Beyond The Obvious: The Evolution of The Post-90s in China

Mondelez China, Tencent and Carat have released their joint research into the media habits of the post 90’s in China. The collaboration was a core component of the strategic business partnership signed in 2015, and brings together each parties unique data to deliver a new understanding of this group of consumers as they evolve from school and study, into the workplace.
 
The joint research study is based on Tencent’s DMP data platform and user's real online behavior data, fused with additional insights from Carat’s CCS study to add further depth into underlying needs and motivations.
 
Based on Tencent’s unique “Real Person” ID System, the Tencent DMP is capable of fusing data from its social, news and entertainment platforms.  A huge data set after 18 years in operation, with 899 million QQ accounts and 806 million WeChat accounts.  The study used over 3,000 tags to build the profile of the target audiences, covering demographics, social interest, entertainment interest, media interest, browsing habit and purchase intent.

Meg Chen, Head of Global Media Partnerships at Amplifi, and a leader of the joint research project outlined that the study is divided into three modules: Lifestyle Overview, Online Behavioral Analysis, and then analysis of Entertainment Content preferences “despite using broadly the same media platforms, we’ve found there are real nuances to how these different groups engage with content, driven very much by their specific and varied needs”.

Key Highlights

1. Life Overview
Overall the post 90’ have a broadminded and pragmatic attitude but with clear differences as they age.  Our high school group seek entertainment through gaming, the 19-21-year-old college group are actively looking to build their relationships, with the young professionals seeking knowledge and inspiration.

2. Online Behavior
This inherently digital generation of course turn to mobile first, spending nearly 3 hours every day on their phones, iPhones were dominant devices for our working post 90’s whilst the Vivo and Oppo brands were most favored by high school students.  The High school group were the highest users of QQ, especially for music, spending 36 hours a week on the music app.

3. Content Preferences
China’s Post 90’s seek out deep and wide ranging content, with clear differences in preference across both age groups and locations.  High School students in the lower tiered cities were the highest consumers of IP adaptations such as the classic "Journey to the West" and "Strange Tales of Liao Zhai".  Our older targets enjoyed a diverse range of music artists and purchased more merchandise from their favorite programs.

Mondelez China Gum and Mint Candy category Senior Marketing Manager Celine Zhao said: “The research has proved just how integral QQ is for this generation especially the power of music, the nuances from the data further enable us to adapt and shape our creative messaging."

Jeff Kwek, General Manager of Channel Business Key Client Development from Tencent OMG, said: “As party of the joint business plan (JBP) signed between Tencent, Mondelez, Carat and Amplifi in Oct 2015, Tencent launched several research projects in Apr 2016, providing greater insights around the post 90s Chinese consumer. Through the study, we were able to effectively analyze data, allowing Mondelez & Carat to optimize their investment and benefit from more targeted communication plans.”

This partnership is one of a series of innovative digital marketing collaborations between Tencent, Mondelez and Dentsu Aegis Network, Carat China, CEO, Ellen Hou identified that “in an ever more competitive and complex market, this research shows the power of embracing big data, but this is only one part of our partnership, the real value comes from how we have been able to humanize this data, understanding why people behave the way they do, not just what they do.  And in doing so creating real opportunities to drive growth.”
 
Amplifi China CEO Tsuyoshi Suganami, concluded that: “Mobile is the key driver of consumption and content for the post 90s in China. This co-research is a milestone, showing that by working together, media, client and agency could generate value above transactional exchanges”
 
(Research Note: Tencent OMG Planning & Delivery Department PM Data Marketing team, Tencent TEG CDC User Research Center are the main contributor of the report. "90s" refers to Tencent platform 16-24 active users, divided into three groups: high school group 16-18 years old, 19-21 years old university group, the working group 22-24 years old.)

Get the full report here: