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Main Topic: Presenting Ethnographic Modeling Innovations in Shanghai

Hosts: Clyde Warden

Clyde spoke at the 2009 Annual Innovation Summit, in Shanghai, hosted by Innoenterprise and Antai College of Economics and Management at Shanghai Jiao Tong University . The summit brought together consultants, researchers, and practitioners from the leading businesses in China. Clyde was invited to talk about innovative ethnographic research methodology that can be applied to Chinese consumer behavior in China. Clyde's presentation was a video that quickly recapped some of the work presented on the CCC Website, including the modeling of renao and xian jing--a comprehensive conceptual model of consumer values in Chinese cultural settings. Take a look at the video, which includes the presentation video, and the audio of his talk.

Clyde presenting in Shgnahi
Clyde presenting in Shanghai

The main model covered in this presentation was derived from deep consumer interviews, using techniques like ZMET (see more details in these two shows: ZMET Steps , and ZMET Interview Example) and grounded theory (preliminary results for the renao section of the model were published in the Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics, Vol. 21(2), 2009; When hot and noisy is good, Chinese values of renao and consumption metaphors ). The conceptual model allows managers to quickly understand core Chinese values, in relation to retail settings, while also allowing market segmentation. Most innovative is how the model encourages understanding consumers as moving between values, exhibiting different preferences at different times. See below for the model, as well as a sample of photos from the fieldwork, centering in the two archetypes of renao and xian jing in Chinese retail settings.

What is beautiful about these kinds of models, from deep, thick description, is that they don't just say this part of the market just does this . . . Chinese consumers have a complex mixture of preferences.

Listen To The Show (Audio Only):

Length: 27 minutes. Download MP3 12.81MB (Right click->Save As).

On Location

Watch The Show (Video & Audio):

From Shanghai, Clyde.
Length: 27 minutes.


iPod Download MP4 117.40MB (Right click->Save As).
QuickTime Download MOV 97.66MB (Right click->Save As).
Windows Media Download WMV 62.86MB (Right click->Save As).
High Quality mp4 H.264(640x480) Download high quality mp4 563.43MB (Right click->Save As).

The final conceptual model

Image

Photos:

Bottom Line:

  • Chinese consumers switch channel/product preferences due to social situations.
  • The process is very recursive and reflexive, constantly grounding interview results with behaviors in the environment.
  • Video is a powerful technique for recording the realities, rather than the perceptions captured in surveys.
  • Renao, crowding, noisy, hot, busy, is a main metaphor that relates to consumers' perceptions of retail settings.
  • Xian jing, peaceful, quiet, relaxing, meditative, is the second main metaphor that is often used to describe retail settings.
  • This kind of model has an overall meaning, but then can be used in specific market segmentation and even down to the individual consumer psychology.
  • Ethnographic methods are very powerful, but they do not create products.
Category: Videocasts

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