From Cachet to Craft | Why the World’s Most Resilient Brands Transcend National Identity

A decade ago, American brands were the aspirational benchmark in China. Nike represented athleticism. Starbucks represented sophistication. Guess represented… well, a certain kind of confident sensuality.

Today? Nike’s China revenue is down 20 percent. Guess just closed every single store in the country. And Starbucks sold a majority stake to a local partner after years of brutal competition. The standard narrative frames this as geopolitical fallout or economic weakness. But that misses the real story.

This is a case study in how premium positioning erodes when you confuse origin story with value proposition. And there are lessons here that extend far beyond China.

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