Cultural drivers

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The dominant cultural values in China, which previously revered social climbing and the trappings of money and success, are beginning to make way for emerging values that celebrate human and natural experiences.

Car manufacturers are responding by evolving the narrative of the car from a symbol of social class and exclusivity to a human-centric life force – a vehicle of inclusivity, of reconnection with others and the world around us.  

Social climbing and exclusivity

For the past 10 years, the trend or sequence of vignettes in car ads has been like this: a shiny black car drives through a city street, an urban modern jungle; blacked out windows, a cocooning space from the outside world, a world devoid of imperfection and people.

It was a trend that spoke to the aspirations of the Chinese middle classes, who had experienced decades of hardship, but who – by the mid-2000s – had started to live out ‘glory’ lives, or xiao kang sheng huo, which means ‘moderately prosperous life’. The vision of a xiao kang society is one in which people become comfortably middle-class, have access to consumer goods, gain a sense of affluence and a superior position in society. 

For the Chinese middle classes, the car was an unusually significant symbol of social status and currency – more important, in many instances, than investing in property. Owning a nice car meant someone was wealthier, possibly more powerful, and so revered by society.  The car was, in essence, a business card – which is why expensive, large and long-wheelbase cars, which symbolised financial power, were so popular in the Chinese market at that time.

Inclusivity at the heart of the nation

In the past couple of years, however, the cultural meaning of the car has begun to change, as a reaction to emerging cultural values and preferences among a new Chinese consumer class. 

Young Chinese consumers have started to believe that life is no longer about impressing others, but about being true to oneself and living every day to the fullest. These people belong to one of the first generations of single-child families who grew up with greater levels of security, love and attention than their forebears. 

Unlike their parents’ generation, they have a greater sense of inner security and are less likely to seek validation from objects such as houses or cars. As a result, some luxury brands – which previously relied heavily on messages of social exclusivity – are losing traction and being replaced with brands that convey a more practical and inclusive message; one of building intimate relationships and real connections with people and the world around us. 

For example, there has been a huge trend in China recently for traditional hobbies such as tai chi and kung fu, and for holding tea ceremonies and floriculture, as well as taking care of pets and travelling around the world. According to Huxiu.com – a popular portal website in China, with more than 290 million subscribers – young people are more passionate about life than their parents’ generation. 

Aligned with these wider lifestyle changes, car manufacturers are tapping into themes of inclusive, everyday connections – picking up friends and loved ones, driving the kids to school, taking the family for weekend trips away – instead of using the car as a tool to show off to others. 

The typical car ad today will involve a young couple, kids, pets, a café or a country road. Ford Focus has recently opted for village scenes in adverts shot from above, with a view of the countryside, to give a sense that driving is about exploring and immersing oneself in nature – living life rather than just observing it from a distance.

Similarly, the recent Volkswagen (VW) Lavida campaign uses a café for the first frame of its TV commercial, which goes on to show a family with pets at the end. The Buick GT uses everyday scenes from life, featuring an average man arriving at a restaurant for a date.   

Reconnecting with the outside world 

Shifts in the relationship between Chinese consumers and nature have had an influence on how products, such as a car, are perceived in the minds of shoppers. Over the past couple of years, Chinese people have demonstrated a strong urge to connect with nature to alleviate the stresses of urban life. 

The ‘weekend trip’ market has grown from 350m renminbi (RMB) in 2008 to 26bn RMB in 2017. These trips are not only about escapism, but also about relaxation, exploration, adventure and all the other possibilities that nature promises. 

Automotive advertising is tapping into this trend. Brands such as Volkswagen, Honda, Kia, Citroën, and Chinese car manufacturer Soueast have started to highlight features such as the sunroof, through which kids can interact with nature, or that allows a young couple to stand up in the car and look at the world from a different perspective.

Car sales in China have risen dramatically in the past 10 years, largely thanks to strong macro-economic growth and an evolving consumer culture. This decade has been a significant germination stage for the Chinese auto market, when consumers were still immature, and the cultural climate embraced ideas of exclusivity and social differentiation. 

However, in this fast-changing culture, the next generation of consumers are seeking new values that challenge outdated social and cultural narratives. If marketers want to stay relevant to this population, it is crucial they remain aware of emerging cultural values and consumer idioms, and that they keep their ear to the ground with relevant, accurate research.

John Murphy is cultural insight consultant at Simpson Carpenter