Vivintel’s Study ‘Insights into the Chinese Consumer’ analyzes mindset and behaviors of Chinese Consumers in Canada
4 November 2019 - Toronto, ON – A new study conducted by market research firm Vivintel, the custom research arm of Vividata, reveals that nearly 1.2 million Chinese consumers (aged 18 and over) in Canada account for $61 billion in self-reported consumer spending.
Findings from the study include:
• 1 in 3 Chinese consumers in Canada agree with the statement, ‘I buy luxury brands to feel different from the rest of society’. This is even more so the case with Chinese international students, of which there are nearly 70,000 in Canada, who indicate an even greater affinity to luxury brands than the general Chinese population.
• 40% of Chinese consumers in Canada report that they “prefer to drive a luxury vehicle”. This is most noticeably the case among those in Canada on a temporary work permit; 52% of those on a temporary work permit prefer the same.
• There are roughly 490,000 Chinese consumers in Canada that are not Canadian citizens and were not born in Canada. 53% of this consumer segment report that they pay more attention to advertising in their own ethnic language.
The ‘Ethnicity Study: Insights into the Chinese Consumer’ measures how this expanding consumer group shops, thinks, consumes media, travels and plan their finances. For this study, Vivintel surveyed just over 2,500 respondents (aged 18 and over) residing in Toronto and Vancouver, Canada that identified as being of Chinese origin. The sample consisted not just of those born in Canada or holding a Canadian citizenship, but also surveyed Chinese international students, those on an international co-op or internship, permanent residents, and those residing in Canada on a temporary work permit. The survey excludes Chinese visitors to Canada.
“We often fall into a hole when talking about the Chinese Canadian Consumer,” says Sonny Wong, President & Creative Director of Hamazaki Wong Marketing Group. “We tend to lump the Chinese government and Chinese consumers into the same pile, preventing us from making the rational marketing decisions we make for other consumer segments. A study of this depth and caliber will allow marketers to better understand the Chinese population in Canada and create more relevant marketing strategies and targeted campaigns.”
Chris Herlihey, VP, Analytics & Insights, IPG Mediabrands comments: “Historically, there has been a major gap within the industry for research that looks into the ethnic consumer market, specifically around media habits and buying patterns. Chinese consumers are an increasingly significant part of the Canadian population, making a syndicated study like this long overdue. Vividata’s study into Chinese consumers in Canada will provide us with the insights we’ve been missing to effectively target this group.”
Pat Pellegrini, Ph.D., President and CEO of Vividata says, “With the growing number of Chinese living, working and studying in Canada, the need to understand this consumer segment is of significant importance to Canadian marketers, particularly with regards to luxury brands. We are excited to be launching this new ethnicity study which will help marketers understand what is driving consumption and enable them to better influence media buying decisions amongst this consumer group.”
This is Vivintel’s first instalment in a series of surveys focused on capturing the consumer habits and mindset of various ethnic groups residing in Canada. Vivintel’s next ethnicity study will focus on the South Asian population in Canada and will launch in 2020.
About Vividata:
Vividata is Canada’s authoritative source for insights on multi-media and consumer behaviour. It is the leading provider of cross platform audience measurement for publishers. A tripartite, not-for-profit organization, Vividata is governed by a board of directors representing the interests of Canadian publishers, agencies and advertisers.
Vivintel, the custom research arm of Vividata, offers bespoke solutions to deliver ‘a closer look’ at unique research needs. Through syndicated surveys and reports, segmentations, custom studies, first and third-party data integration opportunities, and strong partnerships, Vivintel provides a complete suite of unified solutions for actionable data.
For more information:
Tosha Kirk
Vice President, Client Services | Vividata
tosha@vividata.ca