Chinese brands or European brands?

Only until very recently it seemed that only European (luxury) brands were winning the hearts of young Chinese consumers, a way to distance themselves from  their traditional parents, who often are more Chinese brand oriented. These days however, more and more modern Chinese brands are popping up, taking their space on the stage of brands. Are they really successful or is it just a pose? And to what extend are they really new brands and truly Chinese? I asked myself these questions when I ordered a sparkling water at a bar yesterday here in Shanghai  (with 41 degrees Celsius it was one of the hottest days in the city’s history so some refreshment was extremely welcome). I was served a very interesting brand, “a very trendy and new Chinese brand” according to the young Chinese bartender. Always very interested in new brands, I took a close look at the can, which mentioned the brand name “Boostår” and “originated in North Europe”. My interest was triggered even more; was this a Scandinavian brand just launched on the Chinese market? Pretty challenging I thought, with Nestlé and Danone (Evian) being strongly represented on the China market, besides some strong Chinese players such as Nongfu Spring water. I kept on reading on the can: “Boostår is the WORLD-RENOWNED refreshing drink originated in North Europe. Only the highest quality ingredients are selected to created the unique harmony of carbonation and sparkling feature. Boostår offers an ultimate experience of naturalness and freshness to those who are craving for an exquisite bubbling delight. In every occasion“. An exquisite bubbling delight it was for sure; but this sparkling water being “world-renowned”? Hmmmm….I never heard of it before, did you? Yes, I also looked it up on Google, but nowhere to be found. Not even one hit! I guess this is new product development the Chinese way. Still with a European appeal, since that appears to be what works to win young consumers’ hearts.

Curious to see what Boostår looks like? See pics below.