Showing posts with label Contemporary Chinese Culture. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Contemporary Chinese Culture. Show all posts
Saturday, November 3, 2007
Kev's Thoughts On... China's Cultural Development Part II
I call this posting Part II because I wrote in September about China's changes in media consumption in the past decade, and how it has changed an entire generation (and its sub-generations). This edition is less media and more social, but goes hand-in-hand with the media consumption changes experienced in China the last decade. I do recommend going back and checking out the earlier posting, if only to give more context and substance to what I write here.
Melody was reading a Chinese movie magazine the other day and commented on an article comemorating the 10 year anniversary of the movie Titanic (it came out in 1997 if you can remember). What the article said and what Melody and I went on to discuss was to me very revealing. For the mainland Chinese, Titanic represented a milestone or turning point in China cinematic-viewership history. While Chinese had access to foreign -Hollywood- films before 1997, it was Titanic that really experienced widespread popularity and put American movie-making in the hearts and minds of Chinese citizens.
Titanic as a watershed event is several-fold:
1) It was the first major hollywood movie to be shown nation-wide in Chinese theatres, thereby giving the entire Chinese populace full exposure to the 'splendor' of Hollywood film making, and creating a precedent for future Hollywood films to be shown nation-wide in Chinese cinemas
2) Through the Titanic story, a clear Western "Love will conquer all" theme (rooted in 19th century French Bohemianism) was projected to the minds and pragmatic culture of the Chinese
3) Titanic auspiciously opened right when mass-market China began purchasing Personal Computers for home entertainment consumption (this is where reading my posting in September comes in with context). The rise of PCs in China creates a boom in the derivative VCD and later DVD markets, and ensures that a Titanic VCD can be found on sale within 100 metres of wherever you stand in China for the next few years. The Titanic VCD also gives way to China's burgeoning fascination with Hollywood cinema, and is in part a factor (I won't say how big or small) to the issues we have today with China's counterfeit movie market
4) It made Leonardo DiCaprio, and yes, Celine Dion, a household name.
While all these points can in of themselves evolve into lengthy discussions, I was most intrigued by the idea that it is this newest generation -- the generation that grew up with the PC and the emerging media channels that followed it -- is the same generation that grew up with the rise of American popular movie culture. It is this same generation that has spent a lot more time observing, scrutinizing, and oftentimes absorbing the norms and idealistic dreams that we ourselves have grown up with. And while most of us will nod our heads in agreement and say this is an obvious observation, I find this Titanic issue a very convenient marker for further differentiating what I had earlier labeled the "Transitional Generation". For me, this Transitional Generation (this year aged 21 to 31) is not only the post-TV culture (aka PC culture), but the post-Titanic culture. To emphasize the importance of the Titanic marker, consider that before this movie came out, the only commonly-known American actor was Arnold Schwartzenegger, and the major influence on popular culture from movies came from the Hong Kong studios rather than from Hollywood. Those I call the Transitional Generation were young enough (i.e. still in school) that they had enough time and exposure to post-Titanic Hollywood films to have a chance at incorporating some of the Western ideas and themes into their own personal and sub-group culture.
The bottom line from all this talk about Titanic, is that we are beginning to see a whole fundamentally different generation emerge into the workplace. One that not only uses media differently, but one that is drawing on a much higher reliance --and perhaps alliance-- on American culture. And now the most interesting questions can be asked: 1) how much of western culture has this Transitional Generation really absorbed 2) what part of western-movie themes enamours this generation (ie. bohemianism, happy-endings, freedom, unity, etc.) 3) what role has the infusion of western-movie themes had in the incorporation with traditional Chinese culture?
These questions I don't think anyone can diffinitively answer, although they are each perhaps billion-dollar questions business-wise, and questions I am certainly trying to answer for myself. As I learn more, I will share it with you here on my blog.
So while most of us can barely believe its been 10 years since Titanic came out, give it another thought and think about all the movies and new culture we have incorporated into our lexicon and contemporary society. Remember that it is only these relatively new films and cinematic themes (like Matrix, Star Wars Episode 1, 2, 3 but NOT 4, 5, 6; Mission Impossible, Men in Black, Lion King, Saving Private Ryan, the American Pie franchise) that are having profound impacts on contemporary Chinese culture.
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Kev's Thoughts On... China's hero-worship as a reflection of its Unilateralist or Multilateralist attitude
China as a Unilateralist or Multilateralist nation: A reflection of Hero-worship?
