Electronics vendors like 'grapevine' as sales tool

Word of mouth reaping big rewards for Xiaomi, Samsung, competitors

Overseas consumer electronics vendors are edging out domestic competitors when it comes to brand advocacy, a gauge also closely relevant to company revenue growth in China, a consultancy report said on Wednesday.

Lower word-of-mouth scores are sounding the alarm for Chinese companies-especially those with global ambitions-that it's time to change marketing strategies while their products are steadily gaining ground, said analysts.