Five trends in China youth consumers depicted, with background (social, economic, cultural triggers), important nuances that marketers should capture, and business implications (with cases). From China Youthology, brand-youth connection consultancy in China. www.chinayouthology.com/blog

1. Reading a book of paradoxes China youthology
China youth trends and business implications
18-30 yrs – university students and young working adults
they are in more developed cities in china tier 1 and tier 2 cities
these 5 trends are strongly manifested among the early adopters and early majority
who are we talking about
china youthology
with us with the youth china youthology
our approach 1
we study youth at three spheres – macro community and individual
a holistic and in-depth understanding of youth market through full hearted long term immersive dedication read more at our website
our approach 2
the youth-category-brand scaffolding
youth insights
updated understanding on youth's values lifestyles subcultures (what's cool)
category insights
deep understanding of category relevant needs moods attitudes behaviors
youth brand insights
principles and successful elements in youth marketing cases
china youthology
how did we come up with the trends
market research projects for youth brands since 2006
both with china youthology and previous employers
systematic and innovative methodologies to study youth including observing interacting exploring and innovating with youth everyday both online and offline
a series of topical research such as vintage trends Beijing Olympics shan zhai culture and creative communities co-researched with Neocha.com a leading online creative community China Youthology
A Book of paradoxes Chinese youth are a book of paradoxes. What's discussed in this presentation sometimes seems contradictory to the understanding about Chinese youth before (self-oriented, fun-seeking, hedonistic consumers who possess a strong need for self-expression and self-development.) It is not to say that the trends discussed in this paper are going to replace these themes but to emerge, grow and coexists with these themes.
China Youthology
A book of paradoxes
Chinese youth live amongst the fastest changing group of people in the world constantly bumping up against local and global changes.
They are bombarded with strong influences from both western and traditional chinese culture at every turn, both new and old, hip and ancient blending new ideas and traditional culture into a fabric of daily life thought and output. Typical understanding of China's youth often leads to unsuccessful communication. Often times, brands seem to be offering what's cool to youth but fail to hook them because their products don't capture the nuances in meaning and wind up saying nothing. Real understanding of Chinese youth lies in understanding the paradoxes within the nuances. China Youthology.
Fore each trend we'll talk about the background and social/economic/cultural triggers
the nuances that lead to a deeper understanding.
Implications for brand marketing with cases.
New Geek. New Chinese. New Citizen. New Life. New Entertainment. China Youthology.
New Citizen. China Youthology
09 Youth: social participation, searching for meaning, individualism, everyday doings, not sayings. Individual choice on what to spread on the Internet.
09 Brand enterprise citizenship don't talk about it, prove it. Get it louder through community.
UTSB gymnasium.
From little emperors to a bird nest generation. Making small differences by social participation.
Over 1 million youth volunteers for Beijing Olympics.
Social participation is more than charity. China. Youth participate in various forms, event t hings as seemingly trivial as forwarding emails about food safety, putting red hearts on a MSN nickname and discussing social issues on BBS, etc.
Background Key macro drivers for emerging social participation of youth.
The economic development of China brings better living conditions.
Internet empowers youth to express opinions exchange ideas form communities and make a difference.
The hope about tomorrow will dissipate all the sadness.
Nuances 1 Searching for meaning of life and love.
These nuances spring more from individual choices than from collective norms or traditional patriotism.
The collective way is out.
If you would like to stop using disposable chopsticks, I'm sure to gift you a handmade bag for your chopsticks and spoon. Just drop me an email and let me know your address and I'll courier it to you. Unigreen.
Nuances 2 Small and continuous actions in daily life.
Candy goes to orphan schools almost every weekend. She not member of any NGO. She found other like minded people at Douban and QQ and decided to go together.
Marketing implications for new citizen. China Youthology.
Corporate social responsibility under scrutiny. CSR is not longer nice to have but a must have quality for corporations.
Stop talking. Prove it. Young people respect sincere and long term efforts. Companies can learn from what the common youth are doing with their lives every day. WWF WWF.
