Arete Group
Arete Group partners with businesses and brand owners to equip them with the know-how, business tools, and give them step-by step guidance to sell to the Chinese consumers and ultimately scale their business in China.
At Arete group, we create a localized strategy and action plan suited for each business while providing access to the right partners and their targeted Chinese consumer.
Heidi Dugan – Founder & Director of Arete Group Ltd.
An Australian living in China for over 25 years, Heidi is recognised as a media darling with a long running popular TV program with over 6 million viewers daily, is a live host of Oriental Shopping channel completing up to $2 million in sales in one and a half hours, a consultant to multinational Fortune500 companies and a management consultant and corporate trainer in negotiation, goal setting, communication and platform skills. Through these roles Heidi has assisted senior management of both Western and Chinese global organizations to better understand the local environment, foreign work culture in China and their strategic placement in the market.
Heidi’s TV appearances brought her to the attention and opportunity of both global brands and government bodies; subsequently Heidi’s diverse and expansive career expanded into areas such as social media consulting, emcee to events for international companies such as
Twining’s and Penfolds, and consulting for government bodies such as California Tourism, UK Trade, US Trade and Austrade. Heidi was invited by the Australian government to be one of 45 people to share their story at the ‘45th Year Celebration of China/Australia Diplomatic Relations’, an honorary event that showcased the successful relationship between the two countries for the past 45 years.
Heidi is currently on the Board of Directors for AustCham Shanghai, and Council member for University of Southern Queensland. She works with brands to help them import to successfully enter and scale in the expanding and dynamic China market. The launch of her TMall store in 2020 was a great success with more and more health and wellness brands joining her platform as first step to growing in China. Heidi’s success across multiple ventures is testament of her reputation and relationships with different companies and government bodies, her celebrity profile in the TV industry and in-depth understanding of Chinese culture, Chinese people and their lifestyle and habits. To date Heidi has been instrumental in facilitating deals with Alibaba, Tao Bao Global and large supermarket chains throughout the country.
With one foot in Australia, and one in China, Heidi’s business skills and strategies are reinforced by her unique and deep understanding of the cultures in both countries. This knowledge enables companies working with Heidi strategic advantage to successfully integrate into the community, build their corporate network and friendships and ultimately conduct business faster and expand their reach in one of the largest economics markets in the world
The challenges the business/market is facing
I wish everyone had a successful China story. Unfortunately, many companies just don’t have a strategy that is localized for China, and even more importantly, an implementation plan to make it happen.
When you see businesses that do have them, that’s when you see them grow and profit in China.
There is no reason why a company can’t thrive in China
That’s why we are here so we can help you tap into your real potential. My team and I will work with you to create a strategy that suits your business, your budget, and your goals, and then help you create an action plan to follow through.
Our simple business tools and blueprint give you a step-by-step guide to making things happen and combined with our ecosystem, we can join you with the right partners and the Chinese consumer.
We are not just about concepts and ideas;
We make it happen for you!
The past 5 months in China have disrupted businesses and lives in unprecedented ways we could never imagine. Business owners’ and hundreds of millions of individuals and workers livelihoods ground to a halt in cities across China with the hard lockdown and no real end in sight.
Now, though a sigh of relief has come with the lockdown lifted, and businesses are back to running again. This is the time where the true opportunity begins.
A small highlight, Heidi helps one of their clients to resume working during these hard times. She helps them not just to survive but also to thrive.
Advice to others about business
In business you may face a lot of challenges but always remember that if there’s a crisis there’s always an opportunity.
Many companies just don’t have a strategy that is localized for China, and even more importantly, an implementation plan to make it happen. When you see businesses that do have them, that’s when you see them grow and profit in China.
Entering the Chinese market can be overwhelming, risky, and expensive. To become successful in China, you need to have a commitment, focus and dedication and sticking to it until it works, we recommend having someone on the ground, that can advise, especially when the company is not in China. This givesthem real vision of the circumstances and up to date information. Because China is changing so quickly it’s important that you have someone based in China to represent you.
Having a strategy that integrates the brand into the life of the Chinese consumer that’s in line with the company goals and finances, is imperative.
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In today's world, people's eating and exercise patterns have changed, and it is often lifestyle that is the cause of many diet-related illnesses. I believe that each of us is unique – what works for one does not help another. What is more, it can even be harmful. I am interested in food psychology, which studies a person's relationship with their body and food, explains our choices and desires for specific products, the difficulty of maintaining optimal body weight, as well as the influence of various internal and external factors on appetite. I'm also an avid vintage car collector, and currently, I'm working on my 1993 W124 Mercedes. You may have stumbled upon articles I have been featured in, for example, in Cosmopolitan, Elle, Grazia, Women's Health, The Guardian, and others.
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