There're more to life than just status symbols in China : Clear poll

Clear, a brand consultancy that is part of M&C Saatchi, has revealed the results of its second global study that compiled an international league of the world’s best-known brands and identified what creates, destroys or sustains brand desire. 

In the China leg of the study, 150 pre-selected brands were assessed in terms of overall desirability against 44 personality attributes.

Yannie Fu, director at Clear Asia summarised, “Brands such as Mercedes (number-one in the list), BMW, Lancome, Audi and HTC score particularly well in China compared to the rest of the world. A number of home-grown Chinese brands such as Yunnan Baiyao, Baidu and QQ also made it into the top 20".

More interestingly, the results show that Chinese consumers are no longer interested in brands purely as statements of their status. They are beginning to desire brands that embody the traits of being ambitious, modern, open-minded and confident, said Oliver Cartwright, Clear Asia’s regional managing director.

"Practical products that enable the consumer to meet day-to-day needs are becoming more desirable," Cartwright said. "Brand aspirations in China are no longer just about being foreign and fashionable. It's also increasingly about being clever, relevant, unique and empowering."

Even though iconic luxury brands such as Louis Vuitton and Rolex still sit firmly in the top 100 list in China, among them is a mix of names in different categories that are upping their brand equity in China simply because they offer practicality and relevance.

"Now, the Chinese don't want a designer label that just looks good, but things that make their lives better in a utilitarian sense—products that allow them to communicate better, play better, travel better, have better health, especially those that understand the value of hard-earned cash in society," Cartwright told Campaign Asia-Pacific.

In this fundamental regard to brand desire, Bank of China wins in the financial services category "partly because it's seen as the safest brand in a very sensible category," Cartwright pointed out. Local beer brand Tsingtao is seen not just as laid-back and sociable, but also reliable and reassuring. HTC and Samsung both scored very well because they have defined brand personalities that are practical and modern. In the online world, QQ is perceived as more imaginative and innovative than Facebook.

In particular, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) brand Yunnan Baiyao made a surprising appearance as the sixth most desirable brand in China. The household brand is known domestically for treating injured soldiers during World War II and the Vietnam War. "Yunnan Baiyao is highly respected in China due to its provenance, and more relevant than Western brands," Cartwright said.

Compared to their counterparts in the rest of the world, Chinese consumers also rank high on the savviness scale. "They weigh their options and spend their money where they see the most value, more so than other emerging countries on a similar growth trajectory," Cartwright said.

Conducted across 25 cities under different tiers, the study consisted of online interviews with more than 2,800 middle-class Chinese consumers with university education earning at least US$15,857 (RMB100,000) per annum, with a median age of 37.