Page 22 - Sphere No.30 (Dec 2011)

commission in Beijing that oversees state-owned assets and
welcomed Hutchison’s involvement in resuscitating the White
Cat brand and business.
A big “plus” was that the White Cat brand had such a
strong heritage, according to Mr Tsiang. “People had been
using White Cat for generations. It is a trusted national
brand that everyone’s grandma still uses. It is also almost
a matter of national pride that White Cat is still around.
Additionally, White Cat is strongly associated with
sophisticated Shanghai, which is at the forefront of fashion,
quality and higher living standards.”
For the new brand image and visuals, HWCL engaged the
same international design agency that supports Hutchison
retail subsidiary Watsons. In addition to revamping the logo,
the agency came up with cute cat-shaped bottles. “It gives us
a lot of differentiation on the shelf,” said Mr To. “Breaking
through the clutter is essential when you’re dealing with a
functional, commoditised product in a saturated market.”
White Cat has also benefitted from other Hutchison
synergies. Hutchison China Commerce, one of the largest
and most influential FMCG distributors in the Mainland,
now handles sales, distribution and logistics
for White Cat’s expanding portfolio of
laundry, dishwashing and household
cleaning products.
A re-launch masterstroke was to secure the right to
supply all products for cleaning bathrooms, dining facilities
and public areas at Shanghai’s World Expo 2010, for which
White Cat was the cleaning products project sponsor. Most
recently, the resurgent White Cat was recognised as one of
“China’s Top 10 New and Upcoming Brands”, under a scheme
organised by the National Cleaning Association.
Efforts are already paying off. Sales are up about 60 per
cent over the same period last year. “There is hope that we are
finally turning around this old brand,” said Mr To. “Maybe we
are about one-third of the way there.”
As White Cat pads confidently back up the chart of China’s
top laundry brands, it also moves HWCL closer to pursuing a
grander vision. “Our long-term dream is to take our Chinese
consumer products overseas, leveraging the Hutchison
Group’s global retail network,” said Mr To.
He noted that Hutchison China was already evolving a
product range – from homecare to personal care – that in
years to come might see it emerge as “a Chinese Johnson &
Johnson”. In addition to White Cat’s home care products,
HWCL has MediTech (“Chi-Med”), a pharmaceutical and
healthcare group, which, in turn, has a joint venture with
New York-based Hain Celestial Group selling natural, organic
health products.
“If we were to succeed at making White Cat and Hutchison
China Commerce a significant FMCG company, together
with Chi-Med for the health care sector, we would have all the
elements of something that could go global,” Mr To said.
“Everything is possible when you reach a certain critical
mass. Without big dreams, nothing can happen. We have to
set our sights high and work towards them.”
“Our long-term dream
is to take our
Chinese consumer
products overseas. ”
White Cat’s products before its makeover.