China Pulse - September 2016

Macro Economy Data of H1 2016 China

China’s economy showed moderate but steady growth with a year-on-year Gross Domestic Product (GDP) increase of 6.7 percent at comparable prices in Q2 2016.

In 2016/Jun., Consumer Price Index (CPI) went up by 1.9% Year Over Year (YOY), Manufacturing Purchasing Manager Index (PMI) slightly up at 53.7%; Consumer Confidence Index (CCI) slightly down at 104.

Beauty & Skin Care Consumption Features of Women in China's First- and Second-tier Cities

With the awakening of fine living and fashion consciousness, Chinese female consumers' demand for skin care and beauty develops constantly. What kind of skin care and beauty demand do they have? What are the features of their product function demand? Recently, Ipsos has conducted a survey among 600 Chinese female consumers in China's first- and second-tier cities to analyse and disclose female consumers' beauty & skin care consumption features and trends.

1. There is an obvious demand for skincare product segmentation
2. It shows a sustained growth of investment in skin care products and demand for anti-aging
3. The green organic market witnesses a strong demand
4. Strong Brand Awareness
5. Women aged 31-40 have the strongest demand for makeup
6. It shows a high degree of acceptance to plastics

Read more.

Secrets about Car Purchasers Who were Born in 1990s

The new generation wants control over their own world. They just can't sit in the back of the car. They want to have their hands on the steering wheel. They want their own life of mobility.

“The people born in 1990s are now buying cars!”

Out of a sudden, the non-mainstream post-1990 generation are now growing up. In the past, they were remembered as the people who spoke a Martian language. The new generation wants control over their own world. They just can't sit in the back of the car. They want to have their hands on the steering wheel. They want their own life of mobility.

Read more.

How to Seize the Heart of Yummy Mummy?

Marketing to the new generation of mothers in China has always been a hot spot of many FMCG and maternal-child brands. As a special group, these new mothers are mainly constituted of post-85s and post-90s growing up in the era of Internet. How do they apply the media? What are their considerations when making purchase decisions? How should a brand respond to these habits?

Decoding Cashless Mobile Life

This report aims to present in all dimensions the current situation and ongoing trend of the mobile payment development, and provide insights and suggestions for brands in mobile marketing.

• North China (95%) and South China (96%) saw the highest rate of mobile payment, followed by Northeast (86%) and between 89% and 91% in other areas.
• It was the highest in 1st-tier cities (96%) and the lowest in 3rd-tier cities (83%).
• 37% of women carried less than 100 yuan in cash, and it was 29% with men.

2016 Rio Olympics Sponsorship Tracking Report (Phase IV): Ad Performance Evaluation

Event marketing has been proved to be very effective by many enterprises, and Olympics in particular, as the world's most famous sports event, has unmatched marketing value either to sales or brand building and enhancement, as was proved by Yili, Lenovo, and Coca Cola during the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. Though the 2016 Olympic Games are to be held in Rio de Janeiro, it will have worldwide influence. Many Chinese enterprises sponsor Chinese Olympic Committee and Chinese athletes to show their support to sports undertakings in China and also to promote their own brand to a higher level.

Olympic sponsorship tracking launched by Ipsos involves multi-angle and timely research on enterprises' sponsorship, their marketing activities, the impact on their brand sales and promotion. The research will last from February to August 2016, during which accurate surveillance will be conducted to sponsors' online marketing campaigns.

Ad performance analysis

The overall cognition and brand association of Coca Cola and Yili's Olympic ads are rather good. Despite the good overall cognition of Ice Dew Water and 361 Sport, their brand association is low.

It has been sometime after the Rio Olympics, but the reflection on Olympics marketing will continue. What are our expectations for Tokyo Olympics in 2020?