Advances Newsletter, August-September, 2015
1
Vol. 5, #7, August-September 2015, No. 51
A Beautiful Brand
Sponsoring China’s most glamorous sports stars and models
Advances Newsletter, August-September, 2015
2
ADVANCES Newsletter
Contents
Midea Advances Newsletter is published monthly
by Midea International Business. We welcome all
comments, suggestions and contributions of
articles, as well as requests for subscription to our
newsletter. You can reach us by email at:
Address:
ADVANCES, International Strategy Department
Midea HQ
No. 6 Midea Road
Beijiao, Shunde, Foshan, Guangdong
P.R.C. 528311
Web: www.midea.com/global
Quote of the Month:
“It does not matter
how slowly you go as
long as you don’t
stop.”
Confucius
NEWSLINE
First Half Revenue at $13
Billion PAGE 3
American Design
Excellence Award PAGE 3
Most Populous Country’s
Most Beautiful People PAGE 4
www.midea.com
India’s Ancient Wisdom and
Me PAGE 19-20
People
Idea
Idea of the Month:
Storytelling PAGE 18
Team Building at the Beach PAGE 8
A Little Notebook of Words:
Friend or Foe PAGE 17
Language
Ambassador to Germany
Attends Exhibition PAGE 7
JVs Signed with Japanese
Robot Giant PAGE 5
An Ambassador’s Reception
in The Philippines PAGE 6
Named in Top 10 “Made in
Vietnam” Brands PAGE 11
CAC Holds Elite Chile Camp
PAGE 11
MACC Holds Annual Sales
Meeting Page 12
Happy Valentine’s Day from
New York City Page 13
Water Heating Retains
Malaysia Certificate Page 13
CAC in National Bank of
Portugal HQ Page 14
Philippines Golf Tournament Page 14 FINA Games
The Coming Together of
Countries PAGE 21
CAC Shines at African
Games & Georgia Youth
Olympics PAGE 9
Water Purifier Wins National
Award PAGE 10
Kitchen Appliances Division
Wins Two Wal-Mart Awards PAGE 10
Charitable Activities in Egypt Page 15
LittleSwan Profit up 36% Year-
on-Year Page 15
India Football Championship
Builds Bridges PAGE 16
Midea Trophy for World
Record Breakers PAGE 22
Advances Newsletter, August-September, 2015
3
First Half Revenue at $13 Billion
Via MIP
T he first half of 2015
was rewarding in terms of
achievements for Midea Group.
It entered the Forbes 500, was
China’s highest appliances man-
ufacturer in the Fortune 500,
and had its brand name appear
on an LED screen in New York
City’s iconic Time Square. The
latest quarterly report has re-
vealed that it was also rewarding
in dollars and cents.
Midea Group’s revenue for
the first half of 2015 was US$13
billion, a year-on-year increase of
7 percent. The holding compa-
ny’s profit was US$1.3 billion, a
year-on-year increase of 26 per-
cent. Earnings per share were at US$0.31, a year-on-year in-
crease of 25.48 percent.
Domestic sales accounted for
US$7.76 billion for revenue, a
year-on-year increase of 10 per-
cent. Overseas sales accounted
for US$4.29 billion. Midea also
did US $1.1 billion in e-
commerce, the highest in the
industry.
Earlier this year, group president
Paul Fang urged employees to
“take centre stage” as Midea
makes the notoriously tough
transition from original equip-
ment manufacturer to a global
brand. At this rate, 2015 will
surpass the previous year as the
most lucrative in Midea Group’s
history. This would be quite an
achievement considering the turbulent global economy.
NEWSLINE
By Kevin McGeary
American Design
Excellence Award
A Midea water heater
won gold at the American Interna-
tional Design Excellence Awards
(IDEA), one of the world’s big four
design awards. The water heater
joined 28 other products in over-
coming 1700 competitors in collect-
ing the award.
The winning heater, the
F50LW-A model, is compact in
design. It aims at being noticeable
but harmonious with the rest of the
bathroom.
As well as this model’s triumph, the
water heating division’s F50LW-B、
F50LW-C electric water heaters and
the Msheet and Mstone gas water
heaters were finalists. The Water Heat-
ing Division has now won a total of 18
major international awards from the
top four awarding bodies, IDEA, the
German Red Dot and iF awards, and
the Japanese G-Mark Award. It has
also won the much respected Korean
GD Award.
Advances Newsletter, August-September, 2015
4
Most Populous Country’s Most Beautiful
People By Kevin McGeary
T he top leaders of New Silk Road (NSR), China's
largest modeling agency, came to the group headquarters on
September 2 to announce Midea's sponsorship of the nation's
oldest and biggest beauty contest. Champions past and pre-
sent were invited to strut their stuff.
Midea's Chinese name literally means "beautiful" so it is
a fitting sponsor of a company that holds the key to the king-
dom of heaven in China's fashion and modeling industries.
The nationally televised contest will conclude in December,
by which time someone else will have joined NSR's vast roster
of supermodels.
