From Manila Standard Today:

The Year of the Ox signifies more than the usual celebrations for
Amway Corp., perhaps the most successful multi-level marketing company
in the world, as 2009 marks half a century of product distribution
through direct selling. What started out as a basement business selling
health supplements in 1959 is now a multi-billion dollar company,
employing three million people in 80 countries/region around the globe.
It carries five major product areas under its wings including personal
and home care, food supplement, cosmetics and cooking wares and has
captured a big market interest even in the most traditional countries
like China.

On a recent tour of Guangzhou where Amway houses its
biggest factory outside of the US and Shanghai, the center of Amway’s
research and development, the company opens its door for select
Filipino and Taiwanese journalists to share some secrets of its success
in the land of emerging superpower China. Amway, after all, has its
history connected to this country because this is where Charles
Rehnborg, developer of Nutrilite Dietary Supplements, Amway’s first
product, started the idea and first conducted his research for this
nutritional pills.

Capturing the Chinese market

China is Amway’s biggest market so far, beating Europe and America for
a total of 30-percent share of the global sales while on the local
direct selling front, Amway has 50 percent of the total industry.

Gan Chee Eng, regional president and chief marketing
officer of Amway China, attributes this success in their strategy of
adapting to the Chinese market and communicating with the local
culture. As a result, Amway China has 90-percent favorability in terms
of brand awareness and is raking more than $4 billion in annual sales.
This impressive performance allows the company to further develop its
resources and continuously update its state-of-the-art research and
development facilities.

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