President and CEO of Sunrise Group Zhou Xuan has brought the Canadian ice cream brand Cows Creamery to China. Photo: Li Hao/GT

President and CEO of Sunrise Group Zhou Xuan has a passion for trying new things, and lately, those things involve cows. Sunrise Group oversees seven different businesses with a range of services that include immigration and consulting, but of them all, the one that is particularly noteworthy is Cows Creamery, a Canadian brand selling ice cream and merchandise related to cows.

Since the Cows Creamery store opened in Beijing three months ago, it has already drawn a drove of lovers for cow-related products.

"We are Cow Nation. That's what we call the group of people who love this Canadian ice cream and its related products." Zhou said, sitting in his Cows Creamery store in Sanlitun, Chaoyang district.

At first glance, Cows Creamery is an ordinary ice cream shop, but a closer look inside reveals the difference. T-shirts, toys, bags, magnets, mobile phone covers and even golf bags are on offer, all designed and labeled with cartoon images of cows.

Cows Creamery started in 1983 in Prince Edward Island in Canada. Its more than 30 years of history has proved its success in the North American market.

Yet it was not until five years ago, when Zhou brought his friends to Canada to this ice cream store, that he fell in love with the brand. "I thought that if people really love this type of merchandise, why don't I bring this product to China and sell it there?"

Zhou spent two years doing market research in Beijing before he opened his first store in late October 2014. The Chair of Canadian Premiers and Premier of Prince Edward Island arrived for the ribbon cutting ceremony. During the 2014 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum, Canada's first lady Laureen Harper also paid a visit to show her support.

The only thing Zhou changed from the original ice cream of Cows Creamery in Canada when he introduced it to China was the sugar content - he reduced it to match Chinese tastes. Every ingredient in their ice cream is imported from Canada, and the milk percentage in the ice cream is very high.

"Some of them [the milk percentage] are 70 percent and some are 90 percent," Zhou said. "Our ice cream has less air, which means it's more intense."

Ice cream can be attractive, but it is the culture that Zhou tries to bring that adds to the color of this brand in China.

"I want to create a kind of iconic brand that embraces Canadian culture, sense of humor, and great food quality to engage the people in China to love our brand and products," Zhou said. "We want to show the people in China that we are not only offering a food product like other brands, but a cultural bond between the two countries."

Zhou said many of their customers have a connection with Canada which helps them "fall in love with the brand instantly."

Zhou's store even draws customers to host public events there. Professors from Renmin University of China use the store as a hub for their marketing lectures.

Later this year, Zhou plans to open five more Cows Creamery stores and expand his businesses in Shanghai, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, and Hong Kong.