姬广飞互联网时代的“中华老字号”

姬广飞互联网时代的“中华老字号”

JI GUANGFEI OLD CHINESE BRANDS IN THE INTERNET ERA

More and more domestic brands throughout China have one question on their minds: how can we survive this fast-paced age by making transformations. Tong Ren Tang, a timehonoured medical brand based in Beijing is a successful example. Nihao talks to Ji Guangfei, Chairman of TRT International as the brand was invited as a special guest to the Chinese Brand Summit Forum in September.

Text by Irene Translation by Leo Photos by Zeng Jian

I imagined the head off i ce of Tong Ren Tang International (TRT International), a subsidiary of Beijing Tong Ren Tang Chinese Medicine Co., Ltd., to be classical in its style, yet what I saw was a space fi lled with a strong sense of modernity.

The Fengtai District-based head off i ce's simple yet refreshing decoration, playful cartoon wall design, and the business casual dress code vividly capture the dynamics of our time. Ji is leading TRT's efforts to go online and therefore global. He was excited when asked about the future of the healthcare industry.

“It is an unavoidable trend for Chinese medicine products to go international. What we are doing is building a broad-based healthcare platform that is based on the internet and other modern technologies. The aim is to promote traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and Chinese healthcare philosophy in the rest of the world and also to introduce top quality healthcare products and digital healthcare technology from abroad into China.” He said.

It is not merely by chance that Ji pursued a career in the healthcare industry. Born into a family of TCM physicians, Ji had a very personal experience with TCM when during the Korean War his home was often fi lled with patients. As a child, he began to taste a sip of the humanistic spirit embedded in TCM. Now, he sees the legacy of thousands of years of Chinese culture at the core of TCM culture. Old TCM brands like TRT have passed on the spirit of craftsmanship and good faith from one generation to another.

When commenting on TRT's business motto –“Despite the complexity of medicine preparation, we spare no pains; despite the cost of ingredients, we spare no money”, the retired serviceman said:“It embodies integrity and responsibility – qualities that I personally uphold.” Even if TRT's products are selling very well online, Ji still sees himself and his company more as a promoter of Chinese culture rather than as a businessman.

Thanks to numerous efforts made by scholars and TCM physicians at home and abroad in recent years– particularly following Ms. Tu Youyou's winning of the Nobel Prize for Medicine – TCM and natural therapy is gaining popularity among foreign communities. In 2013, Ji bonded almost instantly with TRT, which was then looking for opportunities to go global, as they shared the responsibility of bringing TCM culture to the rest of the world. The result was the creation of TRT International, which put the centuries-old brand on the fast track to globalization.

In October 2015, TRT International launched its cross-border e-commerce platform “Tian Ran Tao”(www.trt.hk), making many healthcare products under international brands available for online purchase. “In the foreseeable future, Internet technology will enable people to make an online appointment with a doctor at any corner of the world.” Ji envisioned.

对于中国企业来说，民族品牌如何在当今时代实现涅槃成为重要课题。作为一家始建于康熙年间的百年老店，北京同仁堂便是一个成功转型的例子。借此次同仁堂受邀成为中国品牌发现会高峰论坛的特约嘉宾之机，NIHAO对话同仁堂国际董事长姬广飞，探讨“中华老字号”在互联网时代的生存之术。

脑海中的同仁堂应该是古色古香，可走进坐落在北京丰台的同仁堂国际总部，扑面而来的却是一股现代范儿。

简约清新的装修，墙壁上俏皮的卡通漫画，与董事长姬广飞的一身休闲商务装，生动地演绎出新的时代记号。姬广飞，这个带领拥有三百多年历史的中药金字招牌“北京同仁堂”走向互联网时代的领军人物，当被问起未来健康行业的趋势时，露出欣喜的神情。

“未来中医药国际化是必然的趋势，我们所做的，就是利用互联网等现代科技手段搭建一个大健康平台，把传统医药和东方养生理念推广到全世界，再把海外优质产品和数字健康技术引进来。”

走上医药这条路不是偶然的。姬广飞出生于中医世家，爷爷是抗美援朝时期的名医，家中经常挤满病人，水泄不通，姬广飞从小就从爷爷的行医感受到中医内在的人文精神。在姬广飞看来，中医药的核心，是几千年沉淀下来的中华文化，像同仁堂这样的国药老字号更承载了老祖宗传下来的一份匠心与诚信。“炮制虽繁必不敢省人工，品味虽贵必不敢减物力”是同仁堂恪守三百多年的古训。“这中间所代表的，是一种正直和担当，这也是我个人非常崇尚的品格。”曾身为军人的姬广飞感慨道。所以，即便同仁堂的产品如今在互联网上成为炙手可热的商品，姬广飞仍然认为，他们的身份绝不仅仅是商人，而是向国外推广中华文化的使者。