NEWSLINE
Posing with M-Smart products
Advances Newsletter, August-September, 2015
5
JVs Signed with Japanese Robot Giant
Via Drives & Controls
M idea set up two joint ventures with Japanese ro-
botics and motion controls manufacturer Yaskawa on August
4. The partners plan to invest a total of 400m yuan ($63m) in
the ventures, one of which will produce industrial robots, the
other service robots.
Yaskawa will have the majority stake (51%) in the indus-
trial robots business, while Midea will have the majority stake
(60.1%) in the service robots operation.
As Chinese wages increase and its population gets older,
the People’s Republic is turning increasingly to robots to
maintain production efficiency. It is already the world’s big-
gest market for industrial robots, with 56,000 sold in 2014.
The International Federation of Robotics (IRF) expects the
number
of robots
in use by
Chinese
industry
to more
than
double
by 2017,
by when
it will
have the
largest
installed base in the world – predicted to be around 428,000.
By adopting more automation, Midea expects the work-
force to drop to 100,000 by the time its turnover reaches
US$32bn. Yaskawa is doubling the output of robots from its
own Chinese factories, as well as setting up the joint ventures
with Midea.
Yaskawa already has two robot manufacturing plants in
China and is planning to double its output there to 600 robots
per month (about a quarter of its Japanese robot output).
Globally, robotics represented 38% of its 101m yen ($810m)
sales in the first quarter of 2015 – up from 34% the previous
year. Its largest business remains motion controls, which ac-
counted for 48% of its first-quarter sales in both 2014 and
2015.
Head of Yaskawa’s Robotics Business Division Nishikawa
Seigo told those gathered at the signing that Yaskawa is in the
top four in its industry and has been researching service robot
technology for ten years. The revolutionary LR2 Leg Rehabilita-
tion Robot has attained licensing from the The Catalog of Fed-
eral Domestic Assistance (CDFA) in the United States.
About Yaskawa
The Yaskawa Electric Corporation is a Japanese manufac-
turer of servos, motion controllers, AC motor drives, switches
and industrial robots. Their Motoman robots are heavy duty
industrial robots used in welding, packaging, assembly, coating,
cutting, material handling and general automation.
The company was founded in 1915, and its head office is
located in Kitakyushu,
Fukuoka Prefecture.
Yaskawa applied for a
trademark on the term
"Mechatronics" in
1969, it was approved
in 1972.
The company is
listed on the Tokyo and
Fukuoka Stock Ex-
change and is a constit-
uent of the Nikkei 225
stock index.
NEWSLINE
The leg rehabilitation robot
Advances Newsletter, August-September, 2015
6
An Ambassador's Reception in The
Philippines By Kevin McGeary
C hina’s ambassador to the Philippines was present
at the 11th China Machinery and Electronic Brand Show in
Manila on August 20 where Midea’s range of washing ma-
chines stole the show. Zhao Jianhua was present at the home
of the SM Development Corporation (SMDC) where 128
companies displayed their products.
Zhao was impressed by the products, which included
the
Water
Cube
and
Crown
Series.
He
also
praised
the
Marine
and
Ateena
series for
their
apparent sensitivity to local market demand. He urged Chi-
nese companies to promote their brands more in the Asian
country.
Japanese and Korean companies have long since ruled
South-
east
Asia’s
home
appli-
ances
market.
Howev-
er, if the
attend-
ance
and
liveli-
ness of
this event is anything to go by, Chinese brands are rising fast.
About Zhao Jianhua
Born in 1965, Zhao Jianhua gained a Master’s in World
Economy at Nankai University and a Master’s in International
Policy
and
Practice,
Elliott
School
of Inter-
national
Affairs
at
George
Wash-
ington
Univer-
sity. He
has been
involved
with foreign relations since 1990.
Zhao has served in Thailand, Lebanon and Great Britain.
He was ambassador to Liberia from 2010 to 2013 before taking
up his current role.
NEWSLINE
Things get rowdy
Zhao Jianhua inspects products
The entire range on display
Advances Newsletter, August-September, 2015
7
Ambassador to Germany Attends Exhibition
By Advances
C hina’s Ambassador to Germany Shi Mingde visited
the Midea stand at the Internationale Funkausstellung (IFA)
Berlin, one of the world’s largest consumer electronics exhibi-
tions, on September 6. The annual show, which began on
September 4, gave Midea Group the chance to display some
of its latest products to become in the central European coun-
try.
Midea Group displayed new products including its floor
-sweeping robot, smart washing machine Beverly, the steam-
preserving refrigerator, and the children’s range of air condi-
tioners. This year, the Midea stand contained a number of
games and activities for visitors
to help leave a deeper impres-
sion in the minds of consum-
ers.
Founded in 1924, the
IFA offers the opportunity to
exhibitors to present their lat-
est products and develop-
ments. The exhibition
receives a great deal of
media attention in Ger-
many and has become an
international event. In the
course of its history, a
large number of world
innovations were first
seen at the exhibition.
