Consumer-Citizens of China

Going beyond generalizations about "the Chinese consumer" this book shows that marketersa (TM) decisions to brand a product as foreign evokes intense emotions, both positive and negative, which derive from reflexive linkages of "foreign brands" to national narratives of East-West relations. Topics covered include: -the historical shaping of present-day consumer decisions -issues of political correctness in foreign brand consumption -the often neglected dark-side and feared aspects that foreign Western brands hold for many Chinese consumers. -Chinese consumersa (TM) fantasies of foreign brands and how those work to ritualize their marketplace behavior -institutionally constructed national narratives and the ways in which Chinese citizens engage these to guide their foreign brand choices This book is suitable for upper-level undergraduates, postgraduates, academics and professionals studying consumer behaviour in China, Chinese marketing and Chinese business.