Max Brenner
We conducted a qualitative analysis, in order to grasp a better understanding about the Chinese market towards chocolate and new culinary experiences. This is indirect in nature, so consumers will be less guarded and reveal more about themselves in the process. This analysis will aid us in understanding consumer brands and product perceptions. However, due to the fact that qualitative surveys takes a lot of time, it was really hard to find Chinese consumers on the street willing to give us some time. However, we were still able to interview 9 subjects. Six of them were Chinese students (3 males and 3 females) and three women married with kids.
Below we will give you a description on what has been found, and from this how we will develop the next step, the quantitative questionnaires. The quantitative questionnaire will give us a much higher number of respondents, due to its nature of being flexible and closed-end questions, giving us a better estimation and accuracy on the market needs, wants and tastes.
Overall findings
All our respondent have shown to be very open to try new cuisines showing a very strong potential for our unique product and service experience, which is not present in China. Additionally, after seeing pictures of our restaurant, most respondents gave us a positive feedback mentioning that was very attractive and high class. However, they shown that they do not like crowded and busy places, and would rather prefer quieter.
Instead for our products all have shown to like them and would love to eat them. Some said it should not be too sweet and others were a bit skeptical about a chocolate pizza, as they have never seen this concept before.
For many chocolate resembled sweetness, love and happiness, while some referred it to weight gain or fat. This suggests that our brand can be positioned in the same way in China as it does in other countries, but might need to adapt due to the calories and sweetness concerns.
Moving towards the reason why people buy chocolate desserts, many said they like eating them, while some still buy them as gift for others. Individuals with families mentioned that they would mainly buy because their kids like chocolate desserts. One male student said he would definitely buy our products to take a picture of the food and upload them on social media, after we showed him a picture of our products. This trend is part of the new generation and can contribute to improve our brand awareness in China.
Concerning the current chocolate places that they would go to and why, none of the students had any brands that they prefered in particular. However, the older generations with families mentioned Godiva due to its environment and Haagen Dazs because of its products. Younger generations go to these type of places mainly with friends and with their girlfriends or boyfriends, while older generations prefer to go with their families.
In terms of price students would pay higher prices than where they usually go, estimated around 100-200 RMB max. Adults would pay slightly more, but not more than they already pay for premium brands which is roughly 200-300 RMB.
In terms of locations, many prefered to be positioned in the main malls and areas of Shanghai they would normally hang out and spend their free time. While some students mentioned they would prefer next to their university.
Some also suggested that if the prices were affordable many would go and that our products should be more colorful for the kids to enjoy.
Overall we had very positive results, but also some negative. However, these will be useful in later analysis, in order to strategize what will the best way to enter the Chinese market.
Young generation analysis: Female working family 30-49
New culinary Experiences. YES!
The young generation all liked and were open to eat new kinds of food from western to asian.
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“Yes I am very open. I have tried Malaysian, Danish, US etc…”
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“I love to eat new things. I have tried Italian, French, Thai, Korean and many other”
Chocolate Perception. SWEET, LOVE, WARMTH… FAT, FRIENDS, DATE
The young generation perceive chocolate as love, sweet, warmth, delicious and fat. Overall it shows that most of this market segment has a positive attitude towards chocolate. Half of the respondents would buy them to enjoy themselves, while the other half would buy them as a gift.
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“The first thing that comes to my mind is sweet and fat, haha”
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“I think about love and sweet”
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“I would buy chocolate to eat them, because I really like”
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“I do not like very much chocolate, because they are too sweet, but I would buy them as gifts to friends”
Max Brenner First Impression. WOW! Delicious, Looks Expensive, Attractive,
All of our subjects liked the environment. However the second picture showing Max Brenner during busy hours attracted some negative opinions. Some said it was too busy and noisy and would prefer more quiet places. One student also said it seemed to be very high class, expensive and only for rich people.
