China
Consumer
2024
Agenda
China Consumer 2024 took place at 4 Hamilton Place, a magnificent, central London venue.
9:00am-9:30am
(Marshall of Cambridge Room & Foyer)
Arrival & Registration - Refreshments & Networking
9:30am-9:40am
(The Bill Boeing Room)
Welcoming Remarks
Claire Urry, Chief Commercial Officer, China-Britain Business Council
Peter Burnett OBE BBS, Chief Executive, China-Britain Business Council
9:40am-10:00am
(The Bill Boeing Room)
Keynote Speech: Is the Demand for Luxury over in China?
Erwan Rambourg, Global Head of Consumer & Retail Research, HSBC
10:00am-10:15am
(The Bill Boeing Room)
Keynote Speech: Four key consumer tribes in China: who they are and why they want to shop your brand
Zarina Kanji, Managing Director for UK & Europe, WPIC Marketing + Technologies
10:15am-11:05am
(The Bill Boeing Room)
Panel Session 1:
Chinese Consumers - Navigating Subcultures and Tribes
China’s consumer market is marked by its vast size and striking diversity, encompassing a range of incomes, regional cultures, and consumer preferences. The segmentation presents both challenges and opportunities for UK businesses aiming to establish a foothold in the current economic climate. As China continues to evolve rapidly, staying tuned to the latest consumer trends and understanding the different tribes is more important than ever. We discuss these complexities through the lenses of the latest 2024 China consumer research, explore strategic insights that UK businesses can integrate as they tailor and position their China offerings, and dive deep into emerging consumer sub-cultures.
Host:
Antoaneta Becker, Director, Consumer Economy, China-Britain Business Council
Speakers:
Zarina Kanji, Managing Director for UK & Europe, WPIC Marketing + Technologies
Freda Wang, EVP of Communication and Customer Experience, Jaguar Land Rover China
Ben Grass, Founder and CEO, Grass & Co
Sjoerd Leeflang, Vice President, Wedgwood, Fiskars Group
11:05am-11:25am
(The Bill Boeing Room)
UK Brand Interview - In Conversation with Waitrose
Join us for this fireside chat with the UK’s leading retailer Waitrose to hear why China matters for their global growth.
Host:
Peter Burnett OBE BBS, Chief Executive, China-Britain Business Council
Speaker:
Barry Delehanty, Director of Commercial Sales & Convenience, the John Lewis Partnership
11:25am-11:45am
(Marshall of Cambridge Room & Foyer)
Coffee Break
11:45am-12:30pm
(The Bill Boeing Room)
Panel Session 2:
The Era of Emotional Marketing
Facing an increasingly sophisticated Chinese audience, consumer brands with ambitions to succeed long-term in the market need to stay true to their core DNA, but communicate their brand values and stories consistently and innovatively. This applies to brands large and small. It demands that brand managers work closely with their China partners to set out a clear brand strategy and target audience, and implement the marketing strategy together. Innovative marketing channels have emerged, and consumers are always demanding novel ways to be connected on an emotional level with the brands.
In this session, we invite Chinese and British brands and Influencers to discuss how to effectively connect with target consumers and set out bespoke communication strategies, whilst keeping an eye on your budget.
Host:
Ran Guo, Director, Consumer Economy China, China-Britain Business Council
Speakers:
Christoffer Sellin, Chief Commercial Officer, Brompton Bicycle
Simona Liu, Creative Director, Melt Season
Amy Zhong and James Smith, Key Opinion Leaders
Nick Parker, International Development Director, Holland & Barrett International
12:30pm-1:15pm
(The Bill Boeing Room)
Panel Session 3:
The Future is Phygital
China leads the wave of testing mixed reality experiences such as virtual stores, using virtual avatars and products that have a digital identity or digital twins. Consumers in this technology-savvy market demand phygital experiences that are deeply immersive and richly interactive. In this session, our panel of experts will delve into the latest innovations being tested in China and explore the opportunities for partnerships and co-creation with Chinese creatives and domestic brands.
Host:
Jing Zhang, Consultant & Former Global Editor in Chief of Jing Daily and Jing Meta
Speakers:
Scarlett Zhao, General manager, POP MART UK
Laurent Taisne, Founder, Totemist
Kristina Hui, Head of Business Development, Alibaba Group
1:15pm-1:20pm
(The Bill Boeing Room)
Brand Spotlight - ARgENTUM apothecary
Joy Isaacs, Founder and CEO, ARgENTUM apothecary
1:20pm-2:15pm
(Argyll Room & Terrace)
Lunch
2:15pm-3:10pm
Choice of two Breakout Sessions:
Breakout Session 1:
The Douyin Playbook: Growing in China through Social Commerce
(Bill Boeing Room)
Explore China’s consumer ecosystem through the lens of its most popular short-video application, Douyin. In particular, this session will highlight social commerce, which has become a powerful part of the consumer shopping experience in China and is being rapidly adopted globally. Hosted by WPIC and joined by Douyin, together we will examine why consumers are drawn to shopping via social; the integrated sophistication of social commerce in China; and will be joined by brands who have prioritised social commerce channels and will share what they did to reap the rewards.