This question of China as a unilateral or multilateral nation is a popular discussion point with those familiar with Asia Pacific foreign affairs. For some reason I was dwelling on this issue the past few days; I think as a consequence of watching some American movies and news reports.
My point of interest is the incessant need for Americans to erect heroes in every situation; the need for clear protagonists and antagonists. When watching American movies it is almost a certainty that the main character and the major struggle is identified within the first twenty minutes. In television syndication, it is even shorter.
The fact that there are protagonists and struggles is not the issue, rather it is the American tendency to enunciate a singular protagonist and a singular struggle for the audience to quickly and easily identify with. While fictional stories may be forgivable, I find it a little bit disturbing to witness current events and historical accounts framed with singular heroes and singular struggles. When dwelling on this, I found that there is a visible correlation between a culture of hero-worship and a nation’s tendency for unilateralism. The lone cowboy, the American soldier righting other nation’s wrongs, even the pure-hearted politician making idealistic orations to make the world a better place. In viewing American iconography in this perspective, it is clear how a unilateralist-prone populace could arise.
Thus my thoughts turn to China. The question of whether China is prone to become a Unilateral or Multilateral nation depends on the identity and perspective of its popular culture. This I feel, can be observed from the state of a nation’s hero-worship. If popular culture is fixated on hero-worship that promotes protagonist-antagonist framework, then unilateral sentiments can be expected; that is, if popular culture is given a chance to voice its opinion. So what about China? What is the extent of it’s hero worship?
Looking at socio-cultural history, certain figures quickly rise to recognition: Emperor Huang Taiji of the Qin, Zhu GeLiang or CaoCao of Three Kingdoms Period, Confucius, and more recently, Mao Zedong. Definitely hero worship. Yet in examining these acclaimed Chinese heroes, I see a stark difference between them and their American counterparts. The Chinese heroes were heroes because of their domestic accomplishments. The Huang Taiji was the first emperor to unify China, Zhu GeLiang and CaoCao tried to do the same, Confucius taught filial piety, the preeminent Chinese domestic philosophy; and Mao Zedong is still celebrated for rebuffing the Japanese and resolving civil war. China indulges in hero-worship, but the perspective is predominantly domestic. And within China’s hero-worship, it is not always clear singular heroes over singular struggles. China’s emphasis and celebration has always been around order and civility. It has been about celebrating architects of the domestic system. You will be hard pressed to find Chinese heroes celebrated for their foreign policies. China’s isolationist past is clear evidence of this notion.
With China’s rapid development in recent years, and its necessary integration into the world stage, has the nation’s hero-worship changed as well? And what does this indicate about China’s future as unilateralist or multilateralist? Hu Jintao’s actions are visibly multilateralist, with the entrance into the WTO, participation in ASEAN +3, the North Korean WMD talks and increasing partnerships within Africa. But the Chinese people now look to popular culture instead of politics for their heroes.
Perhaps the most promoted and well-known hero today is the basketball player Yao Ming. He still reigns supreme. The on-going joke he replies when asked by reporters why his jersey is currently selling only second-best in China: “Because everyone already has one of mine.” Since the last Olympics in 2004, a plethora of other athletes have followed in Yao’s footsteps and have been aggressively promoted to the Chinese public. In fact, Chinese heroes in all sporting industries are popping up, even in the world of golf, snooker and F1 racing.
In the business realm, Chinese heroes have also arisen to carry the torch of China’s aspirations. People like Li YanHong and Robin Li, founders of Baidu.com, or famed entrepreneur Joe Chen, founder of Oak Pacific Interactive, which owns many popular Chinese social-networking sites, or Pan ShiYi and wife Zhang Xin, the Donald Trumps of China. These and many others make headlines beyond the business section.
And then there is the pop culture. China now embraces an integrated landscape of Asia-Pacific stars. From Hong Kong and Taiwan to Japan and Korea, many regional overseas celebrities have fan followings in Mainland China. The most interesting example is Takeshi Kaneshiro, a Japanese-born Taiwanese-Chinese, the Brad Pitt of Asia. He, along with Jay Chou and many others are setting the standard for being a trans-regional superstar. Mainland China is also coming up with their own home-grown stars too. Not only in movies but specialized categories, Mainland Chinese are defining themselves. Lang Lang, the international concert pianist is one example that comes to mind. Then there are also the real global international Chinese names. Ang Lee just won the top Golden Lion award at the prestigious Venice Film Festival last month (Aug. 2007) for his new erotic spy thriller, ‘Lust, Caution’. His equally famous counterpart, Zhang Yimou, was the film festival’s jury chairperson. Among other directors considered for the top title were Chen Kaige and Jia Zhangke.
