dispatches from the new world of work

Taiwan

Taiwan scores with Tom, leading him to produce not one, but four, PowerPoint presentations to mark his visit there. He's speaking to the Taiwan External Trade Development Council/TAITRA: The 2005 International Brand Strategy Summit, and there are two sets of slides for the occasion, TAITRA and its long Web version. Then, he took a few slides from TAITRA to become a special slides set called Brand Taiwan. Last, there's a summarization of where all the speaking he's done in the past few weeks has brought him, a series of lists, called Lists & Lust. We hope you enjoy any or all of these collections.

Cathy Mosca posted this on 10/27/05.

Comments

Tom,

I have lived and worked in Taiwan for over nine years. I opened my own marketing and technical content creation company in Taiwan earlier this year. We support Taiwanese IT companies. Huge potential for Taiwan to reinvent their OEM/ODM mindsets...after all, they are making the damn Ipods, Treos and like 70% of all notebooks in the world (notebooks all in China factories now).

1. Correct about the airport. That is their national brand. It should be great, it isn't. But, ride on the national carriers (EVA, China Airlines) and look at the stewardesses. Just like the US carriers fifty years ago! Explains a hell of a lot about equality (My mother flew for TWA).

2. On that note, women are the hidden talent in Taiwan and in China in my opinion (in this patriarchal society). Most have to fight/work harder and have to be smarter than their male counterparts to make it. Their work becomes their identity**. Plus, they are across the board more liberal, innovative, worldly and seem to have better language and communication skills than Chinese men. I know, my wife is Taiwanese and is a great example. You talk about women, I think Chinese women are the hidden explosion.

3. Lunatics in Chinese culture (the loud and opinionated) are frowned upon....hundreds of years of Confucius thinking has renforced this...you know.."wise man keep mouth shut and study situation for long time before speaking one word". Put it this way, this cultural baggage ain't helping them market, brand and make mistakes (like you say) like they should be. Sure it is changing, but in general, the conservative old patriarch makes the decisions. The Japanese broke through this barrier a while back (for branding and marketing). Taiwan and China will too, and when they do, all hell will break loose for global brands.

4. Taiwan and China are dynamic, fun, and a learning experience every single day. A great challenge and experience to be in the trenches, working on projects with Chinese companies. I had an MBA (sorry!) prof that gave some advice, "go to Taiwan, put yourself in the middle of change" you can always come back to the US and be Joe American, but with China skills.

5. Workflows, Blogs, Portals, Processes, I try to build this into my project support......I will stop here, I could go on and on.

Have a great visit. I am interested in where you will walk!! :) Try going around Taipei 101 at night. Remember Taiwan is almost crime free!! Now that is a great feeling, not to always have to look over your shoulder!!

Regards

Posted by Jay Slovic at October 27, 2005 8:38 PM

Thanks, you are right, we are too engineering. Everything is 1 + 1= 2.
Today I saw onething, difference makes the market. Thanks

Posted by Edward Ding at October 28, 2005 12:52 AM

Hi Tom,

Appreciate your passion and honest advice to this land and people. I especially felt that during the Q&A session. (hey not many gurus have the guts to say "I don't know...")

Have a pleasant visit, and please witness how we shine in the coming years.

Posted by Paul.L at October 28, 2005 2:20 AM