1、Foresight Series Episode 4: Premium-ness Premium-ness in Contemporary Context 2020.11 精致化的定义精致化的定义 在过去的几十年里，社会和文化变革的速度急剧加快，人们对“精致化” 的概念与价值也有了进一步的认识。 从品牌与产品的角度看，精致化是对于上层社会的消费和生活方式的借 鉴，并将其与大众或平价的产品相结合，以提升其价值，使产品更受欢 迎且与众不同。 从消费者的角度来看，精致化则体现在精致或高价的产品开始变得更大 众化，去神秘化，以体现出产品的更大的便利性和社会阶层的上升。 2 精致化精致化 在大多数国外市

2、场中，精致化通常是一种品牌战略。然而在中国，它则是一个更实际的社会文化现实。 品牌作为“中国梦”的直接载体之一，将这种意识形态转化为升级的日常生活方式。因此，“中国梦” 的理念也深刻的影响了媒体、品牌传播和品牌服务，展现了消费者对优质、精致生活方式的渴望。 消费升级的理念逐渐渗透到了生活的各个方面，从购买决策到社会和经济状况等方面都受其影响，它最 终升华为一种生活方式以及被理解为对进步的表达。消费者对精致的追求正在从通过购买奢侈品来炫耀 自己的社会地位（比如浮夸的、带明显logo的产品），转向更多关注自我的生活质量，并内化为一种生 活品味的表现。 随着经济和文化的不断发展，消费者开始追求更好的

3、品味以匹配自身经济条件的进步，这可以理解为追 求上层社会所享有的品质。精致化从本质上看，是将上层阶级独特性的象征，转化为向中产阶级提供他 们所向往的社会与生活品质的进步。在这个过程中，随着数字平台的发展与不断渗透，也让更多人可以 通过数字化平台分享与比较彼此的生活方式，这也加速了消费者对于精致生活的追求。 在经济发展和城市化水平处在不同程度的高线与低线城市中，精致化的表现形式也在不断进化。来自高 线城市的消费者渴望一种更加国际化的生活方式，他们更注重精致生活的表达和透过精致化的社会阶层 提升，并表现在对食品、家电、服务等日常用品提出更高的品质要求。本质上更多的是一种对自身内在 需求的满足。而对

4、于低线城市的消费者来说，精致化则是表现得更为外显，他们更强调形式上的奢侈。 然而，随着社交网络的影响力逐渐下沉，低线城市往往也倾向于追随高线城市的发展趋势，并以很快的 速度追赶。 大体上，精致化应被视为一种总体的品牌战略，它通常与其他意义/价值/属性(比如自然、成熟、优质或 艺术性)共同存在。 在高线城市消费者中颇受欢迎的燕窝品牌“小仙炖”，通过在数 字平台上提供订阅服务，使其产品更广泛地普及，从而将其独有 的奢华转变为大众化的精致 低线城市的新兴酒店设计从社交网络流 行的设计风格中汲取灵感，以吸引年轻 人 本土酒品牌将其品 牌主张与“中国梦” 紧密联系在一起， 同时建立起精致化 和社会理想（

5、“中 国梦”）之间的联 系 320% 在今年双十一期间，提高生活 品质的智能家电购买率上涨 320%。 数据来源：苏宁易购双十一报告 41% 的中国消费者表示即使是日常 用品也倾向于购买精致的产品。 数据来源: China MONITOR 2020 品牌发布系统升 级版本覆盖已有 服务，提供广泛 意义上的精致化 服务 “精致化”含义的转变“精致化”含义的转变 FROMTO 精致作为一种社会地位的炫耀 精致表现为一种更成熟的自我奖励 繁复与浮夸的 更注重以购买奢侈品为主的物质 的占有 极简与低调的 更倾向于优质服务和体验带来的增值 4 “精致化”的品牌激活“精致化”的品牌激活 Daily Lab

6、 香氛品牌Daily Lab以“在意生活 里的每一丝气息”为广告语。通 过在颜色，设计以及沟通语言上 借鉴自然的线索，将原本大众化 且设计粗糙的车载香氛品类提升 为高端且精致的生活方式产品/品 类。 忒斯特酿造 精酿啤酒品牌忒斯特酿造与艺术 媒体合作，推出了漫画啤酒项目 “picture beer”。他们通过与艺 术相关的包装设计来传达其文化 意义，将啤酒从一种低价饮料提 升为一种具有精致表达的商品。 感CAFE 雀巢的子品牌“感CAFE”，通过强 调其精心挑选的咖啡产地和特殊的 加工，并在产品中加入金色颗粒的 工艺。感CAFE将大众产品速溶咖 啡转变为精致高端，且凸显客户品 味的产品。 博柏

7、利x 腾讯 博柏利与腾讯合作建立了一个线下 “社交零售商店”，消费者可以使 用微信应用程序与橱窗展示、产品 进行互动，并在奖励系统中获得 “社交货币”，以解锁自定义内容， 比如动物化身的新角色和它的服装， 以及咖啡店菜单上的独家菜肴。通 过门店，博柏利通过可接近并且兼 具可玩性的数字转型表现了数字时 代的品牌精致感。 喜茶 喜茶通过将传统茶文化与禅意、 极简、美学融合的店内设计来传 达精致感，并透过这样的空间给 顾客带来多维度的饮茶感官和优 质的体验。 品牌沟通传播品牌沟通传播产品包装产品包装零售空间零售空间产品设计产品设计数字化平台数字化平台 5 Definition The last co

