WAKE Energy Drinks CEO Alex Buckley contacted me as a result of seeing my LinkedIn postings on the British Motorsport Festival 2015 ; could I help to launch WAKE in China. WAKE Drinks - Proudly British I confessed that I knew nothing of the soft drinks market in China back in April when Alex and I met in London at the Sofitel near Hyde Park. He was still keen to pursue the conversation. As it happened I was meeting old time China hand and friend, Andy Clayton of LNP just after my meeting with Alex. Andy told me that his firm was now assisting with the import of beverages; it would solve my key issue which was one of the import license. It seemed like fate, and as I liked Alex instantly, I agreed to take on the project. From a commercial point of view it made sense to add to my portfolio of business interests another British brand with an entirely different cashflow profile to the Morgan Cars and EASTWEST PR businesses. I could also use the British Motorsport Festival as a launchpad.   Alex Buckley, CEO of WAKE Drinks, Laying out the stall at the British Motorsport Festival 2016 And so in a nutshell, is what we did. Solved the issue with Schizandra, an active ingredient which is grown in China but not allowed to be imported as an ingredient to China, and the labelling using the LNP team. I suggested to Alex that post Brexit we change the label from 'Original' to 'Proudly British' - actually based on a comment from Nicole Fan of EASTWEST who thought the flag design was not sufficiently obvious. It always pays to ask the questions and to listen to other people. The positioning is at a higher price to Red Bull, the incumbent with 80% of sales. I decided to sell at RMB25 instead of RMB8 for the local and RMB18 for the imported Red Bull. People have questioned the strategy, but I draw the parallels between Prosecco and Champagne, Samsung and Apple. There is always a market for premium products; and besides there is more margin for everyone to fund the marketing. So far we have carried the argument - now to take the consumers. EASTWEST PR and Eggplant Digital, provided the marketing support and at the BMF WAKE sponsored the WAKE ASR Cup. Alex was on hand to provide the trophy. BMF Prize Giving Now we have the WAKE website, weibo and WeChat online and potential distribution agreements with both local and national outlets, online and offline. Next week (7-9.11.2016) I am off to the FHC Trade show in Shanghai with our British Intern, Jeremy Deas, to promote the British drink to the trade.   Wish us luck!    

The 2016 British Motorsport Festival (BMF) took place at Goldenport International Circuit in Beijing on 1st October. The Festival attracted thousands of guests to enjoy in car culture, a wide array of motor related activities and an authentic taste of British culture. It was a labour of love, and had it's trials as big events do but overall it was worthwhile. https://www.youtube.com/embed/pQyXton5Y08 Motorsport events in Great Britain are fun, inclusive, and also play a key part in the development of the industry both in commercial and cultural terms. Events bring together car brands and related products and services with consumers with a focus on actually seeing cars in action, and providing non-car entertainment at the same venue and time. The 2016 British Motorsport Festival in Beijing did just this, bringing together both household names and more niche brands including Aston Martin, Jaguar Land Rover, Mclaren, Mini, Morgan and Radical. The consumer pavilions showcased British brands including ACE Cafe, Tiptree jams and afternoon teas, WAKE energy drinks, Cambridge Masks and Greene King beer. Music was provided by UK Company, VINTAGE TV. Unlike a single brand event or a trade show where cars are static, The British Motorsport Festival brought the track experience directly to guests providing Hot laps experiences where attendees could personally try-out leading models from McLaren, and Radical, and Morgan car, and Jaguar Land Rover. At the same time a unique backdrop of English culture was provided off the track where guests enjoyed British music, sampled the finest international cuisines, shopped for well-known British lifestyle brands and joined in various family entertainment activities. All aspects of the festival was steeped in the rich and vibrant culture of the United Kingdom providing a unique day out unrivalled in Beijing. One of the leading manufacturers of British luxury cars, Jaguar Land Rover, hosted a series of car demonstrations and live interactions for Chinese fans. Guests were able to test drive Jaguar Land Rover models including Jaguar’s F-Type as well as the Range Rover Sport. The carefully crafted balance and excellent control of both cars allowed drivers to experience surging speeds and precision from behind the wheel yet still maintain the look of an “English gentleman” from a distance. On the morning of the Festival, Greenpower China the partner of Greenpower UK, staged an e-kart race in the paddock. International and local schools competed against one another with battery powered karts that they have made themselves for the title of