????北京市中心，一家芭斯羅繽（Baskin-Robbins）冰激凌連鎖店的菜單上寫著這樣的宣傳語：“追本溯源。”這家連鎖店的宣傳單上，一位頭戴便帽的卡通溜冰人物正沿著斜坡向下滑去，他頭上的一行字是：“休息的時間到了。”

????芭斯羅繽正在大張旗鼓地重返中國市場，對它來說這些宣傳文字帶有一種古怪的預見色彩。

????一位經理下班后告訴我們，芭斯羅繽從2005年左右開始使用這些宣傳語。當時這家總部設在馬薩諸塞州坎頓的冰激凌連鎖店還在另一批經營者的管理之下，在中國的名字也還是“31種美國風味”（31 American Flavors）。

????作為母公司唐恩品牌公司（Dunkin' Brands）的子品牌之一，芭斯羅繽已經把中國作為開拓新興市場的核心目標。唐恩品牌公司首席執(zhí)行官奈杰爾·特拉維斯說：“我們想找到真正能在中國市場取得成功的途徑。目前這項工作處于初步階段，而且是我們的發(fā)展策略中最重要的一部分。”

????20年前，進入中國的美國公司還寥寥無幾。鑒于中國市場不斷變化的政治和經濟風險，這樣的行為顯得很魯莽。那時，美國公司的目標是在北京和上海這樣的一線城市立足。現在情況則截然不同，芭斯羅繽表示它將以鄭州、成都和南京等二線城市為重點，原因是這些地區(qū)的房地產價格不那么高，而且有足夠的商機。

????芭斯羅繽在中國的發(fā)展一直挫折不斷。唐恩品牌國際（Dunkin' Brands International）總裁喬治·米納爾迪承認：“和以往相比，中國目前的商業(yè)環(huán)境有了非常大的變化。1993年進入中國后，芭斯羅繽已經數次調整管理結構。”

????但并不是所有進入中國的冰激凌連鎖店都遭遇了“凍傷”。軟冰激凌品牌冰雪皇后（Dairy Queen）已在中國各地設立了500多家連鎖店。它進入中國的時間只比芭斯羅繽早兩年。它還宣布，它的目標是到2016年讓中國連鎖店的數量達到1,000家。

????冰雪皇后一直馬不停蹄地在中國發(fā)展。2007-2012年凱文·李曾負責冰雪皇后國際（Dairy Queen International）的中國和東南亞業(yè)務。據他介紹，單2011年，該公司就在中國開了271家連鎖店。

????冰雪皇后在中國順利發(fā)展的竅門在哪里？李指出，連鎖經營企業(yè)要在中國取得成功，最重要的因素有兩個，首先是找對總加盟商，也就是那些希望擴大規(guī)模的公司；其次是找對開店的地點。

????接下來的挑戰(zhàn)是通過本地化，推出消費者能夠接受的菜單。李說：“必須了解消費者，推出適應當地市場的口味。中國北方人的口味比較重，喜歡水果做的冰激凌，吃的巧克力較少；而在南方，綠茶口味更受歡迎，人們吃的巧克力也多一些，但絕不能以巧克力味為主。”

????"Get to the bottom of things," urges a Baskin-Robbins menu at one of its central Beijing shops. The same flyer features a cartoon skater wearing a beanie, sliding down a ramp just beneath the words, "Time to re-treat."

????The message seems oddly prescient for the ice cream chain, which is gearing up for a major China reboot.

????An off-duty store manager says the slogans are from the mid-2000s, back when the Canton, Mass.-based brand was under different management and known in Chinese as "31 American Flavors."

????Under parent company Dunkin' Brands (DNKN), Baskin-Robbins has made China the centerpiece of its push into emerging markets. "We're in the first stages of working out how to be really successful in China, and it's at the forefront of our growth strategy," says Nigel Travis, CEO of Dunkin' Brands.

????Just 20 years ago, few American companies had made it into China. Going into the region, with its shifting political and economic risks, was a considered bold move. Back then, the goal was to build a presence in first-tier cities like Beijing and Shanghai. By contrast, today, Baskin-Robbins says it will focus on China's second-tier cities like Zhengzhou, Chengdu, and Nanjing, where real estate is less expensive and opportunities are plentiful.

????It's been a tough road for Baskin-Robbins in China. "China had a very different business environment in the past than it does today, and Baskin-Robbins has operated under several different management structures since entering China in 1993," admits Giorgio Minardi, president of Dunkin' Brands International.

????But not all ice cream operators have encountered freezer burn in China. Soft-serve chain Dairy Queen International has opened over 500 stores across China. The company, which entered the region just two years before Baskin-Robbins, says it plans to have 1,000 stores in China by 2016.

????DQ isn't wasting much time. In 2011 alone, it opened 271 stores in China, according to Kevin Lee, who was manager for China and Southeast Asia at Dairy Queen International from 2007 to 2012.

????What has worked for Dairy Queen? Lee says the most important element to a franchise's success in China is, firstly, finding the right master franchisees, the kind who want to grow their operations; and secondly, choosing the right store locations.

????Then there's the challenge of developing localized menus that make sense to customers. "You have to get to know your customer and offer flavors that cater to the local market. In northern China, people love strong flavors but enjoy fruit-based desserts and less chocolate," Lee says. "In southern China, green tea-based flavors are more popular, and there's more consumption of chocolate, but it can't be the central flavor."