Table of contents: - Consumer preferences - Inappropriate gifts - A deeper dive - A ITAP advantage: Consumer needs and motivations

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ITAP Consumer Insights: ChinaITAP Consumer Insights: China
Gifting and Recognition
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Table of ContentsTable of Contents
Consumer PreferencesConsumer Preferences
Inappropriate Giftspp p
A Deeper Divep
The ITAP Advantage: Consumer
Needs and MotivationsNeeds and Motivations
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Consumer Preferences:
Generational Differences
Old t l d t th t h ti l• Older customers value products that have practical
value and impart social status
• Younger generations focus on services (for life
convenience) and fashion.
• As a gift, older consumers value a brand name pen or
decorative item made of crystal or metal.y
• In contrast, young consumers accept gadgets and
decorative items made of plastic.
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Consumer Preferences:
Marital Status and ProfessionalMarital Status and Professional
Achievement
I di id l h h hit ll j b• Individuals who have white collar jobs:
– If unmarried, prefer fashionable consumer
electronics such as iPod or iPhone, digital photo
album, or USB flash memory drive.
– If married, prefer down coat, silk quilt, or electronic
dictionarydictionary.
• Individuals who have travelled and worked overseas
may appreciate foreign wine, a wristwatch, souvenir
from abroad or a book by a well known authorfrom abroad, or a book by a well-known author.
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Inappropriate GiftsInappropriate Gifts
• Products without practical usage value or without decorative
functional value are not gifts. Examples include a catalog, a
brochure, or a book describing your city.
• Traditionally a clock would not be given as a gift (as theTraditionally a clock would not be given as a gift (as the
word for clock has same the pronunciation as “sending
away the deceased spirit”), but a pocket or wristwatch is
acceptableacceptable.
• A hat or anything to wear on one’s head should not be
green as it signifies adultery on the part of one’s spouse.
Th b 4 ( d th th d f d th) i• The number 4 (sounds the same as the word for death) is
considered an unlucky number. Anything that is a set of 4
items (e.g. pens) should be avoided.
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Inappropriate GiftsInappropriate Gifts
• Art work containing an iconic item or animal that could be
misinterpreted by the receiver would not be appropriate.
• Examples include:
– a gun or blade could imply aggression or conflicta gun or blade could imply aggression or conflict
– a pig implies laziness
– a snake or fox implies cunning
– a snail implies being slowa s a p es be g s o
• Some iconic that animals do NOT carry negative
connotations are: ox horse tiger and eagleconnotations are: ox, horse, tiger and eagle.
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A Deeper Dive: Gifts and Rites of PassageA Deeper Dive: Gifts and Rites of Passage
• Birthday: The person celebrating a birthday isy g y
offered a bowl of noodles. Long noodles symbolize
longevity.
• Wedding: A red envelope containing the local cash• Wedding: A red envelope containing the local cash
equivalent of USD 75-150 is appropriate.
• The birth of a baby: A red envelope with the localy p
cash equivalent of about USD 20, some practical
baby gift item, toy or baby clothes.
Funeral: A flower basket and a white envelope for• Funeral: A flower basket and a white envelope for
the family with the local cash equivalent of USD 75-
150.
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A Deeper Dive: Gift CardsA Deeper Dive: Gift Cards
• Stores:
Carrefour shopping card is practical for everyday items– Carrefour shopping card is practical for everyday items
in Shanghai.
– Genso dessert voucher is accepted in major cities in
Chi h th G hChina wherever there are Genso shops.
– Haagen-Dazs ice-cream voucher is appropriate in major
cities in China.
• Cards:
– Lianhua OK card is accepted by many store chains
across China except Henan and Zhenjiang Provincesacross China, except Henan and Zhenjiang Provinces.
– Shang Tong Ka, accepted by lots of stores in Beijing,
including some department stores.
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Snapshot of Chinese Cultural Orientations
• Marieke de Mooij
Snapshot of Chinese Cultural Orientations
j
applied Hofstede’s
framework to the study
of consumerof consumer
preferences.
ITAP’ C lt i th• ITAP’s Culture in the
Workplace
Questionnaire™ (or
CWQ), collects data that
gives insight into
consumer preferences
© 2014 ITAP International, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Drawn from Geert Hofstede’s research,
th i b d i t th t
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consumer preferences
across cultures.
the image above depicts the country
score for China.

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Contact ITAP to
• Access global consumer segments
Contact ITAP to…
Access global consumer segments
through ITAP’s global network.
• Gain insight into the cultural values that• Gain insight into the cultural values that
inform consumer behavior.
M k i f d d i i b t• Make informed decisions about
extension and adaptation in global
l ti i d t l ti dlocations: price, product, location, and
promotion.
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Contact me for Q & A
Catherine Mercer Bing
Contact me for Q & A
CEO, ITAP International, Inc.
cbing@itapintl.com
ITAP International
353 Nassau Street, First Floor
Princeton, NJ 08540 USA
(W) 1.215.860.5640
(M) 1.609.937.1557
http://www.itapintl.com
…thank you…
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