Chinese women aspire to be housewives

A 180-degree change from the trends derived from urbanisation and gender equality, women’s goals are changing from managing work to managing families, arranging meetings to arranging flowers.In 2012, the report saw a growing acceptance of both women and men to become homemakers: this trend is not regarded as a return to tradition but a self determination against history when women were driven out of the home and into the workforce.Conducted annually over China for more than 10 years, Y&R’s proprietary Brand Asset Valuator and qualitative eXploring have looked at 18 to 34 year-old participants to identify 10 emerging trends in the country.“These are some less obvious discoveries gleaned from Y&R’s own studies,” explained Charles Sampson (pictured), CEO Y&R China. “[This group] keeps amazing us with how they evolve. They continue to experience tremendous economic and cultural transformations that shape how they define themselves, their impact on society at large, and how they consume brands.”Another trend found was a shift from flamboyance to balance as mainland Chinese sees that the ability to manage a balanced life as more important for a sense of satisfaction rather than attaining wealth and authority.As such, their views on brands have matured to a more intimate relationship built on knowledge, trust and companionship rather than a mere badge of success. Therefore, unlike previous marketing strategies that focus on glamour and prestige, brands now have to earn the privilege of that close relationship by offering something of value.