Smart innovations promise a bright new tomorrow. On January 11, 2021, the 54th International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) was held in Las Vegas. CES 2021 was different as it, for the first time ever, went online and delivered an exceptional digital experience for consumers from around the world. The 2020-2021 Global Top Brands List, organized by IDG, was also released online, grabbing the attention of industry insiders, global CE fans, trusted organizations and renowned media outlets.
Started in 2006, the Global Top Brands List is the most authoritative, professional and trusted in the realm of CE. Since its inception 14 years ago, the event has had many insightful themes, ranging from “Wisdom creates brand, Start new ecology of consumption” and “Digitalization Reshapes Brand” to “AI · Evolutionary Era”. The annual fixture, with its far-reaching impact on the global CE industry, features a wide variety of activities to introduce global CE brands and boost their reputation on the global stage. Such efforts have helped secure a bright future for the CE industry in the years to come.
Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020-2021 Global Top Brands List embraces its 15th anniversary. Under the theme “More does More”, it aims to capture the great power of global CE brands to bring a steady stream of updates and cause disruptive change as they make constant technological advances and go beyond the known limits to create the unknown possibilities. Furthermore, the winners for “2020-2021 Top 10 CE Brands”, “2020-2021 Global Smartphone Brands Top 15”, “2020-2021 Global Smart Connected Device Brands Top 15”, “2020-2021 Global TV Brands Top 10”, “2020-2021 Global CE Brands Top 50” and “2020-2021 International Innovation Enterprises Brand Award”, among others, were unveiled. The award ceremony was a real feast for global consumers.
Chinese CE brands stand out from the many winners. For example, Haier, Hisense, TCL, BOE, Huawei, Changhong, Lenovo, Skyworth, Midea and Gree were among the 2020-2021 Top 10 CE Brands. Huawei, Xiaomi, VIVO, OPPO, TCL and ZTE were among the 2020-2021 Global Smartphone Brands Top 15. Huawei, OPPO and ASUS were among the 2020-2021 Global Smart Connected Device Brands Top 15. TCL, Hisense, Xiaomi, Skyworth and Changhong were among the 2020-2021 Global TV Brands Top 10. Huawei, Changhong, Hisense, Skyworth, TCL, Midea, Gree, Lenovo and ZTE were among the 2020-2021 Global CE Brands Top 50. COSMOPlat, DJI and Samsung were given the 2020-2021 International Innovation Enterprises Brand Award. Furthermore, BOE Micro LED (COG), Changhong Laser TV V8SPro and CHiQ Q8K were awarded “Innovative Display Application Product Award of the Year”, “Laser Display Technology Innovation Gold Award” and “Gold Award for 5G+8K Innovative Intelligent Connectivity Technology”, respectively.
This year’s List has three highlights. First, Chinese CE brands, thanks to constant technological advances, are overtaking their foreign counterparts. Second, global brands and enterprises face increasingly fierce competition in smart phones, smart TVs and smart connected devices. Third, competitors from around the globe are exploring uncharted waters and pursuing diversified development by adopting a cross-industry perspective.
Self-motivated: Chinese CE Brands Emerge as Global Players
Numerous strong enterprises with a global reputation, such as Huawei, TCL, Skyworth, Lenovo, Gree, Haier, Hisense and Midea, have emerged in China thanks to the preferential industrial policies and the widespread application of the latest generation of IT including the Internet of Things (IoT), big data, cloud computing, 5G, artificial intelligence and virtual reality (VR). Chinese CE brands are gradually aware of the fact that smart, diversified products will be the mainstream of the market as the global CE industry evolves rapidly and the domestic market in China expands constantly. As a result, innovative technologies keep surfacing due to technological innovations and product updates. Chinese CE products gain a competitive edge on the global market by getting smarter and increasingly connected, and thus are well received by global consumers.
Zhu Dongfang, President of IDG Asia, also shares his insights on the future development of Chinese CE brands. He says, “Chinese CE brands can be traced back to as early as the 1950s. Each period has its characteristic leading brands, which bear the footprints of the great changes that took place in China’s economy and society. As technology develops by leaps and bounds, the market has a higher demand for high-quality domestic products. Therefore, Chinese brands have been laying greater emphasis on technological innovations and product updates to adapt to market developments and boost global competitiveness. The latest information technologies featuring big data, cloud computing, 5G and AI are strong enablers for Chinese brands to reach the pinnacle of intelligence. More technologically advanced products are being launched in a short span. Moreover, domestic brands are frequent entrants and winners of the Global Top Brands contest. Haier, Changhong, BOE and TCL are well-received by authoritative organizations and global consumers. The COVID-19 pandemic has dealt a heavy blow to each industry, but the CE industry sees the emergency as a blessing in disguise. The rise of Otaku Culture and Otaku Economy has created brand new opportunities for the supply and demand chains. We believe that after the coronavirus outbreak, the CE market will welcome exponential growth, and Chinese brands inject new vitality into the global CE industry.”
Smart and Intelligent: Chinese CE Brands Get Bigger and Stronger
Generations of technological advances and product updates have boosted the capabilities of Chinese CE brands to make innovations. Smart phones, smart home appliances and smart connected devices have been invented and introduced into the Chinese marketplace, where there is a greater variety of cutting-edge technologies and latest products than ever before. Consequently, Chinese brands now have a greater say in global competition.
As the best performer in general, smart phones are enjoying sound growth momentum in China. The widespread application of 5G and AI has enabled Chinese brands secure a stronger foothold on the global market. IDC statistics show that in the third quarter of 2020, 84,800,000 smart phones were manufactured in China, among which 49,700,000 were 5G-enabled phones. Over 90% of the color TV brands have applied intelligent technologies to their products. As breakthroughs are constantly made in 8K, AI and 5G technologies, Chinese domestic brands will have greater core competitiveness and a larger global market share. IDC predicts that by 2023, 49,380,000 smart TV sets will be brought to market, making China a real-world leader in production volumes. Furthermore, the evolution of IoT also promises an interconnected era, as domestic brands work to deliver all-scene and smart solutions to inter-connectivity by focusing on technology, network and industry.
Active in Exploration: Chinese CE Brands Seek Diversified Development
It is fair to say that Chinese CE brands have shocked their foreign rivals in terms of the variety and quality of smart phones, smart home appliances and smart connected devices. They have also explored the unfamiliar sectors to seek cross-industry and diversified development. In this year’s Global Top Brands List, COSMOPlat and DJI were awarded the “Global Leading Industrial Internet Ecosystem Brand” and “Video-filming Ecosystem Technology Award”, respectively. The award-winning enterprises showcase the enormous innovation capabilities of Chinese CE brands. COSMOPlat will continue to offer massive, tailormade solutions for every industry across the globe and deliver an enjoyable life experience for its clients by covering a wide spectrum of sectors including clothing, food, housing, transport, healthcare, old-age care, medical services and education. DJI will overcome technical problems and offer a complete ecosystem for video-filming, thus making Chinese innovations go global.