Tips about R&D for China

Excerpts from the blog of Artefact, a Seattle-based design:

1. China consists of many markets and many unique customer segments…
2. The Chinese have got their minds on their money, and their money on their minds…
3. Chinese society can be partially understood in terms of social identity theory and notions of “ingroup” and “outgroup.”
4. China’s youth generation aged 15-30 (nearly 330 million today), in particular the urban youth — sometimes known as the “rare generation” — are remarkably different from their elders…
5. In contrast with the “rare generation,” China’s more senior consumers (aged 35 and older) tend to be very frugal, stubborn to adopt new things and technologies, and are extremely value-conscious (if they are middle class; the wealthy are a different story)…
6. One important thing to understand is that the Chinese have a tremendous amount of national and cultural pride…
7. In addition to competition coming (eventually) from domestic brands, you must also recognize that right now you are engaged in fierce competition with shanzhai products (“knockoffs”)…
8. The Chinese have a well-justified distrust of media in general. However, in the Internet they trust…

Read the excellent article here.