Environment
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“The bottom picture is too busy, I prefer the first picture”
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“It looks very high class and for rich people”
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“I really like it, looks very romantic and attractive”
Everyone said they like our product after showing them, and only 2 were concerned about the sweetness and 1 about the chocolate pizza.
Products
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“Wow look delicious, I really like the strawberry with the chocolate concept”
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“I really like them, but I do not like too sweet”
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“Waffle looks very good and I like the rest. But do not like the pizza, I am used to have it with meat”
2 of the females said they would go with friends, 1 said it would go with family and 1 said it would go with boyfriend, while both males said they would take girlfriends. Not surprisingly one male respondent also added that he would go also to take pictures of the food and post them on social networks. Showing that this trend is still very strong in China.
Price Sensitivity.
All of the subjects said they would pay a premium price for this new experience compared to other competitors, paying around 100-200 RMB. This means the young generation are not very price sensitive when it comes to premium Chocolate, like Max Brenner.
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“I understand if its higher quality because of environment... I will pay a premium.”
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“I think everyone will be willing”
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“Don’t know of any rival but I am willing to try even if its expensive at least once.”
Current Chocolate brands perception
None of them had a Chocolate dessert brand they really like to go to. Most people just said they visit random places as long as the environment and atmosphere is pleasant. Showing that there is not a strong established brands for this segment.
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“I would go to any location close to school and convenient for me”
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“I do not have any prefered place, but I like chocolate”
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“I usually go with friends to any coffee shop or chocolate store as long as the environment is pleasant”
Married Female Analysis
New culinary Experiences. YES!
All of our respondents like to try new things and have already tried food from different parts of the world.
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“Yes, I do like to eat new things. I have experienced many, for example Italian, Belgium, Korean and Japanese”
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“Yes sure. For example French, Thai, Italian and many others”
Chocolate Perception. Happiness, sweetness, well-being.
In the mind of the respondents chocolate is perceived as source of happiness, sweetness and even well-being. All of them would buy Chocolate for their kids, and some just because they like Chocolate.
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“When I think about Chocolate the first thing that comes to my mind is Happiness and Sweet”
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“hmmmm it just reminds me of sweet haha, but beside this I believe eating Chocolate is good for the health as well”
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“I buy Chocolate mainly for my kids, since they really enjoy them”
Max Brenner First Impression. WOW! Pleasant, Crowded, Unique.
This segment said that the physical environment is very appealing, but when shown the picture with customers they did not like the crowdedness and felt pressured in going there. They would prefer a more quiet place and all them said they would take their kids, and one said she would also go with her friends.
Towards the products there were very positive feedbacks and even the kids, who were observing, were really excited when seeing the pictures, which made the parents even more enthusiastic about our products. However, one of the users replied that they would not try the Chocolate pizza, because she felt pizza should not have chocolate on it.
Environment
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“The environment is pleasant, but I do not like crowded places I would prefer more quite”
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“Looking at the pictures I think I would definitely take my family and kids to this place”
Products
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“Wow! very unique I really like them. I would definitely eat them” (kids were also very excited)
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“I really like all the products, but I would not try the pizza… Because I feel like it should have meat on it haha…”
Price Sensitivity.
Prices estimated by respondents were very reasonable, and they have shown not to be very price sensitive. They claimed they would spend around 200-300 if they went with their kids showing that they perceive our products to be premium Chocolate with high standards.
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“I would pay around 100 RMB per product”
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“If I went with my husband and my daughter I would pay around 200-300 RMB”
Current Chocolate brands perception
In this segment there was more awareness towards different chocolate brands, mentioning Haagen daz and Godiva, which increase the competitiveness in these particular market segment.
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“I really like Godiva, because of its environment. But if Max Brenner can also provide a quiet environment I will definitely go”
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“I like going to Godiva. I really like their dark chocolate and I believe its good for the health as well”
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“I like taking my kids to Haagen daz. I really enjoy seeing them eating Chocolate fondue.”
Even though, they have a brand which they like to go to, Max Brenner has still a high chance of switching these customers’ brand preference, since they shown to be really impressed towards our unique products.