Overview

Today, most Americans take for granted that China will be the next global superpower. But despite the nation's growing influence, the average Chinese person is still a mystery - or, at best, a baffling set of seeming contradictions - to Westerners who expect the rising Chinese consumer to resemble themselves. Here, Tom Doctoroff, the guiding force of advertising giant J. Walter Thompson's (JWT) China operations, marshals his 20 years of experience navigating this fascinating intersection of commerce and culture to explain the mysteries of China. He explores the many cultural, political, and economic forces shaping the twenty-first-century Chinese and their implications for businesspeople, marketers, and entrepreneurs - or anyone else who wants to know what makes the Chinese tick. Dismantling common misconceptions, Doctoroff provides the context Westerners need to understand the distinctive worldview that drives Chinese businesses and consumers, including: - why family and social stability take precedence over individual self-expression and the consequences for education, innovation, and growth; - their fundamentally different understanding of morality, and why Chinese tolerate human rights abuses, rampant piracy, and endemic government corruption; and -the long and storied past that still drives decision making at corporate, local, and national levels. Change is coming fast and furious in China, challenging not only how the Western world sees the Chinese but how they see themselves. From the new generation's embrace of Christmas to the middle-class fixation with luxury brands; from the exploding senior demographic to what the Internet means for the government's hold on power, Doctoroff pulls back the curtain to reveal a complex and nuanced picture of a facinating people whose lives are becoming ever more entwined with our own.

Full Product Details

9780230340305

Table of Contents

Reviews

<p> With insight and energy, Doctoroff...takes on the daunting task of explaining the Chinese character... This in-depth, lively precis of modern-day China is an invaluable guide to anyone hoping to do business in the fast-growing Eastern market. -- Publishers Weekly <p> A primer on Chinese consumers [with] each paragraph delivering a takeaway pearl of wisdom... A no-nonsense book by an enlightened capitalist. -- Kirkus Reviews <p> <p> Gaining familiarity with China's basic philosophies and culture will help businesspeople create new opportunities, offer competitive advantages, and avoid pitfalls. Doctoroff offers his readers practical advice as well as examples of successful marketing campaigns in China...An essential read. -- Library Journal <p> Do not go to China - with your product, your ideas or yourself - without reading this book. Tom Doctoroff is a triple value interpreter; marketer, historian and philosopher of all things China. --Charlotte Beers, former Chairman Ogilvy, J. Walter Thompson, and author of I'd Rather Be in Charge <p> <p> It takes decades for outsiders to begin to understand how China really works. In his latest book, Tom has distilled a career worth of professional and personal reflections into a potent cocktail of insights. This book is a must-read shortcut for any guest working in China trying to make sense of the overwhelming complexity and depth of China's consumer landscape. --Alan Jope, President, Unilever, North Asia <p> Tom Doctoroff's insightful book What Chinese Want is a gem. It provides a unique perspective on why the Chinese think the way they do, history's role in China today --and unlocks mysteries one might have not even noticed. A must read for those traveling to China--from the casual visitor to the corporate executive wrestling with the mechanics of Chinese society. --Stefan Halper, author of America Alone and The Beijing Consensus <p> <p> What do Chinese Want? It's a big question. But marketin

'...brilliantly written, colourful, witty and well signposted, so that readers know the lessons they are meant to draw from each chapter before moving on to the next one.' - Financial Times (selected as one of the best 'Business and Economics' books of the year so far) '...a fascinating account of the new Chinese consumerism, written with great verve and sparkling with real gems of insight. Bookstore shelves currently groan under the weight of books aimed at those hoping to crack this huge and growing market, but Doctoroff's really stands out.' - British Airways Business:Life

<p> Brilliantly written, colourful, witty and well signposted, so that readers know the lessons they are meant to draw from each chapter before moving on to the next one. -- Financial Times <p> What Chinese Want is generous with facts and figures but draws greater strength from the author's insights and experiences. His description of a visit to the Shanghai Zoo is more revealing of the Chinese consumer than is an exhaustive compilation of demographic data. -- Inc. <p> With insight and energy, Doctoroff...takes on the daunting task of explaining the Chinese character... This in-depth, lively precis of modern-day China is an invaluable guide to anyone hoping to do business in the fast-growing Eastern market. -- Publishers Weekly <p> A primer on Chinese consumers [with] each paragraph delivering a takeaway pearl of wisdom... A no-nonsense book by an enlightened capitalist. -- Kirkus Reviews <p> <p> Gaining familiarity with China's basic philosophies and culture will help businesspeople create new opportunities, offer competitive advantages, and avoid pitfalls. Doctoroff offers his readers practical advice as well as examples of successful marketing campaigns in China...An essential read. -- Library Journal <p> Do not go to China - with your product, your ideas or yourself - without reading this book. Tom Doctoroff is a triple value interpreter; marketer, historian and philosopher of all things China. --Charlotte Beers, former Chairman Ogilvy, J. Walter Thompson, and author of I'd Rather Be in Charge <p> <p> It takes decades for outsiders to begin to understand how China really works. In his latest book, Tom has distilled a career worth of professional and personal reflections into a potent cocktail of insights. This book is a must-read shortcut for any guest working in China trying to make sense of the overwhelming complexity and depth of China's consumer landscape. --Alan Jope, President, Unilever, North Asia <p> Tom Doctoroff's insightful book Wh

