FOCUS - THE CHINA BRAND SEMINAR: Youths turned on by what is cool locally

Creating an effective and penetrating brand icon and identity which young people can identify with is the key for a successful youth marketing campaign in China. J. Walter Thompson Shanghai associate account director Rodney Cao said the Chinese youth market was a distinct consumer group compared with other young people elsewhere in the world. On the one hand, young Chinese people have a strong self-identity and strive for individualism which is similar to youngsters the world over. On the other hand, however, they are loyal to their families and communities. The crux of a successful youth marketing campaign centres on the creation of a communication message that touches on the common points between the brand and the distinct mindset of the Chinese youth, Mr Cao told delegates of the MEDIA-organised China Brand Seminar which was held in Shanghai recently. He added that market research formed an indispensable part of formulating youth marketing campaigns in China as different brands and categories need to identify what appeals to young people and how they can become an accepted part of the youngsters' day-to-day lifestyle. International appeal may not necessarily be a selling point for young people. It seemed, Mr Cao said, that they would rather prefer a brand that can convey the feeling and imagery of what is "cool" in China. Multinational advertisers such as Pepsi and Nike have zeroed on the "China cool" concept in the their campaigns. In building up a successful youth brand in China, marketers, therefore, need to leverage and capitalise on the cool elements of the Chinese culture. This is how to get and keep young people's attention and interest as well as create relevancy, Mr Cao said. He added that advertisers should avoid using the "Great American pride" concept in campaigns, and that the brand must create a real emotion to bond with the consumers through the use of local culture, imagery and icons. For instance, celebrity-driven campaigns have been successful in building brands in the minds of Chinese consumers, however, Mr Cao stressed that the tactical use of celebrities was of far greater importance. The celebrity's character must reflect the characteristics of the brand. In addition, the character must represent the brand rather than the brand representing the celebrity.

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