ABC Radio National broadcast an interview with ABT’s Peter Grose on Friday, 14 August, getting Peter’s expert insight into successfully doing business and branding in China.

In the piece, Peter sketched out some savvy ways that businesses, cities, industries and countries could do better business in the Chinese market.

Experiencing Australia as a business brand

Peter – CEO of ABT Creative in Beijing – was interviewed by Mick O’Regan, the host of The Sports Factor. Mick was interested in ABT’s expertise in establishing corporate connections between Chinese businesses and Australian brands, particularly in the background to the Olympic Games.

Based in Beijing, Peter talked about ABT’s ‘In & Out’ strategy, which helps Australian brands and corporations better communicate and engage with stakeholders within China. ABT also offers a similar expertise to help Chinese businesses and brands break into Australian and other international markets.

Mick and Peter discussed ABT’s work for Austrade in setting up Business Club Australia: ABT conceived, constructed and is staging a huge business networking club that occupies an entire floor of the Beijing Hilton. In this networking hub, ABT’s brand experience expertise helps host discussion panels, forums and commercial presentation all within a business lounge environment.

ABT; international brand experience experts

Understanding the way that Chinese businesses and governments like to do business, Peter emphasised to Mick how the Chinese ‘way’ is to establish personal relationships first, then do business later. During their talk, Peter demonstrated ABT’s international brand and relationship marketing expertise.

All those companies and organizations planning to make their presence felt in China today, or around Beijing’s World Expo in 2010, might want to drop Peter a through our China office to ensure they present and promote themselves to best effect.

Australasian brand experience agency ABT has picked up two new pieces of competitive pitch business in the shape of Ortho Clinical Diagnostics – a Johnson & Johnson Company plus a major project for FMCG brand Campbell Arnott’s.

The Ortho Clinical Diagnostics win is significant for ABT as it marks their strategic desire to handle holistic branding work in the pharmaceuticals & pathology sector. Ortho Clinical Diagnostics are a leading provider of ‘early’ screening, diagnosis, monitoring and confirming services to help disease prevention and spread.

ABT will plan and execute elements of the Australian roll out of Ortho Clinical Dignostics new global branding campaign plus support two major new product-related launches in 2008.

In adding leading Australian FMCG company Campbell Arnott’s to its client project roster, ABT’s principal role will be to support the internal communications function to produce and stage the firm’s 2008 conference summit.

Speaking about the wins, ABT CEO Antony Gowthorp said:

“These wins reflect a welcome vote of confidence in ABT’s brand experience skills by both client companies. We’re delighted to have won the work especially in competitive pitch situations.”

ABT’s ever resourceful resource manager Beatrice Claflin shares her thoughts on what makes a candidate interview-worthy.

This article first appeared in B&T, Australasia’s highest circulating Marketing, Advertising and Media Magazine.

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You’ve seen the dance concerts, extreme sports and celeb parties. And you thought Gen X and Y consumers were a tough audience to impress. But how do you go about making your retail partners understand the key role they play in supporting your brand?

Engaging retail staff and channel partners to embrace and deliver the brand values in the retail environment is a global challenge for all retail brands, yet brand experience is a proven performer for B2B marketing, just as it is for B2C. Learn how it captures the hearts and minds of all stakeholder groups to ensure your retail partners are not only motivated to perform but also convey your brand experience at every consumer touchpoint.

In a special presentation at the Asia Pacific Experiential Marketing Summit 18-19 Sept 2008, ABT CEO, Antony Gowthorp, will joined by ex-MINI Marketing Manager Jason Miller and Honda Australia’s Marian Dekker to discuss international challenges and solutions. With seven new vehicle launches planned for Honda in 2007/8, Marian can reveal a range of topical insights. Along their journey, Antony, Jason and Marian will visit B2B brand experience marketing to the tough dealer audience and other best practice examples.

If you’d like to attend, check out the details on-line