electric kart race champion. Following which guests were able to get behind the wheel themselves with go-karting, managed by SD Karting. Welsh Alumnus and entrepreneurs Mercury Dynamic, hosted a kid’s electric car track for the smaller visitors. Keeping an eye over all BMF activities was the BMF ‘Safe|Speed’ Mascot, Ali the Fox in collaboration with iDreamcastle. Ali the Fox reminded guests that speed and safety go hand in hand. The Saturday afternoon saw the first race of the newly formed ‘WAKE ASR Open,’ in which there was a fierce battle for poll position– providing a rare treat for competitors and spectators alike. One of the drivers was Sharlie Goddard, representing the British Women’s Race Driver Club, who raced bumper to bumper with the ASR regular amateur drivers. The winners were congratulated in an award ceremony after the race. Alex Buckley, CEO of WAKE Drinks, flew from the UK to launch WAKE at the BMF, and to present the prizes to the winning race drivers. Following the Festival, the BMF with partner AceGear hosted an after party at Ace Cafe, a British Car Theme Café, nestled in the former 751 train factory in the centre of the 798 art district. Racers, guests and exhibitors alike relaxed and reveled in the highlights of the days races. The 2016 British Motorsport Festival has successfully combined the strengths of the UK in motorsport and safe driving with authentic British experiences, making it the perfect day out for all the family. Guests were able to get a snapshot into British culture as well as spend a wonderful time with family and friends sharing the fun of driving. China has become the world’s leading automobile-producing country and automobile market with a rapid increase in car ownership as well as a growing motorsports loving population. Each year, about 500,000 racing fans watch the F1 race. There are many car-loving professional, semi-professional and amateur drivers in China who compete on the 12 permanent tracks and $ 350 million was spent to build the Shanghai F1 circuit and improve racing facilities. In addition, each year in the country hosts a number of large international motor shows, rallies and so on. The British Motorsport Festival has supported the growth of popularity in car culture in China and has laid a solid foundation for the promotion of British automotive. The BMF has the support of the British Government and British organisations in China which are working together to improve relations between the 2 countries. The Department of International Trade, formerly UKTI, British Council, China Britain Business Council, British Chamber of Commerce, and Confederation of British Industry have all actively supported the event. http://www.britishmotorsportfestival.com/2016-bmf-photo-show/     The long form edit of the BMF. https://www.youtube.com/embed/HA4_TkffR68

Beckoned to Beijing: PR Guru talks travel, entrepreneurship and education in Peking. Posted 12:00pm Sat Apr 9th, 2016 by KyleMullin Beijing Kids article   Today’s “Beckoned to Beijing” instalment features Jim James, who hails from England and founded EASTWEST Public Relations in Beijing in 1995. Below, he tells us about the benefits of raising his girls here, the challenges he has faced as an entrepreneur, and the advice he has for fellow British expats.I came to Beijing in 2006 to open the offices of EASTWEST Public Relations. I arrived with very little expectation, as I knew very little about China. Plus,my ambitions were modest, mainly to set up a new office for EASTWEST PR. It quickly became obvious that becoming a master of anything in China would be elusive at best. It is the pace and scale of the dynamism that has defied my expectations. My constant delight is to witness the courage and innovation of both Chinese and foreigners alike in the face of the seismic changes taking place in China. There is a collective commitment to embrace change, which is invigorating. From social policy, to upmarket hutong hotels, to the adoption of electric vehicles, there is hardly a facet of Chinese culture that is not hurtling headlong into the future. The biggest logistical challenge I’ve faced, as an entrepreneur, is the USD 50,000 per year capital exchange limit. These limits create interesting funding challenges; but another aspect of China is that there is always a way to solve problems (and legally) if one perseveres. In that sense China is, ironically, a very entrepreneurial society. My daughters, eight-year-old Amity Huan Huan and six-year-old Halo Mulan, are Chinglish girls. They were born in Beijing and vacation in Europe. They are bilingual and bivalent in their choices, and face the world drawing the best from both cultures. They speak the two most important languages in the world fluently, and will enjoy unique opportunities as a result. I am excited to participate in their future as their Dad - and to benefit from their Chinese translations! Both of my girls were born at  https://www.beijing-kids.com/directory/Beijing-United-Family-Hospital-BJ...">BJU. At the time it was the only foreign hospital with international staff and imported medicines. My eldest