In China, 57 per cent of women in Tier 1 and 2 cities and 59 per cent of women in lower tier markets identify themselves as the principal purchaser of groceries in their households, with many also making purchase decisions on behalf of their extended families.
While the limelight has mostly shined on the key cities and provincial capitals of China, the next wave of market extension is beyond these cities.
“Both female consumers and lower tier markets are the new frontiers for expansion in the China market. Yet most marketers and communications professionals do not know enough about these consumers and these markets,” said Michelle Ko, president of MEC China.
“This is the first time that such an extensive and comprehensive piece of research has been undertaken, providing much needed consumer insights that can be used all the way from new product development to integrated communications planning.”
The research divides women in smaller markets into five different categories: The Pressure Cookers, who want to achieve great success in both career and family; the Traditionals, whose families are centre to their lives; the Practicals, who take a practical view towards things and believe in Chinese President Deng Xiaoping’s adage, “a cat that catches mice is a good cat;” the Achievers, who want to excel in whatever they do; and the Undecided, who are a bit unsure of and distant from social and economic changes.
Theresa Loo, strategic planning, analytics and insight director at MEC China, said: “The different needs and motivations of each of these segments inform what type of products and positioning will appeal to these women.”
According to the research, 94 per cent of all respondents said they have watched TV within the last 24 hours. TV remains the prerequisite medium to reach female consumers in lower tier markets. The web is a distant second, with an average of 36 per cent of respondents having accessed it within the last 24 hours.
However, while TV consumption is similar across all consumer segments, access to the Internet is drastically different between segments. The Achievers (58 per cent), the Practicals (48 per cent) and the Undecideds (35 per cent) accessed the Internet significantly more than the Pressure Cookers (20 per cent) and the Traditionals (5 per cent).
For the Achievers, Practicals and Undecideds, the Internet is a good secondary medium to extend reach or build frequency. For the Traditionals and Pressure Cookers, traditional media are still more effective. Out-of-home consumed within a week is around 29 per cent and is an effective supporting channel to TV for these two segments. Newspapers, with a penetration of 31 per cent and 28 per cent respectively, is another supporting channel that can reach the Practicals and the Undecideds.