This year all of the biggest
names in the consumer
electronics industry were in
attendance. While headline-
grabbing items like
Samsung’s Gear S2
smartwatch and
Sony’s 4K Xperia
Z5 Premium
smartphone won the
most attention, the
show also delivered
plenty of unexpected
and even wacky
creations. http://
www.news.com.au/
technology/
gadgets/ambient-
screen-tvs-tablets-
with-projectors-
and-cleaning-
robots-were-just-
some-of-the-
gadgets-featured-
at-this-years-
biggest-tech-
show/story-
fnda1lbo-
1227515323321
NEWSLINE
Shi Mingde with Michael Habla,
Midea’s stand
Customers behold the children’s air conditioner
Shi Mingde given a demonstration of the Beverly washing machine
Advances Newsletter, August-September, 2015
8
Team Building at the Beach
T wo-hundred and sixty employees of the international
sales division of Midea Residential Air Conditioning (RAC) de-
scended on the famous Xiaomeisha beach in the southern Chi-
nese metropolis of Shenzhen on August 22. Activities on the
white sandy beach included a warmup dance in which motiva-
tional slogans were shouted and the making and racing of small
rafts.
Shenzhen was little more than a cluster of fishing villages
when it was established as a Special Economic Zone in 1980. As
well as being as stunning as those of Sydney or Rio Di Janeiro,
its coastline has a fascinating history.
It is from there that the last emperor of the Song Dynasty met
his demise in 1279; a 40-day siege of Japanese pirates was resist-
ed in 1571; and missionaries entered to establish churches in the
nineteenth century. It is a fitting place to carry out such fierce
competitions.
NEWSLINE
By Kevin McGeary
Advances Newsletter, August-September, 2015
9
CAC Shines at African Games and Georgia
Youth Olympics
I t provided air conditioning equipment to nine stadia
at the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, the Camp Nou in Bar-
celona, and the stadium for the 2010 Asian Games, now
Midea Commercial Air Conditioning (CAC) has provided
equipment for major sporting events on two new continents.
CAC completed the installation of its equipment at the Olym-
pic village ahead of the All-Africa Games in Brazzaville, Con-
go from September 4-19. This was fresh on the heals of its
providing equipment to eleven of the thirteen venues at the
World Youth Olympics in Tbilisi, Georgia in July.
The All-Africa Games, which invite every country in
Africa to compete, are held every four years. This was the first
time Brazzaville held a major international sporting event
since the first All-Africa Games in 1965.
Brazzaville overcame competition from Ghana, Kenya
and Congo to host the games, at which 22 sports were played.
Midea provided the equipment to the national stadium in
Brazzaville, The Talangai Arena, and the entire Olympic vil-
lage. CAC took care of the whole process, from design and
manufacturing to installation and maintenance.
From airports to sports stadia, CAC continues to enter new
countries and continents. Enjoy the games.
The Youth Olympics, which are held every two years, are
for competitors aged 14-18. As well as track and field
events, there is swimming, cycling, basketball, gymnastics,
handball, judo, tennis and volleyball. CAC’s equipment
was used at the stadium for track and field events, the
swimming pool, the basketball court, the judo center, the
tennis court and the volleyball court, all venues with very
different needs.
This year’s Youth Olympics invited over 2,000 athletes
from 50 countries. Russia topped the medals table, with
Italy in second and France in third. Who knows who
many future Olympians took part?
NEWSLINE
A venue for the Youth Olympics in Tbilisi
The Olympic Village in Brazzaville
Advances Newsletter, August-September, 2015
10
Kitchen Appliances Division Wins Two Wal-
Mart Awards
M idea was the only home appliances manufacturer to
win awards at Wal-Mart's annual global supplier conference in
Shenzhen, China on September 3. The Kitchen Appliances Divi-
sion overcame hundreds of competitors to pick up the Supplier
of the Year Award and the Developing or Improving Innova-
tion Award. This is the second consecutive year the Kitchen
Appliances Division has picked up an award from Wal-Mart.
The Sup-
plier of the Year
award, given to
the division’s
exporter,
acknowledges
the Kitchen
Appliances Di-
vision’s achieve-
ments in model
upgrades, brand marketing, resource integration, product com-
petitiveness and other areas. The Developing or Improving
Innovation Award recognizes performance in efficiency, quality
control, inventory management, automated technology, and
cooperation with Wal-Mart.
It is reported that Wal-Mart has direct dealings with 5,000
factories of 2,000 suppliers. To have any association whatsoever
with the world’s largest supermarket chain is a proud moment
for a supplier. Only the crème de la crème are awarded as out-
standing ones.
NEWSLINE
By Kevin McGeary
Water Purifiers Win National Award
A national home appliances conference was held in
Beijing on August 19 at which Midea’s range of water purifiers
won The Most Popular Product Award. The conference was
organized by
the Chinese
Economic
Press, Beijing
Economic Dai-
ly, and All View
Cloud (AVC), a
big data com-
pany that pre-
sented the
award.
The award was granted
based on the water purifiers’ pop-
ularity and trustworthiness. The
vote was held over popular social
network WeChat and several
other online platforms.
Midea’s range of water puri-
fiers includes the POU which is
popular in government depart-
ments and meeting rooms due to its
stability and long life; the POE which is connected to the main
water pipe and can provide clean water to a whole house and
the Central which boasts convenient use and low operational
costs.
