Contents

1. Introduction…………………………………………………………………………………2
2. Company overview……………………………………………………………………..3
3. Motorola's Strategy for Strategic Investment in China…………….4
4. Motorola : "A Good Corporate Citizen of China”……………………….5
5. Recent Awards and Recognitions in China………………………………..6
6. Question and Answer………………………………………………………………….7

The case examines the strategies adopted by the US electronics company, Motorola
, in China. It focuses on Motorola's initiatives in the Chinese market to establ
ish itself as a major brand. The case provides detailed information on the four-
point strategy adopted by Motorola in China and the results of the same.
The case throws light on the increasing competition in the Chinese mobile handse
t market and the reasons for Motorola changing its strategy. The case also deals
with the impact of SARS on the market and the future prospects of Motorola in C
hina. The case provides detailed information on the Chinese mobile handset marke
t.

Two major Issues of case is :

• The strategies adopted by Motorola to gain popularity with Chinese consu
mers.
• How far those strategies helped Motorola become a successful company in
China.

Company overview
Motorola Inc., a global leader in offering integrated communication solutions an
d embedded electronic solutions, was founded in 1928. From its humble beginnings
making rectifiers and mobile radios, Motorola grew up in the 1940s and 1950s, a
nd in the 1960s, it began to develop overseas markets and gradually became a glo
bal company. Currently Motorola has over 95,000 employees across the globe, and
its business covers wireless communications, semiconductors, automobile electron
ics, broadband and Internet access products. Motorola is a technology leader in
the fields of mobile phones, pagers, two-way radios and commercial GSM and CDMA
systems. In 2002, Motorola had a total sales volume of US$ 27.3 billion. Mr. Chr
istopher Galvin is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Motorola Inc.
Motorola in China
• Motorola opened a representative office in Beijing in 1987, and set up M
otorola (China) Electronics Ltd. in Tianjin in 1992
• Currently Motorola's facilities in China include a wholly-owned company,
a holding company, 9 joint ventures and 24 subsidiaries, with more than 12,000
employees
• Total investment in China by the end of 2002: US$ 3.4 billion
• Sales in China in 2002: US$5.7 billion
Motorola's Performance in China in 2003
• Total sales: US$4.67 billion
• Total exports: US$4.09 billion (including US$1.29 billion in Internation
al procurement and an export of US$2.8 billion by Motorola China)
• Local sourcing: US$2.8 billion
• Total employees: 10,000(with 1,400 for R&D)
• R&D centers: 19

Motorola's Strategy for Strategic Investment in China

Motorola's growth in China goes hand in hand with China's economic development a
nd China's increasing participation in the world economy. Motorola's is increasi
ng its commitment to supporting local research and development both inside the c
ompany and in partnership with research organizations and universities in China.
In addition, Motorola is devoting essential corporate resources to help develop
the capabilities of local suppliers so that they can take part in the company's
uncompromising, world-class supply chain. As part of Motorola's commitment to C
hina following the country's ascension to the WTO, the company recently pledged
$90 million to set up an R&D company in Beijing.
Since entering China, Motorola has dedicated itself to the localization of the c
ompany's management ranks. The company's strategies are best summarized as below
:
• Motorola is steadfastly committed to investing in China and transferring
technology and building local manufacturing and R & D capabilities in order to
provide the country with advanced communications solutions.
• The company will continue its long-term plan to localize management in C
hina and to develop and train excellent local management talents.
• The company will continue to work with local companies to create a compr
ehensive local supply chain.
• Promote joint ventures and cooperative projects with local partners to t
ake advantage of China's new market opportunities that result from China's incre
asing integration into the world market.
China, Motorola is now focusing on
• Creating global centers for excellence in China for the company--manufac
turing and R&D centers
• Looking for new growth opportunities in the areas aside from our existin
g main business --E911, broadband and automotive electronics

Motorola : "A Good Corporate Citizen of China”

In China, Motorola has been honoring its long-term commitment to China by also b
eing a good corporate citizen in the country. Such activities rang from philanth
ropy to supporting China's accession into the World Trade Organization (WTO). He
re are the highlights:
Anti-SARS: In May 2003, Motorola donated a total of RMB 11.80 million worth of a
nti-SARS equipment, cash and goods.
Project Hope: Donating RMB 27 million over 9 years setting up more than 60 Proje
ct Hope primary schools and funding 12,000 poverty-stricken children to return t
o school.
Higher Education: Providing RMB 11 million to 12 universities including Peking U
niversity and Tsinghua University.
Disaster Relief: Donated flooded areas along the Yangtze River valley and the No
rtheast China region; setting up 11 schools for homeless children in flooded are
as.
Sports Sponsorship: The 11th Asian Games, the 21st Universiade, the 7th and 8th
National Games, CNBA, National Football League Matches, Badminton Matches, and G
ames for the Handicapped.
Environmental Protection: "green China" Program in 1998.And, in 2003, joined wit
h other local and foreign handset manufacturers in China to sign a pledge to tak
e back used phone/battery
Active support for China's bid for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games: Motorola acti
vely supported Beijing for its bid t host the 2008 Olympic Games (Motorola's com
munication equipment has-been used in seven Olympic Games).

