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Paul French: Why Tom Doctoroff is wrong about China

By thomascrampton ⋅ May 5, 2008 ⋅ Post a comment

Shanghai-based writer/businessman Paul French rants (and froths a little) in this video about why China marketing guru Tom Doctoroff is wrong about China.

Doctoroff is CEO Greater China of J. Walter Thompson, a blogger and author of the bestselling book Billions: Selling to the New Chinese Consumer.

UPDATE: Doctoroff accepted my invitation to reply and did so in this posting: Tom Doctoroff: Paul French is wrong about China (and Tom Doctoroff)

Why is French apoplectic?

French says that Doctoroff and other current-day China gurus from the west falsely claim pioneering roles in opening up China.

In fact, the real foreign pioneer in opening China’s market to western-style consumerism was the 1920s and 1930s Shanghai adman Carl Crow.

In particular, French said Doctoroff claims to be the first to launch Buick in China (which Crow did), the first to use a woman in a car advertisement (which Crow did) as well as a few other things that Crow did first. (The title of Doctoroff’s own book - Billions - echoes Crow’s book 400 Million Consumers)

Full disclosure of the French agenda: He wrote a (great) biography called Carl Crow, a Tough Old China Hand.

I also highly recommend reading Crows own essays on China Foreign Devils in the Flowery Kingdom. Crow’s seminal work, 400 Million Consumers, will soon be issued in reprint by the China Economic Review.

Be great to hear from Doctoroff on this!

UPDATE: Doctoroff accepted my invitation to reply and did so in this posting: Tom Doctoroff: Paul French is wrong about China (and Tom Doctoroff)

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Advertising, China, Media, Shanghai

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Comments for “Paul French: Why Tom Doctoroff is wrong about China”

  • tommydickfingers
    stick the pair of them in a large sack. take one swipe with a baseball bat. you will be sure to hit at least one twat.
  • Paul French is, sorry to say, not worthy of taking seriously.
  • Great Vid, awesome insight.

    Just visited SMX china a few weeks ago and been interested in china marketing material ever since.

    I guess no one can doubt the people in the search marketing field are really pioneering. Its such a new area. It's going to be interesting to see who becomes the Rand Fishkin or Andy Beal of the Asia region.
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thomascramptonconf

Thomas Crampton was a correspondent for the International Herald Tribune and The New York Times for more than a decade, reporting from five continents, writing a column on Asia and covering Asian politics, economics and culture. Currently based in Hong Kong, he writes here about China, the Internet and New Media seen from Asia, while also advising companies on digital communication strategies. For more information click here...