近年来，随着海外学者和医生的多方努力，特别是屠呦呦获得诺贝尔奖之后，中医药和自然疗法在国外越来越被人认可。2013年，在国外做投资的姬广飞与正在寻求国际化的北京同仁堂一拍即合，共同对大健康领域发力，面向全球推广中医药文化。同仁堂国际由此应运而生，中华老字号搭上了互联网快车，发展迅速，势如破竹。

去年10月，同仁堂国际的跨境电商“天然淘”正式上线，世界各地的健康产品可以直接网购到家。“在不久的将来，通过互联网技术，人们甚至可以在网上预约全球医生。”姬广飞说。

Co-organised by China Southern Air Media Co Ltd, CCTV-Outlook Channel, and Beijing Guangtianhe Media Co Ltd, the Chinese Brand Summit Forum 2016 was planned to discover Chinese brands with craftsmanship and responsibility, in the hope of leading Chinese enterprises to pursue a culture that advocates and practices craftsmanship.

2016中国品牌发现会高峰论坛由中国南航集团文化传媒股份有限公司、CCTV-发现之旅频道、北京广天合文化传媒有限公司（BGM）联合主办，旨在发现当下具有“匠心精神、匠人责任、走出国门的中国工匠文化”的中国品牌；通过这场行业盛宴，挖掘出更多的民族品牌，引导中国企业以精益求精、一丝不苟地精神回归产品，明确企业责任，最终营造一种全社会推崇、践行工匠精神的匠形文化。

“INTEGRATED MEDICINE: THE FUTURE OF MEDICINE”

N=NIHAO

J=JI GUANGFEI

N: What does TCM look like in the eyes of

foreign people?

J: Today TCM is widely recognised in Europe

and America. Take the United States for example. Acupuncture is legalised in more than 40 out of the 50 US states. Almost all insurance companies offer programs that cover acupuncture treatment. Such coverage has also become one of the def i ning

components that tell if a benef i t package is on or below par for an employee. Besides, acupuncture therapy is also included in the offerings of US military hospitals and most acupuncture physicians in the country are local people. By the way, our products just passed the highest level of EU certif i cation and this also demonstrates the increasing recognision that TCM enjoys around the world. yearn to return to nature. One such example is the rise of natural therapy, which evolves into a global health trend. TCM is a key component of such natural therapy. In Chinese philosophy, the human body is a complex system and a small universe. The theory of TCM is based on this point of view. The balance of the ecosystem and the prevention of disease (or early disease management) are emphasized to reduce pain and economic consequences. In the United States, many politicians, celebrities, Wall Street executives and the like are showing increased interest in TCM and natural therapies. Additivefree and organic food, traditional Chinese herbal medicine, Tui Na and Tai Chi are also becoming increasingly popular overseas. In my view, integrative medicine is the future.

N: What are the healthcare trends globally?

J: Though modern science and technology appears to be able to do everything, more and more people

N: Will health management be easier in future?

J: Absolutely. In addition to buying drugs andhealthcare products online, you can also use intelligent software featuring integrative medical solutions to detect chronic diseases at any time and identify health risks in advance through digital interactions. Besides, you can also use the software to get in touch with scientists, nutritionists or physicians at any corner of the world. That is to say, by using only your phone, you can monitor the health status of everyone in your family and appraise their dietary habits, or complete a range of tests online simply by mailing test samples. This will not only save you a lot of time and money, but also make brick-and-mortar hospitals unnecessary.

N: How can traditional companies adapt to modern day trends and prepare themselves for a brighter future?

J: Innovation is particularly important for traditional companies like ours. In the internet era, service is at the core of everything we do. So our innovation must surround mobile internet solutions. As a very young team, we are able to embrace an e-commerce platform, source directly from around the world, and eliminate intermediate links while learning from world-class internet startups focused on health. Nevertheless, traditional companies should also carry forward their corporate culture and values. Nowadays, when it comes to the spirit of craftsmanship, people would fi rst think of Germany and Japan. But in fact, there are a slew of traditional brands with the spirit of craftsmanship in China. TRT is such a brand. With its proprietary TCM herbal formulas, top quality ingredients, and modern technology, TRT will certainly fare well.

