Emerald Emerging Markets Case Studies

HAIER: Beat the Heat

Ian Michael Meerah Ketait Sarah Al Qassimi Azza Al Nuaimi
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 HAIER: Beat the Heat
Ian Michael, Meerah Ketait, Sarah Al Qassimi and Azza Al Nuaimi
Ian Michael is Professor of
Marketing, Zayed
University, Dubai,
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United Arab Emirates.
Meerah Ketait, Sarah Al
Qassimi and Azza Al
Nuaimi are all graduates of
Zayed University, Dubai,
United Arab Emirates.
This case was written by
Dr Ian Michael, Azza Al Nuaimi,
Meerah Ketait and
Sarah Al Qassimi. It was
prepared using company
information and interviews and
its intention was to provide
material for class discussion
through publication. The authors
do not intend to illustrate either
effective or ineffective handling
of a managerial situation.
The author may have disguised
certain names and other
identifying information to
protect confidentiality.
Copyright q Michael, Al Nuaimi,
Ketait and Al Qassimi (2012).
This case is provided courtesy
of the AIB-MENA.
Disclaimer. This case is written
solely for educational purposes
and is not intended to represent
successful or unsuccessful
managerial decision making.
The author/s may have
disguised names; financial and
other recognizable information
to protect confidentiality.
DOI 10.1108/20450621111192799
Aamer Khan, Managing Director Hafet Electrical LLC, the sole distributor for of Haier in UAE was
reviewing their half yearly results. Among the more unconventional strategies they had adopted
was one where they used community engagement to get an insight into the local market and
develop brand awareness as a caring top quality brand. The CEO of Haier, Zhang Ruimin stressed
that quality is and will remain the essence of business sustainable, whether in the past, present or
future. Aamer was evaluating the effectiveness of the strategy and considering its impact. Should
he use a similar strategy next year?
1.1. Company background
The world leading business intelligence firm Euromonitor International has ranked Haier as the
No. 1 brand of major appliances in the world, with 6.1 per cent retail market share in 2010.
The company extended its global brand market share by almost 20 per cent from 2009[1].
At the 21st anniversary of the founding of Haier Group on December 26, 2005, Haier
announced its focus would be on its fourth strategic development stage which is global brand
building. In 1993, Haier brand was officially recognized as a famous brand. Since 2002,
Haier has consecutively been ranked first as Chinas most valuable brand for its manufacture of
products that include refrigerators, air conditioners, washing machines, televisions, water
heaters, personal computers, mobile phones and kitchen appliances. Haier was ranked the
first of Chinas Top 10 Global Brands by the China State Bureau of Quality and Technical
Supervision (CSBTS) for refrigerators and washing machines[1]. In the refrigeration appliance
sector, the company is the No. 1 manufacturer in the world with 12.6 per cent retail volume
share. Haier is also the No. 1 brand in the world for Home Laundry and Electrical Wine Coolers
and Chillers. In the year 2010, Haier Group achieved a global turnover of up to RMB 135.7
billion (USD20.7 billion), and their profit growth is eight times more than revenue growth[1].
The company has long attached significance to innovation in satisfying the demands of
worldwide consumers, it has obtained more than 7,000 patented technology certificates
(1,234 for Haier inventions) and 589 software intellectual property rights. Haier has hosted
and taken part in modification of about 100 technological standards. Haiers technology of
safe care water heaters and dual-drive washing machines has been proposed to the
International Electrotechnical Commission criteria. In April 2010, Business Week of US
published The worlds 50 most innovative companies, which included five Chinese
companies, and Haier ranked No. 28 as the only Chinese home appliance brand[1].
Management and economic literature points out that the most valuable strategic resource for
firms in the twenty-first century may no longer be physical assets such as land, factories or
machines, as was the case at the beginning of the twentieth century, but rather intangible
assets such as knowledge, know-how, brand-names and intellectual property rights.
According to research conducted investigating products and brands of high-tech industries,
it was found that patents and brands (more generally technology-based and market-based
VOL. 1 NO. 4 2011, pp. 1-12, Q Emerald Group Publishing Limited, ISSN 2045-0621 j EMERALD EMERGING MARKETS CASE STUDIES j PAGE 1
 assets) may be viewed as a pair of scissors, one reinforcing and/or substituting for the other
over time (Jennewei et al., 2010).
In overseas markets, Haier products are sold in KESA, Media Market, Carrefour, Expert and
other major European retailers. The company first entered Europe through Germany in 1990,
and in addition to a trading coming it now has Research & Development (R&D) centers in Italy,
Holland, Germany and Denmark[1]. Though Haier is a global firm, its strategy is to be local
in foreign markets. In the USA and European markets, it does this by using localized design,
manufacturing and sales processes. The company has set up production facilities and plants
in the USA, Italy, Pakistan, Jordan and Nigeria. This did not stop Haier from continuing its
expansion into other international markets, and they are working hard to strengthen their
position in the Middle East market. The companys global branding strategy aims at
positioning the company as a local brand in different world markets in conjunction with
enhanced product competitiveness and strong corporate operations[2].
The brand has been successful in distributing and placing its range of products in many
European retail chains. According to a Euromonitor report (www.haierksa.com/global.php),
the Haier brand has surpassed its rival Whirlpool as the worlds top refrigerator producer in
terms of sales. A communication from the company stated that it had sold 12 million
refrigerators worldwide in 2010; an increase of 20 per cent over the previous year, its market
share reached 6.3 per cent globally. The companys mission statements states that It is to
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maximize the performance margin profit, it believes that maximizing profit is one of its
business objectives but definitely not the ultimate goal. In addition, Haiers management has
progressively established a concept of development and business over the last 25 years that
revolves around people; at the heart of Haiers scale of values is customer satisfaction and the
greatest aspiration for the company is to win the customers heart. Its corporate
communications state that the company aims to provide what consumers need in their
daily life, and this has made Haier to become the second largest manufacturer of large
domestic appliances in the world.