daughter, Amity, is at  BCIS. We believe that the “challenge based” learning approach alloyed to the IB syllabus is the best preparation for a world in which creativity, inquiry and problem solving will be the key skills needed in an increasingly automated workplace. And Halo, my youngest daughter, is at ECC, BCIS’ junior campus. We chose it for her because it adopts the Montessori system, which is a natural precursor to the Kindergartens— an amazing facility with very skilled educators. Overall I have been massively impressed by the people and the philosophy of the BCIS schools. Plus, our girls have flourished and love to go to school which, as a parent, is about the most important gift we can give them. IQ Air is the gold standard in purifiers. But for a domestic situation in a 250 square meter home, the costs can be pretty high at purchase and repeat filter time. We tend not to panic about the air situation— we take normal precautions, but if one constantly stresses then I suspect the stress will do more damage than the air. Good diet, plenty of water, exercise and trips out of the city mean that the body will compensate. We have not had any asthma, nor untoward side effects,  other than some excessive boredom on polluted days. But Beijing has so many great indoor venues, and the BCIS schools are so well filtered, that we just carry on. If and when I leave, I would take Beijing’s clear blue midwinter sky. It draws the colours out so beautifully, and makes the world feel brand new. If I could offer any advice to my fellow British expats before coming here, it would be: make a bucket list of the places you want to see in China, as it is easy to find oneself trying to cram them all in over the last vacations before heading home again. When I first came to China, I took a clock face and laid it over the map— it gave me 12 places from N-E-S-W that I wanted to visit. You could have a top 10 or a top 100, as there are masses of places to see, but that is entirely subjective. I think it is useful to set up a list and a schedule, so that at regular intervals you have destination inside China to visit. Otherwise holidays are all back to see the family and China will have been a posting, not a life changing event.

    British MotorSport Festival As part of the plan to build the brand of Morgan and Lotus in China, I had conceived of an event on the scale of the British Business Awards which I founded in 2008. This time, to bring the entire British business community together around the platform of Motor Sport; with Morgan a key catalyst in this initiative. It would be a cost effective and efficient way that I can build the brand in China for this relatively small brand, and whilst CEO of Lotus it gave me the chance to bring 2 brands into the fray. Now the event is a reality: - there has been, and continue to be, plenty of politics and the first will be a financial trial, but there is much interest in British motor racing culture and cars. If we can style this to become a Goodwood Festival in China, Beijing and Shanghai, over the coming years then it can play a role in building the auto culture in China. One day I want to see a Morgan Race Challenge Team in China - but that should be 2018 I suspect. In the meantime, EASTWEST is taking up the PR, Eggplant the website, and our friends Paul McNeil at Skye Media is taking on the social media. Lehman Brown will tackle the finances. I managed to engage the UKTI, CBBC and CBI again - and Benson has the motor sport contacts. The release went on on 18th and we already have some interest from the media and spectators. Here is the release: 2015 November 18 Beijing The Inaugural British Motor Sport Festival (BMF) is to be held in Beijing to establish British One Marque racing in China. The UKTI and Beijing Motor Sport Association endorsed 5-day event will bring together British racing cars, Chinese drivers and British trainers and will continue across China in 2016. Lotus, Morgan Motor Company, McLaren, Radical and the Mini Owners Club of China will have cars and drivers put through their paces under the stewardship of organisers Imperial Motorsport and guidance of instructors from the Association of Racing Drivers Schools in the UK. Dr Mark Wareing said, “Motorsport represents a large social and commercial opportunity for China and for Britain to extend the deep ties which we already enjoy. The British Motor Sport Festival creates a much needed platform to drive these relationships at greater speed.” Mr. Li Chunsan, Secretary General of Beijing Motor Sport Association (BMSA) – a supporter of the BMF commented, “China is emerging as a domestic and international competitor in motorsport at all levels, from drivers through to race teams. The British Motor Sport Festival is a dynamic platform for people in each aspect of the industry to learn, to compete and to further develop the motor sport culture in China.”   