China’s hero-worship is certainly diversifying in recent years, mimicking its entrance onto the world-stage. What I see from these examples of contemporary Chinese heroes, and many others unmentioned, is a Chinese hero-worship in the context of regional and international competition. The Chinese popular success-story is the Chinese winner of a competitive international forum or contest. Whether in athletics, business, or pop-arts stardom, its about individual example of excellence on the world stage. What does that mean for the unilateral vs. multilateral discussion? If nation-states indeed act based on the support of their general populace, then a population like China’s, who at the moment most identifies with being the best while following the rules of an international competition, would most approve of its own nation acting like a winner within the guidelines of the global architecture. This attitude falls within the middle of the unilateral-multilateral spectrum, where China would find popular support to act as a multilateralist when it comes to managing and improving the global infrastructure, but also find popular support to act as a unilateralist when it comes to playing the competitive game within established frameworks.
And thus we see China’s foreign policy reflect it’s hero-worship: entrepreneurial, opportunistic, and striving to be ‘best-in-show’ on the world stage. A nation that has no quivers about dancing around the unilateral-multilateral scale because that’s just how it’s people likes it.
This question of China as a unilateral or multilateral nation is a popular discussion point with those familiar with Asia Pacific foreign affairs. For some reason I was dwelling on this issue the past few days; I think as a consequence of watching some American movies and news reports.
My point of interest is the incessant need for Americans to erect heroes in every situation; the need for clear protagonists and antagonists. When watching American movies it is almost a certainty that the main character and the major struggle is identified within the first twenty minutes. In television syndication, it is even shorter.
The fact that there are protagonists and struggles is not the issue, rather it is the American tendency to enunciate a singular protagonist and a singular struggle for the audience to quickly and easily identify with. While fictional stories may be forgivable, I find it a little bit disturbing to witness current events and historical accounts framed with singular heroes and singular struggles. When dwelling on this, I found that there is a visible correlation between a culture of hero-worship and a nation’s tendency for unilateralism. The lone cowboy, the American soldier righting other nation’s wrongs, even the pure-hearted politician making idealistic orations to make the world a better place. In viewing American iconography in this perspective, it is clear how a unilateralist-prone populace could arise.
Thus my thoughts turn to China. The question of whether China is prone to become a Unilateral or Multilateral nation depends on the identity and perspective of its popular culture. This I feel, can be observed from the state of a nation’s hero-worship. If popular culture is fixated on hero-worship that promotes protagonist-antagonist framework, then unilateral sentiments can be expected; that is, if popular culture is given a chance to voice its opinion. So what about China? What is the extent of it’s hero worship?
Looking at socio-cultural history, certain figures quickly rise to recognition: Emperor Huang Taiji of the Qin, Zhu GeLiang or CaoCao of Three Kingdoms Period, Confucius, and more recently, Mao Zedong. Definitely hero worship. Yet in examining these acclaimed Chinese heroes, I see a stark difference between them and their American counterparts. The Chinese heroes were heroes because of their domestic accomplishments. The Huang Taiji was the first emperor to unify China, Zhu GeLiang and CaoCao tried to do the same, Confucius taught filial piety, the preeminent Chinese domestic philosophy; and Mao Zedong is still celebrated for rebuffing the Japanese and resolving civil war. China indulges in hero-worship, but the perspective is predominantly domestic. And within China’s hero-worship, it is not always clear singular heroes over singular struggles. China’s emphasis and celebration has always been around order and civility. It has been about celebrating architects of the domestic system. You will be hard pressed to find Chinese heroes celebrated for their foreign policies. China’s isolationist past is clear evidence of this notion.
With China’s rapid development in recent years, and its necessary integration into the world stage, has the nation’s hero-worship changed as well? And what does this indicate about China’s future as unilateralist or multilateralist? Hu Jintao’s actions are visibly multilateralist, with the entrance into the WTO, participation in ASEAN +3, the North Korean WMD talks and increasing partnerships within Africa. But the Chinese people now look to popular culture instead of politics for their heroes.