1.2. Haier in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) market

In 1993, Haier began selling refrigerators in the Middle East and African markets. It now has
established industrial parks, manufacturing facilities and trading companies throughout the
Middle East. The companys products are sold in more than 30 countries including Kingdom
of Saudi Arabia, UAE, Jordan and Oman[1].
Hafet Electrical LLC is the sole distributor of Haier in UAE. It focuses on utilizing Dubais
reputation as a business hub par excellence in entrenching its own credentials in the region.
The company caters to the electronics and home appliances market in UAE. Hafet Electrical
has its retail outlet (showroom) in the bustling Bur Dubai area of Dubai, in the future and in
order to expand its market share, and will be opening out showrooms in each of the other six
Emirates soon. The company also has plans to have a class A infrastructure for its
warehousing and service structure (www.hafet-me.com/aboutus.html).
The UAE is a global market that is exposed to international products and brands; this makes
the buying decision for consumers more challenging. The bombardment of brands in the
UAE make products and services seem similar creating problems for the brands in
differentiating themselves, and creating a competitive advantage. Academics of Brand
Management like David Aaker and Kevin Lane Keller call this phenomenon as Brand Parity.
The internet is also playing an important role in the UAE when it comes to consumer choices
and decision making. In a survey of 750 consumers that was conducted in the UAE, the
market research firm YouGovSiraj through their online omnibus service found that a large
majority of customers are seeking out product information online and through social media
platforms. 70 per cent of those surveyed said that they examined online reviews prior to
making a purchasing decision, while more than 80 per cent said they would seek out the
sellers web site. Moreover, 41 per cent of the respondents said that they interacted with their
favorite brands via platforms like Twitter, Facebook (FB), YouTube and LinkedIn (www.portal.
euromonitor.com.alpha2).

