| China’s reform and opening,entry into the WTO,and high-speed development of the internet,lead to our country a better participation into the globalization,and China plays a more and more vital role on the international economic platform.The United Nations annually publishes world investment reports on global economic development.After the global economic and financial crisis of 2008-2009,a surge in cross-border mergers and acquisitions(M&A)to $721 billion in 2015,67% increased from 2014.Outward FDI flows from China jumped by 44% to $183 billion in 2016,and moved up to the second largest investor in the world.China’s economic slowdown in economic growth in 2016 was 6.7%--the lowest value in the past 25,whose contribution to the world economic growth is still much bigger than the developed countries and regions did,such as United States(0.3 percentage points)and Europe(0.2 percentage points),nevertheless,according to the World Bank estimates,China contributed to the world economy on an average of 31.6% from 2003 to 2016.No wonder China is recognized as “the main driving force to the world economic development.”Consequently,cross-border transactions involved China grow in number under aforementioned circumstances.As venders of legal services,a certain number of foreign laws firms have set up their offices in China escorting their clients’ movements to provide commercial legal services.This research will take the US A firm as the object of case study,service marketing’s 7Ps as an entry point,try to find out the problems and causes in the practice from an insider’s viewpoint by combining with the competitive environment that A firm faces in Michael Porter’s Five Forces Model.In analyzing the problems and causes,we find that 7Ps affect each other,and eventually result in the current dilemma of A firm.Then,we try to find out solutions accordingly,and how to make the best use of A firm’s existing advantages to better adapt to the Chinese market,and improve its market competitiveness,and thus get out of the woods.We try to recognize the problems that A firm--one of top tier law firms in the US,encountered with regard to the market awareness,the target market positioning,promotion strategies and other issues after its practice in mainland China.Moreover,those problems,as the miniature of the unacclimation when foreign laws enter into the Chinese market,could also be referenced for other foreign,even local law firms.Although foreign legal services are classified as the service industry,given its expertise barrier,sensitive connections with the national politics,economy and culture,and facing to enterprises customers but not ordinary individuals,huge differences in practicing service marketing strategies are existed from traditional service areas such as hotel,tourism,catering,and even banking services.I realized that I can refer to very limited information on marketing theories or case studies of law firms.Even if there are some related information,they are based either on the US domestic market,or on the development of Chinese local law firms.However,due to different national conditions,business scope and market circumstances,only one research on foreign law firms’ marketing practice was found.Based on the services marketing as the theoretical basis,this research puts forward some specific solutions which can be referenced or applied for other law firms.I do hope that this study could contribute one case support to the development of service marketing theory,and also make a few efforts to build a better legal environment and healthier market competition of legal services. |
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