Get it louder through communities. Online and offline, companies need to know where the grassroots communities are what kind of support the young people need, empower them, and work with them to become social currency for young people to talk about.
1KG.org
New Chinese. 09 Youth identity pride Chinese cool generation identity the gold old time. 09 brand: localization with context awareness resonance of collective memory. China Youthology.
From globalization to post-globalized chinese. Growing confidence in identity. Our generation have been following trends from the states and Japan since childhood, and one day i figured why not create something that is Chinese cool? Tong Yun, Tyakasha, Shanghai.
Background 1 China taking the global center stage. Now She is walking Why china matters. China. China was a sleeping lion.
Beijing olympic was a milestone of China taking the world's center stage. During the economic downturn China stood again at an important crossroads for the world's economy.
Background 2 empowered by Internet they have grown more critical, but at the same time are more understanding tolerant to Chinese government media and brands. CNN.
Nuances 1
Pride in Chinese identity.
Young people started to be more interested in the traditional culture. Kungfu Panda. Mei Lanfang Chen Kaige.
Nuances 2 Pride in generation identity collection memories. Party fashion life. China youthology.
The hipsters put on style of the 80s to celebrate the collective memories of their own. Satan forever.
Old and local brands have become reborn and fashionable. Yellow mountain.
Local brands start to gain cool mind share concept by amg labs.
Marketing implications for new Chinese. China Youthology.
True connection through resonance of collective memories. Jim Lucy Han Meimei Lily Lin tao liu ying fasion brand giordano cross over local designers to feature characters in a vintage English textbook design.
Resonance of collective memory Lining Jiong Sneakers Li-Ning.
Resonance of collective memory lining playstation sneakers.
Mc Farmer. Localization with context awareness. A real connection with Chinese youth on cool culture or category benefits is needed, and must be based on true understanding of the local context.
Nokia viral marketing Hiphon originated in Chinese village and Bruce Lee playing ping pong.
New Geek China Youthology.
09 Youth geek = passion effort talen social communitized learning.
09 Brand great product service innovation co-creation DIY product for exploration spread the word through evangelists build brand legacy with trend setters.
From cool to geeky deep-ization of hobbies and empowerment of communities. Nowadays people pay more attention to your music not the fact that you're a girl. The girl is a drummer of Car sick cars a popular underground band in China.
To be obsessed with what you do is the very power that drives you all the way.
Geeky passion effort talent.
Alternative scientists.
Communitized learning.
Background internet.
Empowered by the internet young people have easily formed tribes communities around their interests, share things they've learned help each other and educate themselves.
Nuances 1 common people as geeks Geeks are different than trendsetters as understood convetionally. Many geeks are common in most aspects but just trendsetting in specific areas.
Nuances 2 the new self expression.
Books I read movies and music I love places activities I go to become new spheres of self-expression.
Marketing implications for new geek China youthology.
Marketers need to understand two types of geeks. Category geeks geeks in categories or category relevant lifestyles sneakers skincare mobile phones cafe nightlife etc. Cultural geeks geeks in passion areas music art technology sports etc.
Great products engross category geeks. Geeks are attracted by brands who are themselves geeky in the product functions, technologies, ingredients etc. Relevant link: why do they camp in Apple's store: brand fandom.
Build blood connection by engaging and empowering cultural geeks. In order to do a great campaign, brands need to obtain real understanding of the communities and geeks really respect and empower geeks rather than merely consider them as commercial media.
New entertainment China youthology.
09 Youth remarkable yesterday entertainment remarkable today creativity and entertainment. 09 Brand respond to the long tail of creative people needs crowdsourcing.
From fun-seeking to creativity seeking remarkonomy. Snickers snickers snickers.
Modern sky festival Background economic transformation government support and the education Shanghai eArts festival urbanized landscape poster for modern sky festival 2008 Shanghai eArts festivaly 2008.
The internet has spurred the creative culture.
Change of values and growth of demand. On a flea market in Shanghai.
