Event can enhance recognition, but sales boost doesn't always follow
The top technology showcase of the year, the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, the U.S. is a chance for Chinese brands to make a splash.
More than 1,300 registered exhibitors such as Huawei, ZTE and Lenovo are reportedly coming from China to exhibit their state-of-the-art consumer devices in home appliances, smartphones, drones and virtual reality to the world technology aficionados from Thursday to Sunday.
They mean to use the spotlight of the CES to grab attention while expanding business outside of their home market, said experts and industry insiders.
On Tuesday (U.S. time), LeEco, a Chinese Internet conglomerate, kicked off a launch meeting with U.S. partner Faraday Future to display its competence in electric vehicles.
DJI, a Chinese drone manufacturer that reportedly accounts for half of the North American market, also disclosed details on its CES exhibition to media outlets on Wednesday.
Home appliance producer Hisense told the Global Times Wednesday that it will show up at the event with major TV announcements and breakthroughs in display technologies.
Hisense, which started to attend the CES in 1990, sees the event as a good chance to learn and share with other companies and enlarge its global influence.
"Its ULED display technology started to lead the market after being launched at the CES in 2015," a PR representative with Hisense said.
Liu Dingding, a Beijing-based independent analyst, acknowledged that getting on the CES bandwagon can help companies enhance their brand recognition, but it cannot boost their sales around the world.
"If companies such as Xiaomi want to increase sales, they have to release devices featuring functions that consumers are really looking for," Liu told the Global Times Wednesday.
The Beijing-based smartphone vendor Xiaomi Inc weighed in for the first time this year, as it is facing headwinds from powerful competitors at home and abroad. On the global stage, Xiaomi has been surpassed by less-known Chinese brands OPPO and Vivo, being squeezed out of the top five smartphone vendors in terms of shipments in 2016, according to data from German market research agency Statista.
Still, it seems unlikely that Xiaomi will introduce anything really new for the consumer. According to media reports, Xiaomi could unveil the white model of its Mi Mix, which debuted in November last year.
DJI's drone show also appears to offer little new, said experts. In a statement sent to the Global Times, the company said it will show off its flagship drone Phantom 4 Chinese New Year Edition and accessories such as a silver version of the Osmo Mobile at the CES. The Osmo Mobile can turn a smartphone into a smart motion camera.
A senior executive from another Chinese technology company told the Global Times on condition of anonymity that in reality, attending the CES is not that important for Chinese technology brands.
"The CES is more like an industry party where exhibitors can communicate with each other, but it's no longer a venue for consumers to spot the newest products," said the executive.
Companies are more likely to save their cutting-edge breakthroughs for their own launch conferences, he noted. "You never see Apple attend this kind of show."