As the largest car market in the world, interest in motor sport has flourished in recent years in China. A growing number of professional, semi professional and amateur racers compete on 6 registered permanent circuits, 6 street circuits and the US$350m Formula 1 track in Shanghai. Some 40-50 million Chinese watch F1 broadcasts. A large number of rallies are held each year for off – road vehicles, and a growing list of Classic Car events are taking place, all of which led to the introduction of the British Motor Sport Festival. The 5-day BMF aims to bring the best of British experience and cars to the track. This will include homologation by Patrick Blakeney, Chairman of the Association of Racing Driver Schools (ARDS) and prizes awarded by Dr Mark Wareing, Minister-Counsellor and Director of the Advanced Manufacturing section of the British Embassy commercial section, the  UKTI. The BMF platform includes the Imperial Motorsport Academy Class, Mini Challenge. Lotus on Track Elise Challenge, Inauguration & Parade, McLaren hot laps and an English Tea Party. The development of motor sport in China represents a great opportunity for British and Chinese associations, owners and racers to trade, learn best practice and to race at an international level. According to the UK Motorsport Industry Association, approximately 4,500 companies are involved in the UK Motorsport and High Performance Engineering 87% of which export their services. The combined value of the industry is some GBP9 billions.   The British and Chinese communities are fully supporting the event, with endorsement from the UKTI, China Britain Business Council and Confederation of British Industry and from the Beijing Motor Sport Association. Other partners include Swire Properties hotel EAST, Skye Media and Eggplant Digital. “The BMF in China is a fantastic initiative that will benefit the interests of our members, the UK and the community at large. The UK is a global lead in the motor sports field. What better way to showcase this than the festival that will boost Sino- British trade and engagement,” commented Stephen Philips, Chief Executive of the  CBBC.    

https://www.youtube.com/embed/NGx2CQnd8rg

Leading entrepreneurs from the UK share their experiences of doing business in China

By Yin Lu Source:Global Times Published: 2015-10-22 21:23:01 British business owners thrive in different industries in China by exerting the UK's strengths. Photo: IC Have you noticed that among the 20 million Beijing dwellers, a small group of them are being influenced by British culture and trends? They drive British vintage cars, eat British desserts, join English football clubs, and follow the latest trends in UK fashion. These changes have been brought about by a growing number of British business professionals in the city's trade, culture, food and sports sectors. In 2014, there were 19,567 British citizens living in the country - a 7.8 percent growth compared to 2012, according to data provided by the British Embassy in Beijing. In light of President  Xi Jinping's visit to the UK, Metropolitan rounded up four high-profile British business professionals to speak about their experiences and vision. Hailing from different backgrounds, what these professionals have in common is knowing how to use the British cultural influence in its strongest sectors, to their advantage. Improved Sino-British relations have also made them dream even bigger about the possibilities of growing their businesses in China. They have done more than just change a recipe to cater to local tastes or learn the language to socialize better with Chinese clients. They are here to influence the cultural scene and foster firm business relations. Jim James is one of the most experienced pioneers of British business owners in Beijing. Photo: Courtesy of Jim James   Jim James "We want to build a classic car culture in China." 48, Managing Director of Morgan Cars Limited At the Bund Classic in Shanghai last week, an event for classic, historical and vintage car enthusiasts, James felt unprecedented interest and enthusiasm for his cars from Chinese people. "Both the consumers and trade in China have understood the UK is a very rich source of products and base in the car business." The reputation of the UK as a center for car design, and especially its rich heritage of brands, has been recognized all over the world, said James. "The British are creative about the styling of cars, and have a great tradition of making cars look fabulous and not so much just to buy." While he was building the China office of his public relations company which he founded in Singapore, James revisited the young boy inside of him who grew up loving sports cars. He was able to live out that passion by founding the British sports car dealership in China in 2011. In his vision for the car business, James thinks big. "What we hope to do in future, is to build a classic car culture in China." "Now China is the largest automotive market in the world," he said. "Leisure lifestyle vehicles are only just beginning to grow in China. There's a very exciting burst in the last years in classic car venues, sales and people wanting to learn about the history of classic cars, their styling and their performance." The challenge for a small brand like Morgan lies in tackling the large and dynamic Chinese market, he added. James thinks the UK's overall understanding of China and the understanding of the UK in China will benefit from President Xi's visit to Britain. " will benefit. Because more people will be looking at China to see how they can access this market." An active leader in Beijing's business circles, James co-founded the British Business Awards, and the Beijing chapter of the Global Entrepreneurs Organization. Over the years, he has come to know more young British people coming to China looking to start up their companies. "It's a very exciting development. They build very good communities to support one another in their ventures," he said. Other Global Times interviews: Entrepreneurs make cross-cultural connections at EO Beijing

