Old Names Meet the New Market: An Ethnographic Study of Classic Brands in the Foodservice Industry in Shantou, China

Revitalization of classic brands is an intriguing topic for business anthropologists, professional marketers, and managers alike. While many Western scholars offer prescriptions for revitalizing classic brands, little exists in the English literature on Chinese classic brands, particularly on how they adapt to the changing market conditions in China today. Based on an in-depth ethnographic study of five classic brands in the foodservice industry in Shantou, this article examines the rebranding challenges that classic brands encounter and suggests concrete measures for how restaurants can modernize their brand management. This article contributes to the interdisciplinary study of classic brands management by providing an ethnographic case study of classic brands' (mal)adaptation to the market in a post-socialist economy.