CorpComms Magazine

The majority of European consumers are not fans of Chinese brands and associate them with low prices, according to a new report by marketing agency Calling Brands.

Just nine per cent of those surveyed said that they would consider buying a Chinese brand, while more than half had no strong views. The report attributed this apathy to a lack of information, on issues such as price and quality, and also concerns about how Chinese companies treat employees.

However, it found that people are more positive about Chinese brands than they were five years ago.

Eight out of ten consumers said that it was important to know how companies treat their customers, compared to 66 per cent five years ago. Similarly, two thirds of those surveyed said that they were concerned about how Chinese companies treated employees, compared to 48 per cent five years ago.

Respondents claimed that the most important attributes that make them favour a brand are their reliability, trustworthiness, value for money and quality. Just three per cent associated reliability with Chinese brands, while two per cent associated trustworthiness with Chinese brands. Less than one fifth believed that brands from China were good value, while just two per cent believed that Chinese products were good quality.

Nikki Jones, director of consulting at Calling Brands, said: 'People in Europe want to know more than ever how the companies they buy from treat people, where they operate and what their ambitions and beliefs are... Apart from 'low price', China doesn't have a clear image among European consumers.'

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