Cheng Sanguo, the founder of Bookdao New Publishing Institute, speaks at the conference.  [Photo provided to China Daily]

"We all know physical bookstores should be beautiful enough to attract readers and integrate business formats such as holding cultural activities, developing cultural and creative products, selling beverages and so on, instead of selling books alone. But in many cases, we simply copy the model," says Cheng Ling, the general manager of CAA China Brand Consulting.

"We should consider these: So many places can offer cultural recreation, why should people go to bookstores? There are so many distinctive bookstores, why should people choose only one?"

She says the solution is to improve the brand power of physical bookstores, which means to enhance the brand's influence on readers to make them buy more books.

Cheng says it's important to make a brand "meaningful, different from others and outstanding enough". She says to be "meaningful", the brand should appeal emotionally to customers.

She gives the examples of corporate slogans such as Nike's "Just do it" and Apple's "Think different".

"The slogans symbolize the companies' values," Cheng says. "It is the basis to improve brand power."