China ESG Marketing Market Report 2024
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This report looks at the following areas:
ESG reflects a company’s focus on environmental, social and governance issues, highlighting the importance of sustainability in business development. Gaining insights into Chinese consumers’ understanding and support of corporate ESG activities can help brands optimise the format and focus of their ESG practices, thereby enhancing brand influence and market competitiveness.
- Attitudes towards ESG and related considerations
- ESG activities that help shape a positive brand image
- Priority groups for assistance
- Forms, channels and impact of engagement with ESG activities
- Conversion effects for ESG content in live streams/short videos
- Awareness of and willingness to purchase from brands engaging in ESG activities
Consumers’ strong focus on brand values and social responsibility is reshaping interactions between brands and consumers. Communicating ESG credentials can help brands transcend traditional boundaries and enhance brand influence and credibility though the idea of businesses as a force for good.
Keiyou Wang, Director, China Insights
Market Definitions
ESG stands for Environmental, Social and Governance, the three core dimensions through which an organisation’s performance in sustainability and social impact can be measured. This report covers consumer awareness of corporate ESG activities, their interest in ESG topics across various channels and forms, and the differences in values and purchasing behaviour among consumers from different demographics. It explores how businesses can improve the effectiveness of ESG practices in marketing and determine strategies for future optimisation.
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Executive summary
- Key issues covered in this Report
- Definition
- What you need to know
- The market
- ESG concepts have entered all areas of business management and market development
- Marketing activity trends
- New product trends
- The consumer
- A responsible brand image needs to be linked to products, while post-2000s are more receptive to supporting the local and people-oriented approaches
- Protecting the environment is most strongly linked to enhancing brand image, the post-2000s see brands through their employees' happiness
- Graph 1: ESG activities benefiting brands' favourability, by generation, 2024
- The greatest attention is given to support for people in impoverished areas and disaster victims
- Graph 2: empathy towards recipients of support, 2024
- Aside from product design, online and offline interactive experiences can effectively increase purchase intent
- Consumers are more willing to pay for authoritative and factual charitable products
- Awareness of ESG activities is strongly linked to brand image, but shows little correlation with purchasing behaviour and willingness
- Graph 3: awareness of brands' ESG activities and purchase intent, 2024
- Issues and insights
- What we think
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The market
- Market factors
- The Guidelines for Sustainable Development Reports of Listed Companies come into effect, further optimising the multi-dimensional issue framework
- There is an acceleration in the interconnection and interchange services of personal carbon accounts, linking to a wide range of green consumption scenarios
- The Chinese market lacks diverse ESG rating and certification systems that align with international standards
- China leads granted patents relating to eco-friendly* packaging
- The second-hand market is heating up, as the integration of online and offline channels becomes the trend
- Douyin releases new guidelines governing of philanthropic content, as the Ministry of Civil Affairs urges platforms to strengthen their review of charity ventures
- Employee wellbeing remains a hot topic, reflecting the trend towards externalising corporate culture and internalising brand image
- Japan and South Korea place more emphasis on equal rights, while consumers in China and the US are more invested in the local
- Graph 4: attitudes to social and environmental issues, 2024
- Marketing activities
- Realising the value of a circular economy and supporting the demand for 'low price + low carbon' items
- Integrating artistic and interactive elements to create urban cultural landmarks
- Short films go viral, conveying warmth through consistent themes and real-life stories
- Witty print media advertising aims to reduce food waste
- Uncomfortable marketing evokes a sense of urgency in viewers
- New product trends
- Consider properties of material and functional design when making products from waste
- Continuous innovation seen in compostable packaging materials
- Accessible gaming boosts the physical and mental wellbeing of disabled people
- Innovative employee gift boxes promote environmental awareness with multifunctionality