Perhaps the most promoted and well-known hero today is the basketball player Yao Ming. He still reigns supreme. The on-going joke he replies when asked by reporters why his jersey is currently selling only second-best in China: “Because everyone already has one of mine.” Since the last Olympics in 2004, a plethora of other athletes have followed in Yao’s footsteps and have been aggressively promoted to the Chinese public. In fact, Chinese heroes in all sporting industries are popping up, even in the world of golf, snooker and F1 racing.
In the business realm, Chinese heroes have also arisen to carry the torch of China’s aspirations. People like Li YanHong and Robin Li, founders of Baidu.com, or famed entrepreneur Joe Chen, founder of Oak Pacific Interactive, which owns many popular Chinese social-networking sites, or Pan ShiYi and wife Zhang Xin, the Donald Trumps of China. These and many others make headlines beyond the business section.
And then there is the pop culture. China now embraces an integrated landscape of Asia-Pacific stars. From Hong Kong and Taiwan to Japan and Korea, many regional overseas celebrities have fan followings in Mainland China. The most interesting example is Takeshi Kaneshiro, a Japanese-born Taiwanese-Chinese, the Brad Pitt of Asia. He, along with Jay Chou and many others are setting the standard for being a trans-regional superstar. Mainland China is also coming up with their own home-grown stars too. Not only in movies but specialized categories, Mainland Chinese are defining themselves. Lang Lang, the international concert pianist is one example that comes to mind. Then there are also the real global international Chinese names. Ang Lee just won the top Golden Lion award at the prestigious Venice Film Festival last month (Aug. 2007) for his new erotic spy thriller, ‘Lust, Caution’. His equally famous counterpart, Zhang Yimou, was the film festival’s jury chairperson. Among other directors considered for the top title were Chen Kaige and Jia Zhangke.
China’s hero-worship is certainly diversifying in recent years, mimicking its entrance onto the world-stage. What I see from these examples of contemporary Chinese heroes, and many others unmentioned, is a Chinese hero-worship in the context of regional and international competition. The Chinese popular success-story is the Chinese winner of a competitive international forum or contest. Whether in athletics, business, or pop-arts stardom, its about individual example of excellence on the world stage. What does that mean for the unilateral vs. multilateral discussion? If nation-states indeed act based on the support of their general populace, then a population like China’s, who at the moment most identifies with being the best while following the rules of an international competition, would most approve of its own nation acting like a winner within the guidelines of the global architecture. This attitude falls within the middle of the unilateral-multilateral spectrum, where China would find popular support to act as a multilateralist when it comes to managing and improving the global infrastructure, but also find popular support to act as a unilateralist when it comes to playing the competitive game within established frameworks.
And thus we see China’s foreign policy reflect it’s hero-worship: entrepreneurial, opportunistic, and striving to be ‘best-in-show’ on the world stage. A nation that has no quivers about dancing around the unilateral-multilateral scale because that’s just how it’s people likes it.
Friday, September 14, 2007
Kev's Thoughts On... China's New Media Consumption
China’s New-Media Consumption: What’s being consumed and Who’s consuming it?
It is often surprising to realize the hyper-growth in China’s media landscape began only ten years ago. Today, Television still enjoys the highest penetration rates, near 100%. However it is the younger generations, dictating an ever-increasingly larger proportion of China’s disposable income, who are growing further accustomed and attracted to New Media, meaning less time spent with traditional channels. The following is a synopsis of China’s major New Media movements and an analysis on the identity of the Chinese New Media consumer.
China’s New-Media Buzz & New-Media Consumption
1) Communicative, Multi-media handhelds: Convergence in the high-end, expansion of the low-end
Communication handhelds, namely mobile phones, have over 30% penetration rate with 437 million mobile phone users, and the growth rate is expected to steadily rise for the next 5 years. Technological convergence is giving communication devices more multi-media capabilities and multi-media devices more communication capabilities. High-end handheld devices continue to integrate functions and redefine ‘standard’ and ‘luxury’ for the media channel.
On the other end of the spectrum, major competition has erupted for the growing low-end mobile phone market. As China develops, more low-wage citizens find their financial situation improving. Each year millions of first-time mobile phone buyers enter the market. Thus competition is fierce to grab the new pieces of the pie.
