China Herald: How a global skincare campaign misfired in China

Ben Cavender

Procter&Gamble launched a global campaign for SK-II skincare also in China, inadvertently getting mixed up in the "left-over women" issue. Unmarried Chinese women in their late-twenties are under heavy pressure to find a husband. Retail analyst Ben Cavender explains the background at CNN Money.

CNN Money:

By tapping into women's frustrations, SK-II is seeking to do in China what other brands have tried elsewhere: win favor with campaigns that champion women and girls. "The whole idea of female empowerment is a broader topic that's picked up a lot in the last year or two," said Ben Cavender of China Market Research.

Single women are an important consumer group at which companies want to direct their marketing.

"A big portion of this segment are women who are well-educated, have white-collar jobs ... who are independently spending their own money," Cavender said. "Oftentimes, they're going to be the trendsetters adopting new products and services. In some ways, they're the first customers that a lot of brands want to be targeting."

More at CNN Money.

Ben Cavender is a speaker at the China Speakers Bureau. Do you need him at your conference or meeting? Do get in touch or fill in our speakers´request form.

Are you looking for more experts who can help you to manage your China risk? Do check out this list.