Executive Insights: Emerging Market Segments in a Transitional Economy: A Study of Urban Consumers in China

Abstract

How to integrate the emerging consumer segments in transitional economies into multinational corporations’ global marketing strategies presents a significant challenge. An analysis of China's urban consumers based on a 1997 national survey reveals several market segments that are distinctive in their demographics, psychographics, lifestyles, media usage, and consumption patterns. The findings suggest that multinational corporations need to adapt to the local market conditions in China and other transitional economies.

The Relationship between Consumer Ethnocentrism, Cosmopolitanism and Product Country Image Among Younger Generation Consumers: The Moderating Role of Country Development Status

“…This is consistent with other research suggesting that products from developed countries have higher quality than those from developing countries (Pappu et al, 2007;Usunier & Cestre, 2008). However, the many differences between developed and developing countries in socio-economic, demographic and other factors may lead to more complex differences in the PCIs of developed and developing countries (Batra, 1997;Cui & Liu, 2001). This lack of conclusive evidence is consistent with other research on the related concept of Country-of-Origin (COO) in developed and developing countries.…”

“…It rejects the often implicit assumptions in some earlier research that PCI perceptions are similar for consumers in both developed and developing countries (Batra, 1997;Cui & Liu, 2001). Our study supports recent attempts by scholars to explore differences in consumer perceptions of PCI effects between these two groups of countries (Sharma, 2011;Shukla, 2011).…”

Successful Growth Strategies of Three Chinese Domestic Hotel Companies

“…Even the upper class guests(around 5% of all urban population) were found as values seekers despite that they were identified as more brand conscious in the meantime (Cui & Liu, 2001).In order to lower the price, the three companies executed low cost strategy which was mainly reflected in strict cost control and standard product design.…”

Country image effect on product assessment: moderating role of consumer nationality

“…Several other differences between consumers from developed vs. developing markets -in terms of demographic, socio-economic, psychographic aspects -may also be associated with differences in their attitudes and behaviors towards foreign products (Batra, 1997;Cui & Liu, 2001;Han and Terpstra, 1988;Sharma, 2011). Since the present study controlled for some, but not all, of these differences, the impact of (differences in) CoI may have been inadvertently inflated or deflated (cf.…”