Join us for an exciting opportunity to hear from leading researchers from China and gain valuable insights into the dynamic Chinese beverage market. Our speakers come from Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLLU), a distinguished joint venture institute between China and UK, known for its cutting-edge research and global perspective. Our seminar will start by Professor Eddy Fang, who will explore consumer adoption behaviour concerning innovative tea products. After a tea break, Dr Nakaya Kakuda will examine the relationship of consumer personality and experimental marketing.
Timings
9.00am: Guests arrive
9.15am: CoE Introduction
9.20am: Part 1: “Clustering Consumer Adoption Behavior of Innovative Tea Products in the Chinese Market” - Dr. Eddy Fang
9.50am: Q&A Session
10.00am: Speaking finishes, guests network
10.30am: CoE Introduction
10.35am: Part 2: “Exploring Consumer Personality and Experiential Marketing: Insights from the Chinese Beverage Industry” - Dr. Nakaya Kakuda
10.50am: Q&A Session
11.00am: Event finishes
Tuesday 20 August
9.00am - 11.00am
B.linc Workshop, Lincoln University
Part 1: “Clustering Consumer Adoption Behaviour of Innovative Tea Products in the Chinese Market” - Dr. Eddy Fang
This study explores the diffusion of innovative tea products in the Chinese market, examining the shift from traditional tea consumption toward 'new tea' products characterised by convenience, variety, and alignment with contemporary consumer preferences. Using a structured questionnaire, data were collected from 543 participants and analysed through factor-cluster analysis to segment consumers based on their innovation adoption behaviour. The results indicate that younger, educated, and higher-income groups adopt new tea innovations more rapidly. Notably, early adopters, representing over half of the consumer base, are not frequent consumers of these beverages, compelling suppliers to continually innovate to maintain long-term revenue growth. This study contributes to the literature by highlighting the influence of socio-demographic factors on adoption rates and offering strategic marketing insights to enhance the uptake of new tea products. These findings underscore the importance of targeting demographic segments effectively and addressing the unique consumption patterns of early adopters to drive sustained market growth.
Part 2: “Exploring Consumer Personality and Experiential Marketing: Insights from the Chinese Beverage Industry” - Dr. Nakaya Kakuda
Experiential marketing is a powerful tool utilised across various industries to influence consumer behaviour. While its effectiveness has been proposed, individual differences that may determine its impact have only been minimally explored. This study investigates the relationship between experiential marketing and consumer personality traits in the Chinese beverage industry as drinking . Specifically, we examine how traits such as extraversion and introversion influence preferences among experiential marketing's five dimensions (Sense, Feel, Think, Act, Relate). Through multiple surveys and a case study of a Chinese spirit brand, our findings reveal that extroverted individuals are more responsive to Act and Relate experiences, whereas introverted individuals favor Sense and Feel experiences. The findings are also consistent across existing customers as well as potential customers. This research contributes to the literature on experiential marketing and provides valuable insights for marketers aiming to develop effective strategies tailored to different personality types.
About Our Speakers
Dr Eddy Fang is a Professor in the Department of Intelligent Operations and Marketing, and is currently serving as the Deputy Dean of International Business School Suzhou at Xi’an Jiaotong – Liverpool University. Eddy holds a PhD from the University of Cambridge, where he focused his research on the diffusion and adoption of innovations. Upon arrival in China in 2012, Eddy opened up new research directions to contribute to the development of the Chinese market - e.g. consumer behaviour in China, tourism development, and contemporary issues in the domestic food industry. In this context, Eddy is currently leading multiple projects on the topic of food scares, and the social mechanisms that are creating, sustaining, and mitigating them. Eddy’s research has been published in leading international journal such as Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Journal of Business Ethics, Review of International Political Economy, among others. Eddy’s current stream of research was funded by several grants from the National Science Foundation of China. He also regularly contributes to academic and practitioners’ forums to talk about consumer behaviour in China, and leads market studies for international firms interested in accessing the local market.
Dr. Nakaya Kakuda is an assistant professor of marketing at the International Business School Suzhou (IBSS) of Xian Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLU). He obtained his PhD in Marketing from the City University of Hong Kong. His work has been published in the Journal of Business Research and the Journal of Product and Brand Management. His current research interests include consumer novelty perception, pro-environmental behaviors, food marketing, and the impact of consumer traits on decision-making.