Advances Newsletter, August-September, 2015
11
Named in Top 10 "Made in Vietnam" Brands
By Advances
M idea was named one of the top ten brands to man-
ufacture in Vietnam for the quality of its products and services
at The Best of Vietnam 2015. The ceremony, which was held in
Ho Chi Minh City on September 13, named the top 500 brands
in the country, placing Midea at number 2.
Over the many years it has operated there, Midea has be-
come a trusted brand for the Vietnamese consumer. As the
economy has grown and consumer sophistication has increased,
Midea has
consolidated
its place as a
leading appli-
ances provider.
The accolade
recognizes
brand, prod-
ucts, services
and corporate
strength. In-
dustries cov-
ered in the 500
range from
finance to ca-
tering to ser-
vices, to handi-
crafts, and
many more.
Vietnam
became the home of Midea’s first overseas production base in
2006. Since then market coverage for Midea’s own brand has
reached over 70 percent. Midea’s air conditioners, washing ma-
chines, refrigerators, rice cookers, hobs, fans, have done over
US $30 million in business.
Midea placing number 2 on the top 10 list is a vindication of the
products and the hard work being done in Vietnam to build the
brand’s image and profile. Yang Hui, President of Midea’s Vi-
etnam branch, took to the stage during the ceremony to
acknowledge this.
NEWSLINE
Peck Zhao
CAC Holds Elite Chile Camp
T he second annual MDV Elite Camp was held in San-
tiago, Chile on August 21st. The camp is organized by Midea
Commercial Air Conditioning (CAC) and
is aimed at sharing product knowledge,
development plans and market infor-
mation throughout Midea-Carrier’s Latin
America joint venture.
The camp can also help local dis-
tributors have a better understanding of
the brand. More than 50 dealers, installers
and HVAC experts were also in attendance.
The seminar elaborated on CAC’s products and services,
shared information of HVAC market trends, and encouraged
discussion between hosts and attendees. There were also Span-
ish-language introductions to the whole product range.
Midea’s flagship products like 3-pipe heat recovery V4
plus R series, V5X series VRF, Aqua Super series
scroll chiller, super high efficiency MC series cen-
trifugal chiller were presented during the seminar.
Those present will be all the more able to sell prod-
ucts that they are more familiar with.
After the seminar, Midea awarded the training cer-
tificate to all the participants, and some of them
won a special gift from the organizer. The luckiest
attendees will be invited to the MDV Elite Camp in
China in November with all expenses paid including accommo-
dation and travel cost.
Advances Newsletter, August-September, 2015
12
MACC Holds Annual Sales Meeting
By Eli Glanzberg
M idea America and Canada Corp (MACC) held its
4th Annual National Sales Representative Conference at the
beginning of July, with close to 35 representatives coming
across the country to meet in New Jersey, at MACC’s head-
quarters.
The conference was useful for providing an important
explanation regarding new U.S. Federal Regulations that relate
to home appliance energy consumption, and how Midea and
its part-
ners can
remain
in full
compli-
ance
with
these
new
regula-
tions. In
addition,
Midea
also an-
nounced some improvements in the field of Logistics and
Finance. While also showing off new improved products with
state of the features. The new R&D center in Louisville, Ken-
tucky
initia-
tive
was
also
briefly
dis-
cussed
to
show
the
entire
sales
team
Midea’s
true commitment to innovation.
Representatives present said they were impressed by
MACC’s continued growth and increased product lines, but also
by its commitment to building a real presence in the U.S. The
overall feeling from those in attendance is that the conference
was extremely valuable in continuing the growth of the compa-
ny as well and a great opportunity for learning and team build-
ing.
NEWSLINE
Winston Sankey, General Manager of Engineering and Customer Support, speaks
Eli Glanzberg, President of MACC
Posing before the Parsippany skyline
Mingling at the new HQ in Parsippany
Advances Newsletter, August-September, 2015
13
Happy Valentine's Day from New York City
A n ad appeared on an LED screen in New York City’s
Time Square to mark Chinese Val-
entine’s Day, courtesy of Midea’s
domestic marketing department.
The ad shows a couple kissing in
front of a Midea washing machine
over a Chinese-language message
about “enjoying the taste of love”
on the traditional festival which falls
on the seventh day of the seventh
month on the Chinese calendar.
The 60-second ad appeared
late on Wednesday night in one of
the city's busiest areas. Chinese con-
sumers on social media, enamored
with all things global and glamor-
ous, praised the ad.
Chinese Valentine’s Day, also
known as The Qixi Festival, cele-
brates the annual meeting of the cowherd and weaver girl in
Chinese mythology. It usually
falls in early to mid-August by
the Roman calendar. Like West-
ern Valentine’s Day, it is particu-
larly popular with women and is
hugely lucrative for anybody in
the flower business.
The tale of The Weaver Girl and
the Cowherd has been celebrated
on this day since the Han Dynas-
ty (206 BC-220 AD). The earliest
-known reference to this famous
myth comes from a poem writ-
ten around 2600 years ago. The
Qixi festival inspired the Tana-
bata festival in Japan, the
Chilseok festival in Korea, and
the Thất Tịch festival in Vi-
etnam.