Convergence will mean for advertisers some cannibalization of consumers who currently own both multi-media and communication handhelds. However the over-shadowing opportunity is the cross-sell/acquisition of new consumers to multi-media exposure who were originally pure-communication handheld users. At the same time, growth in low-end pure-communication handhelds can also benefit advertisers who use targeted text-messaging (SMS) advertisements effectively. The increasing penetration of talk & text-only phones means greater emphasis can be given to ad campaigns requiring consumer SMS participation.
2) The Chinese Internet Universe: Homegrown Champions
With 162 million Internet users in 2007 and year-over-year growth last year of 23.4%, the Internet is the greatest excitement and buzz for Chinese media development. While it is dependent on its enablers, such as PC and mobile communication devices, the strong growth of these media outlets is in large part fueled by the growing popularity of the Internet. In China, Internet users demonstrate their desire to be connected not only by the number of new users each year, but also the growing speed at which they connect. About two-thirds of Chinese use broadband connections, up 45% from last year. At the heart of the growing number of uploads and downloads are China’s homegrown Internet portals. Not only do Chinese embrace everything Web 2.0, they are doing it on their own terms. Time and again we see in the current environment, Chinese versions of popular web functions beating their original foreign counterparts. Here is a short list of the most popular to date:
Homegrown Champions
Virtual World (Social/Gaming): HiPiHi + Shanda/UOneNet/Frenzoo/Yilu/Entropia + City of Beijing/Leeuu (Romantic Chateau)
Online Search/Barter: Baidu/Taobao/Alibaba/Sina/Sohu
Web 2.0 Uploads (Blogs, Vlogs, Space, Photoshare): Sina Blogs/Sohu Blogs/Tudou/Rox/Mop/UUme/+ about 150 others
Constant vigilance must be given to the explosive developments in the Chinese Internet space. Not only should advertisers partner to create new avenues of reaching users/viewers, but also great attention should be paid to the content generated by Chinese Web 2.0 sites. These forums are the fastest and cheapest ways to gather consumer insight and reactions. In a country still heavily censored, these virtual worlds represent places with the least amount of restrictions, hence the greatest amount of genuine expression. In addition, because of the growing Chinese fixation with user-generated content, and the reduced cost-structure associated with it, Advertisers should consider deepening participation in online content production.
Media Dichotomy: Over 31 vs. Under 31
Much attention, money and effort is being invested in the emerging media channels. However advertisers must realize that other than pure communication handhelds, new media is only reaching a very specific segment of the Chinese population. Indeed new media is transforming media consumption in China for generations to come, but the large majority of China today does not participate. The major dichotomy is between Chinese who are aged 31 (1976)∗ this year or older, and those younger than 31. Those over 31 get significantly more of their media consumption from traditional media, while under-31 consumers spend exponentially more time with emerging media.
The major reason for this rapid shift in media consumption stems from an individual’s age and life-position during the years from 1996 to 1999. 1996-97 were the years personal computer use and proliferation transitioned from early adopters to mass market. 1998-99 were the years the Internet likewise gained widespread popularity. Those now aged 31 or over were in 1996-99 entering or already in the workforce. This means they have grown up without computers or the Internet as a source of recreation, and were introduced to these new media outlets in a work environment. Those under 31 would have been introduced to computers and the Internet some time while they were still students and more likely to have begun exploring these platforms in a recreational setting.
The way the computer and the Internet were introduced into an individual’s life has profound influences on how they consume media today. The most profound difference lies between over-31’s who are primary consumers of traditional media, while under-31’s increasingly rely on new media for their content consumption.
The Transitional Generation
Even for Chinese under 31 years old this year, there is a massive amount of differentiation among breadth and depth of participation with new media. Again, an important factor to examine is the age at which these individuals were introduced to the computer and the Internet. The Chinese who are this year aged 20 to 30, are the Transitional-Media Generation. Their age and situation during 1996-99 determines the amount of recreational/social time as students they would have had to grow familiar with the new technology and its full potential. If young enough, they would also have had a chance to have computer and Internet exposure within the classroom, further enamoring this generation to the new media channels.
School Level in 96-97/Age in 96-97/PC Era (96-97): Age Now/Net Era (98-99): Age Now/Typical Media Consumption(Traditional)[New Media]
Primary/7-13/17-23/15-21/(TV(h)) [Game, Chat, D/l, Novel, SMS, GamesP, MusicP]
Junior/13-15/23-25/21-23/(TV(h)) [Game, Chat, Buy(s), D/l, Blog, Novel(s), Info, SMS, Phone(s), PicSMS, GamesP, Port. Music.]
