Understanding shoppers' needs is vital

Nation's consumers care about price, but they're status-sensitive as well

For foreign companies that aspire to penetrate the Chinese market, to truly understand the needs and changing characteristics of its consumers is a constant challenge.

The importance of the market goes without saying. As the Economist magazine said: "In the 1950s and 1960s. the world economy was transformed by the emergence of American consumers. Now China seems poised to become the next consumption superpower."

But the complexity of Chinese shoppers is also a constant source of anxiety for many foreign companies.

Zhu Rui, professor of marketing and co-director of the Branding Center at the Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business, said one way to understand Chinese consumers is their duality: they are both price-sensitive, changing brands frequently just for a better price, and brand-conscious, willing to pay a high premium for brands that they think could signify their social status.

No wonder they are so obsessed with Europe's luxury brands including Louis Vuitton, Mercedes-Benz and Rolex.

Zhu got a deeper understanding of how this duality affected multinational corporations' marketing strategy after spending 15 years living in North America. When she returned home to China, she found some fascinating phenomena. A bottle of 2006 Penfolds Bin 389 cabernet, which costs $37 in the United States, is about $77 in Beijing. And Huggies diapers cost about the same in the US and China, but the ones in China are of lower quality.

The reason, she said, is that multinational corporations can't compete with domestic players purely on a price basis. To maintain their profit margin, they have to compromise their product quality. But she also cautioned that this "myopic" strategy will eventually damage the brands as consumers in China become better informed.

"The key for multinationals' strategy is that you really have to find an unaddressed need. You should really ask yourself if the need has already been addressed by other companies. If so, and you still want to jump in, what additional benefit can you deliver?" Zhu said.

The logic also applies to Chinese consumer brands that want to expand overseas. Shanghai Tang, a Hong Kong clothing chain that was well-known for its high-end cheongsam (a traditional style of dress), has made its foray into Western markets by establishing stores in cities such as New York and Madrid.

Most Westerners marveled at the delicacy of the cheongsam. But they had to think twice before buying one, because where would they wear it?

Another garment brand, Hermes, made a different choice. In 2008, it invested to create a China-tailored brand known as Shang Xia and opened its first store in Shanghai. Hermes said it aimed to revive Chinese crafts, including ancient styles of porcelain, cashmere and furniture.

"If you examine the products of Shang Xia, you will find they are a combination of traditional Chinese crafts with modern Western touches in their material and design. They are not just for artistic collections; they can also be used in everyday life," she said.

One major challenge for the brand, according to Zhu, is how to appeal to Chinese and Western consumers simultaneously. Western consumers want to see Chinese elements in Shang Xia's products while for Chinese consumers, it's just the opposite.

Nonetheless, Zhu and many other researchers agree that Chinese consumers are becoming ever more sophisticated.

Thanks to the Internet, Chinese people can now view the latest European fashions and check discounts on Amazon. Many more opt for online shopping agents to grab the latest products

"China has changed. It's no longer just a place for companies to outsource production. The market is big, diverse and has tremendous potential. Thus, 'Made in China' is being replaced by 'Made for China'. Foreign companies have to truly understand the needs of Chinese consumers and build quality products and services to meet these needs," Zhu said.