NEWSLINE
By Kevin McGeary
Water Heating Retains Malaysia Certification
M idea’s Water Heating Division passed an annual
onsite review by Standards and Industrial Research Institute of
Malaysia (SIRIM) this month. It first gained the qualification last
year, a mark of quality that vindicates the division’s international
ambitions.
This certification means that the division’s products will be
subject to shorter test times and the credibility of the brand will
be increased in and outside of Malaysia. The division’s products
will now no longer be individually unpacked and assessed upon
entering.
The stated purposes of SIRIM are to promote and undertake
scientific industrial research; boost industrial efficiency and de-
velopment; provide technology transfer and consultancy ser-
vices; develop Malaysian standards and to promote standardiza-
tion and quality assurance for greater competitiveness; and en-
hance public and industrial welfare, health and safety.
Formed in 1964, SIRIM is a corporate organisation owned
wholly by the Malaysian Government, under the Minister of
Finance Incorporated. It has been entrusted by the Malaysian
Government to be the national organisation for standards and
quality, and as a promoter of technological excellence in the
Malaysian industry.
The organization came into its current form on September
1, 1996 via corporatization scheme of standards and industrial
research institute. SIRIM is the government's mandated machin-
ery for research and technology development, playing a key role
in the growth of the country’s private sector.
Advances Newsletter, August-September, 2015
14
CAC in National Bank of Portugal HQ
Via CAC
M idea’s air condition-
ing has had a faultless first sum-
mer after being installed in the
headquarters of Banco de Portu-
gal (National Bank of Portugal).
As well as being a big improve-
ment on the previous air condi-
tioning system, the electricity bill
for the building was reduced by
20 percent due to Midea’s energy
-saving technology.
The issuing bank of the
Iberian country is a member of
the World Bank but the air con-
ditioning system in its 150 year-
old headquarter building had long
been in decline. In 2011 bidding
began for the project of installing a
new system. After factory visits in 2012 and model selection in
2013, a distributor of CAC products won the bid to install the
equipment last year.
Products used under Midea
Group’s MDV brand included
the Mode Switch Box which
ensures that the temperature
can be controlled in every indi-
vidual room and dozens of
three pipe heat recovery varia-
ble refrigerant flow (VRF) units.
As a result, the headquarters of
one of the most prestigious and
pressurizing institutions in the
Mediterranean country has be-
come a more pleasant place to
work.
NEWSLINE
Via The Inquirer
Philippines Golf Tournament
C oncepcion Midea spon-
sored the 17th Annual Golf Tourna-
ment organized by Assumption
Alumni Association (AAA) in The
Philippines on Monday September
14. The tournament at the Sta. Elena
Golf Club in Cabuyao City, Laguna
Province will raise funds for the
Christian group’s professorial chairs,
scholarships, medical missions,
green projects and other activities of
the AAA.
Fashion designer, singer and socialite-philanthropist Tessa
Prieto-Valdes (pictured above), one of
the nation’s most glamorous women,
plugged the tournament in her column
in national paper The Inquirer, so this
year’s event was the biggest yet.
The primary mission of Assumption is
to provide a Christian education not
only for its students, but also for the
less fortunate members of Philippine
society. Towards this aim, the Assump-
tion, through its eight mission schools
throughout the country, provides basic
education and livelihood programs that
bring hope and self-reliance.
Sta Elena Golf Club
Banco de Portugal
Advances Newsletter, August-September, 2015
15
Charitable Activities in Egypt
By Advances
D uring the recent Ramadan Festival, the China
Chamber of Commerce and China in Egypt Stone Material As-
sociation (CESMA) led a number of charitable activities in
Egypt to show
goodwill between
the two countries.
Never ones to
be left behind,
Midea employees in
Cairo held activities
in which they gave
away free applianc-
es such as rice
cookers to the poor
during the festival,
according to Pan
Shaobin, a Midea
employee who is stationed in the North African country.
In Muslim culture, the month of Ramadan - which this
year ran from June 18 to July 17 - is for fasting during daylight
hours to purify the soul. It ends with the Eid al-Fitr, or Feast of
Breaking the Fast.
At last month's Midea Interna-
tional Business Conference,
Amr Said, Managing Director
for Egypt, said that Midea was
well on its way to becoming a
major brand in Africa.
By acquiring a 32.5% stake
from the Egyptian listed com-
pany Miraco, in 2010 Midea
became the second largest
shareholder of Egyptian-listed
company Miraco. The joint
venture company occupies
900,000 sq. meters of land
with sales revenue reaching
US$201million in 2011.
NEWSLINE
By Advances
LittleSwan Profit up 36% Year-on-Year
M idea-owned washing machine
brand LittleSwan posted its latest earnings
report on August 5, showing that revenue
for the first half of 2015 was US$982 mil-
lion. This was a 22.67 percent increase on
last year while profit saw an extraordinary
year-on-year increase of 36.14 percent.
Earnings per share were US$0.11, a year-on
-year increase of 36 percent.
