The Chinese Consumer

Like PSFK we got spammed by ad agency JWT in promotion of a new book called the New Chinese Consumer.  You can expect a lot of these books in the coming years, so-called guidebooks for businessman to understand a strange new land.  I remember, over the years, as Korea rose in prominence seeing more than one special on CNBC all about Kim-Chee.  Here's a few "facts" about the Chinese consumer as contained in the email:

1. In China, “fresh” means “alive.” Daoism is still a force in the People’s Republic. Daoists believe our natural state is the only “balanced” state. Therefore, Chinese have a deep aversion to manmade preservatives. For that matter, Chinese women get prickly about chemicals in shampoo.
2. Brands used inside the home are locally produced and cheaply made. Brands shown publicly are foreign made and expensive. In a Confucian society, social status is an investment, so consumers will pay a huge premium for mobile phones and high-end alcohol. At home, price sensitivity is extreme. There are no designer bedspreads. Victoria’s Secret doesn’t stand a chance.
3. Chinese people never have dinner parties. The home is a place of refuge, escape, and, every once in a while, self-expression. Comfort is key. But where you live is paramount, which is why apartment blocks sport such names as “The Gathering of All Heroes Under Heaven” and “Tycoon Court.”
4. Chinese people put pineapple, not pepperoni, on pizza. All foods are divided into "heaty" and "cooling" foods, and the two must be balanced at all times. Pizza is heaty, so the pineapple cools it down.

First of all, let us ask--what's the point of all this?  Is it really one of the most important things to know about Chinese consumer that they put pineapple on pizza?  Second of all, isn't it a little absurd, if not a touch racist, to talk about the Chinese consumer like it's some monolith that can be broken down into the way they have dinner parties and their topings?  Will it really help an American businessman to think of the Chinese people this way?

Well, Chinese media blog, Danwei, got the spam as well and cried foul:

The press release contains "Twelve Facts about the Confucian Consumer". Despite the tired old number "billion" and the meaningless adjective "Confucian", the "Twelve Facts" are worth a read (link below). Some of the "facts" ring true, but some of them are really good for a laugh:

Chinese people put pineapple, not pepperoni, on pizza. All foods are divided into "heaty" and "cooling" foods, and the two must be balanced at all times. Pizza is heaty, so the pineapple cools it down.

As opposed to Americans, who would never ever think of putting pineapple on a pizza? Aside from the fact Hawaiian pizza is one of the most popular variations of the dish everywhere outside Italy, pineapple is actually considered a "heaty" food in traditional Chinese medicine. (Thanks to Duncan Mak for pointing this out.)

In China, "fresh" means "alive." Daoism is still a force in the People's Republic. Daoists believe our natural state is the only "balanced" state. Therefore, Chinese have a deep aversion to manmade preservatives. For that matter, Chinese women get prickly about chemicals in shampoo.

When you visit a Chinese supermarket and see row upon row of preserved meats and vegetables, cheap ham, instant noodles, and 1000-year eggs made with various substances, you can really feel the Daoism.

Chinese people would never go for artificial preservatives. Nor would anyone here even dream of actually using the glow-in-the-dark flourescent yellow shampoo available in every supermarket from Dalian to Dali. Oh no. It's all about nature in the Middle Kingdom.

Surprise!  A lot of generalizations about an entire nation don't necessarily hold true.  We're shocked.

Comments

[IEEE 1394B]

I don't disagree with this writing..