sim update September 2020 - sim

Dear Reader

Special times indeed! – that’s how a friend of mine so simply put it, talking about the disruptions in 2020.

On September 21st, 2020, only 6 days shy of 8 months of absence, we were able again to walk through the streets of Shanghai. It has been quite an odyssey to get back here, given the global situation and restrictions in place.

What was planned a three-weeks Chinese New Year’s holiday turned out to become a prolonged stay, in my case the longest one in Switzerland since about 30 years! It has been a comfortable one, given the circumstances, thanks to the kind help of close ones and thanks to an important ability acquired in Asia: to look ahead, to take challenges as opportunities, see disruptions as possibilities, to re-orient and to adapt constantly. Abilities, I fear, the western world is missing a bit and could learn from the Asian culture.

Some months ago, when we, like probably many others, got suddenly torn apart from what we considered being our “normality”, our life-center, our comfort and our steady income, a kind of disorientation raised naturally certain questions and doubts. One can’t help but think about the ‘whats’ and the ‘ifs’, but in such moments it’s probably best to let go and look towards the future, to trust in the ability of others to step in, to remain positive and hope for a swift resolving!

Even though countless calls, emails, re-bookings and regulatory changes resulted only in further postponements of the return to our city of choice, our apartment, the company, friends and our live we built here over the last 16 years, we knew that one day it will become possible, so we kept arranging ourselves at best and kept trying!

As we all are in the same situation, it is not of much use to look backwards, to question decisions made, nor to dispute certain measures taken or imposed which, at the end of the day, were intended to protect humanity, not to harm individuals! The most important focus clearly should be to get through this all together!

It is now apparent to me that everyone must go on an individual path through this pandemic, with ups and downs, struggles and – hopefully – happy moments! I had friends stranded on remote islands while another one was lying in highly critical situation in the “red-zone” of a designated COVID-hospital, both longing and fighting to get back to their lives, literally! Both made it, thank God, even though both had to go through a rough stretch, which left physical and emotional scars, but hey, they got out. Not everyone has been that fortunate.

Compared to these fates, we were in a comfortable situation, we had a well-working infrastructure, had everything in place to continue working for and serving our customers! As many others, we organized sub-teams, we did home-office and respected the necessary precautions! We managed to assist companies and individuals during these difficult times, in short:  we ensured that on our small scale, things didn’t break down! Many conversations were held over all imaginable technical means available, trying to reduce the geographical distances as good as we could! And for months, we have been joyfully looking forward to our reunions!

So where does that leave us now? Certainly in the knowledge, that the earth continues rotating, also when you are confined to one single place, opportunities arise and good can come from unimaginable situations! But also, that one should concentrate to be generous and tolerant to make the own life and people close around better & happier, not more complicated or miserable!

Lastly, I think we were given an opportunity to appreciate again, that not every business trip is simply a given, that not every beach-holiday-weekend is normal, that resources and the symbiosis of our co-existence on earth are in a delicate balance!

We on our side do value the help we have received, the support from our families, our friends, the efforts and dedication of the team, and also our customers who have shown us understanding and endurance during this time. I personally also highly appreciate to be back in my office and continue working on innovations, changes and good ways forward together with my team that also kept sim cruising full speed and steady on course during this time! Thank you.

Best regards and god-speed to all of you

Michael Lehmann

Shanghai, September 30^th, 2020 – on the day exact 16 years after my first arrival in town!

During the past months, we established together with our customers, over many calls and video conferences some tendencies and areas of concern which seem to be common to quite a number of companies dealing with or in China. As we sit here in Shanghai, right in the middle of the show, do not hesitate to get in contact with us to analyze your situation and to see possible ways we can be of assistance!

Here, we would like to mention just five main groups of issues that were addressed recently as well as our solution-oriented range of possible services to each of them.

1. Interrupted connections / assistance from Europe

Even though it is since two days again possible in theory to enter China with valid work- and residence permits, for pre-approved business purpose or family reunion, it still remains a challenge to find a suitable flight connection on one side and to take the decision to endure the quarantine for 14 days in questionable hotels on the other hand.

Very often, it is considered as not feasible or at the very least not cost-efficient to burden such travels to an employee. Hence, meetings with the local team, suppliers and (potential) customers within China remain challenging.

=> This is where we can step in, assisting your overseas team or your China operations to step in and assist them with our local resources, connections and experience. We work on fiduciary basis, can offer ad-hoc or long-term solutions, fully adapting to your needs… who knows what 2021 brings….

2. Necessary adaptions in the China operations

We have seen both extremes recently: operations which were suddenly too small, others which needed to downsize. Either way, they must be adjusted in the right direction and under the guidance of an experience and authorized management. Solutions need to be found, office space, suitable staff, scalable support functions etc. etc.

=> We do have possible solutions for both ways: from simple desks to outsourced employment of key personnel you don’t wish to loose, up to satisfy needs of additional production space or more flexible distribution solutions, from online channel management to brand representations, please do not hesitate to address us with your concerns, and we will do our best to swiftly propose helpful remedies, tailor-made to your case.

3. Smart and pragmatic solutions to enter & operate the Chinese Market

The time of investing millions in China is now clearly over. Nowadays, brands come in to make money in China! With a much higher technological awareness and daily use of tech-tools, the Chinese consumers are more accessible than ever via social media and online platforms, and brands need to be present on those in an attractive and out-standing way!

=> We enable you to enter China slim & smart, to test the market, the consumer reactions, your brand, positioning, and distribution ecosystem without big risks! We can assist you from the initial much needed IP Protection over your first sale thanks to consumer-oriented communication strategies up to fully scaled business ventures, even including financing and government relations as options to help you establish and grow.

4. Growth opportunities (that will not be seen any more in the western world)

The local market in China gains again quickly strength, consumption is almost back to pre-COVID levels and new online channels bring another wave of dynamics. Whereas it will never again be the production site for the world, it will certainly remain a highly attractive market for all industries and goods, no doubt!

=> We can assist you to gain customer insights, to understand the market requirements and to use them to your advantage! To grow in this market, means hitting striking numbers, this does not mean bottom-less marketing budgets, but well-thought communication strategies, target-audience-oriented branding and positioning! We can assist you from the first moment to register and bring in your products into mainland China up to fully fetched marcom campaigns to satisfy shopper-festivals

5. Need of market monitoring & strategic guidance

Last but not least, many companies feel the need of strategic guidance, that someone standing aside to support your company leadership. Where the West mostly stagnated during the crisis, new models and channels came up in China, moving swiftly forward. To stay at the forefront of all these developments, to plan ahead and apprehend fast-moving consumer-trends, quite some resources and insights are needed.

=> As we are here in the market, as we have experienced many changes and developments in the past 16 years, as we know how to deal with opportunities and disruptions, we are convinced that you will find our views, insights and pragmatic approach of value. Learning and understanding the market, to establish ways to distribute and to profit from the mass of consumers can be challenging at first, but surely also rewarding further down the road, we will stay at your side all along to see that happen!

We are right here waiting for you to contact us!