In the first half of 2015, LittleSwan
focused on improving its domestic distribution channels and
increased its e-commerce and brand promotion activities. Do-
mestic sales revenue was US$706 million, a year-on-year increase
of 23.01 percent. Overseas, LittleSwan continued its shift from
original equipment manufacturing to its own brand and saw a
year-on-year increase in this area of 24.53 per-
cent.
In the first half of this year, LittleSwan standard-
ized its materials; made its design more modular;
and cut manufacturing costs and increased effi-
ciency with automated technology.
In the second half of 2015, LittleSwan will push
on with its embrace of Internet of Things tech-
nology, putting the user at the center of all of its
thinking. The four areas of “products”, “market”,
“manufacturing”, and “service” will be rethought for the new
age.
Products handed out during the festival
Advances Newsletter, August-September, 2015
16
India Football Championship Builds Bridges
By Pankaj Cheney
NEWSLINE
Har-
yana,
Raja-
sthan,
Pun-
jab
and
New
Delhi
com-
peted for cash rewards. The winning team won 71000 INR
(US$1082) and the runner-up won 51000 INR.
Though its national sport is cricket, India has an unsung
football tradition. India were the best national team in Asia for
much of the
1950s and 60s
and qualified
for the 1950
World Cup in
Brazil, yet
was not al-
lowed to play
because its
team insisted
on playing
barefoot.
C arrier-Midea India (CMI) sponsored a football
tournament in Bawal in the northern state of Haryana begin-
ning September 11 involving factory workers, members of the
local community and a total of 22 teams from four states. The
oldest competitor was in his 90s. Pankaj Yadav, head of Hu-
man Resources at CMI’s nearby factory, helped mark the
opening.
This
was
part
of a
cam-
paign
to
build
good
rela-
tions
with
the
local community. It also cemented CMI’s place was one of the
leading employers in the area and a rapidly growing brand.
Local media also attended.
The championship lasted three days in which teams from
The oldest competitor was in his 90s (second from left)
Advances Newsletter, August-September, 2015
17
A Little Notebook of Words: Friend or Foe
By John Baker
LANGUAGE
acquaintances, you may well find that, a few days later, you’ve
forgotten their names. However, if you meet one of those
people a few times again and they gradually become a friend or
important business contact, suddenly their name becomes easy
to remember. So it is with new vocabulary.
What about if you take your notebook and read through
it every morning when you get up or every night before going
to bed – will that help you remember words? In fact the an-
swer is no. Doing so might mean that you are encountering
those words multiple times. However, it’s a false construction
– your brain will be aware that you are not encountering those
words in daily life or work situations, so will not be convinced
that those words are worth committing to memory. In short,
you can’t scam your own brain in that way.
This is all good news. Reciting a list of vocabulary is one
of the most boring things you could do. If you do keep a little
notebook of vocabulary at your side, my advice is to
discard it. Not only will it not help you remember
the vocabulary – it will actually reduce your chances
of remembering those words.
Like many people, when I was preparing for high
school and university exams, I often made and re-
vised notes. However, I found that, as soon as the
exam was over, I started to forget the information. Cramming
may help us remember information for a short time. Howev-
er, when we learn a language, we want to remember vocabu-
lary for the long-run.
If you find that reviewing your list of vocabulary is
something you have to summon up energy for and almost
force yourself to do, it’s worth pondering why that’s the case.
Could it be that a part of our brains – a subconscious part – is
aware that reviewing lists of vocabulary isn’t going to help us
towards our goal of learning a language? That would certainly
explain any feeling of reluctance you may experience when
opening your notebook to review its contents.
So if you’ve been feeling a little guilty that your notebook
spends most of its time stuck at the bottom of your rucksack,
you can stop feeling bad. In fact, not reading the list of vocab-
ulary is the right thing to do. How about taking the next step?
Let the notebook go to good use – chuck it in the recycling
bin.
T o get a really good understanding of the meaning of
a word, we need to hear or see that word used in several dif-
ferent contexts. A common tactic of language learners is to
buy a small notebook and keep lists of vocabulary met when
watching TV or reading newspapers. Does this help us re-
member words? To answer that question, we have to consider
why we usually write things down.
Before I go to the supermarket, I often look round my
apartment to see what things I need to buy and make a list.
When I get to the supermarket I refer to the list and buy the
things I need. Now, the key question is this: do I write a shop-
ping list because I want to remember the list of things I need
to buy, or because I don’t want to remember? It may at first
sound counter-intuitive, but the answer is the latter.
My point then, is that we usually write things down not
to help us remember, but because we’ve decided
not to remember. If this shopping list doesn’t
convince you, next time you find yourself mak-
ing a note of something, stop to think about
why you’ve done that. Sometimes we choose to
store information on paper, rather than in our
brains.
Another example is phone numbers. I can still remember
the landline phone numbers of several high school friends. In
the era of mobile phones, I couldn’t tell you the numbers of
any family or friends – I’ve stored them all in my mobile
phone, so my brain has no need to remember them.
This leads us on to another key point. When we write
something down, our brains are aware that we’ve stored the
information, so are aware that they (our brains) needn’t bother
remembering. That is, not only does writing something not
help us remember, it actually makes us less likely to remember.
