Coca-Cola surprised many branding experts by launching a tin of sparkling water called ‘Valser’ to Chinese consumers for US$9. It is not impossible, says branding guru Tom Doctoroff to the South China Morning Post, but then they have to change their marketing dramatically. “Turn it into a social currency,” Doctoroff says.

Superinvestor Warren Buffett made a surprise appearance on CoCa-Cola’s Cherry Coke’s can during their China launch. A good move, says business analyst Shaun Rein to AP. Business leaders like him are more popular than sport starts.

Branding needs more than social media tools like Twitter or Wechat, says Shanghai-based author Tom Doctoroff of Twitter is Not a Strategy: Rediscovering the Art of Brand Marketing on his book tour. Virals on social media do not build a brand, nor sell burgers, he says.

PepsiCo has beaten Coca-Cola as the only coke supplier at the Shanghai Disney park, breaking a decades old alliance between Disney and Coca-Cola. The question is now whether Pepsi can leverage the tie-up outside the resort, says retail analyst Ben Cavender to Reuters.

Chairman Zong Qinghao is not only the richest man in China, according to the latest Forbes China rich list, but has been a successful leader to his Wahaha, China beverage giant. Forbes asks retail analyst Paul French why.

China’s universities might be churning out millions of engineers, real innovative enterprises are led by US-educated returnees, writes business analyst Shaun Rein in CNBC. He disagrees with Washington Post columnist Vivek Wadhwa who fears China’s education.

Obesity in China is mainly a problem for the children, says retail analyst and co-author of the book “Fat China” Paul French to The National. But after the kids, in the future, also the parents will suffer from overweight, like in developed countries.

Nestle’s anticipated mega deal brings back the US$ 2.4 bn deal by Coke, rejected in 2009 by the Ministry of Commerce for fears the new company would dominate the market. While Nestle’s deal is huge, it has not Coke’s problems, tells Shaun Rein in Fortune.