Focus Media to help 100 Chinese companies grow into 10b yuan brands

Focus Media, the country's top advertising solution provider, has launched a plan to help foster 100 Chinese companies to grow into brands worth 10 billion yuan ($1.44 billion) in 5 to 10 years, with special efforts dedicated to branding.

By teaming up with strategic consultancy KMIND Business Management, the project aims to inject capital, impart knowledge and share resources to companies and help them maximize their brand value.

To become eligible for the campaign, companies need to record an annual income of 1 billion yuan as of now, have unique features that set it apart from rivals, address unmet needs in the industry, and boast entrepreneurship, according to Jiang Nanchun, founder and chairman of Focus Media.

Chosen companies also stand to enjoy perks, such as strategic consulting offered by KMIND, which dispatches both dedicated teams and bespoke online customer surveys.

Xie Weishan, chairman of KMIND, pointed out the epidemic has highlighted the role of branding in helping companies weather economic storms or handle emergencies.

Jiang said the epidemic has unexpectedly given leading companies a further edge to enlarge their market share, thanks to their advantages in both technology and user penetration.

"Only powerful brands can bring in constant free user traffic, and increase the conversion rate," Jiang said. "Meanwhile, digitalization has become a defining factor for business's competitiveness."