Manifesto
Brands do not succeed in China by chance. They get chosen.
By Thibault Alcorani, co-founder and CEO of DFC Studio
For years, entering China was a matter of being present. A distributor, a shop, an official account: the prestige of a foreign origin did the rest.
Those days are over.
Chinese consumers compare, research and select. They read reviews on RED Note, discover products in livestreams on Douyin, talk on WeChat and now question AI assistants. Their decision takes shape online, long before any visit to a shop.
At the same time, Chinese brands have grown in quality, creativity and confidence. They speak to their audience with an accuracy few foreign brands achieve. A fine origin still opens doors, but it is no longer enough to get chosen.
We built DFC Studio to answer this reality.
We believe foreign brands have every right to their place in China, provided they are understood there. Their know-how, their history and their high standards deserve better than a translation: a story designed for Chinese audiences, told by people who know them from the inside.
DFC stands for DiFaChuang: “creating from scratch, the French way”. The name says how we work: Chinese talent with degrees from leading international universities, French management excellence and the same high standards on both sides.
Our mission fits in one sentence: that our clients’ excellence never goes unseen or misunderstood in such a demanding market.
Tomorrow, other platforms will rise and artificial intelligence will again change how people discover a brand. One thing will not change: in China as elsewhere, people choose the brands that understand them. Our ambition is to help our clients become one of them.
Four convictions
China cannot be understood from afar
Our teams live where trends are born. What we recommend to you, we observe on the ground every day, not in a report.
Being present is no longer enough
Opening an account does not build a brand. It takes a tailored story that resonates and gets recommended.
We are partners, not service providers
We put ourselves in your shoes, we defend your interests and we tell you what we think, even when it is not what you wanted to hear.
Doing is not enough, we must do better
China moves fast, and AI moves even faster. The goal is not simply to execute, but to look for ways to improve every time. We train continuously.
We are in the right place, at the right time
If your brand has a story to tell in China, let’s write the next chapter together.
Thibault AlcoraniCo-founder and CEO of DFC Studio- Is your company ready for the Chinese market?
- What opportunities are there for a company like yours?
- What strategic steps should you consider?
- What budget should you plan to launch and grow your brand in China?