NETUCATION Blog

Tag: China

  • 2017 The Beijing International School Expo

    The Beijing International School Expo (BISE) is the city’s largest gathering of international schools with the aim of helping families choose better education options. This year’s BISE will be held on February 18-19, 2017 from 10am-4pm at the Crowne Plaza Beijing Chaoyang U-Town. Importantly, the BISE is a completely free event to attend, however, we advise pre-registering to avoid unnecessary queues.

    Over 60 Schools Represented
    Parents will have the opportunity to personally meet representatives from over 60 schools, and have candid conversations with school officials that know best. The schools represented span a range of curricula, and include both Beijing-based and overseas K-12 institutions.

    Lecture Series
    The 2017 BISE is not only the perfect place to find the right school for your kids – it also serves as a rich learning environment for parents. Hear expert advice on a range of pertinent issues from invited guest speakers.

    Starter’s Scholarship
    This year’s BISE will also feature on-site competition, whereby 12 talented children will get cash for school as well as have their work published in our magazines. Our Starter’s Scholarships – awarded on the basis of a drawing competition (for younger kids) and an essay-writing competition (for older students) – is an opportunity to let your child shine.

    Children’s Activity Area
    The children’s activity area includes enough entertainment to keep the little ones occupied, so that parents can focus on talking with school representatives. The sections will be run by educational institutions but geared towards younger children under the age of 10.

    Pre-Registration
    To pre-register for the BISE, click here or scan the QR code below

    2017 Beijing International School Expo

  • MWC 2016 Brand Finance the Brand Finance Tech 100: The State Of Their Brands

    As the world’s tech companies gathered in Barcelona Monday 22 February until the Thursday of Mobile World Congress 2016. Brand Finance released its annual review of the state of their brands, the Brand Finance Tech 100.

    Key Finds:

    • WeChat grows brand value by 83%
    • Apple extends lead with record breaking R2,3 trillion brand value
    • Galaxy S6 restores Samsung’s brand rating to AAA
    • Uber enters table with R175bn brand value

    apple vs google

    WeChat a fast growing brand:

    WeChat increased its brand value by 83% this year, making it one of the fastest growing brands in the technology table. The messaging app, also offers a payment platform, it’s rapid growth, registered users totalling an astonishing 1.1bn, of which 100m base outside of China.

    Tencent, the holding company that owns and operates WeChat, recently announced that WeChat will start charging its users for payment transactions in March 2016, a move that could boost revenues even higher.

    The World’s Most Valuable Tech Brands (Top 10):
    The World’s Most Valuable Tech Brands (Top 10):

    Apple Not Rotten Yet

    With a value of R2.3 trillion Apple remains the world’s most valuable brand. Despite annual predictions of a fall from grace, brand value is up 14%. Revenue for the last three months of 2015 was a record-breaking R96,2 billion. There has been much disappointment about slowing growth, this must be seen in the context of an exceptional period at the end of 2014 following the release of the iPhone 6. To not just maintain but increase sales in a saturated market is encouraging and assertions that Apple has gone rotten are premature.

    Samsung’s brand rating to AAA

    Samsung’s brand rating has been restored to AAA this year, which indicates the strength and future potential of the brand, this is thanks in part to the positive reception of the Galaxy S6. The significantly improved design also put the Galaxy S6 on the radar of iPhone users. The unveiled Galaxy S7 looks to follow the footsteps of its predecessor but adds features such as water resistance, extended battery life and expandable storage option. Revenues improved this year, most coming from Samsung’s semiconductor business which produces chips for most smartphone manufacturers, including, ironically, Apple.

    Uber Starts Well a Tough Road Ahead

    Uber established itself in the top end of this year’s technology table with an impressive brand value of R175bn. This makes the app’s brand more valuable than giants such as Panasonic, Dell and Sony.However challenging times could lie ahead.

    Uber continues to face regulatory challenges in the west, as the company is bombarded with protests and lawsuits from taxi unions and transport authorities while in the east, the company struggles to turn a profit due to fierce competitors, such as Didi Kuaidi, the favoured low-cost ride company in China.

  • Was ‘Iron Man 3’ a Movie or a Treaty With China?

    By Lucas Shaw

    “Iron Man 3” has made more money in China than any other U.S. production this year, grossing more than $125 million at the box office to-date. That’s almost double what “Man of Steel,” which opened to $117 million in the U.S., is on track to make.

    So what was the secret? Chris Fenton, president of the movie’s co-financier and co-producer DMG Entertainment, credited pressing the right levers with the Chinese film commission.

    “‘Iron Man 3′ was as much an act of diplomacy as a movie or a piece of business,” Fenton said Friday during a keynote speech at TheWrap’s TheGrill @Locations Conference.

    DMG is one the top companies producing movies in China, partnering with Hollywood studios and production companies to secure release for its movies in the world’s second-biggest market. That means consulting with Chinese officials in advance, casting Chinese actors and, in the case of “Iron Man 3,” releasing a different version of the movie in that country.

    “As a conglomerate of partners, we decided let’s do what’s for the best of the movie around world, but put in extra bonus footage for the Chinese to say, ‘Hey look, this stuff was great but didn’t perfectly fit into what we were trying to get in there – but it was too good not to use,’” Fenton said.

    Yet Fenton emphasized there is no universal solution. Every film requires a different approach, which is where DMG’s background in advertising and marketing proved vital.

    Selling the Chinese on “Twilight” required looking at the success of movies like “Titanic” and playing up the Romeo and Juliet nature of the love story. With “Resident Evil 4,” DMG pointed to the volume of pirated DVDs sold from earlier movies in the franchise.

    When it came to “Looper,” Rian Johnson’s time travel thriller, DMG suggested a much bigger alteration, pushing Johnson and his producers to change a major part of the movie. The future was going to take place in France. DMG suggested changing that to China.

    While the producers were initially wary, the suggestion paid off when they began to show tests of the movie. One of the crowds’ favorite lines came when Jeff Daniels advised Joseph Gordon-Levitt not to move to France.

    “He says, ‘I’m from the future, you don’t wanna go to France you wanna go to China.’ It was great to see that test well,” Fenton said.

    While most in the United States view the Chinese as being repressive and restrictive in limiting what movies can play — and what they say – Fenton argued there was nothing unique about China’s behavior.

    “If the roles were reversed, the U.S. would be using the leverage they have,” Fenton said. “You see it every day with different trade issues – tires, chicken meat, auto parts – all kinds of little trade imbalances. They do like western movies, but they also give an edge to its own industry so it can get on solid footing.”

    Yet, as with everything, there are limits. “We’re not telling Marvel to call Captain China.”

    source: Reuters, Yahoo! News