This paper looks at the longitudinal analysis of different categories in Asia to understand how the market is evolving and to compare the direction of evolution with the European market. The aim is to arrive at the implications for the marketers to develop stronger brands in Asia.
The increasingly 'irrational' behaviour of consumers, their creativity when interacting with products, the context-led product usage and brand choices are developments which can simply no longer be ignored. The 'Performing Consumer' increasingly contradicts the idea of the stereotypes and cliche of classic segmentation models. We need to closely look at the actors and also the stage and theatre, to carefully watch and interpret the play, the staging, the objects and symbols (products and brands) and how these influence the plot and how the actors interact with them.
This paper addresses one of the core roles of market research, that of a translator between the business objectives of clients and the needs of people, and demonstrates that it is increasingly important that market researchers help their clients understand the broader context of people's lives. Three case studies provide examples of the value of ethnographic people-based research.
Understanding the underlying needs of Asian women in using new products and services will provide a compass for the innovation journeys of companies. Exploring the innovations described by women in the region will help understand the different ways to create desirable innovations for women within the Asia Pacific region. Success in innovations is tied to the identification and understanding of the key factors that drive innovation, the culture, category and personal needs of women in Asia.