Useful article from the New York Times on global branding in China entitled Buicks, Starbucks and Fried Chicken. Still China?

"...The Americans here are selling not just products but a culture..." is perhaps the most perceptive quotes from the article, which focuses on the "value" of a global brand, copycat brands, and the curious relationship between Chinese consumers and US brands...

"...In one recent survey, nearly half of all Chinese children under 12 identified McDonald's as a domestic brand, according to Beijing's Horizon Market Research. Like a seed falling on fertile soil, each new Western chain store seems to generate a group of slightly cheaper domestic clones nearby..."