Advertising in emerging market : relationships among advertising, values and lifestyles of the new urban middle class in post-reform China

The fundamentals of this thesis rely on the need for insights into consumer values and lifestyles in emerging markets. Previous studies on values, lifestyles, and advertising are conducted in developed economies with mature consumer markets. In emerging markets, the generalizability of findings from earlier studies needs to be examined. An enhanced understanding of the lifestyles of consumers in emerging markets, of their attitudes toward advertising, and of the values they cherish most, will improve the performance of designers, advertisers, and marketers. Guided by such an objective, this research presents quantitative studies on advertising, values, and lifestyles of the new middle class in post-reform China. This class is a representative emerging market with relatively strong economic growth. This research seeks to understand the intra-class differences among the middle-class consumers in China in terms of value ranking, lifestyle segments, and attitude to advertising. The new middle class in China is segmented into four lifestyle groups to portray their demographics, lifestyles, value propositions, and consumption patterns, all of which offer up-to-date knowledge about the new middle class in post-reform China. The lifestyle segments identified in this research can help marketers to compare the similarities and differences between the Chinese middle class and the consumers in developed markets. This study examines value and lifestyle issues from the perspective of advertising in emerging markets. The mediating role of advertising enables us to better understand the formation of and changes in the values and lifestyles of the new middle class in emerging markets, such as China. Value priorities and lifestyle preferences significantly affect purchase decisions. Therefore, understanding the shared values, lifestyles, and desires of different groups of Chinese middle class can help marketers precisely target potential consumers and develop in-depth consumer insights. The findings of this study can also contribute to advertisers and designers by enabling them to understand the attitudes of the Chinese middle class toward advertising, the way they perceive and interact with advertisements, and the value themes in advertisements that attract them the most. Empirical findings in this research give a broader and more comprehensive view on values and lifestyles of middle-class consumers in emerging economies. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT I would like to express my sincere appreciation to my supervisors, Prof. Cees de Bont, Associate Professor Dr. Jackie Y. C. Kwok, and Assistant Professor Dr. Vincie P.Y. Lee, for their patient guidance, full support, and significant encouragements, which supported my research and my personal and academic well-being along this academic journey. I would also like to acknowledge the School of Design of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University for its terrific study environment and abundant resources. I am extremely thankful to my colleagues and friends for their enthusiastic assistance throughout this research process. Last but not the least, I would like to thank my family: my parents and to my husband for supporting me throughout the PhD research journey and my life.