ORIENTAL G.T.
Tania D’souza, Marketing Manager, Oriental, at the launch or Oris China at MEADFA 2016
Tapping into the new wave of
By addressing a gap in the market for an international Chinese tobacco brand that’s rooted in heritage, Oris China is winning listings around the world
CHINESE SMOKERS
T
here are more than 300 million smokers in China, according to World Health Organization – that’s nearly a third of the world’s total – but creating a brand that meets their unique preferences can take years of experience. While both homegrown and foreign cigarette brands have found success in the country, the latest player on the scene, Oris China by Oriental G.T., is bridging the gap between these two worlds. As such, the brand has quickly gained an impressive number of listings in travel retail since its launch in November 2016. “Our knowledge and experience in the tobacco business allowed us to grasp the growing needs and demands of Chinese consumers to cultivate our own brand – one that speaks directly to this target market,” said Tania D’souza, Marketing Manager, Oriental, which is headquartered in Dubai. The company, which has been in the Chinese tobacco industry for
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ASIA DUTY FREE & TRAVEL RETAILING MARCH 2017
more than 15 years and was one of the first suppliers of Chinese tobacco and liquor to travel retail in the Middle East and Africa, launched Oris China at MEADFA 2016, marking a bold statement to the industry. The idea for the concept had only come about 18 months prior. “We saw a window of opportunity where we could foresee the unpredictable nature of the Chinese tobacco and liquor industry and nature of Chinese travellers outside of China,” said D’souza. “The influx of Chinese travelers in the last few years has grown exponentially, particularly in areas where their presence was, at one stage, quite small. Thanks to the expansion of airports and overall growth in the aviation industry, Chinese travelers now find it much more convenient to travel abroad whether for tourism or business.” The move certainly seems to be paying off. Oris China is already listed and available in Dubai Duty Free, Qatar
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FAYE BARTLE
Duty Free, Qatar Airways Inflight Duty Free, Nur Duty Free – Addis Ababa Airport Ethiopia, King Power Duty Free – Bangkok, Don Muang and Phuket, King Power Duty Free Macau and Lotte Duty Free Jakarta. “Oris China was established to provide Chinese smokers with the perfect combination of an international brand that respects and adopts the vital cultural values with the product preferences of modern-day consumers,” said D’souza. “Our aim is to capture the attention of Chinese travelers on a global scale exclusively through travel retail and tax-free channels such as airport duty free shops, border and downtown stores.”
Cultural connection A substantial amount of research has gone into ensuring every detail of Oris is at its most appealing to Chinese smokers. The word Oris (pronounced Hao Li Shi in Mandarin) means prosperity, luck and