How to brand for the modern-day Chinese consumer?
By: Komal Narwani
Tags: Marketing, Branding, Consumer, China, Chinese

Coronavirus, aside.

China is going through a consumption revolution. In the past, function and price were important factors in the buying decision buying behavior however this has become more complex and Chinese consumers are taking increasing criteria into account when making a purchase. Brand awareness is becoming increasingly important and marketing is starting to play a key role in attracting Chinese consumers with advertising and research techniques. As we know, a brand is the ‘intangible sum’ of a product’s attributes — so how are brands differentiating themselves?

A feeling of collectiveness has more prominence in Chinese society over the individual. Thus, the standards, preferences, and norms of the group to which an individual belongs have a huge influence on buying habits. Many Chinese consumers are fairly concerned with national needs and as a result of geopolitical issues — brands that are under a Western influence are often associated with Western ideals — which in recent times, have been perceived negatively. Brands that confuse ‘westernization’ with ‘modernization’ are losing out.

What does this mean?

Brands that are catering to Chinese consumers need to customize themselves more than ever. Remember that video featuring a customer trying to eat burgers with chopsticks launched by Burger King? Yea, that set Burger King back a hefty couple of millions. Dolce & Gabbana suffered a similar fate after the company posted a video of a model trying to eat pizza and spaghetti with chopsticks, a move which ultimately led to a boycott of their products in China. Brands need to be careful of monumental Chinese festivals in order to build loyalty and not isolate customers.

Here are some brands that did a stellar job this year:

Gucci

For Chinese New Year 2020, the year of the mouse — Gucci partnered with famous actress Ni Ni to create a playful take on the holiday. In spite of recent events, the light-hearted, American directed video showcased the world’s most playful mouse and some of the most iconic pieces of the fashion powerhouse’s CNY collection!

Nike

If you haven’t heard of this one… well — you should have. Nike played with the Chinese tradition of giving “Hong Bao’s” a.k.a. Red Packets in their Chinese New Year advertisement this year. They used cultural aptitude with a twang of humor to elegantly showcase their Nike Zoom product line. Check out the video below:

Durex

As always, Durex is known for being audacious with their branding and marketing nuances. This Chinese New Year was no different. Durex cleverly used their product to relate directly to the year of the mouse and embed it at the center of a Chinese New Year Poster.

Durex Chinese New Year 2020

In conclusion, cultural sensitivity is paramount in China. Given the stereotypes that still exist and a lot of the racial discrimination that occurs on a daily basis, it’s no surprise that this group of customers has every right to be discerning of Western brands. Chinese consumers are increasingly savvy, independent and particular in how and what they purchase.

Brands looking to enter the market need to make a real emotional connection with customers as always and be mindful of the existing bias that exists to showcase an understanding of societal traditions and nuances. A one-size-fits-all strategy will undeniably fail in China given their diaspora of consumer profiles.