History paper - Disney and US ImperialismCultural ImperialismI.docx
Brands in & out of China: Consumerism, Aspiration & the Evolving Middle Class
1. Brands
in & out of
China
Observation & insight from personal and professional life in China
2. Café in Beijing - young middle class Chinese consumers fall in love with
life’s potential
3. Consumerism is a powerful force in
China
Walk around any of China’s major cities and you experience a
sophisticated marketing culture.
When I first worked in China, it was ‘blink’ is this communism?
And the answer – welcome to capitalism with Chinese
characteristics.
Consumer advertising is all pervasive and highly visible,
international magazine titles celebrate their first decade in
China, netizens are always on, engaged with vibrant digital and
social media and compelling celebrity culture.
4. And all in just over 3o years
Pervasive as it is, consumerism and brand culture is relatively
recent in China compared to the west.
In 1978 Deng Xaiopeng opened China up to the west promoting
economic development, unleashing an unstoppable
entrepreneurial spirit and desire for material success.
Dramatically, just 37 years later, by 2015, it is estimated that
more than one-third of the money spent around the world on
high-end goods and luxury brands will come from Chinese
consumers.
5.
6. But here’s the gap…
Scratch the surface and you find that in many categories
consumers lack the depth of knowledge that comes from
growing up with brands, and ease of access to information on
all kinds of subjects – from fundamentals such as healthcare
and nutrition to more specialized products like laundry
softeners and consumer protection.
Even luxury brands recognize the need to tell their story,
explaining brand heritage and unique craftsmanship to
educate consumers and build loyalty.
7. Beyond the obvious
Consider categories we take for granted – coffee,
mouthwash, diapers, cosmetics or motor oil. When coffee
started to become popular in China, on-line ‘coffee-lover’
groups appeared, created by consumers seeking knowledge.
Now Starbucks is on every street corner in China, and plans
to triple the number of its stores by 2015 – but the famous
Third Space has taken on uniquely Chinese characteristics.
Starbucks is the destination for career enhancing meetings,
sweet milky drinks and never mind the strangers taking a
random nap.
8.
9. The new westernized consumer
Driving growth in consumption, China’s new middle class,
divides into different generations. The most westernized and
influential are Generation 2 (G2)* typically teenagers and
people in their early 20s, born after the mid-1980s and raised
in a period of relative abundance.
They are confident, independent minded, and determined to
display that independence through their consumption.
*McKinsey & Company. Mapping China’s Middle Class.
10. Good taste & cultured living
‘Good taste and cultured living’ are the byword for success.
Aspiration is a powerful motivator in a society that continues
to transform at an unprecedented speed.
The interpretation of ‘taste’ is also shifting, while older
affluent consumers aspire to a romanticized vision of
traditional European & Chinese culture, the younger
generation of influential consumers seeking emotional
satisfaction through better taste or higher status prefer niche
over mass brands.
And they are loyal to the brands they trust.
11. Desire + knowledge
Brand aspiration and desire must be balanced with rational
understanding of product functionality and the benefits.
But once that understanding takes hold – watch out! Chinese
consumers are fast adopters.
Brands that involve, inspire and empower China’s eager
consumers will win their hearts…and those brands may be
changed in the process.