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PAGE 2 EMERALD EMERGING MARKETS CASE STUDIES VOL. 1 NO. 4 2011
 In this the twenty-first century, consumers in the UAE market are found to be more
sophisticated and educated in their buying behavior; as they study the brand, and research
about it rather than blindly buying it (www.portal.euromonitor.com.alpha2). Within the
electronics industry, intangible dimensions matters for products and brands. These include
brand name, reputation and accumulated consumer information. For many products and
brands, UAE is considered an emerging market with great opportunities. It is imperative for a
marketers to know and understand new markets like the UAE before entering, especially
issues pertaining to consumers needs and wants, and detailed information about
competition. Being able to understand the potential market and knowing the preferences
and choices of consumers, their culture and values, and behaviors; aids immensely in
serving and succeeding in a market. Such questions and issues were top-of-mind for Aamer
Khan when he discussed engaging with Zayed University to get students involved in a
research project for Haier and Hafet. For both the companies, this was seen as part of their
corporate social responsibility (CSR) in building relationships between the industry and the
educational sector.
The company (Haier) has an impressive CSR record especially in China. It built and donated
51 primary schools in China for the 51 Olympic gold medals won by Chinese athletes. Of
these, 15 schools were to be built in Beichuan, the Sichuan County that was devastated by the
May 12, 2008 earthquake. The company announced its One Gold Medal, One Olympic
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Hope School program in 2007. This venture was in partnership with Project Hope, a
non-governmental organization sponsored by the China Youth Development Foundation.
Haier has been a long time partner of Project Hope and contributed more than USD3 million in
funds and USD19.56 million in materials for the Hope Project (www.chinacsr.com/en/2008/
09/02/2995-haier-will-build-51-olympic-hope-schools/). By the end of 2007, Haier had built
77 primary schools in 24 provinces, allowing 40,000 students to return to school. The
research on CSR and the impact it has on marketing, has found that consumers are likely to
buy more or pay a higher price for products from a socially responsible company (Trudel and
Cotte, 2009). Similarly, recent research in the USA suggests that CSR actions can give a
company an inimitable upper hand in the war for talent (Bhattacharya et al., 2009). Haier CSR
activities support charitable causes in other countries around the world too, the company
donated money and its products like refrigerators, TVs and computers to the Cuban people
when the country experienced hurricanes Gustav and Ike. It supported the Sydney Breast
Cancer Foundation and donated towards the ASEAN Tsunami relief in 2005[1].
At a meeting between Hafet, Haier, and the faculty and students of Zayed, it was decided that
three marketing students from the College of Business Sciences of Zayed Universitys Dubai
campus would do a primary research about the buying behavior of Emirati consumers as part
of their final year capstone project. Some key research objectives were to find out:
B What white-goods products and brands do Emiratis buy?
B Their decision-making process when buying.
B Whether and what type of effect does the brands country-of-origin have on the Emirati
consumer?
The latter issue was considered very relevant to a brand like Haier, which is a Chinese brand;
furthermore various studies (as discussed in the literature below) show that Asian brands
struggle with the country-of-origin effect especially when introduced as new brands to new
markets like the UAE. The three students were extremely enthusiastic with this research
project and they did not want to stop with a pure primary research study, but considered
creating a unique event to create brand awareness for Haier. This is highlighted and
discussed in the case.

1.3. Community engagement outcomes

1.3.1. Research insights
A key objective of the capstone research project at Zayed University was to investigate and
find out the perceptions among Emirati consumers towards a Chinese brand like Haier. There

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VOL. 1 NO. 4 2011 EMERALD EMERGING MARKETS CASE STUDIES PAGE 3
 is adequate research in the field of marketing to suggest that consumers form a perception
towards a product or a brand, and these perceptions play an important role in consumers
buying behavior. Research into branding has found that attitudes toward a product or brand
depend on both its tangible and intangible characteristics, such as quality, price, function,
service, image and awareness (Zhuang et al., 2007). Other research has found that the
Made in Label affects consumers in many ways, including product evaluation, quality
perception and purchase intention, and customers focus on the country in which a product
is manufactured and they treat it as a signal of quality (Zhuang et al., 2007).
One other purpose of this research study was to provide and recommend a marketing,
(specifically a communication) strategy to Haier to positively position the brand in consumers
mind. If the research discovered that Chinese brands like Haier have a poor perception in
Emirati consumers minds, due to the country-of-origin effect, then an outcome or question
would be How could a brand like Haier position itself in the UAE and Middle East and North
Africa (MENA) markets?
The research project utilized both quantitative and qualitative methods of data collection. Two
common tools namely the survey (over a 100 questionnaires were filled) and in-depth
interviews techniques were used to collect the data. A convenient sample of respondents
mainly among family, friends and others who were decision makers of consumer durable
products. Students used secondary sources to build a knowledge base about brands,
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especially how country-of-origin affects branding, and its further role in consumer
decision-making.

