(Source: https://pltfrm.com.cn)
Introduction
Overseas brands often struggle to understand what drives Chinese consumers. Qualitative insights provide a deeper understanding of motivations, helping brands design products and campaigns that meet real needs and resonate emotionally. These insights are critical for achieving loyalty, advocacy, and long-term success in China.
1. Uncovering Emotional and Practical Drivers
1.1 Interviews and Storytelling
Method: Conduct in-depth interviews and ask consumers to share personal experiences with products.
Benefit: Reveals emotional and practical triggers that influence brand choice and satisfaction.
1.2 Prioritizing Insights
Approach: Identify which drivers are most influential for purchase and loyalty decisions.
Outcome: Enables brands to focus on features, messages, and experiences that matter most.
2. Observational Studies for Contextual Understanding
2.1 Retail Observation
Method: Monitor product interactions, handling, and engagement in stores.
Insight: Provides direct evidence of what excites or deters consumers during the shopping journey.
2.2 Home and Workplace Testing
Tip: Observe product usage in daily environments to capture real-world motivations and challenges.
Benefit: Supports product refinement and ensures alignment with consumer needs.
3. Group Insights Through Focus Discussions
3.1 Collective Trends
Method: Conduct focus groups segmented by demographics to identify common motivations.
Advantage: Helps brands understand shared preferences and emerging trends within target segments.
3.2 Prototype Evaluation
Action: Test product concepts, marketing campaigns, or packaging designs for emotional and practical resonance.
Outcome: Informs adjustments before broader market launch.
4. Digital Feedback and Analysis
4.1 Social Listening
Technique: Track online sentiment, reviews, and discussions to capture motivations expressed digitally.
Benefit: Provides real-time insights into consumer attitudes and emerging trends.
4.2 Influencer Validation
Tip: Engage KOLs to test messaging and validate emotional and practical drivers.
Outcome: Ensures marketing strategies are credible, culturally aligned, and resonant.
Case Study: Skincare Brand
An overseas skincare brand conducted interviews and home-use testing with female consumers in Beijing. Consumers highlighted product safety, natural ingredients, and visible results as the strongest purchase motivators. Adjusting marketing campaigns to emphasize these benefits led to a 35% increase in trial adoption and stronger brand loyalty.
Conclusion
Understanding consumer motivations through qualitative insights enables overseas brands to design targeted products, campaigns, and experiences that resonate with Chinese consumers. By combining interviews, observation, focus groups, and digital analysis, brands can align offerings with real drivers of purchase and loyalty.
PLTFRM is an international brand consulting agency that works with companies such as Red, TikTok, Tmall, Baidu, and other well-known Chinese internet e-commerce platforms. We have been working with Chile Cherries for many years, reaching Chinese consumers in depth through different platforms and realizing that Chile Cherries’ exports in China account for 97% of the total exports in Asia. Contact us, and we will help you find the best China e-commerce platform for you. Search PLTFRM for a free consultation!
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