On October 10, 2020, Jinhao Medical successfully held its Brand Strategy Upgrade and New Product Launch Event at Huizhou's Leiden Manor. During the conference, Jinhao Medical unveiled its new brand positioning, slogan, brand video, and product strategy. Founder and Chairman Wang Min granted an exclusive interview to our reporter.
Reporter: Chairman Wang, hello. Could you share Jinhao Medical's development journey?
Chairman Wang: Jinhao Medical was established in 2011, marking nearly a decade of operation. We have consistently focused on the R&D, production, and sales of hearing aids.In 2016, the company was recognized as a Guangdong Provincial High-Tech Enterprise. In 2017, it was designated a "Gazelle Enterprise" by Zhongkai High-Tech Zone. In 2018, the company listed on the National Equities Exchange and Quotations (NEEQ), becoming the first Chinese hearing aid enterprise to list on the NEEQ.Leveraging years of contract manufacturing experience for major international brands, Jinhao Medical has accumulated substantial technical expertise and mastered core hearing aid production technologies. Since late 2018, the company has focused on expanding into the Chinese market, embracing its social responsibility as a domestic enterprise to transform the landscape of China's hearing aid sector. Our mission is to create truly affordable and high-quality hearing aids that serve the needs of the Chinese people.This year marks the inaugural year of the Jinhao brand. We have invested significant resources—manpower, capital, and effort—into developing new products and expanding our strategic footprint.
Reporter: What motivated Jinhao Medical's brand strategy upgrade?
Chairman Wang: China's hearing aid market is currently in the early stages of brand development. Approximately 70 to 100 million people in China experience varying degrees of hearing loss, yet the usage rate remains below 5%. Beyond awareness issues, the core problem lies in the difficulty Chinese consumers face in finding satisfactory hearing aids.In recent years, imported brands dominating 90% of the market have developed products targeting foreign hearing loss populations under their global strategies. The core value of hearing aids lies in facilitating "communication." However, significant differences exist between Chinese and English pronunciation, cross-cultural communication scenarios, and physiological structures. This disparity means even the most expensive products struggle to fully suit Chinese users.
Chinese innovation is on the rise, and building strong brands is every enterprise's mission. As a leading domestic hearing aid manufacturer, Jinhao Medical has actively driven industry transformation and upgrading. At this critical juncture of independent innovation and development, Jinhao Medical aims to explore more effective pathways for domestic brands through concrete actions, propelling the ascent of China's medical technology industry.
Reporter: What are Jinhao Medical's key brand strategy directions moving forward?
Chairman Wang: Jinhao Medical currently operates two business lines: one focused on production technology for overseas markets, and another centered on our proprietary brand for the domestic market. The production technology line continues Jinhao's nearly decade-long development trajectory, manufacturing hearing aids for international brands primarily sold abroad. Years of technological accumulation and prudent management have yielded strong results in overseas markets, with our hearing aids renowned for superior quality and robust functionality.
Leveraging this technical foundation and deep understanding of Chinese consumer needs, Jinhao Medical has repositioned its proprietary brand with the slogan "Hearing aids better suited for Chinese communication." This initiative applies globally matured technologies to create value for domestic users, fundamentally addressing the longstanding challenge of Chinese consumers struggling to find satisfactory hearing solutions. We will soon launch the "Jinhao CLSE Product Development Model" initiative. This framework integrates three dimensions—Chinese Language (C-Language), Chinese Scenarios (C-Scene),Chinese ear anatomy (C-Ear). This establishes the "C80 Chinese Speech Analysis System" capable of precisely identifying 80 Chinese dialect sound ranges, develops "Soundscape Auto-Adjustment Technology" to recreate the immediacy of Chinese conversational settings, and creates the "Zero-Pressure Uniform-Force Ear-Molding Design" for enhanced comfort and gentleness during wear. This truly delivers hearing aids better suited for Chinese communication.
Based on the CLSE model, we developed three product series: Jinhao Gong, Jinhao Shang, and Jinhao Yu. Their names derive from the ancient Chinese musical scale "Gong, Shang, Jue, Zhi, Yu." With a rich cultural heritage, China's pentatonic scale originated over 2,600 years ago during the Spring and Autumn Period. In ancient times, music served not only entertainment but alsobut also served the vital purpose of soothing the spirit, calming the mind, and nurturing the body and soul. Through these product names, Jinhao Hearing Aids aims to convey traditional Chinese culture and extend blessings to those with hearing loss. Wearing Jinhao hearing aids is like listening to a beautiful melody—cultivating the mind, nurturing the spirit, promoting physical well-being, and enhancing clarity of hearing and vision.
Reporter: Will Jinhao Medical's strategic upgrade present a new brand image?
Chairman Wang: Beyond repositioning our brand, we also unveiled a new brand slogan at this conference.The hearing aid category is unique—while primarily used by seniors, purchases are often made by their children or family members. Beyond addressing hearing challenges technologically, we aim to create emotional value. Jinhao Hearing Aids foster communication among family members, deepening their bonds.
After deeply understanding the physiological and psychological needs of China's hearing-impaired population, we proposed the brand slogan "Companionship with Sound and Emotion." It not only represents hearing-impaired individuals regaining vivid auditory experiences but also conveys a heartfelt call for every Chinese family to embrace the warmth of shared happiness. Furthermore, it advocates for public welfare care across society.Serving users through technological innovation and inspiring society with positive emotional resonance are areas every hearing aid company should deeply commit to. Under Jinhao Medical's leadership, we believe more domestic brands will embark on providing comprehensive services for the Chinese people, collectively advancing the industry's development.
Reporter: Where does Jinhao Medical stand in terms of scientific research and technological strength within the industry?
Chairman Wang: With nearly a decade of experience in manufacturing for overseas brands, Jinhao Medical has mastered advanced production technologies. Our products reach over 80 countries and regions worldwide, and we maintain close partnerships with multiple industry-leading giants. As China's first hearing aid company listed on the New Third Board, I can confidently state that Jinhao has become a frontrunner among domestic brands in this field.
In 2017, we introduced automated equipment to enhance production efficiency and increased our production capacity. We also recruited numerous talents, with many production department staff coming from large enterprises like Sony and TCL, who possess expertise in efficient production operations.
We hold nearly 100 patents and actively seek collaborations with top domestic and international research institutes, universities, and artificial intelligence teams. Together, we tackle challenges in digital signal processing to develop hearing aids truly suited for Chinese communication needs, filling a gap in the Chinese market.
To meet our expanding business needs, our first-phase integrated R&D and production industrial park—spanning approximately 16,000 square meters—is nearing completion. This facility will provide the production capacity required to meet market demand for hearing aids.
Reporter: Did the pandemic in the first half of the year impact Jinhao Medical?Will it affect the new strategy?
Chairman Wang: This sudden pandemic spread globally, indeed impacting export-oriented manufacturing more significantly. However, thanks to Jinhao's forward-looking product positioning and strategic layout, despite the pandemic causing a decline in overseas consumer purchasing power, our main OTC channel hearing aids overseas have actually gained popularity due to their affordable pricing and comprehensive features. Therefore, our performance has remained stable with steady growth.
When the outbreak first occurred, we received strong support from the Huizhou local government and industry associations, which facilitated an orderly resumption of work and production. We also maintained excellent communication with our overseas clients. Crises often present opportunities within the danger.
Following our brand positioning upgrade, we will progressively launch hearing aid products better suited to Chinese communication needs. We are establishing strategic partnerships with multiple medical device distributors nationwide while deepening our penetration into e-commerce channels. I am confident this will mark a pivotal turning point in our shift toward the domestic market to build a premium Chinese brand.