1.3.2. Brand perceptions, positioning and country-of-origin effects: some secondary

research findings
Research has revealed that most customers focus on the country in which a product is
manufactured, and they treat this as a signal of quality. The brands Made in Label affects
consumers in many ways, including product evaluation, quality perception and purchase
intention (Zhuang et al., 2007). The country-of-origin effect has a strong influence on consumer
behavior in the international market as well, as it is associated with mass communication,
personal experience and views of national opinion leaders (Cai, 1994). A brand consists of a
name, logo and ingredients that represents the unique benefits of the product, in previous
research on the country of origin effects it was found that consumers in less developed
economies prefer foreign brands from more developed countries or regions, because these
brands are thought to represent high-quality and fashionable styles (Zhuang et al., 2007).
Research conducted by Josiassen and Assaf (2010) found that demographics played an
important role in the country-of-origin effect. In their study, female consumers tended to
rate foreign products more favorably than males. Further to this, they found that young
consumers tend to be more optimistic about international products, in comparison to older
customers. Cai (1994), found that when making buying decisions, consumers link country-of-
origin to personal memories, then to national identities and to feelings of pride associated with
the possession of products from certain countries. Typically, this behavior is very popular in
Japan where the Japanese people are very loyal to anything that is Made in Japan and for a
foreign brand to enter their market is a major challenge.
A brand is considered having a strong brand position, when it has a unique, credible,
sustainable and valued place in the customers mind. Brands typically revolve around a
benefit that helps your product or service stand apart from the competition (Blackett, 2007).
Accordingly, people buy brands not products. Hence the brand is considered an important
element when launching a product or a service into the market. Brands are important to
consumers, because it is easier to identify the source of the product and it is a signal of
quality. The brand name is the one aspect that never changes, and is considered an essential
factor of marketing. According to Blackett (2007), brands symbolize the sum of the attributes
that make up the product and it quickly becomes synonymous with the satisfactions that the
brand delivers (Blackett, 2007). A brand name is what differentiates one product from
another, in addition, advertisements, logos, sizes, colors and taglines also what makes a
product unique from others. When all the elements blend together, marketers must come up

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PAGE 4 EMERALD EMERGING MARKETS CASE STUDIES VOL. 1 NO. 4 2011
 with a name for the product that describes it. The brand name performs a number of key roles.
First, it identifies the product or service, and allows the consumer to specify, reject or
recommend brands to their family and friends. Second, it delivers messages to the consumer.
Third, it functions as a particular piece of legal property in which a manufacturer can sensibly
invest and which, through law, is protected from competitive attack or trespass. Therefore,
the brand name becomes a valuable asset with an important legal role (Blackett, 2007).
Consumers minds are inundated with advertisements and promotions of brands throughout
the day, brands that work the best are the ones that are able to position themselves in the
customers minds according to the personality they are adopting. Usually high-end luxurious
brands position themselves with prestige and price premiums to express their exclusivity and
their choice of target market. While the reasonable prices brands that tend to attract the
middle to low-income customers position themselves by being affordable and approachable
brands. The way a customer appeals to those brands depends on the inner wants and needs
as well as the way the brand displays itself.

1.3.3. Some primary research findings

The research found that the Emirati female was the decision maker when it came to home
appliances; as in the Arabicic cultural context, the woman is responsible for the home while
the father is considered the provider (Figure 1).
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Not only are females the decision makers when it comes to buying appliances for the
household, they also decide the product and brand based on recommendations by
neighbors and other family member. Though the respondents for the research belonged to
different ages, the focus was on young Emiratis, since this demographic group are a great
potential market for electronic products, they are at a time in life when they marry and move
into their own homes and begin to live independent lives. This group is ready to explore
the market and try new brands that are technologically advanced and have greater offers.
The youth is the major potential target market and because the UAE is newly formed and
established country, most of its nationals and citizens are young adults range, it is imperative
therefor for a marketer to understand and then target them.
The size of an average Emirati local family is about six to nine members. For Haier, this is good
news as the larger the family size, the more need for consumer electronics. This insight was
important as most Chinese families often only have three members in the family. Another
important consumer insight was that most Emirati households had a minimum of two kitchens
and two laundry rooms suggesting that they would buy in doubles two fridges, two dish
washers, two microwaves, two washing machines and twice as many air conditioners.
In addition, most rooms have televisions and DVD players. Hence, Haier has a great opportunity
to market its products and brands to the Emirati household consumer. Another interesting
finding was that many Emirati families own more than one home; many have holiday homes at
the Palm, apartments in Jumeirah Beach Residence (JBR), or beach houses in Fujairah and
other emirates. Though the scope of this research included only the Emiratis, our background
readings found that even expatriates that live in the UAE have recently been shifting from
apartments to villas for more space convenience. This means that this group would need larger
and more electronic gadgets. According to Jude, It was getting too noisy to live near the JBR