High/16-18/26-28/24-26/(TV) [Game(s), Chat, Buy(s), D/l, Blog(s), Novel, Info, Phone, SMS, PicSMS, GamesP, Port. Music.]
Bach/19-22/29-32/27-30/(TV, Series, DVD(h)) [Chat, Stream, Blog(s), Novel(s), Info, Phone, SMS, Game(s), Port. Music(s)]
Work or Mast/23+/33+/31+/(TV, Series, DVD) [Chat(s), Info, Phone]
Note: TV= Television; Game=Online Interactive Gaming; Chat=IM; D/l=Download (music, movie, tv); Novel=Online Novels; SMS=Mobile Text Messaging; GamesP=Mobile Gaming; MusicP=MP3 on phone; Buy=Online Purchase; Blog=Online Blogging; Info= Online information, esp. News, Specific Information; PicSMS=Phone Pictures sent by SMS; Phone=Chatting on cellular phone; Port. Music=Separate Portable Music Player; Series=Television Series; DVD=Buying DVDs; (h)=Half as likely; (s)=Seldom
Discussion on the Transitional Generation
We can reaffirm that TV still holds the most broad penetration, but it is evident that younger and younger generations are spending more of their time, and getting exposure to media elsewhere. A national ad campaign will continue to have a TV component, but China’s current interest in Mobile convergence and Web 2.0 are reflections of where media-channel developers see and feel consumers are headed.
An important observation is the strong upload-download culture that gains strength as the generation gets younger; demonstrating the intensifying proliferation of computers and Internet in the years after 2000. While advertisers can heavily capitalize on the successful download culture, the new heights reached by Chinese blogs in the past year show the upload culture is just as, if not more, lucrative. The major caveat for Advertisers in China when engaging with the uploading culture is the censorship issue in China. This differs from America, where the online rhetoric has always been ‘Freedom of Speech’. Advertisers in China must be weary of how to manage the risks their brands assume when playing in the ‘upload’ arena. If a brand is found to be associated with an ill-favored political upload, the repercussions will likely be more extreme than just the banning of the user-generated upload along with the ad campaign. Government relations and ultimately business operations in China can be jeopardized.
Chat and Mobile Phones continue to be used most profusely within all sub-categories; however, the functions used in the mobile phone get progressively more interactive and complex as the generation gets younger. The natural explanation supports the observation made in this analysis that earlier exposure to New Media as a recreational resource catalyses depth and breadth of New Media association. The one exception observed is the youngest age group from 15-21, who seem to be consuming less New Media, and less media in general. The explanation can be found in the stringent schooling system most Chinese children must go through. Primary and secondary school students are typically at school or in mandatory study 10-12 hours per day, 6 days a week. Compared to their American counterparts who are in school 7 hours a day, 5 days a week, it is understandable why younger Chinese students have less time to spend with media. Once students shift to a university lifestyle with more personal free time, we witness an explosion of New Media consumption. Advertisers should recognize that differing strategies apply for those students in secondary school versus university. Innovative ad campaigns will leverage a Chinese secondary school student’s long-hours in class to its benefit.
The Chinese educational system has begun teaching computer and internet use in junior high schools, but not senior high schools. The first students who went through this training are just now 15-16 years old; at the bottom of the Transitional Generation. Watching how compulsory education will influence media-consumption as this generation grows older will be important.
Finally, this Transitional Generation is again a sub-section in the fabric of China’s citizens. This category refers primarily to those Chinese who a) are educated b) had/has access to technology and the Internet (Tier 1, 2 and 3 cities) c) financially capable to either own or rent access to technology and the Internet. Deeper analysis into this and other audience subgroups will yield more opportunities for Advertisers to succeed in engaging their brands with the right Chinese consumer.
It is often surprising to realize the hyper-growth in China’s media landscape began only ten years ago. Today, Television still enjoys the highest penetration rates, near 100%. However it is the younger generations, dictating an ever-increasingly larger proportion of China’s disposable income, who are growing further accustomed and attracted to New Media, meaning less time spent with traditional channels. The following is a synopsis of China’s major New Media movements and an analysis on the identity of the Chinese New Media consumer.
China’s New-Media Buzz & New-Media Consumption
1) Communicative, Multi-media handhelds: Convergence in the high-end, expansion of the low-end
Communication handhelds, namely mobile phones, have over 30% penetration rate with 437 million mobile phone users, and the growth rate is expected to steadily rise for the next 5 years. Technological convergence is giving communication devices more multi-media capabilities and multi-media devices more communication capabilities. High-end handheld devices continue to integrate functions and redefine ‘standard’ and ‘luxury’ for the media channel.
