中国の青年は2007年にしたより「2008年に多くを」かなり使うように意図する。 多国籍企業は若者を考え始めるべきである

Shaun Rein著
この記事は最初に出た ビジネス週

subprimeの大失敗は消費者がチェックアウト・カウンターから避けると同時に販売見積もりを下げさせる多くの会社に米国の小売り小売販売をがらがらと鳴らした。 米国の贅沢な小売商そしてcredit-card会社。 最近来る四分の一のための見通しが暗い投射を報告してしまった。

しかし中国は増加した小売り市場である。 2007年の中国小売り出費の掲示された17%の成長。 中国の消費者がLCD TVをからの買い続けるように電子工学の小売商GuomeiおよびSuningは未来のための記録的な数および両方のペンキの確実な映像を掲示した LGの電子工学 そしてNokiaからの携帯電話(NOK).

この継続的だった成長の多くは32の年齢の下の中国語によって燃料を供給される。 私の会社、中国の市場研究のグループ(CMR全体的な減速の恐れがショッピング習慣に影響を及ぼすかどうか正確に測るべき10の都市に付き22そして32の年齢間の500人の中国語との)、行なわれた詳細なインタビュー。 答えは響きわたるNOではなかった。 被面接者の完全な90%は言った2007年にし、大半が来年の10%から25%の昇給を期待していて大半が次の2年のサラリーの潜在性について「非常に楽観的」、だったより「かなり使う2008年に多くを」期待したことを。

これ以上の不精な局在化

As selling to Chinese consumers becomes more important to multinationals’ bottom lines, the key to winning in China is to understand the needs and motivations of Chinese youth. Many multinationals find their core target market in China is much younger than in other countries. Companies, therefore, need to rethink the products they introduce to China, the sales channels they use, and the marketing-communication strategies they employ. It is no longer acceptable to take what worked elsewhere and transfer it here. China is too important a market for such lazy localization.

Companies must develop winning strategies that capture the hearts, minds, and wallets of Chinese youth. Our interviews suggest they are influenced by different advertising media than older generations. While older generations are still influenced by TV ads more than any other medium, Chinese young people turn more and more to the Internet to learn about products and to shop.

More than 70% of the young people we interviewed said they use search engines such as Baidu (BIDU) to find out more about products. They are also more likely to trust product recommendations on a stranger’s blog than from salespeople in stores or traditional advertising. As one 23-year-old in Wuhan told us, “I like to first read blogs of people who post about items I want to buy. If they give a thumbs up, I am more willing to buy. I do not trust salespeople because they push the brands they represent and get a commission on a sale. They will say and do anything to get me to buy something.”

Focus Marketing on the Right Sites

The Chinese youth we interviewed say they’re less influenced by TV. Respondents said they watch “very little” TV. Instead, they watch pirated DVDs or surf the Web. Chinese youth in cities like Shanghai and Beijing spend almost 20 hours a week online, while American young people spend only about 12 hours.

For companies to be successful targeting young Chinese, they should focus marketing efforts where their consumers are. Males often play online games from Netease (NTES) or Shanda (SNDA), and buy DVDs and electronics on Alibaba’s consumer-to-consumer site Taobao. Females navigate to blogs on Sina (SINA) or Tencent’s portal QQ to track their favorite celebrities.

Digital marketing plays a critical role in China and most companies should allocate more than the 5% to 10% they do in the U.S. Right now, most foreign companies’ efforts have focused on Internet advertising. In the near future, mobile-phone advertising will become critical as the number of mobile-phone users in China grows to 600 million by the end of 2008, well over 50% of the world total.

The Razr Phenomenon

Another key to winning the hearts and wallets of Chinese youth is launching marketing campaigns to which they can relate. Due to its popularity, the mobile-phone market should be a great one for global players like Motorola (MOT). However, Motorola made the mistake of failing to relate well to Chinese youth in its marketing messages and have thus lost ground to rivals such as Samsung Electronics.

When the popular Razr was first released in China, it was an instant hit, helping to revive a brand image that in recent years had become stale and identified with old people. The Razr’s sleek design was pivotal in recapturing the coveted Chinese youth market where consumers change cell phones every nine to 12 months, as opposed to consumers in other countries who upgrade every 18 to 24 months.

Chinese youth switch phones so often in part due to the weight placed on the mobile phone as a status symbol. For young Chinese who cannot afford to purchase a house or a car, a fashionable cell phone is the next best opportunity to showcase one’s status. Motorola created an opportunity by offering a sleek phone that Chinese youth considered an aspiration buy.

Capitalizing on Olympic Dreams

Motorola tried to ride its newfound popularity with advertising campaigns showcasing youth culture from the streets of Hong Kong. One male model, for instance, had a Mohawk haircut. The campaign was a flop because Motorola had failed to relate to mainland consumers. As one 22-year-old male in Shanghai said to us, “I do not look like that guy with that weird hairdo, nor do I want to.” The results for Motorola have been disastrous and they have lost market share to companies that are relating better to their core markets.

Because of the increasing importance of the China market, multinationals must launch marketing campaigns designed specifically for the mainland. Adidas has launched a great Olympic campaign that resonates with Chinese youth. In particular, they have launched ad spots where Chinese sports stars are held up by crowds of Chinese people and their hopes and aspirations. The ad campaign clearly represents the feelings and excitement of Chinese youth who are looking at the Olympics not so much as a sporting event, but as a vehicle for China to showcase its talents and take its place on the world stage as a leader.

Becoming International Shoppers

China’s retail environment has undergone sweeping changes in the last few years, both because more and more stores and brands like Home Depot (HD) and Toys ‘R’ Us are entering China’s retail environment, and because Chinese youth have different expectations in the shopping experience than older generations.

Retail services in China have traditionally been somewhat limited. Consumers going out to shop for products were accustomed to dealing with poorly trained salespeople with little knowledge of the products they sell and little interest in helping their customers.

However, as Chinese youth travel to Hong Kong and shopping centers further abroad in Milan or London, they are becoming accustomed to better service and are now demanding the same at home. As one 28-year-old woman from Beijing told us, “I shop at the best stores in Hong Kong. I want the same level of service and shopping ambiance in Beijing.”

We found that Chinese consumers want to deal with salespeople who can talk about various brands and their strengths and weaknesses, rather than salespeople who are pushing a specific brand because they receive commissions on sales. Best Buy (BBY) has been a leader at training good salespeople, according to mystery shopping and exit interviews we conducted at Best Buy’s flagship store in Shanghai.

Better Basic Service

Consumers want to be able to touch products and compare different brands directly rather than being limited to looking at products from behind a counter. The stores that have benefited the most from this are foreign retailers such as Carrefour that have come in and not only specialized based on Chinese needs and preferences, but also adopted a higher level of basic service than what can be found in typical big-box retail stores.

Chinese youth are playing a critical role in the fortunes of multinationals, not just in China, but globally. This trend will continue as Chinese youth get wealthier and wealthier. In order to succeed in China and develop winning strategies, foreign companies must understand the motivations, wants, and behaviors of Chinese youth.
 
 
Shaun Rein is the founder and managing director of the China Market Research Group (CMR), a market intelligence firm that helps companies make smarter decisions in China.