Figure 1

Gender Division
80
Female Male
60
40
20
0
Female Male

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VOL. 1 NO. 4 2011 EMERALD EMERGING MARKETS CASE STUDIES PAGE 5
 Walk, with the young crowd partying all night long. We were seeking a quiet lifestyle with a good
community feel. In addition, today, villa prices are slightly lower than what was quoted a few
years ago. It made sense to own a villa rather than put our money into someone elses pocket.
80 per cent of people in the survey mentioned that they prefer to buy their electronics from
electronic specialists like Sharaf DJ, Jumbo Electronics and Plug-Ins, rather than super,
hypermarkets and directly from dealers. The reason behind this was that the level of trust
increases when it is a specialized store and people perceive the electronic specialist as one
that provides guarantees and warrantees and has a greater variety of choice in comparison to
hypermarkets. Most respondents stated that employees at electronic specialty stores know
more about their products and the brands and they cannot only explain all the functions of a
washing machine but also demonstrate how to use it. This suits the Emirati female who is the
target market, as this makes her feel secure about being able to use the appliance.
The research found that 70 per cent of those surveyed do not have a specific time of the year
to buy electronics. Most often people buy appliances when they need them. They can be
classified as essential products in every household; hence people buy them based on a need
and not a specific time. This fact is very important to Haier as sales are not seasonal but
ongoing throughout the year. Some respondents mentioned that they bought appliances and
white-goods during a sale period like Dubai Shopping Festival, Summer Surprises and Eid in
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Dubai as they get more promotions and even a chance to be part of sweep stakes to win free
gifts. When asked about the price, they are willing to pay for electronic goods, it was found
that close to 60 per cent are willing to around Dhs. 10,000, further around 25 per cent are
willing to pay around the Dhs. 20,000. Those figures indicate that Emirati people of the UAE
are not looking necessarily for cheap and low-cost products and brands.
One of the more important research questions was whether advertisements and promotions
built trust into a brand. Around 60 per cent of respondents stated that Yes they
(advertisements and promotions) make them trust a brand more. It is a psychological
process that the more you see of something and the more you hear about something, the
more you will get used to it and probably end up buying it. Consumers tend to think that a
brand that is displayed more and has many promotions can be is trusted because it has
confidence in its products and wants people to try it and buy it. Further, consumers prefer to
buy something that is well known and that people are familiar with and constantly hear about
it, the brand be seen in different places rather than being an unknown brand which is viewed
by consumers seen as an untrustworthy brand. On the other hand, around 40 per cent were
not interested in promotions and excessive products display, and they felt that trusting the
brand and seeing it on advertisements are two irrelevant topics.
Most people that formed part of the survey group for this research were 35 years and below, and
more than 50 per cent of them use Social Media like FB, Twitter and YouTube. The level of
technological advancement in the UAE is high and people are up to date with the latest ways and
means to communicate online with each other. The education in the UAE and the growth of
English as a language in schools, universities, in business and socially helped people learn
more, and get used to these new tools of communication. Social networking is the new marketing
tool of the twenty-first century, it is being used to target the younger generation. The younger
generation can access these social network sites via their mobile phones and I-Pads, it makes it
convenient for them to stay tuned to news and updates. These days, it is quite popular for UAE
Emiratis to log into their Twitter or FB account and access product and brand information. Online
communication is an easier method for people to share ideas and communicate; this reflects the
influence the internet has got on society. Marketers should know that to target this demographic
group communicating via the internet by using social media could be more valuable than the
traditional way of placing advertisements in newspaper and television.
A key question for this research project for the Haier brand was what role did the
country-of-origin have on the Emirati consumer. Around 60 per cent of respondents
mentioned that they were negative about the idea of buying an electronic product that was
made in China, and they preferred products produced in other countries (Figure 2). On
further questioning to investigate, we found that Emirati consumers maintained a negative

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PAGE 6 EMERALD EMERGING MARKETS CASE STUDIES VOL. 1 NO. 4 2011
 Figure 2

Does a product "Made in China"

affect your buying decision?

