Logitech treats China’s intense competition as a product-development laboratory

When Hanneke Faber became Logitech’s CEO, the company was losing share in China despite leading many product categories elsewhere. Her response was to concentrate designers, engineers, marketers and sales staff in a team focused specifically on Chinese customers.

China has subsequently become Logitech’s fastest-growing market over several quarters, she told Semafor. The company now adds eight to ten China-only products to its traditional annual release program. It can assess their reception within two or three months and consider successful designs for other markets.

That strategy coexists with manufacturing diversification into countries including Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Taiwan and Mexico. Reducing supply-chain exposure does not require abandoning China as a consumer market or source of product learning.

Faber also describes using AI to assess social-commerce content and allocate marketing spending. Her interview frames competitive pressure as an organizational discipline, though her claim that success in China predicts global success remains a managerial thesis, not a guarantee.