Internalization of a Chinese brand in a foreign sector: the case of Goodbaby

Chinese latecomer firms adopt internationalization strategies in order to gain the necessary resources and competences to compete in the local and global markets. In this process, different sectors are involved: not only in the electronic one (e.g. Haier and Huawei represent two successful cases), but also in other industries Chinese firms have achieved high competitiveness in the global scenario. In this paper, we analyze the case of Goodbaby, a Chinese baby strollers’ manufacturer. This company has implemented its internationalization activities since the early 1990s, and it is now one of the main stroller manufacturers in the world and the leading brand in China. In order to analyze the brand awareness and purchase behavior in the local market, the empirical design used in this study encompasses the combination of the competitive analysis of strollers’ brands in the Chinese market and a questionnaire to Chinese consumers. Our research shows that Goodbaby’s history reflects the internationalization process of multinationals from emerging markets (EM-MNEs), while confirming Goodbaby’s high competitiveness in a sector that was traditionally dominated by foreign brands. Some managerial implications will be discussed.