InMind: Winning with CITYnality

Win in China  

China, a vast realm with rich diversity, is home to 34 provinces and 56 flourishing ethnic groups thriving across over 695 captivating cities, each with its own unique languages, customs, and local cultures.  This mosaic of diversity and richness presents the need for a deep appreciation of the intricate nuances of China's cities. This is essential for brands to build authenticity with local relevance, which allows them to gain competitive advantages and capture a winning edge.  In this latest edition of InMind, Mindshare embarks on a journey of empowering brands to cultivate profound resonance and authentic consumer connections with local cultures through CITYnality, a proprietary city localization framework.

Mindshare CITYnality: The Essence

We aim to illuminate the path for brands to unlock the true growth of individual cities in China, harnessing each city's unique pulse to craft relatable and compelling brand experiences that captivate the hearts and minds of locals. Below is a summary of the framework, encapsulating its three pivotal pillars:  

Pillar 1: Research and Analysis

Through a series of comprehensive quantitative and qualitative research, our framework delves into the intricate cultural tapestry of Chinese cities across five key features: Nature, Heritage, Food and Beverage, Arts and Entertainment, and Commercial.  The results manifest in the form of a distinctive identification certificate, known as the CITYnality ID Card. 

Our comprehensive research draws upon diverse data sources, including social media monitoring tools, statistical and economic data from the National Bureau of Statistics of China, and an array of articles and panel data to help brands dig into audience profiles and consumption behaviors. 

To further enrich our qualitative research with deeper insights and analysis, we enlisted the help of our Mindshare China network and conducted external focus groups.  

This multi-faceted research and analysis approach guarantees a comprehensive understanding of the cultural and media landscape of each city, allowing us to collaborate with brands to delve into the intricate details of each city, uncover hidden features, and identify the untapped potential of emerging hotspots.

Pillar 2: Activate CITYnality

The Framework Approach

The practical application of CITYnalitycan be effectively carried out through two activation approaches: Blend-In and Bring-Out.  

The Blend-In approach enables brands to seamlessly integrate their brand elements with the unique cultural features of a specific city. This approach allows for a tailored activation that resonates with the local audience.

One compelling example of a successful Blend-In activation is demonstrated by Louis Vuitton's runway show in China's seaside town Aranya. By blending its luxury heritage with the local communities of fashion, travel and arts, Louis Vuitton created captivating city installations that offered audiences an immersive and premium experience, extending beyond the boundaries of first-tier cities. 

On the other hand, the Bring-Out approach focuses on highlighting and amplifying the unique cultural attributes of a city through brand activations. One notable example of a Bring-Out activation is Lay’s 'Find Your Flavours', which draws potato chip flavor inspirations from local cuisines, such as the Xi’An Lamb Kebab flavor and Fujian Oyster flavor. By incorporating these culinary delights and distinctive local tastes into its product lineup distributed nationally, Lay’s celebrated meaningful connections with consumers on a larger scale. 

Pillar 3: Activate CITYnality

The Specialist Units

At Mindshare, we recognize the significance of going beyond product-centric strategies and establishing profound connections with Chinese consumers. Leveraging our in-depth knowledge of local trends and consumer preferences, we are dedicated to assisting brands with cultivating distinctive experiences that foster meaningful connections. This is why we offer the CITYnality service, which transforms the CITYnality framework into a one-stop brand activation solution, encompassing idea generation, planning, and execution.

Our team, consisting of experts in OOH and Experience, Content+, and Strategy, collaborates seamlessly to deliver exceptional results for our clients.

CITYnality Case: 

Unleash Brand Potential in Guangdong Cities

In this report, Volume 1 of CITYnality, we presented a compelling demonstration of its practical implementation in Guangdong Province. Our focus was to explore the vibrant cultural regions within this province, represented by three key cities: Guangzhou, Shantou, and Meizhou. These cities were carefully selected based on their significant contributions to GDP, large population sizes, and land size.   

For each city, we analyzed its outstanding features and key opportunities for different brand categories, then provided guidance to craft brand experiences based on the city’s cultural features. By delving into each city, we were able to showcase concrete examples that highlight the inherent value and invaluable insights that CITYnality can provide for activations. To use Shantou as an example:   

Research and Analysison Shantou City  

Shantou, a burgeoning Tier 3 city in China, has been gaining popularity as a much sought-after travel destination. Based on our research and populated CITYnality ID card, Shantou is rated highest in 'Heritage'. Therefore, we pivoted our research direction to unveil the city’s hidden gems and unique customs related to heritage for brand activation.    

Located on the eastern coast of Guangdong, inhabitants of Shantou have relied on fishing and oversea trading business for living since ancient times, giving rise to strong spiritual beliefs and religious traditions such as praying for good luck in the open sea, which has persisted to this day. One such example is the presence and usage of ‘Red-Headed Boats’ to ward off evil spirits at sea.   

We also uncovered other prominent cultural features, which are presented alongside our thought starters to inspire brands on how and when to activate these city-level insights.

Craft Brand Experiences with Shantou Insights

In summary from our analysis, Shantou offers many opportunities for brands interested in reaching travel segments or seeking pop-ups inspired by local arts scenes. It is particularly suitable for categories such as luxury fashion, travel, and automotive.  

Based on the potential of Shantou's vibrant cultural heritage and the rich insights we uncovered about this city, Mindshare's team of specialists then crafted a tailored strategy, offering compelling experiential ideas and activation proposals that empower brands to build strong local relevance.

 

Besides cities in Guangdong Province, Mindshare has also started to develop insights for other regions and cities in China.

If you would like to further explore Mindshare CITYnality, or are interested in other InMind reports, please refer to our previous InMind articles, or [email protected].

To learn more about Mindshare China, scan the QR code and follow our official WeChat account.