42%
Yes
No
58%

stereotype about products made in China, that such products were cheap, low in quality,
did not last long and had no warranty. Respondents stated that if a label said it was Made in
Italy, that to them is proof of quality and superiority. Past research has found that Made in
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label affects consumers in many ways, including product evaluation, quality perception and
purchase intention (Zhuang et al., 2007). Other respondents were not very extreme in their
views and said they do not mind buying a product from China so as long as they trust the
brand name. This viewpoint is interesting and should be noted by a brand like Haier, since
consumers are saying their decision depends on the brand name. It shows that if a brand can
build credibility and reliability it can overcome the negative country-of-origin effects.
The perception of Chinese products as being cheap is no longer applicable if Nokia was
made in China or some parts of Mercedes cars are made in China as well. What customers
care about are the outcomes and reputation of the brand. To start by promoting a brand as
made from China might get negative connotation attached to it but considering people trust
Haier and are loyal to it and they are aware of the level of technology and high quality their
products acquire then the fact that it is a Chinese product would not matter. A total of
66 per cent of respondents said that they would still buy a brand like Nokia if they knew it was
made in China, since the brand was popular and the brands country-of-origin was not China
but Finland. The conclusion is that consumers are insensitive to the country-of-origin when
the brand is well established and popular as well as if it has trust in the marketplace.
Although Haier is present in many popular shopping malls and electronic retail outlets in Dubai
such as Sharaf DJ in the Mall of the Emirates and Dubai Mall, consumers are still not yet aware of
the existence of the brand in the UAE market (Figure 3). The research found that consumers did
not know that Haier is an electronics brand. Being placed in a shop is never enough for a new
brand to penetrate and sell in a market, there needs to be more effort via marketing
communication to build the brand and encourage consumers to try it and then buy it.

Figure 3

Have you heard of the electronic brand Haier?

Yes
Yes
No

No

0 20 40 60 80 100

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VOL. 1 NO. 4 2011 EMERALD EMERGING MARKETS CASE STUDIES PAGE 7
 1.4. Beat the Heat campaign for Yes the Young Eager Steps
After the student group analyzed the results from the primary and secondary research, they
proposed to Hafet and Haier a marketing communication campaign to create awareness for
the Haier brand in Dubai. Since philanthropy and CSR was never explored by any electronics
company in the UAE, the group thought it would be a unique and a good way to create
awareness for the brand. They came up with an idea to collaborate between a non-profit
(www.hamdaalhashimi.wordpress.com/young-eager-steps/) organization called Young
Eager Steps (of which the students are members of) and Haier. Young Eager Steps (YES)
is a group of dynamic and young Emiratis working together to contribute to society. Their
immediate goal is to educate orphans and provide them financial and emotional support as
well. They create events that involve interaction of the members of YES and the orphans. As
their motto suggests we play together, work together and learn from each other. The people
involved in the YES project are students from different universities who come together with the
aim of giving back to their community through focusing on the needs of a certain unprivileged
group in the society.
The students brain-stormed and created the Beat the Heat Walkathon campaign at Dubais
Safa Park. The preparation for the event was very exciting as the students wanted some kind
of entertainment and attractive factors so people would be motivated to get involved and join
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the walk for charity. They created a twitter account called @Beat__heat and started to spread
the word through Twitter and FB. The tweets revolved around motivating people and
convincing them emotionally reasons to be part of the event. They included quotes about
helping orphans, verses from the Quran and these were tweeted in Arabic and English. The
tweet messages also included information about Haier and the title tweet was Beat the Heat
with Haier.
As reported by Amna Al Hadad in The National newspaper, the walkathon was organized by
three young Emirati women Meerah Ketait, Sarah al Qassimi and Azza al Nuaimi (Al Hadad,
2011). They are studying for their Bachelors in Marketing at Zayed Universitys Business
College and were to create a promotions campaign for Haier, an electronics company.
Instead, the students pitched the idea of using a charity event to raise awareness. The Beat
the Heat walkathon took place on June 7, 2011; the event raised Dh 11,000 in donations, and
was enough to buy 32 appliances, including 12 air-conditioning units, ten fridges and ten
washing machines. The money raised went to support the Judran initiative by Sharjah Social
Empowerment Foundation, a project that ensures families with orphans have everything they
need in their homes.
On June 28, 2011, 18 families received refrigerators and washing machines, and two more
families received much-needed appliances, air-conditioning units were also installed for
those who needed them. One of those who benefited from the walkathon funds was a mother
of 11 children, who has lived in the UAE for 45 years and whose husband died two years ago.
She is a Bidoon, or Arab without citizenship. Its very helpful, said the woman who received
a refrigerator, a washing machine and an air-conditioning unit. I want to thank the young girls
and I hope Allah rewards them with goodness. Ms Meerah Ketait said the campaign, which
was carried out as their final year project for a class in marketing, could not have happened
without the support they received from Young Eager Steps, Sharjah Social Empowerment
Foundation and Haier Electronics Company. Aamer Khan, the Managing Director of Hafet
that represents Haier (Al Hadad, 2011) products in the UAE, said their efforts had been a
success. These young ladies carried out a real-life project that benefited the company and
the community, he said (Al Hadad, 2011).
Keywords:
Haier,
Country of origin, Notes
Corporate social
1. Haier Presentation 2011 provided by Aamer Khan, Managing Director, Hafet Electrical LLC, Dubai,
responsibility (CSR),
UAE, September 12.
Promotion and marketing,
Brand management 2. Haier. International Expansion, available at: www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haier.