- Cultural elements boost the remake trend, giving new life to old items
- Leftover food blind boxes and almost-expired food lead the way in combating food waste
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The consumer
- ESG considerations
- A sense of urgency and responsibility could be further cultivated, while views do not widely differ between generations
- Graph 5: degree of concern about issues relating to the global environment and social development, 2024
- Four in ten respondents only care about quality, meaning a responsible brand image still needs to be linked to products
- Graph 6: attitudes towards ESG, 2024
- Post-2000s consumers are most receptive to supporting local and people-oriented concepts
- Graph 7: attitudes towards ESG – agree, by generation, 2024
- ESG activities benefiting brands' favourability
- Environmental protection is most strongly related to enhancing brand image
- Graph 8: ESG activities benefiting brands' favourability, 2024 vs 2018
- Post-2000s consumers are more likely to view brands in terms of their employee satisfaction
- Graph 9: ESG activities benefiting brands' favourability, by generation, 2024
- Differences among income groups reflect their detachment from issues of fairness
- Graph 10: ESG activities benefiting brands' favourability, by monthly household income, 2024
- Target beneficiaries
- Consumers' top priorities are poverty-stricken areas and disaster victims
- Graph 11: empathy toward recipients of support, 2024
- Sophisticated thinking about giving aid revolves around the feasibility of 'teaching a man to fish'
- Graph 12: empathy toward recipients of support – top five totals, by generation, 2024
- Company employees are more willing to help the poor, while government workers pay more attention to youth issues
- Graph 13: empathy toward recipients of support – top five totals, by occupation, 2024
- Exposure to various ESG activities on different channels and their impact
- Aside from product design, interactive experiences both online and offline can effectively increase purchase intent
- Graph 14: exposure to types of ESG activity and impact, 2024
- Online-only activities are less effective in lower-tier cities, requiring adjustments or integration with offline events
- Graph 15: exposure to types of ESG activity and impact, by city tier, 2024
- Interactive platforms and mini-games can drive ESG-related spending among digital natives
- Graph 16: impact of types of ESG activity–would encourage purchase, by generation, 2024
- Conversion rates of ESG content in live streams and short videos
- Consumers are more willing to pay for authoritative and factual charitable products
- Graph 17: conversion rates of ESG content in live streams and short videos, 2024
- The post-2000s' exploration of the significance of philanthropy boosts the promotion and practice of new public welfare concepts
- Graph 18: conversion rates of ESG content in live streams and short videos, by generation, 2024
- Public welfare activities reflecting cultural values resonate more with high-income consumers
- Graph 19: conversion rates of ESG content in live streams and short videos, by monthly household income, 2024
- Awareness of brand ESG activities and purchase intent
- There is a strong correlation between awareness of ESG activities and brand image, but the correlation with purchase behaviour and intent is weak
- Graph 20: awareness of brands' ESG activities and purchase intent, 2024
- Environmentally friendly and affordable, purchase intent grows rapidly across all age groups for Decathlon
- Graph 21: awareness ESG activities and purchase intent for Anta vs Nike vs Decathlon, by generation, 2024
- In lower-tier cities, awareness of Proya's ESG activities rivals that of L'Oréal
- Graph 22: awareness of ESG activity and purchase intent for L'Oréal vs. Proya, by city tier x female, 2024
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Issues and insights
- Rediscovered beauty: evoking a sensory impact and cultivating procedural memory
- Functional design helps combat eco-friendly 'forgetfulness'
- Exploring 'ruin aesthetics' to evoke an emotional response to environmental protection
- Quiet fulfilment: integrating online and offline activities in the embrace of 'modern environmentalism'
- With the rise of eco-influencers, new ESG consumption occasions boost fission marketing
- Collaborating to create environmentally friendly urban spaces and expanding the 'backstreet' economy
- Teach a man to fish: taking a long-term view of charity projects and promoting business for good through a humanistic lens
- Avoiding sadfishing or burnout, and instead healing one other with kindness and courage
- Technology-assisted agriculture: combining online credibility with the offline human touch
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Appendix – methodology and abbreviations
- Methodology
- Abbreviations
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