After spending more than a decade attempting to understand the Chinese consumer, J Walter Thompson (JWT) CEO for Greater China, Tom Doctoroff, has come to be recognised as an authority on the subject. Speaking on the sidelines of the industry conclave at the fifth edition of the annual Goafest ad meet, he shares with Shahana Joshi his impression of the industry in general and the China market in particular. Edited excerpts:
How would you judge the performance of JWT in China’s as compared with that in India?
I am proud of the creative growth and profitable diversification in the Chinese market. In terms of being able to do on-ground retailing engagement, sponsorships and promotion, we have certainly set a new standard in China. One of the things that we can attribute that to is a very stable management in China.
JWT India is also a gigantic success story and has been so for a long time. The difference is that China’s success has been more recent because our operations have gone up only over the past few years from practically nothing, as China is a new market. JWT India is certainly more significant in India. It’s an institution here in India.
What part of the Chinese culture has JWT adopted for the purpose of branding and marketing their clients’ products?
Global branding roles apply for sure. It is important to transform passive exposure to active participation and it is something that we do everywhere. Every single creative that is produced is made with the Chinese insight in mind, for sure. For local brands, it is important to get the pulse of the consumer. Though it is strictly executional, we must remember that India’s pop culture is much stronger than that of China.
Second, China is a more curbed society. For instance, with celebrity endorsements. China does not have Bollywood. So, it is tough to find brand ambassadors who would be appropriate for the product. We turn everything into a script and increase exposure to its utmost level. So, the retail landscape would be flooded with creatives on a certain product.
How different are Indian and Chinese consumers?
There are some striking differences. For instance, the Chinese are more ambitious and practical, down to the basic levels of income. There is a hunger for advancement, no matter what. So, every brand in China is a means to an end. Even in the youth there, one can see the excess drive and focus. So, brands are a big deal there. I feel it in India, too, but not to the same intensity and fabric as it is there.
Disorganisation and a lack of order in China is very unsettling, unlike here in India. The younger consumer is certainly more expressive, unlike China where it is more strait-jacketed and rather pragmatic.