Recent Awards and Recognitions in China

1. Foreign Investor of the Year, 2003 awarded by CCTV as part of the television
network's Economic Leaders of the Year program. Motorola was the first corporati
on so recognized.
2. 2003 Best Service with Innovation in Mobile Telephone Business(CCID)
3. In 2002, Fortune Magazine's Chinese Edition identified Motorola as China's be
st global employer.
4. The Magazine's Chinese Edition also cited Motorola as the best among global c
ompanies in China for
• Its long-term commitment
• Innovation
• Adaptation to the local market.

According to company sources, Motorola wanted to become more Chinese tha

n the local Chinese companies. Explain the strategies adopted by Motorola to gai
n popularity with the Chinese consumers. How far do you think those strategies h
elped Motorola become a successful company in china.
Part I
The strategies adopted by Motorola to gain popularity with the Chinese consumers
:-
Motorola has a principle that is “Understand Chinese culture, pay respect to Chi
nese conditions, does not be self- opinionated, do not always blame others”
Initially Motorola adopted a four- point strategy in china that is
• Investment/Technology Transfer
• Management Localization
• Local Sourcing
• Joint Ventures/Co-operative Projects
Investment/Technology Transfer
Initially, Motorola set up a plant at a total cost of $120 million in the Tianji
n Economic & Technology Development area for manufacturing pagers, simple integr
ated circuits and cellular phones. In the next phase of its investment of around
$400 million, the company built its second plant for manufacturing automotive e
lectronic, advanced microprocessors, walkie-talkie systems and fabricated silico
n wafers. In addition to its wholly-owned manufacturing plants between 1995 and
2002. Motorola entered into nine joint ventures with Chinese firms to expand its
presence in the market and also increase its production capacity. The joint ven
tures helped Motorola gain access to the Chinese market without establishing add
itional manufacturing plants.
By 2001, the company had invested around $400 million in Joint ventures in accor
dance with the Chinese government policy to boost foreign investment in telecomm
unication equipment parts, Motorola invested heavily in the production of semico
nductors and mobile handsets. It also brought GSM technology to china and analys
ts credited Motorola with introducing and popularizing this technology in the co
untry.
In the line of four-point strategy, Motorola invested in research and developmen
t centers in China. In 1999, Motorola established the Motorola China Research &
Development Institute in Beijing. The company announced that its research center
would focus on technological development and innovation. Motorola’s R & D insti
tute conducted research in the area of communication, software and semiconductor
s.
Motorola employed around 650 engineers for its research activities in China. The
company also entered into research partnerships with Chinese university and ins
titutes.
Over the years, Motorola entered into agreement with two Chinese telephone servi
ce providers “China Unicom and China Mobile” for installing telecom networks acr
oss the country. It also provided GSM technology to the mobile service vendors “
Hubei Mobile Communications and Eastern Communication Co. Ltd”
Though Motorola had a significant investment in the semiconductor business, by t
he early 2000s, with the worldwide slowdown in the semiconductor business and th
e China emerging as the world’s largest mobile market, the company started focus
ing more on its mobile handset business.
Management Localization
Motorola not only established manufacturing plants in China, but also localized
the management. The company realized that in order to increase its market share,
it had to hire more Chinese employees. However, Motorola also realized that the
Chinese managers were not familiar with western management concepts and that th
e country lacked managerial talent. Though the Chinese were good at basics they
lacked practical application of theories. Thus, Motorola established the Motorol
a University in 1993 to train young Chinese people to take up global managerial
positions. The mission of the University was “to train and develop world-class s
taff for Motorola”. Motorola also provided in-house training to its employees. T
he engineering recruits were sent to its manufacturing plants in other countries
like US, Singapore and Hong Kong for on-the-job training in designing and other
high-tech manufacturing procedures. It also initiated a career management progr
am called Cadres 200. Under this, Motorola selected around 20 top employees for
a leadership training program and posted them in Motorola manufacturing plants a
cross the world.
Sourcing Locally
To the extent possible, Motorola sourced components from the local Chinese playe
rs. This reduced its cost and also complied with government’s requirement that M
NCs working in China had to source a certain percentage of components from the l
ocal firms. Motorola provided training to the local suppliers to improve their s
tandards by extending technological and managerial support. It also helped them
to increase their productivity and quality levels, and even assisted them to ent
er global market. Motorola also encouraged its foreign supplier to set up plants
in China. According to reports by, 2002, around 45 Motorola suppliers had set u
p manufacturing in China.
In order to inculcate a competitive sprit among its Chinese suppliers, Motorola
conducted exhibitions. Such as “Teaming for Excellence” which allowed its suppli
ers to showcase their talent and components. By 2002, Motorola had 176 direct su
ppliers and 700 indirect suppliers and the usage of local components increased f
rom 58.85% in 2000 to 65% in 2001.
Building an Image
Motorola also focused on building its brand among the Chinese. It installed glow
signs in busy market areas and placed advertisements in print and television to
