Along with beer and whisky, gin was one of the earliest, longest and most widely advertised spirits in the North China Daily News. This suggests that gin enjoyed a wide and long popularity among the foreign community in Shanghai. Yet it also suggests that Chinese consumers do not drink this liquor. Among Chinese consumers, gin was propably competed by other more popular beverages, either alcoholic (beer) or soft drinks (sodas). An advertisement published in 1949 precised that it sold "dry gin". This detailed information suggests a process of diversification or segmentation aimed to adapt the variety of consumers' tastes and expectations.