Morgan showroom to sell retro British cars with eye on luxury market

Close relations

We took part in the Bund Classic in Shanghai 16-18th Oct. It was a resounding success. A highlight of my time building the Morgan brand in China has been the drive down the Bund with vintage cars and 5 Morgan vehicles. We used the Go-Pro to record the moment. https://www.youtube.com/embed/SeA9urMeiyI

“I am writing this post at 35,000 ft in the air whilst on SQ806 from Singapore to Beijing, reflecting on a week in which I travelled from China to Singapore to Bangalore and back. On the cover of the FT the headline talks of ‘dramatic falls’, there is a spat between N and S Korea, and the cyanide levels in the waters around Tianjin are at excessive levels. In response to Beijing being awarded the Winter Olympics of 2022 an FT article wrote of the woeful state of China’s ski resorts and the scarcity of water to make snow. On both legs of the trip to Singapore the Boeing 777-300A planes have been full to capacity in both economy and business class. The firing of some 4 shells by S. Korea in response to 3 mines laid by N. Korea has the counterpoint of the first ever rock concert in Pongyang to take place, performed by that well known Slovenian band Laibach, who played Beatles covers amongst other tunes. My upcoming entertainment will be taking my family of 4, including my 7 1/2 and 5 1/5 Chinglish girls, to Changbai Shan in Jilin province, north China, in December to go sledging and skiing; a Wanda owned resort which includes a Hyatt, Westin and Holiday Inn with Austrian ski lifts and a ZOO Cafe with tasty waffles and hot chocolate. In China I operate 2 companies, EASTWEST Public Relations and Morgan Cars China; one is in the business of making the news, the other is an interesting barometer of the impact of news. I have travelled the region and had the chance to view China from the eyes of the western, Singapore and Indian media this week. It is curious combination of cynicism and awe.  The reality is that China, like India, is on a path of development that is unchartered; there has not been another nation of 1.4 bn people with a one party political system moving from one socio economic level to another in an age of digital communication and environmental constraints. If one were to believe the headlines, and not the trend lines, then China would not be a place to invest the time and resources into that I have, nor to commit to raising children here. Yet, the reality is that each country and society faces its own set of challenges and does so according to its own cultural and political DNA. After 8 years in China, and 20 years in Asia, I would still not claim to understand nor to predict the decisions and paths chosen by the leaders and the people of China, but can only interpret events as they take place to develop my own theories. I read yesterday that the Mayor of Tianjin had come forward to accept "inescapable responsibility" for the blast in Tianjin which took place on August 12, 2015. In a city  of 15.2 million people and the 10th largest port in the world,  it is conceivable that Mr Huang Xingguo, mayor of Tianjin could have worked hard at the disaster recovery and left the investigators to identify some mid level scape goats, but he didn’t. That headline was at the back of the newspaper,  but for me was more important than the alarmist headlines about economic disintegration in China and the emerging markets. The headlines attract readers and viewers, but there are not enough front pages to cover all the events which happen to 1.4bn people daily; so I prefer to look at the trend lines. In Singapore an asset manager and I had dinner this week, and he called these headline events a ‘blip’ on the long term progress chart of China. Next to me on flight 806 my travelling companion is a 4 1/2 year old girl who has been on vacation in Thailand with her family, and is currently engrossed in the brilliant British animation of ‘Shawn the Sheep.’ It reminds me that I am going to see my 2 girls in Beijing soon, and that the future of China will be governed by a cosmopolitan and worldly generation that will have common points of reference drawn from personal experience and not the headlines. That makes me feel pretty good about the prospects of a nation that whether one likes it or not, is destined to play a significant role on the world stage.

