Consumer Behavior in Asia

Rating:
Summary: Not without merits!
Review: As an experienced manager in Asian markets I see this book being not without its merits. However, it is based more on hear-say than actual management experiences in Asia! For the novice to Asia it gives a good overview of what might have shaped consumer behavior. It falls short of acknowledging that Asian consumers quickly assume new roles outside of their traditional attitudes, more geared towards Western-style consumer motivation. Market realities quickly outlive the authors' assumptions already! Maybe the authors try too hard to construct fundamental differences, where there aren't. Looking closer, much of that are rather local facets of doing business in a global marketplace.

Rating:
Summary: No real pearl here.
Review: I was really hoping that this book would give me some real insights into Asian consumer behavior. Perhaps I hoped too much. Like what the other reviewers mentioned, it lacked examples, particularly on the effects of the 97' crisis. I would be the first to admit that good consumer behaviour books are hard to come by, but I really expected more - what this book does is actually give you some background on the asian culture and fit in bits of consumer behaviour terms in between. A summary would probably be: Asians thinks more about status than self actualizing themselves; and of course less "individualist" whatever that means. No real pearl in this book.

Rating:
Summary: One of the best books on Marketing in Asia
Review: This is a very interesting and informative book. The author really understands Asia. The author identifies that Asia is not a homogeneous market right from the start. It is vastly different from one region to the next. The author also understands that no one strategy can be applied to Asia. Strategies must be adapted as Asia is just too complex. This alone distinguishes the book from the rest. It does not rely on wholesale application of theories developed in the West on the situation in Asia. It saw what Asia truly is.

The book took great pains to explain why Asian consumer behaviour will be different from consumer behaviour in the West. It explored the many facets of culture like religion, language and others. The author explains that because of the differences in culture, the behaviour of Asians will also be different from the West.

Relevant examples were cited throughout the book. These explained the differences between Asian and Western consumer behaviour clearly. At the end of the book, there are also 3 case studies where the reader can think about the theories covered in the book and understand the issues in Asian consumer behaviour better. However, a weakness is that the case studies are all in a Japanese context.

I find this book too academic for one without any fundamental knowledge of consumer behaviour. This book will be appreciated by those who have some idea of consumer behaviour and is working in the marketing department for Asia. I believe this group of readers will find this book very informative and useful in their course of work.

Rating:
Summary: One of the best books on Marketing in Asia
Review: This is a very interesting and informative book. The author really understands Asia. The author identifies that Asia is not a homogeneous market right from the start. It is vastly different from one region to the next. The author also understands that no one strategy can be applied to Asia. Strategies must be adapted as Asia is just too complex. This alone distinguishes the book from the rest. It does not rely on wholesale application of theories developed in the West on the situation in Asia. It saw what Asia truly is.

The book took great pains to explain why Asian consumer behaviour will be different from consumer behaviour in the West. It explored the many facets of culture like religion, language and others. The author explains that because of the differences in culture, the behaviour of Asians will also be different from the West.

Relevant examples were cited throughout the book. These explained the differences between Asian and Western consumer behaviour clearly. At the end of the book, there are also 3 case studies where the reader can think about the theories covered in the book and understand the issues in Asian consumer behaviour better. However, a weakness is that the case studies are all in a Japanese context.

I find this book too academic for one without any fundamental knowledge of consumer behaviour. This book will be appreciated by those who have some idea of consumer behaviour and is working in the marketing department for Asia. I believe this group of readers will find this book very informative and useful in their course of work.

Rating:
Summary: fair textbook
Review: Thoroughly enjoyed this book, both Schutte and Ciarlante seem to have great experience in the nuances of the various asian markets and how western firms should approach them.