Nuances Find relevant themes to youth everyday life trifles non consumerism, organic. Kidult.
Bedroom bossa band by lullatone Japan. The following themes are abstracted from a report about creative youth which will be co-issued by China Youthology and Neocha.com soon. Tyakasha, independent brand Shangahi.
Hand made transportation card cover little-a handmade. Chinese central marshal arts academy human animation work by students in Chinese central arts academy 2008. Inconvenience Fragility vulnerability. Tears by little-a Beijing. Traditional ink and wash painting animation seen as cool.
Techy graphic by DOGCO3 social conscience indie brand more is less using recycled materials for products. Chinese Chic Painting by overturn. Collective memory Animation works by ray raydesign.com.
Hitting the road picture by loaw. Sarcasm and spoofing Chinese back dorm boys. Sensuality Graphic by. Violence. From Cult youth local independent animation publication.
Marketing implications for new entertainment China Youthology.
Designy everything creative communcation and packaing become more important than ever for almost all categories. Limi happy club. Case Limi's creative packaging for mass market skincare products. Case Nongfu Spring c100 attracted young consumers with unique bottle. Case packaging of the face shop face care products.
Crowdsourcing to meet the long tail needs. Case: local street fashion brands the thing and ENO both mobilize the independent designers to provide great variety of creatives to the local young consumers.
Various indie people are great resource for crowd sourcing of creative jobs.
New Life 09 Youth risk awareness health and wellness trading up and trading down. 09 Brand sustainability crisis management value of money.
From indulgence to sustainability. Pains of modernity and risk awareness. Health and wellness.
Let's talk about bujingqi Economic downturn.
Background pains of modernity. The young people have realized and experienced the many risks in society and in their life and they aspire a life and world that is more sustainable.
Nuances 1 new old life healing the pains of modernity. Simple life. To young consumers, naturalness means not only safe and healthy but also truthful and joy – free from pretentiousness and stress.
The life and times of less. Nuances 2 it's all about balancing. New life does not completely alienate indulgence. Here's the constant struggle between the desire of moderation and indulgence, health and extravagance anti-consumerism and consumerism.
Marketing implications for new life. China youthology.
Knowledge marketing. Companies still need to learn better ways to constantly communicate with their customers to ease the tension and concerns caused by asymmetry of information. Case lai yi fen a local snack company opens farms of ingredients to customers who want to visit.
Case muji as well as muji style becomes chic. Case oishi potato chips using mountain tea oil an ingredient that is perceived to be healthier. Safe is not good enough. The increasing needs for environmental friendly natural and healthy products has become inevitable. Sustainable products.
New citizen social participation everyday doings not sayings individualism individual choices on what to spread on the internet searching for meaning new chinese the good old time generation identity identity pride chinese cool new geek geek passion effort talent alternative scientists social communized learning new entertainment remarkable yesterday entertainment remarkable today creativity and entertainment new life trading up and training down health and wellness risk awareness chinay youthology china youth insights and marketing impact 09 youth and 09 brand china youthology cinayouthology.com
In a nutshell do something remarkable enough to become the social currency that youth need to identify themselves and build relationships with others in their communities.
Need to understand the nuances of the changing values and lifestyles as well as understand how your own category is experienced by youth. China youthology.
China youthology. Thanks to the following though leaders for the great thoughts inspirations on youth trends, innovative research and study on social changes.
Http://www.mobileyouth.org
http://www.kumeugirl.com
http://www.trendbuero.de
Thanks to people how have contributed to the paper with their questions and ideas on youth trends and youth marketing: our friends and clients at Pepsico Foods, nestle, Pernod Ricard, Johnson & Johnson, Nokia, Li Ning, TBWA, McCann Ericson, JWT, BBDO, Dentsu, IDEO, Modern Weekly, Urban China, 0086, Douban.com Xiaoeni.com, Neocha.com, 360quan.com, Sohu.com, and many others that are not listed.
Thank you. China youthology. Download our paper 'China Youth and Biz Implications at http://chinayouthology.com/blog/?p=651
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