8、uple of decades have been defined by radically increased fast pace of social and cultural change, which results in the idea of premium-ness being understood differently and with more conscious acknowledgement of its value. From the point of view of product or brand, premium-ness is about borrowing c

9、haracteristics from upper-class consumerism and lifestyle and attaching them to mass/lower-priced brands upgrading their value and making them more desirable and distinct. From consumers angle, premium/higher priced products has evolved to be more democratized and demystified signifying great access

10、ibility and social mobility. 6 Premium-ness In most markets, premium-ness is a branding strategy, in China, it is more like an actual socio-cultural reality. Brands became one of the direct agents of the Chinese Dream, xxx its ideology into everyday lifestyle upgrade applications. Thus, the idea of

11、the Chinese Dream has influenced media, communications, and brand offers, presenting an aspiration of the ability to live a premium and refined lifestyle. The idea of constant upgrade permeates all aspects of life influencing purchase decisions, social and financial status and eventually becoming a

12、way of living and understanding progress. Consumers pursue of premium-ness is shifting from a show-off of social status through the splurge on luxury items, such as possessing flashy, logo-laced products, to focusing more on the quality of life of the self and internalized as a representative of tas

13、te. The ongoing development of the economy and civilization has led to the pursuit of acquiring finer taste to meet the growth, which was usually seen as a quality of the upper class. Premium-ness is essentially transforming the distinctiveness cues of the upper class and offering the middle class t

14、he desirability and excitement of social advancement. Along with the increasing penetration of digital platforms accelerates the premiumization, and provides more opportunities and allows comparison of lifestyles. Within the different levels development of economy and urbanization between higher tie

15、r and lower- tier cities, premium-ness is being represented in an evolving manner. Consumers from higher-tier cities aspire to live a more international lifestyle. They value the expressions of premium lifestyle and social mobilities with demanding the highest quality of everyday items like food, ho

16、me appliances, services, essentially, satisfying a more internal need. For lower-tier cities, it is manifested in a more external way with exhibitionist and more emphasis on residual forms of luxury. But as the influence of social network sinks in, they tend to look up to higher-tier cities trends a

17、nd catching up in a fast pace. In general, premium-ness should be regarded as an overarching branding strategy that depends on other meanings/values/properties (such as naturalness, sophistication, quality or artistry) in order to be justified. The Yanwo (a high-end edible bird nest) brand Xiaoxiand

18、un which is popular among higher-tier cities consumers, it has transformed its exclusive luxury to accessible premium-ness through making its product more widely accessible via subscription on digital platforms. New and upcoming hotels in lower-tier cities take the inspiration from social network po

19、pular design styles to attract young people. Brand released upgrade system version within its offers to a broader sense of premium enablement. 320% increased rate of lifestyle upgrade through smart home appliance purchase in 2020 double 11. Data Source: Suning Double 11 41% Of Chinese consumers pref

20、er premium products, even in everyday occasions. Data Source: China MONITOR 2020 Local alcohol brand strongly related its brand proposition with the Chinese Dream to create connections between premium-ness and social aspirations. Premium-ness：Key defining shifts FROMTO Premium as a show-off of socia

21、l status Premium as a more sophisticated personal reward More prone to premium service and experience added value Maximalism and ostentatious Luxury-goods-focused physical possession Minimalism and understated 8 Premium-ness: brand activations Communications Packaging RetailProduct Digital Daily Lab

22、 The car fragrance brand Daily Lab with the slogan of mind every breath in your life. It has upgraded its mass and roughly designed category into a premium lifestyle object, through borrowing natural cues for its key colors, design and tone of voice. Taste Room The craft beer brand Taste Room partne

23、red with local artists for their packaging program picture beer. They are communicating premium-ness, through the art-related design of packaging, which has elevated beer from a lower-priced drink to a premium expressing object. 感CAF Nestles new sub-brand 感CAF communicating premium-ness through the

24、emphasis on the carefully selected ingredient and elaborated process in transforming them into a superior- end product through its craftsmanship behind, along with the refined package and texture with golden touch. Burberry x Tencent Burberry teamed up with Tencent on an offline social retail store.

25、 Consumers can use Wechat App to interact with the window display, products and earn social currency in an upgrade system that unlocks custom content such as new characters and outfits for the animal avatar, and exclusive dishes on the cafmenu. Through the store, Burberry demonstrates premium-ness t

26、hrough accessible and playful digital transformation. Hey Tea Milk tea brand Hey Tea conveying premium-ness through integrating traditional tea culture with zen, minimalism and aesthetics into their store design to bring customers a multi-dimensional sensory and refined experience of tea drinking. 9 THANK YOU! To learn more about cultural trends in China and get more detailed analyses, please contact: Panos Dimitropoulos Cultural Intelligence & Forecasting Director, Panos.D