Marketing in an Emerging Consumer Society: Character Images in China's Consumer Magazine Advertising

Abstract

A content analysis of a sample of Chinese consumer advertisements shows a mixed image of seller and buyer, and of traditional Chinese and ‘modem’ and ‘imported’ images: older, authoritative Chinese male figures are blended with younger, good-looking female faces and bodies. In the foreseeable future, there will be more buyer and foreign images in advertising. However, advertisers, particularly those from foreign countries, should recognize the importance of not using portrayals that could be perceived to be incompatible with Chinese cultural values and government policies in their advertisements.