Enhancing the Brand Value of Bathroom Fixtures: Insights from the Two Sessions’ Emphasis on “Craftsmanship”

Release Date:

2021-07-29 15:17

Enhancing the Brand Value of Bathroom Fixtures: Insights from the Two Sessions’ Emphasis on “Craftsmanship”

At the Two Sessions in 2016, Premier Li Keqiang delivered the Report on the Work of the Government on behalf of the State Council to the Fourth Session of the 12th National People’s Congress. The report introduced many new terms, among which the “craftsman spirit” resonated deeply with numerous entrepreneurs—particularly those in the manufacturing sector. Moreover, the “craftsman spirit” has pointed out a new direction for sanitary ware companies seeking to enhance the brand value of their products.

China’s sanitary ware industry started relatively late, and domestic high-end brands are almost entirely foreign-owned. The domestic market is characterized by a mixed bag of enterprises of varying sizes, with widely inconsistent product quality. Following macroeconomic adjustments in China, overcapacity led to the closure of many sanitary-ware firms. Those that survived have come to recognize that brand-building has become an inevitable trend in the industry. Brand value is the very foundation of a sanitary-ware company’s survival, and firms are increasingly prioritizing it; many have established dedicated brand-marketing teams and invested heavily in advertising. While these efforts have yielded some results, as more competitors enter the market, the incremental impact of marketing on brand value has steadily diminished. To enhance brand value, industry insiders now agree that companies must return to focusing on product excellence—and the “craftsman spirit” underscores this clear path forward.

China’s steel industry produces more than 800 million metric tons of crude steel annually, yet it still cannot manufacture the free-machining stainless steel required for manufacturing ballpoint pen balls. China boasts a history of over a thousand years in forging kitchen knives, but due to subpar quality, the high-end kitchen-knife market is now largely dominated by foreign brands. Ballpoint pen balls and kitchen knives—“one for the pen, one for the knife”—together pose a weighty challenge to China as a major steel-producing nation.

　　In an article discussing China’s scientific research system, Lu Ke, a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, expressed considerable concern: although China ranks first in the world in the number of academic papers in the materials science field, it still relies heavily on imports for critical materials used in high-speed rail as well as for everyday items such as kitchen knives.

　A high-quality, German-imported chef’s knife can retail for several thousand yuan, whereas an ordinary domestically made one typically costs only a few dozen yuan—a stark reflection of the shortcomings in China’s knife-making industry in terms of quality and brand reputation. China is the world’s largest producer of ballpoint pens, yet it struggles to manufacture the free-machining stainless steel required for pen refills; meanwhile, the steel industry has been posting losses almost every year in recent years. As those familiar with the materials sector know, China relies heavily on imports for most high-end specialty steels.

The news headlines are filled with stories about how steel is cheaper than cabbage, yet the steel market has not shrunk much—what has declined is only the demand for crude steel. The steel industry is but a microcosm of many sectors in China: “Made in China” has boosted output, but there has been little real improvement in quality or technological sophistication. The sanitary ware industry is a prime example: many of its products suffer from severe product homogenization. One reason is that most sanitary-ware items have low technological content and are therefore easy to copy; another is that even so-called “original” manufacturers often fail to meet basic standards in workmanship and material selection, lacking the “craftsman spirit” that would deter imitation and enable them to capture market share.

This year’s Government Work Report at the Two Sessions proposes encouraging enterprises to engage in personalized customization and flexible manufacturing, fostering a craftsman spirit of relentless pursuit of excellence, and expanding product variety, enhancing product quality, and building strong brands. At present, China’s manufacturing sector still faces challenges such as being large but not strong, with overall product quality remaining relatively low and weak capabilities in independent innovation. To transform from a “manufacturing giant” into a “manufacturing powerhouse” and to shift from “Made in China” to “Smart Made in China,” it is especially crucial to cultivate and promote the “craftsman spirit.”

“Products come before brands. Although brand value is not solely determined by product quality, product quality is indeed the life or death of a brand. There are many such cases in the sanitary ware industry. The three main factors affecting product quality are materials, processes, and design. Domestic sanitary ware companies fall short in all three areas: many still operate as family-run workshops, with virtually no innovative designs, and design has long been neglected in the domestic sanitary ware industry. Many products are mere imitations or knockoffs, and manufacturing processes are crude and unrefined, rarely adhering to rigorous industrial standards. Consequently, few of these products meet quality standards. When consumers encounter such substandard goods, they naturally form negative impressions of the brand, typically stop buying from it, and even discourage their relatives and friends from doing so. As a result, many sanitary ware companies go out of business. Therefore, poor product quality can lead to the demise of a brand. Conversely, many sanitary ware brands have grown into major players thanks to their superior product quality. For instance, in the laundry cabinet sector, after about a decade of development, only those companies that consistently deliver high-quality products have survived—and ultimately built strong brands. BNITM is a prime example.”

BNITM | Specialty Store Appreciation — Liaoyang Store

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BNITM | Specialty Store Appreciation — Liaoyang Store

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