So will those little notebooks of vocabulary help us re-
member the words we’ve encountered? No, in fact those lists
of words will make it more difficult to remember new words.
When I studied French in high school, I used to keep lists of
vocabulary, but now, as an adult studying a language, I don’t.
The first time I encounter a new word, I often find that
later, I’ve forgotten it. If that word is useful, I will definitely
encounter it again. If you go to a conference and meet new
Advances Newsletter, August-September, 2015
18
Idea of the Month: Storytelling
By Kevin McGeary
IDEA
loan department; a poet may tell it as a human tragedy; a psy-
chiatrist may tell it as a story of low serotonin levels.
To forge an identity, one needs to create a compelling
story. Essential to any story is character. Who are the great
fictional characters? Don Quixote, Prince Hamlet, Ulysses,
James Bond, Daffy Duck, Homer Simpson, and Eric Cartman
are all candidates.
To make any sense whatsoever, a character must want
something that is out of their reach, even if that something is
to maintain the stability of their boring lives. A story involves
this character encountering forces of antagonism which could
include an evil clown (“Batman”), a giant shark (“Jaws”), or
something internal like an addiction (“The Lost Weekend”), or
a sense of frailty (“The Loneliness of the Long Distance Run-
ner”).
Because protagonists in stories are adventurers
on quests, fictional characters (see the list above)
tend to be imbalanced and irrational. Novelist
Isabel Allende said that stable, grounded people
who accept their lot and are comfortable in their
own skin are no good at being characters. They
are only good at being one thing – ex-spouses.
What has any of this got to do with promoting a brand?
Brands succeed by telling stories about themselves, stories that
hinge on decisions that made them who they are. HSBC is the
world’s local bank; George W Bush was a Texan everyman;
Britney Spears was a virgin pop star; Apple partly became what
it was through the redemption story of Steve Jobs.
One of the most memorable fictional characters of the
past 25 years is Rowan Atkinson’s Johnny English. He is now
best known for being at the center of two movies, but he start-
ed life in an ad campaign for Barclay Card. For the reasons
mentioned above, many of the best advertisements are mini-
stories.
A character establishes a desire, encounters forces of
antagonism, makes a climactic decision and eventually does or
does not get what they deserve and does or does not learn
from it. Mastering story structure takes as much time, patience
and humility as mastering a new language or musical instru-
ment – but it is one of the most valuable tools in the world
today when it comes to winning hearts and minds.
S tories are everywhere, not just in novels, films and
barroom anecdotes but also in jokes, song lyrics, advertise-
ments and every other medium that tries to elicit feelings.
Screenwriting expert Robert McKee begins his book
“Story” by claiming that storytelling is the only medium we still
trust. From the Ancient Greeks we derive the four wisdoms of
philosophy, science, religion and art, yet today who reads Hegel
or Kant without an exam to pass? While science garbles us with
complexity and perplexity and religion has become an empty
ritual that masks hypocrisy, the art of story is the source we
most believe in, opines McKee.
If I were to tell you that during World War 1, 65,000 air-
craft were produced; there was one soldier for every four inch-
es of trench; 1.2 million men were lost during 1916’s Battle of
the Somme, and 110,000 tons of poison gas was
used, this may not elicit strong emotions.
However, if I were to show you the final
scene (pictured) of the 1930 Hollywood film
adaptation of Erich Maria Remarque’s novel
“All Quiet on the Western Front”, in which the
main character - the last of his friendship circle
to survive - reaches out for a butterfly while he
guards the trench, then you will have a greater appreciation of
the scale and poignancy of the loss. Stories have much more
ability than statistics to inspire.
What is a story? He died, then she died is not a story. He
died, and then she died of sadness, is a story. Although a story
may start with a coincidence, its conclusion can only have two
ingredients, human behavior and logic.
Story structure, like the twelve-note scale is hardwired
into our brain. If a quartet is playing in a restaurant and one of
the players has a string that is wildly out of tune, then everyone
will notice. Lay members of the audience will also notice when
a story does not quite work, for example the ending of “Jurassic
Park” (1993) hinges on a coincidence and not a climactic moral
decision by the hero.
How we tell a story sends out a message about what kind
of person we are. In “The Art of Thinking Clearly”, Rolf Do-
belli creates the following analogy. A man takes out a loan,
starts a business, goes bankrupt, falls into a depression and
commits suicide. A business analyst may tell this story as being
about a failing of strategy; a banker may tell it as an error in the
Advances Newsletter, August-September, 2015
19
India’s Ancient Wisdom and Me
By Henry Hu
PEOPLE
I was not aware at that time that this was a momentous
day in the history of the discipline, so little prepared me for the
size and fervor of the crowd. There were seven instructors on
a stage and attendees included senior local officials. As the
only foreigner in attendance, I had an unexpected fuss made
over me, receiving a sash of fresh flowers to wear and personal
encouragement from the government officials.
Because of the size and variety of people who were
there, that day only the most basic poses were practiced. In
The author, who works in operation's management at Carrier-
Midea India in Haryana Province, has written a brief memoir of his expe-
rience of learning yoga, one of his adopted country's greatest exports.
