Consumer Culture in Transition: Aesthetic Consumption in China’s New Middle Class

This book offers case studies on the emergence of aesthetic consumption in China, that is, daily consumption in which aesthetic and spiritual benefits play a dominant role in consumers’ decision-making.

The book opens by discussing the rapid economic and cultural development of China, as well as the influence of social media in expressing consumer cultural capital. It then discusses how the country’s new middle class, in particular high-income urban residents, are shifting away from conspicuous consumption towards aesthetic consumption. The book then dives into three case studies of aesthetic consumption--interior design, wine, and guqin playing--to examine how brands and companies drive consumption by purposely shaping and increasing the target segment’s aesthetic sensibilities. The authors pose three key research questions: (1) How do brands lead consumers to acquire aesthetic tastes, which is crucial for the adoption of products positioned on aesthetics? (2) How do brands and customers co-create aesthetic and spiritual values? (3) How do brands maintain and enhance customer relationships even as tastes and preferences upgrade? The book then closes by developing theoretical contributions and managerial implications for brands seeking to target these customer segments.

This book will be of interest to researchers in the fields of marketing, brand management, consumer culture, and China studies.

Xi Liu is an associate professor in marketing at the School of Economics and Management, Tsinghua University. She teaches MBA level courses in marketing and doctoral level courses in qualitative research methods. Her recent research interest includes trends in consumer culture, and consumption of aesthetics and arts.

Guilin Liu is a postdoctoral fellow and assistant researcher in marketing at the School of Economics and Management, Tsinghua University. Her research interests include consumer culture, sustainable consumption, and AI-driven marketing.

Gaoxiang Xu is an assistant professor of marketing at the School of Management, Shanghai University of International Business and Economics (SUIBE). He teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in marketing, entrepreneurship, and research methodology. His current research focuses on consumer culture theory and the application of emerging technologies in marketing.