Branding management in pharmaceutical industry is an ascending trend and is playing a more and more important role in pharmaceutical market. As showed in previous studies, cultural factors are influential in marketing and branding strategy, especially for multi-national brands. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), originating from Chinese culture and philosophy, provides a proper object for a further research on this topic. Chinese Patent Medicine (CPM) is patent medicine based on theories of Traditional Chinese Medicine and processed from Chinese Herbal Medicine. It follows the ideology of TCM, also showing the cultural connotations. However, the further spread of TCM and CPM globally met obstacles due to cultural diversity and effect. Nowadays, regions admitting and using TCM are limited to Japan, Korea, southeastern Asian countries and Chinese communities in western countries, which are more influenced by Chinese culture. In western societies, because of the differentiation between TCM culture and modern scientific methodology, TCM is limitedly used. Even in Asia, the same situation happens where cultural differences exist, which blocks the spread and development of TCM and CPM. This study focuses on comparing branding strategies of CPM between markets, products and corporations, aiming to analyze the influential elements of culture and market to the cross-cultural branding of CPM. This study was conducted in the markets of Singapore, Guangzhou and Hong Kong. Semi-structured interviews and field study were conducted to collect information of Bak Foong Pills (BFP) and Liuwei Dihuang Pills (LDP) produced by three companies: Beijing Tong Ren Tang, Eu Yan Sang and Wai Yuen Tong. Nonparametric analysis and clustering analysis were used to analyze the collected data. According to the findings, CPM brands have close connections with traditional Chinese culture in property, and naturally share the cultural uniqueness. It shows significant differences in branding strategies between markets, products and corporations. In comparison with LDP, the brand positioning of BFP tends to be modern and its marketing tools tend to initiative. Products tend to take more initiative marketing tools in Singapore and Hong Kong than in Guangzhou. Diversified brand positioning, pricing and marketing tools are taken on products, especially in Wai Yuen Tong and Eu Yan Sang. This study concludes the key influential cultural factors for branding strategies of CPM products as cultural identity in target market, culture of CPM products and culture of CPM corporations. Current situation of the worldwide market of natural health product is also discussed in this study. Recommendations for further crosscultural development of CPM brands are also given as following. In the cultural respect, uniqueness of CPM brands is to be discovered and built up, while new and modern cultural elements are to be introduced. In the respect of brand competency, effective long-term branding strategic plans are to made. Corporations are to advance their abilities of brand management, and to focus on the changes of market trend.

中成藥是以中醫理論為基礎，以中草藥為原料經製劑加工製成各種不同劑 型的中藥製品。隨著全球天然藥品產業的快速增長，中藥產品，特別是中成藥 產品在世界各國也受到越來越多的歡迎。但是，中成藥在全球進行跨文化品牌 推進時，卻常常受到不同的文化環境的影響，而不能順利的進行。近年来亚洲 其他国家在中成药产业上的发展已对国内产业造成竞争和威胁，而中國自身的 中成藥產品在跨文化的品牌推廣上，也存在著很多的誤區和問題，這些都成爲 了阻礙了中成藥的國際化發展的因素。 本研究通過調研不同品牌中成藥產品在不同市場上的品牌營銷信息，從市 場、產品、公司三個方面比較中成藥產品的營銷策略，以分析文化環境和市場 競爭等因素對中成藥產品跨文化品牌推廣的影響和作用。研究採用跨地區的半 結構式訪談，分別對“北京同仁堂”、“位元堂”、“余仁生”三個品牌在新加坡、 廣州、香港三地銷售的白鳳丸產品和六味地黃丸產品及其營銷策略進行調研。 本研究發現：中成藥產品具有的先天的獨特的文化特性，是與中醫藥文化 和中國傳統文化緊密聯係的。中成藥產品在不同地區市場的品牌推廣策略有顯 著的差異，同一市場中不同中成藥產品的品牌推廣策略同樣有顯著的差異。白 鳳丸產品較六味地黃丸產品，偏向于定位于現代中成藥，並較多的採用主動的 行銷手段；在香港和新加坡地區，更多的產品偏向於主動的行銷手段，而廣州 地區的產品則全部表現被動；不同企業對於自身不同產品多採用差異性的定位、 定價與行銷手段，特別體現在位元堂和余仁生兩家企業。 本研究對造成這種差異的原因進行了分析和討論，將影響因素可以分爲文 化因素和市場競爭因素兩種。其中文化因素包括目標市場環境的文化認同、產 品品牌文化、公司品牌文化；市場競爭因素包括市場環境的影響、產品更新的 影響、企業產品策略的影響和企業品牌運作能力的影響。 最後，本研究對中國、亞洲和西方國家市場的中成藥、天然草藥產品的品 牌和市場現狀進行分析，並向中成藥企業提出發展建議。在文化方面，要在深入認識傳統文化的基礎上適當引入新的文化元素，樹立中成藥的特色品牌。品 牌能力方面，企業要不斷提升自身能力，隨時觀察和了解市場的變化，建立長 期的品牌戰略部署。