NiHao from China

Andrew Silver, China

Hi, I’m Andrew Silver and I’ll be the China correspondent for our Consumer ACTIONism blog. I am the General Manager of Pegasus Communications, Edelman’s consumer firm in China. This is my second stint in the PRC as I formerly led Edelman’s Shanghai office from 2001-2004. So, while my time here may not make me a true China hand, I’m hoping I’ve got enough China experience to make this a somewhat interesting read from time to time. I’ve focused on consumer brand marketing and public relations over the course of my career both here and in the US and have been fortunate enough to work with some great clients over the years including P&G and Unilever brands as well as Nike, General Mills, Starbucks, BMW and others.

My desire is to give those outside of China a bit of knowledge and information on what’s happening with Chinese consumers and how brands and companies are engaging with them. So, for the first post I thought I’d lay out some broad trends and observations and then begin to dive into each of them on subsequent posts hopefully sprinkling in some interviews with brand marketers, media and some actual consumers.

Here are two things worth watching about Chinese consumers:

1. Optimism. While consumers in the rest of the world are pulling back to the recession, the Chinese people are bolstered by strong confidence in their government and business sectors to according to latest Edelman Trust Barometer data for China. All you have to do is look at the sales increase that GM is experiencing here to get a sense of consumer optimism.

2. Desire for Social Purpose. According to Edelman’s Good Purpose study, 85% of Chinese are actively involved in social causes and are willing to pay more for brands that match their commitment. Many companies operating in China have robust “CSR” efforts including two of our clients, PepsiCo and BMW.
We believe the time is right to now connect those initiatives on a consumer level to drive purchase and loyalty.

Thanks for taking the time to read my introductory post. I’d welcome your ideas and suggestions on future topics, interviews, etc.