<p> In What Chinese Want, Doctoroff presents an invaluable primer on the culture and buying patterns of the Chinese...his book should interest anyone who wants to understand what makes modern China tick. -- Fortune <p> Brilliantly written, colourful, witty and well signposted, so that readers know the lessons they are meant to draw from each chapter before moving on to the next one. -- Financial Times <p> What Chinese Want is generous with facts and figures but draws greater strength from the author's insights and experiences. His description of a visit to the Shanghai Zoo is more revealing of the Chinese consumer than is an exhaustive compilation of demographic data. -- Inc. <p> With insight and energy, Doctoroff...takes on the daunting task of explaining the Chinese character... This in-depth, lively precis of modern-day China is an invaluable guide to anyone hoping to do business in the fast-growing Eastern market. -- Publishers Weekly <p> A primer on Chinese consumers [with] each paragraph delivering a takeaway pearl of wisdom... A no-nonsense book by an enlightened capitalist. -- Kirkus Reviews <p> <p> Gaining familiarity with China's basic philosophies and culture will help businesspeople create new opportunities, offer competitive advantages, and avoid pitfalls. Doctoroff offers his readers practical advice as well as examples of successful marketing campaigns in China...An essential read. -- Library Journal <p> Do not go to China - with your product, your ideas or yourself - without reading this book. Tom Doctoroff is a triple value interpreter; marketer, historian and philosopher of all things China. --Charlotte Beers, former Chairman Ogilvy, J. Walter Thompson, and author of I'd Rather Be in Charge <p> <p> It takes decades for outsiders to begin to understand how China really works. In his latest book, Tom has distilled a career worth of professional and personal reflections into a potent cocktail of insights. This book is a must-read sho

<p> With insight and energy, Doctoroff...takes on the daunting task of explaining the Chinese character... This in-depth, lively precis of modern-day China is an invaluable guide to anyone hoping to do business in the fast-growing Eastern market. - Publishers Weekly<br> <br> A primer on Chinese consumers [with] each paragraph delivering a takeaway pearl of wisdom... A no-nonsense book by an enlightened capitalist. - Kir kus Reviews<br> <br>'Gaining familiarity with China's basic philosophies and culture will help businesspeople create new opportunities, offer competitive advantages, and avoid pitfalls. Doctoroff offers his readers practical advice as well as examples of successful marketing campaigns in China...An essential read. - Library Journal<br> <br> Do not go to China--with your product, your ideas, or yourself--without reading this book. Tom Doctoroff is a triple value interpreter; marketer, historian, and philosopher of all things China. - Charlotte Beers, former Chairman Ogilvy, J. Walter Thompson, and author of I'd Rather Be in Charge<br> <br> It takes decades for outsiders to begin to understand how China really works. In his latest book, Tom has distilled a career worth of professional and personal reflections into a potent cocktail of insights. This book is a must-read shortcut for any guest working in China trying to make sense of the overwhelming complexity and depth of China's consumer landscape. - Alan Jope, President, Unilever, North Asia <br> Tom Doctoroff's insightful book What Chinese Want is a gem. It provides a unique perspective on why the Chinese think the way they do, history's role in China today - and unlocks mysteries one might have not even noticed. A must-read for those traveling to China--from the casual visitor to the corporate executive wrestling with the mechanics of Chinese society. - Stefan Halper, author of America Alone and The Beijing Consensus<br> <br>'''What do Chinese Want?' It's a big question. But market

Author Information

TOM DOCTOROFF Northeast Asia Area Director and Greater China CEO for J. Walter Thompson, the author of Billions, and a leading authority on marketing in China and Chinese consumer culture, with more than thirteen years of experience in mainland China. He has appeared regularly on CNBC, NBC, Bloomberg, and National Public Radio and is frequently featured in publications ranging from the Financial Times and Business Week to The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times. He is also a columnist for the China Economic Review and the Chinese magazine Global Entrepreneur. Doctoroff is the recipient of the Magnolia Government Award, the highest honor given by the Shanghai municipal government to expatriates, and was selected to be an official torchbearer for the Beijing 2008 Olympics.

Tab Content 6

Customer Reviews

Recent Reviews

Countries Available