The Beauty Ideal in Chinese Luxury Cosmetics: Adaptation Strategies of Western Companies

21 Pages Posted: 13 Jul 2017

See all articles by Tatjana Mihailovic

Tatjana Mihailovic

Ca Foscari University of Venice

Tiziano Vescovi

Ca Foscari University of Venice - Department of Management

Andrea Pontiggia

Ca Foscari University of Venice

Date Written: July 11, 2017

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to determine if the standardization strategies, widely implemented by the luxury companies in international markets, can successfully adopted in the Chinese Markets. In order to verify this statement, we analyse the luxury cosmetics industry in a market characterized by evident cultural differences. The cultural differences have been studied in term of beauty ideals and consumers’ behavior and expectations. We study four western luxury cosmetics companies. Although the first moves were mainly shaped on replication and standardization, the cultural differences force the four western companies to transform their orientation towards adaptation. This finding was partially unexpected and suggests that for specific type of luxury products the adaptation and flexibility are required despite the drift to replicate the standardized marketing strategies. These results are consistent with those of other studies suggesting the need for a balanced approach of standardization and adaptation in managing the international strategies.

Keywords: Cross-Cultural Marketing, International Management, Luxury Marketing

JEL Classification: M31

Suggested Citation

Mihailovic, Tatjana and Vescovi, Tiziano and Pontiggia, Andrea, The Beauty Ideal in Chinese Luxury Cosmetics: Adaptation Strategies of Western Companies (July 11, 2017). Department of Management, Università Ca' Foscari Venezia Working Paper No. 2017/07, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3000358 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3000358

Tatjana Mihailovic

Ca Foscari University of Venice ( email )

Dorsoduro 3246
Venice, Veneto 30123
Italy

Tiziano Vescovi (Contact Author)

Ca Foscari University of Venice - Department of Management ( email )

San Giobbe, Cannaregio 873
Venice, 30121
Italy

Andrea Pontiggia

Ca Foscari University of Venice ( email )

Dorsoduro 3246
Venice, Veneto 30123
Italy

Do you have negative results from your research you’d like to share?

Paper statistics

Downloads
1,070
Abstract Views
3,013
Rank
38,181
PlumX Metrics