The Beijing Pure Finland events reinforce Finland’s country brand in China and attract Chinese to visit Finland
Press Release 197/2014
18 September 2014
A series of Pure Finland events is launched today in Beijing, presenting Finland widely for Chinese target groups. The first event features Fiskars (Iittala), Marja Kurki, Reima and Suunto.
The Chinese consumers’ growing requirements for high-quality products and the increasing interest among Chinese people to improve their quality of life create a favourable base for Finnish brands. Over 300 Finnish enterprises are already operating in China, but only few Finnish consumer brands are known there.
“Competition on the Chinese market is tough. Building a brand in a country the size of China is not easy for any individual organization. Our aim is therefore to build Finland’s country brand in cooperation with other actors so that it is better suited to supporting the efforts of enterprises and other Finnish organizations in China,” says Jari Gustafsson, Finland’s Ambassador to China.
The goal of Pure Finland is to strengthen Finland’s country brand and the brand of Finnish organizations in China, especially in Beijing. The events present Finland as the destination for tourism, investments and study, and introduce the Finnish creative industry, music and design as well as Finnish consumer brands, innovations and start-ups. The project brings together nearly 30 Finnish organizations, including ministries, enterprises, universities and cultural actors. Its patron is Prime Minister Alexander Stubb.
“In China, cooperation between foreign authorities and private players is important. It augments Chinese people’s trust in private foreign actors, such as enterprises,” Gustafsson explains.
The main partners of the Pure Finland project are Finnair, KONE, Nokia, the University of Helsinki, and the Finnish Tourist Board. The other partners are Fiskars (Iittala), Marja Kurki, Metso, Reima, Stora Enso, Tekes, Suunto, TLD Registry and UPM.
Cooperating in the project are the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Employment and the Economy, the Ministry of Education and Culture, the Ministry of the Environment, Aalto University, CIMO, Finpro (Cleantech Finland), Digile, Finnish Business Council Beijing, Golden Bridge, Helsinki Arts Initiative, Invest in Finland, Rovio and Slush. Volunteers from the local Finnish community also play an important role in the arrangements.
Pure Finland is a Team Finland project. The public sector and the private sector each finance roughly half of the project. More information is available at: www.purefinland.cn(Link to another website.)
Additional information: Press and Cultural Counsellor Mikko Puustinen, Embassy of Finland in Beijing, tel. +86 188 110 566 91.