On the other end of the spectrum, major competition has erupted for the growing low-end mobile phone market. As China develops, more low-wage citizens find their financial situation improving. Each year millions of first-time mobile phone buyers enter the market. Thus competition is fierce to grab the new pieces of the pie.
Convergence will mean for advertisers some cannibalization of consumers who currently own both multi-media and communication handhelds. However the over-shadowing opportunity is the cross-sell/acquisition of new consumers to multi-media exposure who were originally pure-communication handheld users. At the same time, growth in low-end pure-communication handhelds can also benefit advertisers who use targeted text-messaging (SMS) advertisements effectively. The increasing penetration of talk & text-only phones means greater emphasis can be given to ad campaigns requiring consumer SMS participation.
2) The Chinese Internet Universe: Homegrown Champions
With 162 million Internet users in 2007 and year-over-year growth last year of 23.4%, the Internet is the greatest excitement and buzz for Chinese media development. While it is dependent on its enablers, such as PC and mobile communication devices, the strong growth of these media outlets is in large part fueled by the growing popularity of the Internet. In China, Internet users demonstrate their desire to be connected not only by the number of new users each year, but also the growing speed at which they connect. About two-thirds of Chinese use broadband connections, up 45% from last year. At the heart of the growing number of uploads and downloads are China’s homegrown Internet portals. Not only do Chinese embrace everything Web 2.0, they are doing it on their own terms. Time and again we see in the current environment, Chinese versions of popular web functions beating their original foreign counterparts. Here is a short list of the most popular to date:
Homegrown Champions
Virtual World (Social/Gaming): HiPiHi + Shanda/UOneNet/Frenzoo/Yilu/Entropia + City of Beijing/Leeuu (Romantic Chateau)
Online Search/Barter: Baidu/Taobao/Alibaba/Sina/Sohu
Web 2.0 Uploads (Blogs, Vlogs, Space, Photoshare): Sina Blogs/Sohu Blogs/Tudou/Rox/Mop/UUme/+ about 150 others
Constant vigilance must be given to the explosive developments in the Chinese Internet space. Not only should advertisers partner to create new avenues of reaching users/viewers, but also great attention should be paid to the content generated by Chinese Web 2.0 sites. These forums are the fastest and cheapest ways to gather consumer insight and reactions. In a country still heavily censored, these virtual worlds represent places with the least amount of restrictions, hence the greatest amount of genuine expression. In addition, because of the growing Chinese fixation with user-generated content, and the reduced cost-structure associated with it, Advertisers should consider deepening participation in online content production.
Media Dichotomy: Over 31 vs. Under 31
Much attention, money and effort is being invested in the emerging media channels. However advertisers must realize that other than pure communication handhelds, new media is only reaching a very specific segment of the Chinese population. Indeed new media is transforming media consumption in China for generations to come, but the large majority of China today does not participate. The major dichotomy is between Chinese who are aged 31 (1976)∗ this year or older, and those younger than 31. Those over 31 get significantly more of their media consumption from traditional media, while under-31 consumers spend exponentially more time with emerging media.
The major reason for this rapid shift in media consumption stems from an individual’s age and life-position during the years from 1996 to 1999. 1996-97 were the years personal computer use and proliferation transitioned from early adopters to mass market. 1998-99 were the years the Internet likewise gained widespread popularity. Those now aged 31 or over were in 1996-99 entering or already in the workforce. This means they have grown up without computers or the Internet as a source of recreation, and were introduced to these new media outlets in a work environment. Those under 31 would have been introduced to computers and the Internet some time while they were still students and more likely to have begun exploring these platforms in a recreational setting.
The way the computer and the Internet were introduced into an individual’s life has profound influences on how they consume media today. The most profound difference lies between over-31’s who are primary consumers of traditional media, while under-31’s increasingly rely on new media for their content consumption.
The Transitional Generation
Even for Chinese under 31 years old this year, there is a massive amount of differentiation among breadth and depth of participation with new media. Again, an important factor to examine is the age at which these individuals were introduced to the computer and the Internet. The Chinese who are this year aged 20 to 30, are the Transitional-Media Generation. Their age and situation during 1996-99 determines the amount of recreational/social time as students they would have had to grow familiar with the new technology and its full potential. If young enough, they would also have had a chance to have computer and Internet exposure within the classroom, further enamoring this generation to the new media channels.
