Much discussion has focused on the economic and financial issues related to the continued growth of China. Of equal importance are the marketing and branding issues. How Chinese managers develop and implement their marketing and branding strategies has enormous implications for the future growth of Chinese organizations.

In a discussion with a high-ranking official in China's Department of Commerce, I observed, "If Chinese companies improved their global branding efforts overall, then the Gross Domestic Product of China might increase by 10 or 15%, with no increase in plant and equipment." He replied, "I agree."

Many seminars, conferences, articles, and books have examined the possible economic and financial barriers to China's continued growth. Such barriers are important and deserve attention. However, much less attention has been given to the marketing and branding efforts of Chinese companies. The effectiveness of these efforts in the global marketplace may have considerable impact on China's future growth.

Once a year, BusinessWeek publishes an article with estimates of the monetary value of the top 100 global brands in the world. In the most recent article, 50 of the most valuable global brands were from companies in the US, 11 from Germany, nine from France, five from Japan, two from South Korea, and one from Finland. None were from China.

The Analyst Magazine, Gross Domestic Product, GDP, Brand Awareness, Global Marketplace, Global Brands, Brand Advertising, Economic Growth, Brand Advertising, Macro-Environment Forces, Insurance Policies, Economic and Financial Barriers, Brand Equity.