Tommy TSE, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor

Department of Sociology, The University of Hong Kong

3rd International (Non)Western Fashion Conference The Global Politics of Fashion

University of Hong Kong, HK. 22-23 November 2014

Glocal Fashion Marketing Communication in China

This presentation…

• reviews the socioeconomic conditions

across the greater China regions

• exhibit a fuller picture of the social

dynamics of the Asian fashion industry

from the perspectives of glocal

marketing communication

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Why ‘glocal’?

• The term refers to an increasing

entanglement of the global and local

spheres

• The term is used to designate how

global products adapt or tailor

themselves for local markets and

sensitivities

• Glocalization may entail a richer

process than the simple, dichotomized

global or local approach

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The nuanced process of fashion communication:

• is neither a top-down nor bottom-up

communication process in the Asian

context

• involved subtle appropriation of Asian

aesthetics, and hybridization of global

cultures

4

The recent economic boom in Asia and greater China

• Mainland China and Hong Kong are

very attractive for brand

manufacturers seeking to maintain or

establish their brands

• The LVMH Group regarded China and

India as the two most important

markets in their future development

(Euromonitor International, 2010)

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The ‘malling’ of Hong Kong and Asia:

• The economic boom and urbanization in

Asia that caused the improvement of

infrastructure are two of the most

prominent reasons

• More flagship stores across greater China

• More global luxury brands run their own

directly operated stores (DOS) in both

Hong Kong and on the mainland

Louis Vuitton, Jimmy Choo, Coach, Hugo Boss

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What can fashion possibly be?

• The notion of ‘fashion’ is fabricated

from texts and images

• Selling fashion products = creating a

specific psychological perception

• Never a stable idea, but keeps

morphing and self-evolving in markets

and societies under the influence of

‘fashion trends’

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What can fashion possibly be?

• Not based on a one-way

communication, but a semiotic/

symbolic mode

• Meanings are mutually created and

interpreted

• Global Western brands do not fully

embrace the Chinese cultural values, but

imbued with their own Western traits

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Differentiating impact of globalization?

• Across the heterogeneous societies, the

allure of global brands homogenizes and

unifies people in terms of their liking and

taste for brands/fashion

• Local consumers are dissatisfied by the way

(usually Western) mass-produced goods

erode cultural differences

• Global fashion brands adapt to the cultural

values of an emerging market to their

branding and marketing processes

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Interplay of brand values & fashion trends

• Fashion brands tailor communication

strategies that transcend culture and meet the

cultural norms of specific target markets

E.g. H&M in non-Swedish markets

• The images of these fashion brands are often

transformed (at least in part) in accordance

with local cultural schemas

10

Cultural-themed event marketing in China

• Fashion consumers are no longer attracted to

the standardized, homogenous products under

the wave of globalization

• Blending a sense of Chinese tradition and

‘localness’ into the brand image creates

unique values and enriches its relevance to

the Chinese market

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“Culture Chanel” exhibition in the

Museum of Contemporary Art (MoCA), Shanghai (2011)

“Cartier Treasures” exhibition in Forbidden City

(the Palace Museum), Beijing (2011)

“Louis Vuitton Voyages” exhibition in the

National Museum of China, Beijing 2011)

First Prada fashion presentation out of Europe

in the Central Academy of Fine Arts, Beijing (CAFA)(2011)

How are the improved socioeconomic

conditions in Asia as portrayed actually

intertwined with the fashion marketing

communication practices in the greater

China?

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Research methods:

• Participant observation @ Stylistic (Summer 2011)

• In-depth interviews with 16 regional luxury/fashion marketers

(Hong Kong-based)

• Thematic codification of field notes + interview responses

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Interview format:

• 45-minute interview

11 = face-to-face

1 = face-to-face + email

1 = email

2 = phone

1 = phone + email

First interview: 12 Jul 2011

Last interview: 7 Oct 2011

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12 interview questions

Interview questions used with fashion marketers

Q1: How long have you been working in the fashion industry?

Q2: How did you first get into the fashion business?

Q3: When did you join your current fashion company? Any why?

Q4: Many people wish to become fashion marketers – would you give

some advice based on your success?

Q5: What subject did you study before joining the industry?

Can you still apply what you learned in your current career?

Q6: People are always fascinated by the glamorous side

of the fashion world; in your own case, which part(s) of your job

do you like most and why?

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12 interview questions

Interview questions used with fashion marketers

Q7: How many overseas trips have you taken for your company in the last

twelve months?

Q8: Are you now still interested in traveling to any specific place, and Why?

Q9: Where is your current office located? Is your favorite restaurant in the

same district?

Q10: In your mind, who can be regarded as the authentic ‘fashion

trendsetter’(local or global)? Why?

Q11: What is the most memorable photo taken in your fashion career? why?

Q12: Can you recommend ONE recent favorite fashion product and explain

why you like it? (Please provide relevant pictures if you can.)

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Initial

findings?

