,

需要做出重大決定時，

they often went with their gut.

他們通常都會跟著自己的直覺走。

Of course, failure wasn't a bad teacher either,

當然，從失敗中也是能學到不少，

but this new generation can think like an objective investor.

但這個新世代在思考時 能像客觀的投資者一樣。

I worked with a plant-based beverage company

我曾與一家植物基飲料公司合作，

whose founder had always sold their drinks to restaurants,

該公司的創始人一直 都把他們的飲料賣給餐廳，

never direct to consumer.

從未直接販售給消費者。

But when COVID hit the restaurants, their sales plummeted.

但當新冠肺炎疫情重挫餐廳時， 他們的銷售額暴跌。

The second generation knew they needed a change,

第二代知道他們需要改變，

even if change was hard.

即使改變很困難。

So she first founded an investment committee

因此，她先成立了一個投資委員會，

and then announced open auditions to fund new business ideas.

接著宣布以公開徵選的方式 資助新的商業點子。

The winning idea would get funding,

獲勝的點子會得到資助，

but financial performance would be quarterly reviewed

但投資委員會每季 都會審視財務績效。

by the investment committee.

One sales manager suggested switching from large glass bottles

有位業務經理建議

把大型玻璃瓶換成較小的紙盒包裝。

to smaller paper carton packaging.

They'd market them to mothers as a nutritious breakfast drink

他們把這種飲料行銷成 營養早餐飲品，推銷給媽媽族群，

with kid-friendly flavors like sesame, like jasmine.

還有小朋友喜歡的口味， 如芝麻、茉莉香。

When it launched, within three months,

在推出後的三個月內，

the new drink ranked into the top three plant-based milks

這款新飲料就在大型電商平台上 搶進了植物基飲料排行的前三名。

on major e-commerce platforms.

With this investor mindset,

靠著這種投資者心態，

the new generation is helping team members become the CEO of their own ideas.

新世代正在幫助團隊成員 為自己的點子擔任執行長。

三：

And number three,

businesses will expand into the entire ecosystem.

企業將擴展到整個生態系統。

In an age of scarcity,

在稀缺的時代，

first-generation entrepreneurs focused on doing one thing

第一代創業家只專注 做一件事並把它做好。

and doing it right.

But the new generation grew up with internet giants

但新世代在網路巨擘的環境中長大，

who have built massive digital ecosystems:

這些巨擘打造了 巨大的數位生態系統：

vast interconnected networks of e-commerce,

用龐大的網路連結起電商、

logistics, social media, payment, etc.

物流、社群媒體、付款等等。

They don't just do one thing,

他們不只做一件事。 他們幾乎什麼都做。

they do nearly everything.

I worked with a livestock producer

我曾與一家畜牧業者合作，

whose founder focused on rearing the highest quality pork and poultry,

創辦人著重在飼養出 最高品質的豬肉和家禽，

and they were very successful.

他們做得非常成功。

But the second generation is thinking way bigger than raising livestock.

但第二代的想法 遠超過只是養育家畜。

It's only the first step in a very long value chain.

價值鏈非常長， 養育家畜只是第一步而已。

What if they expanded downstream?

如果他們向下游拓展呢？

They could get into meat processing

他們可以跨足肉類加工，

and develop their own line of sliced ham,

發展出他們自己的火腿片、 香腸，和肉乾系列產品。

sausage and jerky.

They could even invest in companies that buy their meat products,

他們甚至可以投資向他們 購買肉類產品的公司，

like dumpling brands.

比如水餃品牌。

By thinking about the entire ecosystem,

他們能思考整個生態系統，

from farming to food and even to retail,

從農耕，到食品，甚至到零售，

they can simplify the supply chain,

因此得以將供應鏈簡化，

spend less, earn more and expand faster.

減少開銷、賺更多錢，並加速擴張。

All three of these examples show what's possible

上述三個例子說明了 當未來的第二代領導者

when the future second-generation leaders take over Chinese businesses.

接手中國企業之後 能帶來什麼樣的可能性。

They’re not just looking to imitate

他們不只想要模仿，

but to create and lead their own ecosystems

還想要創造和領導 他們自己的生態系統，

and be bullish on every growth opportunity.

並積極看好每個成長契機。

These new leaders don't shy away from competition.

這些新領導者不會躲避競爭。

In fact, they embrace it

事實上，他們歡迎競爭，

and push change vertically and laterally.

並推動縱向及橫向的變革。

And they don't take no for an answer.

且他們不輕言放棄。

To compete internationally,

為了在國際上競爭，

we might even see a new wave of major multinational companies

我們可能會看到新一波大型跨國企業

emerge from China.

從中國興起。

So don't be surprised

所以，在接下來幾年， 看到中國企業的董事會成員

when China's boardrooms have a lot less gray hair in the coming years.

不再是群白髮蒼蒼的人，也別驚訝。

China's future has never looked more colorful.

中國的未來從未如此繽紛多彩。

Thank you.

謝謝。