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An executive summary for managers and executive readers can be found at the end of this article.
Quality, taste and virtue make a brand (Niu Gensheng, CEO of Mengniu).
Introduction
The People's Republic of China (hereafter, China) is increasingly becoming one of the most important emerging consumer markets, and it is purported to be the second-largest economy in the world. An average double-digit growth rate at or above 10 percent annually during the past three decades coupled with a consumer population of nearly 1.3 billion, China represents a new generation of consumers who are inundated with thousands of new branded goods and services ([20] The Economist, 2010 ). The deluge of brand choices coincides with the largest increases in personal income. Collectively, there is no doubt that consumer marketers from Coach to Zara are bullish on the "new" Chinese consumer, a consumer base who have readily adapted and adopted western values, attitudes and lifestyles. The marked departure from a largely state-owned, centralized and institutionalized consumer market setting has precipitated the largest and fastest brand entry and expansion in modern history, deeply impacting conventional Chinese consumer decision choices ([61] Wang et al. , 2009). This is especially true for young Chinese consumers between the ages of 22 and 35 who tend to pursue a lifestyle based on their recent upward consumer buying power ([5] Ariga et al. , 1997).
Young Chinese consumers' self-expression is manifested through the consumption of branded goods and services ([24] Fam et al. , 2008; [39] Liao and Wang, 2009). A brand not only helps consumers show the "cool" side of their personality, but it also represents social status and prestige ([45] Phau and Teah, 2009; [39] Liao and Wang, 2009; [61] Wang et al. , 2009). Thus, these consumers remain the most optimistic segment around the world ([47] Rein, 2009), awakening their sense of consumption and engaging in a "love affair" with luxury products and brands ([8] Bruce, 2010).
To understand how brands play a powerful role in the changing lifestyle patterns of Chinese consumers, it is important to explore some psychological core factors. The impact of self-concept theory is inextricably connected to these consumers' brand perceptions and brand choice. Using the principles of self-congruity that discusses the congruence of product/brand...