increase awareness among consumers about the company. It was reported that due
to its extensive marketing the Chinese associated Motorola with quality and did
not mind paying a premium price for its products. The company also opened up Mo
torola exclusive showrooms in the up-market areas such as Shanghai and Beijing o
ffering latest mobile handset models.
Motorola also introduced a new retailing concept called Motorola Towns. These to
wns were based on the Nike Town in the US and aimed at providing a unique retail
ing experience to consumers. In Motorola Towns mobile handsets were displayed an
d consumers could walk in and use various technological gadgets without spending
any money. According to company sources, the aim of Motorola Towns was to attra
ct the high end consumers
With Chinese players competing on price and gaining a foothold in the entry lev
el, Motorola decided to concentrate on the high- end market. In order to obtain
visibility for its high-end products, Motorola adopted various marketing initia
tives. The company organized lavish launch parties for its mobile handsets, whe
rein models walked down the ramp displaying the new Motorola handsets. Motorola
also sponsored local sports events to enhance brand recall among consumers.
Along with its marketing activities, Motorola concentrated on building its image
as a good corporate citizen in china. Motorola associated itself with ‘Project
Hope’ which was initiated by the China Youth Development Foundation.
According to Motorola sources, from 1994, it provided financial aid to more than
9,000 children to complete their school education and constructed around 40 Mot
orola Hope Schools in about 25 provinces.
To strengthen Project Hope, Motorola undertook a Motorola Hope Tour in which the
company’s top executives visited underdeveloped areas in the country to learn a
bout the local conditions. Motorola also organized programs like’ Green China’ t
o protect the environment in the country.
Motorola started feeling the heat by the early 2000s, when it saw its market sha
re declining due to fierce competition in the Chinese mobile handset market. In
order to increase its sales and market share, Motorola announced a new strategy
in June 2002.
The 2+3+3 strategy
It is an evolution of the previous Four-Point strategy the company has stuck to
for the past 8 years. The new strategy can be explained as follows:
The ‘2’ refers to building China into a world-wide manufacturing and R&D base.
The first 3 refers to three new growth areas including semiconductors, broadba
nd and digital trunking systems.
The second 3 refers to three $10-billion goals: annual production value to rea
ch $10 billion by 2006, accumulated inputs in China to reach $10 billion by 2006
; and local purchasing to reach $10 billion in China within the next five years"
.
The core of the new strategy is the same as that of the Four-Point Strategy: Win
-Win for Motorola and China. Based on the new strategy, Motorola will continue t
o be a good Corporate Citizen in China, to deeply root itself in China and to be
integrated into the China society.
Measures have been taking by all sectors to implement the 2+3+3 strategy. Motoro
la has adjusted its worldwide manufacturing capacity and has shifted some produc
tion to China. The company also decided to hire 4,000 more engineers and researc
hers and add 1 billion USD in R&D to the existing 18 R&D centers.
Part II
• Due to its focused strategy in Chinese market, Motorola was the leader i
n the mobile handset market with a share of 31% in 2000.
• Motorola was successful in China due to its understanding of the market
and the people and because of the strategies it adopted. By 2003 Motorola was r
egarded as the most successful as the strategies it adopted helped it to underst
and Chinese culture, it paid respect to Chinese conditions.
• By adaptation of four point strategy it was able to gain access to Chine
se market. It was able to localized the management. In order to increase its mar
ket share, it hired more Chinese employees. As it established Motorola Universit
y in 1993 it was able to train young Chinese people to take up global managerial
positions. Through this it was able to train and develop world-class staff. Thr
ough the strategies Motorola reduced its cost and also complied with the governm
ent’s requirement that MNCs working in China had to source a certain percentage
of components from local firms.
• Because of its strategies Motorola had 176 direct suppliers and 700 indi
rect suppliers and the usage of local components increased from 58.8% in 2000 to
65% in 2001.
• It was found that due to its extensive marketing the Chinese associated
Motorola with quality and did not mind paying a premium price for its products.
• Motorola introduced several new concepts like Motorola Towns. Because of
its strategies Motorola was able to build its image as a good corporate citizen
.
However, with increasing competition Motorola started experiencing a decline in
its market share and by 2002 its share was down to 28%. Hence Motorola was bound
to change its Recipe and announced a new five-year ‘2+3+3’ strategy in June 200
2.
If we examine closely the Share of Chinese Market in Motorola Global Markets the
n we can find that in 1999 China’s share in global Motorola revenues was 10% the
n in 2000 it increase to 12% and then in 2002 it grew up to 14%. Hence it shows
that the strategies it adopted helped Motorola became a successful company in Ch
ina. But it was limited up to certain period.
In early 2003 Motorola experienced a slowdown in sales in China with the outbrea
k of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome. While Motorola experienced a decline in
its market share, the local players had increased share to 20%. For the same per
iod Motorola’s sales declined by around 58%.
It was found that the reason for its losing market share was excessive inventory
, desperate competitors and cut throat pricing.
Lastly it was suggested that as it was slow down of demand in urban areas mobile
companies need to focus more on smaller cities and rural areas.