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In-depth Interview: Responses from fashion marketing practitioners

Mr. Federico Tan

Head of Marketing at Diesel Asia Pacific

‘In our Asia-Pacific team… I’ll just let the

local marketing team manage it…A local

master has his or her own way of doing

things… How they think Diesel is perceived

in the market… how the local culture is.

That’s something we try to adapt to it. We are

very particular about how we integrate to

the culture of whatever country or city we

are in.’

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In-depth Interview: Responses from fashion marketing practitioners

Ms. Florance Yip

Marketing & Communication Director at

Fendi Asia Pacific

‘In [fashion] marketing industry no matter you’re

promoting handbags or sneakers… Their core

theory is similar… depending on their target

segments. Like in high-end fashion, we do this

press event at a sumptuous hotel… set an

aesthetic theme and showcase the “Fendi

lifestyle”, resembling the ambience of an art

exhibition... resonates with our products and

consistent global brand image.’

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In-depth Interview: Responses from fashion marketing practitioners

Ms. Cher Chui

Public Relations Manager at H&M HK

‘…Our local PR team has to tightly align the

local communications activities with the

Swedish headquarters’ marketing

communication direction… We mainly

helped facilitate close relationships with the local

fashion journalists in covering the brand’s

annual collaboration with a star fashion

designer or international celebrity... such as the

crossover campaigns with Donatella Versace…

and with Alber Elbaz .’

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In-depth Interview: Responses from fashion marketing practitioners

Ms. Maggie Cheung

Public Relations Manager at Estée Lauder

Hong Kong

‘Our target opinion leaders are not only limited

to journalists, but also the [local] star makeup

artists as they are closely connected with

fashion models and celebrities…They are very

good channels for word-of-mouth marketing…

we are currently collaborating with local

celebrities and professionals, including

Elizabeth Lee, Flora Cheung, Coco Lee and

breast cancer specialist Dr. Kwong.’

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In-depth Interview: Responses from fashion marketing practitioners

Mr. Peter Cheung

Regional Marketing and Communications

Director at Van Cleef & Arpels

‘I have used this [Asian studies background]

constantly to observe the diversity in

between not only greater China but also

Korea, Southeast Asian countries etc. It is

important to be mindful and respectful of local

markets’ needs, and my job is to translate

them to the Headquarters level.’

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In-depth Interview: Responses from fashion marketing practitioners

Mr. Peter Cheung

Ex-Marketing and Communication Director

(Asia Pacific) at Christian Dior

‘The challenge was to persuade the head

office in Paris…We are situated in the agent

zone… Back then my Managing Director

very much encouraged me to “bridge the

gap”, to communicate our ideas.. [to] the

head office… But first we had to earn their

trust… they really didn’t want to have one

particular zone to develop in this way, but I

still didn’t give up and kept trying to

persuade them… At the end they let me

proceed.’

Case 1: Communication strength/weakness of global

fashion firms – The LVMH Group

• Brand portfolios:

Louis Vuitton, Fendi, Kenzo, Celine, Givenchy, Christian Dior,

Loewe, Marc Jacobs, Guerlain, etc.

• Branding strategy:

Glocalized fashion communication

Fendi fashion show at the Great Wall

Major Chinese artists, painters, sculptors, photographers

and plastic specialists’ interpretation of Christian Dior

Glocalized fashion communication

However, creative control is still in the hands of headquarters

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In-depth Interview: Responses from fashion marketing practitioners

Ms. Wandy Mou

Head of Marketing at Harvey Nichols (HK)

‘We have pretty much space to flex our creative

muscles in advertising and event planning… As

long as they go along with the company’s business

goals… Before each project starts, we propose the

creative ideas to the management team.’

‘Some of those developing fashion labels still do not

have their stand-alone retail stores in Hong

Kong… As a distributor, because each of them has

at least over a hundred brands in hand, they actually

decide which fashion brands to push, how much

money to invest and how to promote them.’

Case 2: Communication strength/weakness of

Asian/Chinese fashion distributors – Harvey Nichols

• Brand portfolios:

Department stores in London and Hong Kong

Owned by Dr. Dickson Poon, also the Executive Chairman of

Dickson Concepts (Harvey Nichols 2013)

Over a thousand international brands

• Branding strategy:

Different from the typical top-down communication system in

the mono-brand companies (Hong Kong = Headquarters)

Powerful in encoding fashion meanings and ‘Hong Kong-style’

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Conclusion

• Fashion marketing communications frequently involved appropriation and negotiation of social and cultural meanings

• Amid the boom of luxury/fashion across Asia since 1997, Euro-American culture continues to determine what is fashionable and project their choices to the greater China region through their marketing communications

• Regional marketing team may now negotiate more often through the ‘bottom-up’ approach to inject Asian/Chinese cultural elements into fashionable offerings

• Fashion messages were generated and disseminated in a

non-linear process through a glocalised process, giving prominence to local cultural values in emerging markets

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Thank you!