I just returned from a trip to China, a trip I admit I was dreading due to the grueling travel, the killer heat, the anticipated pollution, and the fear of rampant counterfeiting. I met with customers in several cities with the goal of building Wild Apple's business in China, and tapping into the country's shift from an all-export economy to a robust domestic consumer market. The enormity of the Chinese middle class and the growing prosperity is easy to see with the naked eye, and such a contrast to the stagnant economies of North America and Europe.
It turned out to be an awesome trip, as customers responded very positively to a large portion of Wild Apple's artwork. My clear impression is that the companies we work with are legitimate players. It would be naive to think Wild Apple will not get ripped off to some extent, as even giant companies like Disney, Apple, and Nike can't eliminate counterfeiting. But every brand name company you can think of is doing a lot of business in China, despite the aggravation. The general consensus is that the counterfeiting problem is slowly improving, and it certainly appeared so to me in comparison to my last trip 5 years ago.
I did get a little time for personal treats, like walking a small section of the Great Wall and sampling (ok, gorging on) succulent peking duck. I was not forbidden from the Forbidden City, and I endured the endless line to view Chairman Mao's body (or wax replica), along with a billion of my new friends.
