Seven departments jointly issued the Guiding Opinions on Enhancing Brand Construction

It was reported on June 13 from the General Administration of Quality Supervision,Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ) that seven departments, including the National Development & Reform Commission, the Ministry of Industry, the Ministry of Agriculture, the State Asset Regulatory Commission, the State Intellectual Property Office, the State Tourism Agency and AQSIQ, have formulated the Guiding Opinions on Enhancing Brand Construction ("the Opinions"), which specifies the requirements and guidance on fully enhancing indigenous brand construction and promoting sound and fast economic development.

The Opinions actually identify four key areas to initiate brand building, that is, agriculture industry, manufacturing industry, strategic emerging industry and service industry; and vow to speed up the construction of a series of well-known brands with indigenous intellectual property, high quality and strong international competitiveness.

According to the Opinions, the Twelfth Five-Year Plan on National Economic and Social Development clearly states "to promote indigenous brand building, raise brand value and effect and speed up the development of large scale industries with international well-known brands and core competitiveness." However, China is still in lack of indigenous brands with international competitiveness. Many products are of labor and resource-intensive type and the quality is far below the international level. As China's traditional competitive advantage is weakening, it is urgent to cultivate well-known brands and create new competitive advantages. Thus, it is of greatsignificance to issue the Opinions.

Under the opinions, brand building should be undertaken under the guidance of "to thoroughly apply the scientific outlook on development, speed up the transformation of economic development model and fully implement national intellectual property strategy"; and adhere to four basic principles of "enterprises-based and government-driven; indigenous innovation and quality improvement; market-oriented and cultivation; all parties involved and combining strength".

It clearly puts forward five major measures to enhance brand building:

1. To strengthen the overall planning of brand building

AQSIQ will work with other departments to establish a consultation and cooperation mechanism and carry out policy measures for brand building in accordance with the principle of "co-ordination,clear-defined responsibility, close cooperation and comprehensively promoting".

2. To bring into play the main role of corporate brand building

It is to guide enterprises to firmly establish the "quality first" cognition, strengthen the awareness of brand competition and implement brand strategy.

3. To improve the brand-building incentives

It is to strengthen the government incentives and guidance, bring into play the exemplary role of well-known brands, build brand value evaluation system, and support enterprises to "go global".

4. To strengthen the foundation of brand-building

It is to establish a standard supporting system, a technological innovation system, a customer satisfaction supervising system and an emergency response mechanism to maintain brand image.

5. To optimize brand development environment

It is to crack down on IPR infringement and counterfeiting, perfect brand protection and dispute settlement mechanism, regularly award a number of brand manufacturing enterprises and enhance the society's quality and brand awareness.

It stresses that all departments should unify cognition, strengthen coordination and cooperation and share duties to jointly enhance China's brand building.