Michael Phelps with suction marks from Chinese cupping at the Rio Olympics.里约奥运会上的菲尔普斯，身上带着拔火罐留下的印子。

“中西医结合是未来趋势”

N：西方人如今对中医怎么看？

J： 如今在欧美发达国家，对于中医实际上是非常认可的。比如说，目前在美国50个州中，针灸已在40多个州实现合法化，几乎所有的保险公司都有支付针灸治疗的计划可供选择，只要民众加入的保险计划中包含针灸，保险公司就会支付。有没有针灸险，已经成为一家公司福利待遇高还是低的标志之一。同时针灸也已经被列为美国军队医院的医疗科目，而且当地的医师大部分是白人。不久前我们同仁堂的产品还得到了欧盟最高等级的认证，这也从一个侧面说明全世界对中医越来越认可了。

N：全球的健康趋势是什么样的？

J：现代科技无所不能，但人越来越崇尚回归自然。全球自然疗法的兴起成为人们调理健康的重要趋势，其中中医就是自然疗法中非常重要的组成部分。在东方人的哲学中，人体是一个复杂的体系，就像一个小小的宇宙，中医的理论就是按照整个体系来进行维护和治疗。我们强调这个生态体系的平衡，重点放在疾病的预防，就是“治未病”，对疾病进行前期管理，减轻经济负担和病痛。在海外，很多政要、明星、精英、华尔街高管，都开始对中医和自然疗法越来越感兴趣。无添加食品、有机食品，中国传统的植物药，以及推拿、太极拳等自然养生方式在海外都越来越受欢迎。在我看来，中西医结合是未来的必然趋势。

N：未来人们对健康的管理可以简化吗？

J：是的，除了可以在网上方便地购买药品和保健品，人们可以利用一些中西医结合的智能软件，随时对慢性病进行检测，对不同体质进行分析，通过数字化互动，可以提前获知健康风险有哪些。另外，还可以利用这些软件联系到全球各地的科学家、营养师、医师。也就是说，通过手机，你就可以监测全家每个人的健康状况，平时如何饮食，如何预防疾病，还可以直接在网上通过邮寄的方式完成验血等各种检测，节约了很多经济成本和时间成本，并省却了医院这个中间环节。

N：传统品牌在当今时代如何寻求更好的发展？

J：对于一个传统企业来说，创新尤为关键。来到互联网时代，必须以服务为核心，用数字化交互形式、移动互联网解决方案来进行创新。我们的团队非常年轻，我们利用互联网+的平台，采用当地直采、去中间环节等现代管理方法，不断探索和创新，并向国际一流的健康领域的互联网新型公司学习。但另一方面，传统企业的内在文化不能丢，价值观不能变。现在人们一提起工匠精神，就会想到德国、日本。其实在中国，具有工匠精神的传统品牌数不胜数。我们的中医药领域也是这样，有自己独有的配方、上乘的原材料，再加上现代的科技，这样的企业一定可以生存下去。

COMPANY MILESTONES

同仁堂大事记

1723

The fi rst year of the reign of Emperor Yongzheng, Tong Ren Tang was designated to supply medicines to the royal pharmacy of the Imperial Court of the Qing dynasty and had since performed the role for 188 years, in which eight emperors ruled.

清雍正元年，皇帝钦定同仁堂供奉清宫御药房用药，独办官药，历经八代皇帝，长达188年。

1955

TRT’s general manager Le Songsheng was elected as a member of Beijing Municipal People’s Congress and vice mayor of Beijing.

同仁堂经理乐松生被选为北京市人大代表，并出任北京市副市长。

1989

The “Tong Ren Tang” trademark was recognised by the State Administration for Industry and Commerce as a “Famous Trademark of China”.

“同仁堂”商标被国家工商行政管理局认定为驰名商标，受到国家特别保护。

1989

“Tong Ren Tang” became the fi rst Chinese trademark to fi le an international mark registration under the Madrid Agreement and was the fi rst trademark in the Chinese Mainland to be registered in Taiwan.

“同仁堂”商标成为中国第一个申请马德里国际注册的商标，大陆第一个在台湾申请注册的商标。

1992

China Beijing Tong Ren Tang (Group) Co., Ltd. was founded.

中国北京同仁堂集团公司成立。

2006

“Tong Ren Tang Chinese medicine culture” was included in the fi rst list of national intangible cultural heritage.

“同仁堂中医药文化”被列入“第一批国家级非物质文化遗产名录”。

2006.12

Tong Ren Tang was identif i ed by the Ministry of Commerce as a China Timehonored Brand.

“同仁堂”被商务部认定为首批“中华老字号”。

2015.3

TRT International was founded, marking the time-honoured brand enters the Internet+ era.

同仁堂国际成立，标志着百年老字号开启新时代“互联网＋”创新。

2015.10

TRT International launched its cross-border e-commerce platform “Tian Ran Tao”(www.trt.hk).

同仁堂国际跨境电商“天然淘”上线。