Cynthia Chan - Chinas New Culture of Cool: Understanding the worlds fastest-growing market

Understanding the worlds fastest-growing market

Lianne Yu
Cynthia Chan
Christopher Ireland

Chinas New Culture of Cool: Understanding the worlds fastest-growing market
Lianne Yu, Cynthia Chan, and Christopher Ireland

New Riders
1249 Eighth Street
Berkeley, CA 94710
510/524-2178, 800/283-9444
510/524-2221 (fax)

Find us on the Web at: www.newriders.com
To report errors, please send a note to

New Riders is an imprint of Peachpit, a division of Pearson Education

Copyright 2007 by Cheskin

Interior Design: Ralph Fowler
Composition: WolfsonDesign

Notice of Rights

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher. For information on getting permission for reprints and excerpts, contact .

Notice of Liability

The information in this book is distributed on an As Is basis without warranty. While every precaution has been taken in the preparation of the book, neither the author nor Peachpit shall have any liability to any person or entity with respect to any loss or damage caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly by the instructions contained in this book or by the computer software and hardware products described in it.

Trademarks

Adobe and Photoshop are registered trademarks of Adobe Systems Incorporated in the United States and/or other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners Many of the designations used by manufacturers and sellers to distinguish their products are claimed as trademarks. Where those designations appear in this book, and Peachpit was aware of a trademark claim, the designations appear as requested by the owner of the trademark. All other product names and services identified throughout this book are used in editorial fashion only and for the benefit of such companies with no intention of infringement of the trademark. No such use, or the use of any trade name, is intended to convey endorsement or other affiliation with this book.

ISBN 0-321-45344-1

9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Printed and bound in the United States of America

First and foremost, this is a book about people: the young adults of China. Told with great insight and deep affection for China, this is a must-read, easy-to-understand book for both business and pleasure travel to a fascinating country. Drawing on their social science backgrounds, decades of studying people around the globe, and ten years of study of this extraordinary and changing place, the authors bring to life the people, the culture, the traditions, and changes. If you have time to read only one book before going, this is the one to choose.

Carolyn Fuson, Sr. Research Manager, Windows Live, Microsoft Corporation

For those who seek out sensible orientation and extensive updates on Chinas consumers insightsread it! You will get to know what Chinas young consumers consider cool within their own cultural context and unique lifestyles. This is a very intuitive book that increases our insight into the fast-emerging and ever-transforming China market.

Ben Tsiang, Co-Founder & Executive VP, SINA (Chinas largest web portal)

This is a guidebook that will clarify navigating this exciting journey through Chinas culture of cool created by its youth. It is a perfect read for those desiring an understanding of the effects the enormous change has brought to China throughout the last decade, as seen through their perspective. Technology, food, fashion are the areas that provide global inspiration for innovation and imagination. A necessary read.

Richard Saul Wurman, Creator of the TED and eg Conferences

Having seen the Chinese consumer revolution unfold in front of my eyes for the last 10 years, I find this book a must-read for any marketer committed to understanding the Chinese consumer experience.

Bernd Schmitt, Author, Customer Experience Management

The future is created by the young, and Chinas New Culture of Cool is our first real portal into the mindset of Chinas young people today and their impact on the emerging China economy of tomorrow.

Moira Gunn, Host, Tech Nation on NPR Talk

Clear, direct and insightful commentary about the seismic market shift thats occurring on the other side of the planet. An invaluable resource!

Clement Mok, Director of Global Design Planning/Sapient

This book paints a vivid picture of how the young and entrepreneurial in China are driving change in its cities. Reading it is the next best thing to going there and experiencing it yourself.

Jon Jerde, FAIA, Founder and Chairman, The Jerde Partnership

Hurry and read Chinas New Culture of Cool. My wife and I signed the first shoe contract with China in 1974. Now over 80 percent of all shoes sold in the U.S. are made in China. Along with that statistic, there are millions more cell phones in China than people in the U.S. These inspiring insights show how youth can change the way we all live, as we seek our own future.

Cabell Brand, Chairman, Cabell Brand Center for International Poverty and Resource Studies

Many thanks to my co-authors for an amazing experience and to my colleagues at Cheskin, who supported us during the writing of this book by staunchly defending our right to a good work-life balance. I am especially grateful to Katherine Lee for her gorgeous photos and insights into youth culture, and to Tony Senna for his willingness to tackle anything new. Shirley Yang and everyone at Hyperlink made my research in China feel nearly effortless. Thanks to my family, who never quite know what Im up to but support me wholeheartedly; to Mel, fellow huaqiao and grungy backpacker across China; and to Heiko, for taking me scuba diving whenever I needed a break. During my 1990-1991 stay at Beijing University, I was fortunate to meet many remarkable Chinese students and teachers who generously welcomed me into their lives. I dedicate this book to them.

LiAnne Yu

Painting is one of the four traditional arts in Chinese culture, and as I worked with my co-authors, LiAnne and Christopher, numerous other people supported me in painting this memorable piece. My heartfelt thanks go to my Cheskin colleagues, especially Katherine Lee and Tony Senna, whose many stories from their China trips added richness and detail to our content. I also want to acknowledge my longtime friends Agnes Ip, Cynthia Lam, Susan Wong, and Michael Dundas for their generosity in sharing their insights about China, introducing me to their friends, and giving me firsthand exposure to the emerging, rapidly changing culture of cool in China. Additional thanks to my friends at Consumer Search in China, who tolerated my endless requests for photos, interviews, and information while writing this book. And how could I not thank my family, who placed full confidence and support in my storytelling endeavor? A huge xie xie to everyone on my guanxi list!

Cynthia Chan

This book has been a joy to write, mainly due to my remarkable co-authors, LiAnne Yu and Cynthia Chan, who seemed to be available to collaborate at all hours of the day or night. An equally remarkable resource was Terri Ducay, who agonized over the quality and placement of every single photograph in this book and improved images taken from racing taxi cabs, in poor light, or after one too many Tsingtao beers. Without her experienced eye and saintly patience, this would book would have jagged edges. I also wish to acknowledge the generosity of my colleagues at Cheskin who excused me from normal day-to-day tasks as I worked on this book. And last but certainly not least, the good-humored tolerance of my family, who asked me to please write the next book from someplace other than our living room.