Yoga is one of India’s greatest exports. Despite having
been here for two years, I have only seen yoga become ubiqui-
tous in the part of India where I live since June 21, when the
United Nations, announced that date as International Day of
Yoga. This has inspired millions of Indians, including my own
friends, neighbours and colleagues, to take a new pride in their
cultural heritage.
I like going for long walks in public places. It is a great
way of turning strangers into friends. One person who I have
met this way is Ravikant, someone
who is constantly enthusing about
the physical, emotional, mental and
spiritual benefits of yoga.
For months he was trying to
talk me into joining his 6 a.m. yoga
sessions on the grass outside my
apartment building. Though I would
promise to join, I always ended up
oversleeping. On the evening of June
20, I ran into Ravikant again, again
he invited me to the next morning’s
session. The following day was a
Sunday so it was mighty tempting to
ignore my alarm clock but I managed
to wipe the sleep out of my eyes and
stumble over.
Advances Newsletter, August-September, 2015
20
India’s Ancient Wisdom and Me (Cont.)
By Henry Hu
PEOPLE
this so I have learned not to let it bother me. Despite the
statistical unlikelihood of this happening more than once or
twice in a lifetime, the pigeons in the sky have taken to
dropping little presents on me, something I must endure if
I am to master this discipline.
Experience and regular practice means that I now no
longer ache after practicing yoga. I am now a diehard yoga
practitioner, getting up at 6 every day to do it. It is increas-
ing the flexibility of my whole body and it is also exercising
my respiratory system. This is all contributing to making me
a more mindful, relaxed and happy person. And as we all
know, it takes more energy to frown than it does to smile,
something I am doing more of.
Now that I have a new found focus, I am clear as to
what my dream in life is. I want to shake the hand of India's
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the man who is responsible
for selecting June 21 as International Day of Yoga. Friends I
have made as a result of practicing yoga have told me that if I
persevere, they can make this dream happen.
spite of this, I was aching from limb to limb for the rest of
the day. Yet because of how spoiled I had been, I felt I had
no choice but to endure the pain and continue attending
these morning sessions.
In the early stages, my favorite pose was the corpse.
It is a position of total relaxation so therefore quite diffi-
cult to accomplish. Lying there with the soft breeze on my
face and seeing an occasional leaf flutter before the vast
blue sky has helped me discover a spiritual side to myself
that I never knew I had.
There are a large number of flies among the grass. They
occasionally buzz all around me. People in India are used to
Advances Newsletter, August-September, 2015
21
Brand Tops Table in Russia
By Kevin McGeary
FINA GAMES
Midea’s brand
logo was every-
where (around
the pool, on the
sportswear, on
specially
produced
trophies
for world
record
breakers,
and even
on Rus-
sia's most
popular
social net-
work), was
broadcast in over 200 countries and regions.
T he Midea-sponsored Chinese swimming and diving
team topped the medals table at the Midea-partnered 2015
FINA Games in Kazan, Russia. In becoming the first Asian to
win a medal in the 100-free at the championships, swimmer
Ning Zetao in particular displayed the kind of star power the
brand can benefit from just a month and a half after formally
launching in the world's largest country.
Ning, a lieutenant in the Chinese navy, quickly became a
popular figure on social media, his abs attracting a swath of
ogling admirers. Midea is proud to have its logo on the uniform
of the man who is fast becoming China's biggest international
sports star after tennis player Li Na retired last year.
Other gold medallists in the Chinese team, all of whom
have taken and will continue to take part in promotional activi-
ties for Midea, include divers Chen Ruolin, Liu Huixia, He
Chao, Kai Qin and Yue Li. These and many others helped the
team overcome the United States and the host nation to do
their
coun-
try
and
their
spon-
sor
proud.
The
games,
at
which
Ning Zetao, check the blue logo on his chest
The team posing with Midea products
Advances Newsletter, August-September, 2015
22
Midea Trophy for World Record Breakers
By Kevin McGeary
FINA GAMES
M idea applied the
principle of putting things to-
gether for those who demand
the very best with its specially
crafted Midea Award for world
record breakers at the 16th
FINA games in the historic
Russian city of Kazan.
Swedish swimmer Sarah
Sjostrom claimed the gold med-
al in the 100m women’s butter-
fly event at the games by regis-
tering a world record 55.64s
yesterday, which beat the exist-
ing record of 55.74s, which she
had set herself at the previous
day’s semifinal.
The event also saw mem-
bers of the Chinese team do
Midea proud, Lu Ying finishing
third with 57.48s and Chen Xinyi
finishing sixth with 57.85s. However it was Sjostrom, along
with all other world record breakers at the games, who was
granted the Midea World Record Breakers’ Award by Lukyanov
Vladimir of Midea Group’s Russia branch.
Other winners included Hungarian swimmer Katinka
Hosszu.
Sarah Sjostrom with the award
A record is announced on the LED screen
Advances Newsletter, August-September, 2015
23
SNAPSHOT
CAC Robot Constructed in BengalCAC Robot Constructed in BengalCAC Robot Constructed in Bengal