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PAGE 8 EMERALD EMERGING MARKETS CASE STUDIES VOL. 1 NO. 4 2011
 References
Al Hadad, A. (2011), The National, July 1, available at: www.thenational.ae/news/uae-news/families-in-
need-given-home-appliances-from-walkathon-funds
Bhattacharya, C., Korschun, D. and Sen, S. (2009), Strengthening stakeholder-company relationships
through mutually beneficial corporate social responsibility initiatives, Journal of Business Ethics, Vol. 85,
pp. 257-72.
Blackett, T. (2007), Researching Brand Names, Novamark International, London, available at: www.
hamdaalhashimi.wordpress.com/young-eager-steps/
Cai, Y. (1994), Country-of-origin effects on consumers willingness to buy foreign products: an
experiment in consumer decision making, available at: www.fcs.uga.edu/ss/docs/cai_yi_200208_ms.
pdf
Trudel, R. and Cotte, J. (2009), Does it pay to be good?, MIT Sloan Management Review, Vol. 50 No. 2,
pp. 61-8.

Zhuang, G., Wang, X., Zhou, L. and Zhou, N. (2007), Asymmetric effects of brand origin confusion,
available at: wwwemeraldinsightcom/0265-1335.htm

Further reading
Downloaded by AIR UNIVERSITY PAKISTAN At 03:16 07 October 2016 (PT)

Alexander, J. and Assaf, A. (2010), Country-of-origin contingencies: their joint influence on consumer
behavior, Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics, Vol. 22 No. 3, p. 20.

Klaus, J., Thomas, D. and Alexander, G. (2010), When brands complement patents in securing the
returns from technological innovation: the case of Bayer Aspirin, International Management, Vol. 14
No. 3, pp. 73-85.

About the authors

Dr. Ian Michael is a Professor of Marketing at Zayed University, UAE. He completed a Doctor
of Business Administration (DBA) from Victoria University, Melbourne, Australia. He has 18
years experience in industry, holding senior positions with sectors like travel and tourism,
banking and finance, hospitality, advertising and pharmaceuticals. He has been an
academic for the past 13 years in Australia and the UAE. Dr Michael is a Fellow of the
Australian Marketing Institute (FAMI) and a Certified Practicing Marketer (CPM). Ian Michael
is the corresponding author and can be contacted at: ian.michael@zu.ac.ae
Meerah Ketait has successfully completed her Bachelor of Business degree from Zayed
University, Dubai campus. This case study is part of her Senior Capstone Research Project.
Sarah Al Qassimi has successfully completed her Bachelor of Business degree from Zayed
University, Dubai campus. This case study is part of her Senior Capstone Research Project.
Azza Alnuaimi has successfully completed her Bachelor of Business degree from Zayed
University, Dubai campus. This case study is part of her Senior Capstone Research Project.

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