What Chinese Want: Culture, Communism and the Modern Chinese Consumer

Today, most Americans take for granted that China will be the next global superpower. But despite the nation's growing influence, the average Chinese person is still a mystery - or, at best, a baffling set of seeming contradictions - to Westerners who expect the rising Chinese consumer to resemble themselves. Here, Tom Doctoroff, the guiding force of advertising giant J. Walter Thompson's (JWT) China operations, marshals his 20 years of experience navigating this fascinating intersection of commerce and culture to explain the mysteries of China. He explores the many cultural, political, and economic forces shaping the twenty-first-century Chinese and their implications for businesspeople, marketers, and entrepreneurs - or anyone else who wants to know what makes the Chinese tick. Dismantling common misconceptions, Doctoroff provides the context Westerners need to understand the distinctive worldview that drives Chinese businesses and consumers, including: why family and social stability take precedence over individual self-expression and the consequences for education, innovation, and growth; their fundamentally different understanding of morality, and why Chinese tolerate human rights abuses, rampant piracy, and endemic government corruption; and the long and storied past that still drives decision making at corporate, local, and national levels. Change is coming fast and furious in China, challenging not only how the Western world sees the Chinese but how they see themselves. From the new generation's embrace of Christmas to the middle-class fixation with luxury brands; from the exploding senior demographic to what the Internet means for the government's hold on power, Doctoroff pulls back the curtain to reveal a complex and nuanced picture of a facinating people whose lives are becoming ever more entwined with our own. Tom Doctoroff Explores The Many Cultural, Political, And Economic Forces Shaping The Twenty-first-century Chinese And Their Implications For Businesspeople, Marketers, And Entrepreneurs - Or Anyone Else Who Wants To Know What Makes The Chinese Tick. Dismantling Common Misconceptions, Doctoroff Provides The Context Westerners Need To Understand The Distinctive Worldview That Drives Chinese Businesses And Consumers. --from Publisher Description China Is Emerging As An Economic Superpower, Yet, As Advertising Executive Doctoroff Explains, Advertising And Marketing Practices In China Often Seem Radically Different From, And More Complex Than, Their Western Counterparts. Because Their Sensibilities Are Deeply Rooted In Their History And Culture, Chinese Consumers Traditionally Value Strong Nationalist And Family Ties, Anti-individualism, And Confucian Ideals Such As Clever Resourcefulness. Gaining Familiarity With China's Basic Philosophies And Culture Will Help Businesspeople Create New Opportunities. Pt. 1, The Chinese Worldview: -- Modern Middle Kingdom: Old Pipes, New Palace. Pt. 2, Top Down: Doing Business In China: -- Anta And Always: An Introduction To Chinese Business -- The Rise Of Chinese Brands: A Distant Dream -- Brand Management In China: Three Golden Rules -- Chinese Recession Tactics: How Marketers Can Win During A Downturn -- The Chinese Boardroom: Face And Fear -- Tycoon Tang Jun's Lost Face: A Chinese Business Tragedy -- Managing China: Stimulating Creativity In A Sea Of Convention -- Winning Designs In China: Standing Out To Fit In -- Digital China: Liberated Consumers. Constricted Corporations -- E-commerce In China: Patriarchal Benevolence -- Illegal Dvds: Why Piracy Is Here To Stay -- The Business Of Advertising In China: Incremental Progress, No Breakthroughs. Pt. 3, The New, Old Chinese Consumer: -- Barbie, Starbucks, And Cofco: An Introduction To Chinese Consumerism -- The New Middle Class: Constants And Variables -- China's Lower-tier Cities: Brighter Eyes, Bigger Markets -- China's Booming Luxury Market: Gold Mine Or Landmine? -- Car-crazy China: Where Ego And Anxiety Collide -- China's Senior Market: Gray Today, Golden Tomorrow -- China's Ambivalent Tiger Moms: When In Rome... -- Young Digital Lives: A Parallel Universe Of Ambitious Release -- The Chinese And Food: Survival And Success. Pt. 4, Chinese Society: -- Family And Country And Me: An Introduction To Chinese Society -- Codependence: China's Middle Class And The Communist Party -- The Long, Long March: Civil Society In China; The Sichuan Earthquake Aftermath: Forging A New Civil Society?; China's Dairy Scandal: Two Steps Back -- Life In Shanghai's Lanes: A Community Affair -- A Day At The Shanghai Zoo: Families In Action -- Christmas In China: Universal Release, Transactional Gain -- Ritualistic Observation: The Dark Matter Of Chinese Civilization -- Sex In China: Prudence And Prurience. Pt. 5, China And The World: -- Icons And Identity: An Introduction To China's Engagement With The World -- China's Worldview: Don't Rock Our Boat -- How China Sees America: Dangerous Love -- The Obama Brand In China: Beware Of Cool Cat; Standing Up In China; Dealing With Dissenters: Pragmatism, Not Passion -- The Beijing Olympics And Shanghai Expo: Party Power Plays; The Torch Relay: Friend Or Foe, China Perseveres; At The Opening Ceremony: China Reveals Its Soul; Shanghai's World Expo: An Internal Affair -- China And Its Neighbors: Colleagues, Not Friends; Japan And China: Contrasting Response To The Financial Crisis; Japan And China: Contrasting Response To Natural Disaster; A Note On South Korea; China And India: A Match Made In Heaven? Pt. 6, Epilogue: -- The Myths Of Modern China: -- Myth 1: Popular Anger Means The Party's Power Is Weakening -- Myth 2: American-style Individualism Is Taking Root -- Myth 3: Contemporary Chinese Have No Beliefs -- Myth 4: The Internet Will Revolutionize China -- Myth 5: The Chinese Market Is, Like Europe, Many Countries -- Myth 6: The Chinese Consumer Is Inscrutable -- Myth 7: The Chinese Growth Model Is In Critical Danger -- Myth 8: China Inc. Will Eat America's Lunch -- Myth 9: China Is The Twenty-first Century Superpower -- Myth 10: China Is Militarily Aggressive. Tom Doctoroff. Includes Index. Already the world's second biggest economy, China will one day not too far into the future supplant the United States economically. Western companies look at China's 1.3 billion potential customers with longing, particularly given the Chinese people's contemporary reverence of materialism and pursuit of consumer goods. Western businesspeople should welcome this comprehensive, enlightening guide to Chinese culture, corporations and consumers by J. Walter Thompson's lead China executive Tom Doctoroff. Early in his instructive compendium, Doctoroff wisely attempts to defuse any objections readers might have to learning about China from an advertising executive by pointing out that admen operate at the "intersection of commerce and culture." The expertise Doctoroff has gained from years of living and working in China hasn't hurt his efforts, either. He turns out to be an excellent, if sometimes redundant, guide to many aspects of commerce and life in this complex society. getAbstract recommends his densely informative overview to executives and managers conducting business in China China is a critical player in the global marketplace, but there is still widespread confusion about what really makes the country tick, even the Chinese have difficulty explaining their own 'Chineseness' to outsiders. In What Chinese Want, China expert Tom Doctoroff posits that China's distinguishing traits explain the country in profound ways.