Interesting Article on Marketing to the Chinese

Marketing to the Affluent Chinese: Target the event, not the individual !
Targeting a specific type of consumer or client when designing a product for China can cause serious headaches. Indeed, it is common knowledge that there is no single « Chinese Consumer », but rather a multitude of Chinese consumer types. The Northern Chinese may be opposed to Southern Chinese, East Coast Chinese to Chinese from the backward central regions, New Money to Old Money, “hard-earned” money to “dirty” money. Is there a key to targeting potential clients in this extremely fragmented market?

For over six years, we have been interviewing affluent Chinese of all sorts about their lifestyle and associated product purchases, and this has convinced us of the following: there IS a common denominator among all the affluent Chinese. For all of them, social events in China are extremely codified and require the display of specific categories of luxury products.

For example:
Rich Chinese often display numerous, expensive luxury watches, which makes us smile and think that the Chinese are avid watch collectors. In fact, during our interviews, the Chinese explain (quite logically) that each watch fits a specific event and therefore multiple watches are necessary: one for the workday, which will be common / low profile i.e. a Rolex or a simple Omega; one for the Board or Communist Party meeting i.e. a premium watch such as a Patek Philippe with complications or an Audemars Piguet ; one for sports activities – a Tag Heuer or a diving watch like the Omega Submariner ; one for parties with sophisticated friends – a diamond watch from Piaget or Cartier… And as people get richer, the events subdivide, specific sports will require specific watches i.e. a diving watch for diving, a Jaeger Lecoultre Reverso for Polo, etc …

The same pattern exists in the women’s universe, clothing for example: at work (all the women work in China) a skirt and a sophisticated top, for shopping a casual outfit which may include trousers, for an evening event a evening gown, for a Charity lunch among women a very sophisticated but this time short dress, for sports – sportswear, for golf – golf apparel, for yoga an indoor outfit made of expensive fabric such as single thread cashmere…

Events are codified and the Chinese are very formal. While it is difficult to describe a « typical » Chinese, all the Chinese across the country will agree on the same attributes to wear at the same types of events. This flows from the strong influence of Confucianism, which dictates what is called Chinese « good taste », or rather the importance, as taught by Confucius, of behaving in the appropriate manner in each specific circumstance. What the Chinese call « Good Taste » today is nothing more than what Confucius called the « virtue of the gentleman ».

The key to marketing a luxury brand or product in China, therefore, is to find the related event, rather than to determine the type of client or consumer. Once you’ve identified the event, you will be able to roll out a lifestyle-marketing plan that will be simple, effective – and very lucrative.

The site can be reached by clicking on the title.

School Starts August Here in the Valley

School starts in the Valley August 8 which is pretty crazy since we have 110 plus degree temperatures now. Yet again kids are not the priority its more about those stupid tests that are really not measuring much of anything and consuming way too much of the teaching time.

My daughter ad her friends have  been ready to go back to school since July. I think that's  so they can come together with their friends. Schools are not like when I attended and we could walk a couple of blocks and you're at school. We walked to both elementary and middle school (we called it junior high).

I had to deal with a major meltdown when we received the class school schedules. I do have to give the Scottsdale school district a plus on getting the info out to the parents. We have schedules and the entire school calendar before school starts. None of this monthly guessing game nonsense. Back to the meltdown,  baby girl was not placed in Mandarin Chinese. This led to major boohooing and my daughter rarely gets upset. So Mommy had to visit the school to find out why she got none of her electives. The schedule was reworked to add AP Mandarin (She's really very good). She hopes one day to visit China through one of the exchange programs so she can really test her skills without Mommy present. (Little Ms. Independence)

We know several families from Mainland China here in the Valley and they have graciously offered to talk with when ever she wants to practice. We recently attended an event and one of the families grandmother was there and baby girl got to Dialogue with her. She was elated because "Grandmother" complimented her on her mandarin.

Baby girl is turns thirteen next month. I am an "old school" mom and want to encourage her femininity something too many girls seem confused about. Off we went to get manicure,pedicure and her hair done.  We wear our hair natural so she wanted to try a press and curl. She loved it. (Local trade schools and skills centers are great places to go because they are supervised and graded so they do an excellent job at even better prices). We went to Maricopa Skills Center on Buckeye.

Everyone has sales going on so I bought basic supplies and will finish up as soon as the teachers post their lists today or tomorrow.

All in all a good summer. How's you summer going? Made some memories yet? Still have time for a staycation or weekend road time? Get those memories made that is what your kids will remember and hold on to. Think about what you remember best, even if you resented it at the time. I'll best its one of your fondest memories now. Even the IPhone-Generation needs that. So shut the computer down, cut off the gadgets and go made some memories. Smile

As always you can click on the title to purchase from my store.