Author: Sunshine Liang Lai

Publisher:

Published: 2011

Total Pages: 250

ISBN-13:

A strong market demand for safe and quality dairy products provides New Zealand dairy companies with the opportunities to expand their businesses by entering the Chinese market. An in-depth understanding of Chinese consumer perceptions on New Zealand's added-value dairy products is essential for New Zealand companies who wish to develop their businesses in China. Currently there is limited knowledge of the potential impacts of Chinese cultural norms on New Zealand's added-value dairy products and subsequently how these dairy products can be designed specifically to suit the values and needs of Chinese consumers. This study explores these areas and provides New Zealand companies with a more in-depth understanding of the Chinese market. This study adopted a focus group method and focus groups were conducted in four Chinese cities with representatives of Chinese consumers of dairy products. These focus groups investigated the general perceptions of Chinese consumers towards New Zealand's dairy products and the cultural norms associated with different aspects of these products, including: product design, brand design and packaging design. The key findings of this study indicate that although New Zealand's clean, green, natural environment has a positive effect on the Chinese consumers' perceptions of New Zealand's dairy products, this environmental factor did not translate to an obvious competitive advantage for New Zealand's dairy products in Chinese consumer perceptions. In the case of developing a dairy product for Chinese consumers, product design, brand design and packaging design are strongly related to the Chinese tradition of gift-giving and Chinese face psychology. These Chinese cultural norms are also evolving as young Chinese consumers are subject to Western cultural influences. In order for New Zealand companies to succeed in the Chinese market, they must have a better understanding of these Chinese cultural norms. Future research should adopt a mixed-methods design approach by incorporating a quantitative research method to increase coverage of geographical areas and the number of participants. In addition, future research can look into the marketing strategies adopted by different international and local Chinese dairy companies used to promote their products in China.