金宝(Jim James)还记得，在一个寒冷的午后，自己如何略带忐忑地看着一群潜在买家测试他那非常昂贵的存货的性能。金宝持有英国摩根汽车公司(Morgan Motor Company)唯一一张中国市场进口许可证。那天，他的客人们借用了长城附近一座小机场空旷的柏油碎石路面，在那里驾驶着税后零售价高达270万元人民币（合44万美元）的摩根汽车，高速兜着小圈。   轮胎发出刺耳的摩擦声，可以闻到橡胶烧糊的气味。但金宝表示，这次试车没有给车辆造成任何损害；与之相反，中国检验检疫官员进行的几次试车把他的车给撞坏了。“这制造了一些难题，因为接下来我们只能把车送回英国修理，”金宝在提到一起尤为严重的检验事故时说，“这就像进入了一个三不管地带，因为我们当时已经缴过（进口）税了。”   在北京工人体育场(Beijing’s Workers Stadium)他那由设计师设计的汽车展厅里，金宝以英国人那种典型的轻描淡写的态度，列举了自己遭遇的一系列大大小小的麻烦。在谈到检验人员造成的那起事故时，他说：“那让我们损失了大量的时间和金钱，但它只是个小插曲。”   他表示，在中国，创业者不能停下来反思哪里出了问题。“我们的顶棚漏过水，车辆曾无法启动，还丢过车。但如果你总想这些事情，你八成就不想每天起床努力打拼了。”   摩根汽车公司位于英格兰-威尔士边界附近的马尔文山(Malvern Hills)，自1909年以来一直坚持手工制造汽车。该公司有180名员工，其中很多都是能工巧匠，每年仅生产约500辆四轮汽车。德国、英国和法国历来是摩根汽车最大的市场，但中国市场正迅速迎头赶上。   上世纪90年代中期，金宝曾任音乐工作室设备制造商AMS Neve的营销高管，他经常到亚洲参加贸易展，亚洲的强大活力令他感到鼓舞：“我卖掉了房子，搬到了新加坡。”他在那里创建了自己的公司——易思闻思公共关系咨询公司(Eastwest Public Relations)，而后在2006年初搬到了北京。   2011年11月，他被任命为摩根汽车的首位在华总经销商，这一结果多多少少是出于偶然。在北京驾驶自己的摩根Roadster汽车时，这辆座驾引起的热烈反响让他感到意外。“反响相当惊人，”他说，“因此我给摩根汽车打了电话，问他们的中国经销商在哪里？他们说在中国还没有经销商……于是我给他们写了一份商业计划书。”   金宝花了12个月时间拿到约14项中国部委的批文，然后郑重其事地启动了业务，由此让摩根汽车及其偶得的中国经销代理成为彰显创业精神的罕见范例——英国政治人士希望，英国企业家能在各个新兴市场彰显这种精神。   当伦敦市长鲍里斯•约翰逊(Boris Johnson)和英国财政大臣乔治•奥斯本(George Osborne)去年10月访问北京时，金宝的车行在一个英国工业展会上成为了焦点。在看到摩根汽车后，约翰逊非常开心，他向媒体夸耀这些汽车能跑多快。金宝和约翰逊进行了短暂的会面，两人的仪表对比鲜明：移居国外的创业者衣着整齐利落，伦敦市长则像往常一样，是出了名的邋遢。   在金宝创办他的这家新的创业型企业的过程中，让它与马莎百货(Marks and Spencer)和捷豹路虎(Jaguar Land Rover)一道成为英国企业的代表，始终都不是最有可能出现的结果。   拿到必要的汽车进口与经销的政府批文，是金宝面临的第一个挑战——考虑到他的车行只是他与华人妻子、前IBM高管Erika Chen开的一家“夫妻店”，这里面的难度更是可想而知。“一些政府官员不相信，一名独立的外国创业者能拥有一个外国汽车品牌的进口许可证，”他说，“所有其他（豪车制造商），例如保时捷(Porsche)和宾利(Bentley)，都是自己做。我不得不拜会海关官员，向他们出示我的护照和公司股份证书。他们仍略感困惑，但在谈话结束时，他们大多会对我说，‘做得不错’。”   在整个过程中，金宝一直撰写在线博客“一名创业者在中国的经历”(Experiences of an entrepreneur in China)，记述了自己如何成功通过官僚审批程序，还有在检验人员制造了那起代价高昂的撞车事故后如何与对方争吵。   金宝说：“身边有一个你信赖且会说双语的人是至关重要的。”在他的例子里，这个人就是他的妻子。“所有文件都不是能轻易放到网上的。我和Erika不得不走遍北京，去各种各样的办事处，坐下来，取个号，等着看你到底应该把文件递给谁。我们（在博客上）把这一切写得听上去挺简单的，这是因为，如果你不保持那样一种心态的话，你就没法继续下去。”   批文终于拿到手后，金宝又遇到了融资难题。他只得不情愿地卖掉他最宝贵的资产，也就是他自己那辆摩根汽车，来筹资建设他的北京展厅。“我们遭遇了资金紧张，”他说，“我的解决方案——我不得不告诉你那不是一个什么令人愉快的解决方案——是拱手出让我们买的这辆车。”他指了指墙上挂着的那辆汽车的照片。   那辆车卖给了一位媒体高管。近期购买摩根汽车的人，还包括一位知名歌手和一位不是太知名的、来自中国中部的裁缝师。   金宝的资金紧张也影响到了他的广告和营销预算。他抓住各种机会，在电影首映式、航空展和其他公开活动上展示他的汽车，并鼓励爱慕这些汽车的人在新浪微博(Weibo)上张贴它们的照片。   过去一年，中国政府的整治行动影响了微博作为政治言论场所的声望，但金宝表示，它仍是一种极为宝贵的营销工具。