Brilliant performances win the Golden Clown award (XINHUA)

In 2006, four art troupes based in Beijing shared a single goal: surviving. The Chinese National Acrobatic Troupe was one of these groups, all of which were struggling to adapt to new government policies and transform from fully government-funded institutions into private enterprises.

Policy changes required that the acrobatic troupe, founded in 1950 as the first national performing arts troupe, take responsibility for its profits and losses and work toward financial independence.

Several years later, the troupe is doing well and basking in the glow of remarkable achievements made last February, when two of the troupe's performances won the Golden Clown award at the 37th International Circus Festival of Monte-Carlo in Monaco.

The troupe also demonstrated the success of its new business model on the international stage during a 12-day tour in Johannesburg, South Africa, which started on January 23 and ended February 3. 

Building a brand

The troupe's evening performance was filled with spectacular stunts when acrobats of the Chinese National Acrobatic Troupe made their Johannesburg debut on January 23, 2013.

But fabulous acrobatic techniques were not the only thing that these Chinese artists shared with their foreign counterparts and audience. Cooperation with the South African entertainment industry through box-office revenue sharing marks a further step on the troupe's ambitious plans.

The typical model used by Chinese acrobatic troupes performing overseas requires an agent to connect the troupe with local theatrical companies. Contracts usually revolve around a single program.

"Chinese acrobats make a huge effort but only get very low pay in return," said Kuang Na, Director of the troupe's General Management Office. She explained the situation with a comparison to China's role as the world's factory, suggesting that a new cooperation model is needed.

Kuang believes that to achieve economic success and allow for further development on the international market, Chinese acrobatic troupes must build their own brands to bypass unnecessary and expensive middlemen.

When the troupe received its first Golden Clown award, they turned down foreign performing companies that were eager to buy the troupe's award-winning program. Instead, they hoped to package the popular program with others to make a larger show. This would increase the troupe's economic returns, and more importantly, act as an effective promotion for the troupe, giving it greater influence.

"Every product needs appropriate promotion," said Yang Peng, who is in charge of brand management. "We want to do more than just enter the international market. We want to lay down roots there."