Host:
Zarina Kanji, Managing Director for UK & Europe, WPIC Marketing + Technologies
Speakers:
Peter McMath, Chief Revenue Officer, WPIC Marketing + Technologies
Demi Shi, Head of Brand Partnerships, Douyin E-commerce Global
OR:
Breakout Session 2:
Hong Kong - the Potential of Cultural Tourism and Experiential Retail
(Handley Page Room)
Hong Kong excels at luxury retail which integrates art, culture and commerce. Through a mix of government green policies, it also provides a unique launchpad for a range of sustainable products from the West which are increasingly attractive to a newly discerning consumer audience. Mainland Chinese consumers may have displayed caution with their purchases at home as China’s economy faces continued headwinds, but they like to splurge on new product discovery and luxury and unique experiences in the Fragrant harbour. For UK brands, a presence in Hong Kong’s booming retail scene is an important part of a comprehensive China strategy. In this session we explore tapping into the Hong Kong opportunity.
Host:
Daisy Ip, Head, Investment Promotion, InvestHK
Speakers:
Robert Lockyer, Founder & CCO, Delta Global
Ceicy Wong, Managing Director, Vegware Hong Kong
Daniel Poppleton, International Director, Whittard of Chelsea
James Dwyer, Creative Director, Lumsden
3:15pm-3:35pm
(Marshall of Cambridge Room & Foyer)
Afternoon Tea Break
3:40pm-4:35pm
Choice of two Breakout Sessions:
Breakout Session 3:
Creating a China strategy in the “New Normal” business environment
(The Bill Boeing Room)
While consumer confidence in China remains low, Chinese demand for premium branded products and lifestyle services is showing tentative signs of consumption recovery. Domestic and international travel have bounced back to pre-Covid-19 levels and Chinese consumers are willing to invest in memorable lifetime experiences and the branded products associated with their desired lifestyle, Consumer sentiment and willingness to spend though vary significantly across different city tiers and regions, consumer groups and generations. UK exporters to China will need to work on a granular China strategy identifying their target consumers in their respective cities and regions of growth. Come and listen to our panel of brands and experts discuss key strategic do's and don'ts and share stories of how they are adapting their strategies for success in the New Normal.
Host:
Claire Urry, Chief Commercial Officer, China-Britain Business Council
Speaker:
Lee Fisher, Head of International, Hayman Distillers
Nick Stratton, Sales Director ‑ International, Nurture Brands
Kristina Koehler-Coluccia, Head of Business Advisory, Woodburn Accountants & Advisors
Ran Guo, Director, Consumer Economy China, China-Britain Business Council
OR:
Breakout Session 4:
Does Sustainability Matter in China - Companies Versus Consumers' Viewpoints
(Handley Page Room)
With the term ESG quickly becoming the latest most-discussed concept in China’s business environment, it seems sustainability is also beginning to engage Chinese consumers. Whether it be via environmentally friendly packaging, international ESG awards, or donations to social welfare and conservation projects: corporate social responsibility can be carried out in so many ways. We observe an increasing number of consumer brands in China that incorporate sustainability into their core brand strategies and win consumers’ hearts through it. In this session, we explore exactly how much weight sustainability carries in Chinese consumers’ purchasing decisions, and if it translates into sales.
Host:
Celine Tang, Retail & E-commerce Sector Lead, China-Britain Business Council
Speakers:
Deb Caldow, Global Marketing Director, Diageo
Jon Graham, CEO, Miller Harris Fragrances
Robert Lockyer, Founder & CCO, Delta Global
4:40pm-5:00pm
(The Bill Boeing Room)
China Brand Interview - In Conversation with Fosun
Join us for this fireside chat with Chinese multinational, Fosun to learn about the UK and Chinese consumer markets, and building brands across borders.
Host:
Peter Burnett OBE BBS, Chief Executive, China-Britain Business Council
Speaker:
Elvis Liu, Global Partner, Fosun
5:30pm-7:30pm
(Argyll Room & Terrace)
CBBC Autumn Reception
Meet CBBC’s wider network of companies across other sectors, government and business stakeholders, and network with delegates from the event to discuss the takeaways of the day over drinks and nibbles.