2013年1月以来，他的微博粉丝数量增至逾1200人，推动摩根汽车中国网站的独立访问数超过2万。金宝说：“这是在没有花费大量预算和有效利用社交媒体的情况下做到的。在这里，如果你愿意的话，是有可能以游击战术来打造品牌的。”   金宝的车行负责北京的销售，他还在成都和青岛委任了二级经销商，此外他正与上海的潜在代理展开谈判。他的一些合作伙伴本身就是知名的汽车经销企业。不过，对一家产品供应因其自身极其注重细节的制造流程而受限的企业而言，控制订单数量以防止长期积压订单和客户不满可能并不容易。金宝在2013年实现了售出18辆摩根汽车的销售目标。他之所以选择这个数字，是因为它在汉语中代表幸运。金宝预计，今年将售出30辆摩根汽车。   另一件让他操心的事情是，到底应该在营销宣传中强调多少“英伦气息”。“某种程度上说，中国人印象中的英国品牌可能代表着老式或古板。” 他希望让摩根品牌与“可能的新英国”联系在一起，这个新英国“就像是奥运英国，文化更多元，更清新、年轻一点。” 毕竟，他销售的汽车尽管看上去像古董，却仍可在柏油碎石路面上表演特技。 译者/梁艳裳 The original story appears in Chinese FT here This was a translation of an article in FT London posted 12 Feb. It is posted behind a firewall. The article can be seen on my blog here

There can be few more privileges than to be engaged in the success of not just one but two Great British automotive brands. In Sept 2014 I took up an engagement as the Interim CEO of Lotus Cars China. The company was formed as  Lotus Engineering Ltd. by engineers  Colin Chapman and Colin Dare, both graduates of  University College, London, in 1952. The four letters in the middle of the logo stand for the initials of company founder, Anthony Colin Bruce Chapman. Lotus struggled to match its track performance with financial success, and after several owners, in 1996, a majority share in Lotus was sold to  Proton, a Malaysian car company listed on the  Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange. In China the company has it's showroom just at north Gongti Stadium, a 5 minutes walk from the Morgan showroom. The opening was attended by Simon Wood, the head of Lotus Asia Pacific. While I was in the UK over the summer Wood, CEO Jean Marc Gales, and Alex Ling VP of Finance, visited the showroom. A conversation ensued with Wood re the services of EASTWEST PR and Eggplant Digital, and one of strategy to drive the agencies. The solution was that I have been engaged as Interim CEO, working alongside my duties as MD of Morgan Cars China. It is a fabulous opportunity to build two companies in different categories (Classic and Sports) - and an interesting challenge to be an owner of one and an employee of another. My goal is to find ways to improve my performance in both companies and the performance of both in China. Enough to get the heart racing!