Shanzhai Innovation

Shanzhai Innovationby Rainer Wessler, Executive Creative Director

frog drives innovation for the connected world

Innovation

InnovationIntent RenditionIdeation ExecutionCreativity Craftsmanship

The Shanzhai phenomenon.

Shanzhai marks a temporary,not the ultimate state of anorganization’s evolution.

Hiroshige van Gogh (original) (copy)

Traditionally, copy and repetition are key ingredients to Chineseeducation and training programs and do not demonstrate a lack of ideasor originality, but a statement of respect. Frequent iteration andincremental improvement are seen as a necessity to achieve perfection.

Only after acquiring the basic skills of a trade, creativity is encouraged as adirection for further growth. In a country that values respect and continuitybetween generations as much as China does, can we look at Shanzai as astep, but not the end state in an organization’s evolution?

An ecosystem that not only delivers truthful copies of productsbut also creates novel feature and brand permutations.

Shanzhai products help toproject status and upwardsocial mobility.

Miàn Zi面子

In a country socio-economically as divers as China, putting your best faceforward drives many behaviors and aspirations. Shanzhai products can playan important role by providing the insignia to project achievement or upwardsocial mobility.

Shanzhai products can actually play in favor of the established brands. Ilearned that sometimes customers might only become aware of ‘the realthing’ through the purchase of an equivalent Shanzhai product - especially inlow tier cities where western brands often lack branch presence.

Shanzhai are among the trulycustomer centric businessesin China.

This is not a basket of eggs.It’s the tip of an iceberg.

For most people shanzhai - or imitation goods, have a derogative association.However, one of the motivations for going Shanzhai is to avoid the diﬃcultregulations the Chinese government has established to become an oﬃcialmanufacturer.

The Shanzhai ecosystem that can crank out products in one-tenthof the time, unencumbered by moral, legal or institutional barriers,can be seen as more customer-centered and responsive than their legallyestablished competitors in China - an opportunity, rather than a threat?

Given their fast product-to-market cycles and their non-commitment toregulations and business alliances Shanzai manufacturers can be seenas more customer-centered and responsive than their legally establishedcompetitors in China.

Shanzhai redeﬁnes therelationship between theinventor and the maker.

... an ancient form of Google Wave, where ideas invite conversations - andsometimes imitation ...

In post-renaissance western cultures the inventor often enjoys higherappreciation than the craftspeople who make it happen.

Can a copy be more truthful to the actual idea than it’s initial rendition?

Yes it can :-)

Only in arts and pop culture we see symbiotic relationships between theinitiator of an idea and the ones who are the excelling in bringing it to life.(think Beethoven & Glenn Gould)

Only in arts and pop culture we see symbiotic relationships between theinitiator of an idea and the ones who are the excelling in bringing it to life.(think electronic music / sample and remix culture)

Shanzhai innovation in the‘connected world’ ...

One open brieﬁng, three independent teams = one idea?

Do ideas converge in the connected world?

Has innovation turned into a community eﬀort, a public sport?

A community of designers volunteering their ideas to brands they admire.

What can we learn fromShanzhai companies?

Have the headand the handwork together.

Accept what youdon’t know. Jumpin, get dirty.

Know what you areselling. Love yourproduct!

Increase TTMthrough incrementalinnovation?

Understand yourcustomers andtheir needs.

Co-createwith yourcustomers.

Be easy to dealwith. Be a goodpartner.

Stop obsessingwith protectingyour ideas?

Hire good people.People whonetwork.

Hire good people.People whonetwork.People who lovewhat they make.

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Shanzhai Innovation

by frog on Aug 28, 2012

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