School Level in 96-97/Age in 96-97/PC Era (96-97): Age Now/Net Era (98-99): Age Now/Typical Media Consumption(Traditional)[New Media]
Primary/7-13/17-23/15-21/(TV(h)) [Game, Chat, D/l, Novel, SMS, GamesP, MusicP]
Junior/13-15/23-25/21-23/(TV(h)) [Game, Chat, Buy(s), D/l, Blog, Novel(s), Info, SMS, Phone(s), PicSMS, GamesP, Port. Music.]
High/16-18/26-28/24-26/(TV) [Game(s), Chat, Buy(s), D/l, Blog(s), Novel, Info, Phone, SMS, PicSMS, GamesP, Port. Music.]
Bach/19-22/29-32/27-30/(TV, Series, DVD(h)) [Chat, Stream, Blog(s), Novel(s), Info, Phone, SMS, Game(s), Port. Music(s)]
Work or Mast/23+/33+/31+/(TV, Series, DVD) [Chat(s), Info, Phone]
Note: TV= Television; Game=Online Interactive Gaming; Chat=IM; D/l=Download (music, movie, tv); Novel=Online Novels; SMS=Mobile Text Messaging; GamesP=Mobile Gaming; MusicP=MP3 on phone; Buy=Online Purchase; Blog=Online Blogging; Info= Online information, esp. News, Specific Information; PicSMS=Phone Pictures sent by SMS; Phone=Chatting on cellular phone; Port. Music=Separate Portable Music Player; Series=Television Series; DVD=Buying DVDs; (h)=Half as likely; (s)=Seldom
Discussion on the Transitional Generation
We can reaffirm that TV still holds the most broad penetration, but it is evident that younger and younger generations are spending more of their time, and getting exposure to media elsewhere. A national ad campaign will continue to have a TV component, but China’s current interest in Mobile convergence and Web 2.0 are reflections of where media-channel developers see and feel consumers are headed.
An important observation is the strong upload-download culture that gains strength as the generation gets younger; demonstrating the intensifying proliferation of computers and Internet in the years after 2000. While advertisers can heavily capitalize on the successful download culture, the new heights reached by Chinese blogs in the past year show the upload culture is just as, if not more, lucrative. The major caveat for Advertisers in China when engaging with the uploading culture is the censorship issue in China. This differs from America, where the online rhetoric has always been ‘Freedom of Speech’. Advertisers in China must be weary of how to manage the risks their brands assume when playing in the ‘upload’ arena. If a brand is found to be associated with an ill-favored political upload, the repercussions will likely be more extreme than just the banning of the user-generated upload along with the ad campaign. Government relations and ultimately business operations in China can be jeopardized.
Chat and Mobile Phones continue to be used most profusely within all sub-categories; however, the functions used in the mobile phone get progressively more interactive and complex as the generation gets younger. The natural explanation supports the observation made in this analysis that earlier exposure to New Media as a recreational resource catalyses depth and breadth of New Media association. The one exception observed is the youngest age group from 15-21, who seem to be consuming less New Media, and less media in general. The explanation can be found in the stringent schooling system most Chinese children must go through. Primary and secondary school students are typically at school or in mandatory study 10-12 hours per day, 6 days a week. Compared to their American counterparts who are in school 7 hours a day, 5 days a week, it is understandable why younger Chinese students have less time to spend with media. Once students shift to a university lifestyle with more personal free time, we witness an explosion of New Media consumption. Advertisers should recognize that differing strategies apply for those students in secondary school versus university. Innovative ad campaigns will leverage a Chinese secondary school student’s long-hours in class to its benefit.
The Chinese educational system has begun teaching computer and internet use in junior high schools, but not senior high schools. The first students who went through this training are just now 15-16 years old; at the bottom of the Transitional Generation. Watching how compulsory education will influence media-consumption as this generation grows older will be important.
Finally, this Transitional Generation is again a sub-section in the fabric of China’s citizens. This category refers primarily to those Chinese who a) are educated b) had/has access to technology and the Internet (Tier 1, 2 and 3 cities) c) financially capable to either own or rent access to technology and the Internet. Deeper analysis into this and other audience subgroups will yield more opportunities for Advertisers to succeed in engaging their brands with the right Chinese consumer.
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