Grassroots decision-making & 'Zhai' cocooning: MEC's consumption trends for China 2012

As change accelerates across China, MEC says it made improvements to the methodology of gathering input in its second consumption trends forecast. MEC China took last year's most frequently mentioned trends and asked 565 consumers from seven cities to rank them in an online survey. It then data-mined a number of syndicated tracking studies on Chinese consumption and media habits to find quantitative evidence to validate the top 12 trends for 2012.

MEC describes these as: 'Me Consumption', 'Eco-friendliness'; 'the hybrid economy'; 'Tech 360'; 'Virtual and physical worlds seeping into each other'; 'Free?? Free!!', 'Lazy consumption', 'Grassroots decision-makers', 'Alternative sensory experiences', '"Complex consumption', 'the world of gamification', and 'Zhai' (cocooning).

In the leading trend of 'Me consumption', individualism has come to be seen as something to be pursued and developed. Chinese consumers no longer live by the principle of “the bird that shows its head gets shot.” Instead, their unspoken slogan is “I have my own perspective”.

They are now more eager to put themselves in the limelight with the rise of 'personal media', including blogs, microblogs, and personal webpages. An ordinary individual can now have his or her own broadcasting platform. Each person is a source of information and the hub of his or her sphere of influence.

Each individual influencer then becomes a 'Grassroots decision-maker', as people who participated in discussions on the internet rose from 2.8 per cent in 2009 to 9.4 per cent in 2011. 

Interestingly, the 'Zhai' trend, people staying at home and living their lives through their internet connections, has gained critical mass and prominence in China. MEC research points out that the proliferation of this lifestyle brings with it an entire 'Zhai' economy, such as home delivery services and e-shopping technology for consumers who prefer to lounge about indoors and have no intention of physically going out.

Commenting on the forecast, Theresa Loo, national director of strategic planning, analytics and insight, MEC China said, “The ability to grasp the implications of new trends will give marketers an edge in thinking about new business concepts, products or services".