How do leading Japanese cosmetic brands use consumer culture positioning strategies in China? Investigating six Japanese brands’ advertisements on Weibo

Abstract

China is the world’s second-largest cosmetic market and is dominated by foreign brands. However, little is known about Japanese cosmetic brands marketing communication in China. Consumer culture positioning is deemed a promising framework for understanding international advertising. This study examines six Japanese cosmetic brands’ consumer culture positioning (CCP) strategies in their global advertisements to see how they implement CCP strategies in China. 756 video-format ads were collected from their official accounts on Weibo. Content analysis was conducted to analyse how ad executional elements communicate CCP strategies. Results show that these Japanese brands generally implement mixed CCP strategies, but that certain ad executions focus on a specific singular CCP strategy. The results document CCP strategies in international advertising practices, offering essential insights into what advertising executional elements can be employed to communicate different CCPs for cosmetics in China. Important theoretical and practical implications for marketers are also discussed.