Mark Aoki-Fordham, director and corporate counsel at Starbucks Coffee Company said something … well outlandish:
“We are still trying to educate Chinese customers about why our coffee is a good beverage to drink at all times of day — and we’ve found that they are not the most loyal,” Aoki-Fordham noted. “They love our brand; they’ll come in and buy a cup of coffee, and they’ll keep the cup with our logo facing forward as they walk, but they’ll refill it throughout the day with other brands of coffee!”
If you buy a cup of coffee from another brand you will get it in a cup from that brand. Then it is just too much of a hassle to change the caffeinated liquid to the Starbucks cup.
So I don't believe that Chinese customers are trademark counterfeiters on a not so commercial scale. Do you believe him?
Read the Knowledge Wharton Marketing article called 'From Venti Lattes to Spider-Man: Adapting Global Brands for Success in China and India' here.