More than 230 million “millennials” in China—or about 17% of the total population—are undergoing the biggest change of their young lives: becoming adults. Hundreds of millions of young Chinese from the 90s generation are getting older, becoming more mature and shifting their perspectives from self-focused to society-focused.

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FOREWORD
Jeanette Phang
Business Director – Business Intelligence, OMD CHINA
There is perhaps no other generation more maligned than millennials. In China, those born between the years of 1990 and 2000 are regarded as
self-absorbed children who plague the world with their 45-degree angled selfies.
Our insistence in viewing this particular generation as spoilt digital obsessives blind us to their real characteristics. Far from the petulant youths
we seem to imagine them as millennials are no longer children—even the very youngest of them are reaching maturity.
With a population of 230 million or 17% of China entering the workforce and starting to buy major purchases, it is important to get to the bottom
of how they think, live and feel. They are a generation unburdened by China’s impoverished past; their hallmark self-confidence and individualism
is a reflection of this. With no worries about fulfilling their basic needs, they have instead focused on what it means to be individuals. This is not
to say their lives are unmarred by difficulty. Faced with problems like corruption, pollution, food security and an economy
that has slowed, millennials are all too aware that beneath the shiny surface complications exist.
Confronted with compounding pressure from mounting competition, parental expectations and societal challenges,
many millennials have turned to concentrating on the pleasures of now. They have learned to cope with these issues in other means: their sense
of humor and wry commentary on social media show their ability to adapt and take things on the chin.
Contrary to perception, this generation is not one that is only focused on self. What we found was that millennials were acutely aware of their
societal influence. From minimizing their environmental impact to donating to disaster funds, shunning celebrities and brands that do not live up
to their moral compass—millennials believe in their power to change the world.
By delving deep into the psyche of millennials, we hope to provide a different perspective on how marketers can connect with them. From
offering a unique brand perspective to ensuring authenticity, its time we treat them
like the multifaceted adults that they have become.

3. In China,
millennials are people born between
1990 and 1999
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4. Society views them as narcissistic
wunderkinds; We want to know the real 90s
VOID
SELFISHBRAIN-DEAD
UNRELIABLEREBELLIOUS
DIVERSE
CREATIVE
MOTIVATED
CHILDISH
EGOLAZY
PRAGMATISM
KIND
RATIONAL
WORLDLY
PESSIMISTIC
OTAKU
INTERNET
FASHION
INDEPENDENT
COOL
SENSITIVE
LONELY
EARLY-MATURING
CAREFREE
DECADENT
BRAVE
GOSSIP
NAIVEE
CUTE
FUJOSHI
OPEN
EMOTIONAL
ROMANTIC
PESSIMISTIC
ALONE
HUMOUROUS
SMART
CONFUSED
FRAIL
GLOBAL
4

5. They are no longer children
17% of China’s total population
90s
80s
70s
230m
202m
246m
Age 17-26
Age 27-36
Age 37-46
1 in 6 people are millennials (90s)
5
Source: China Population Census

6. When they were born, China was socially
stable and the economy was booming
• Planned economy shifted
to market economy
• Government was no longer
responsible for planned jobs
• Parents had to look for jobs to raise
families and be more devoted to work
• More business opportunities
980
1,660
2,920
5,840
9,240
14,200
90 92 94 96 98 00 02 04 06 08 10 12 14
GDP PER CAPITA($) 16,000
14,000
12,000
10,000
8,000
6,000
4,000
2,000
0
6
Source: World Bank National Accounts

7. China embraced more opportunities
as millennials grew up
2003
19991999199920002001 19901993199419961997
First
Stock
Exchange
Entry of
Mobile
Phone
Internet
Took off
Computers
move into
households
Return
Of HK
Birth
of
QQ
Return
of
Macau
Birth
of
Alibaba
Birth
of
Baidu
Entrance
into
WTO
200920092008
2005
20162015201320132011
Birth of
Alipay
Shenzhou No.6
Beijing
Olympics
Birth of
Sina Weibo
11.11
Online
Shopping
Festival
Began
Birth of
WeChat
Mobile
Internet
Users
Reach
500M
Birth of
Yuebao by
Alibaba
Policy of
Internet+
Legalization of
Car-hailing
7

8. Millennials witnessed China’s express
economic rise and social development
FAST economic growth at double-digit space
LESS government control over daily life
NEW communication and information technology
MORE access to local and foreign goods and services
BIG increase in family income
8

9. These adults are a product
of China’s Economic
Reform, and are
dramatically different from
previous generations
Millennials
9

10. Thus, we will look into
10
What millennials do to
express their individualities
How they extend and balance
their role in the society&

11. Rhythm takes you into the world of millennials
11
Media
Industry
BAT

12. Increased household incomes have provided millennials
a life without the worries of fulfilling basic necessities,
enabling them to focus on intangible needs and life
enhancements.
Individuality is essential
12

13. Well-off families provide millennials lives
that have no back and belly worries
11%
44%
300K-500K
21.5%
100K-300K
9.5%
>500K
Average annual household incomes of millennials
(Tier 1 & provincial capitals)
25%
<100K
13
Source: RET, How malls attract 90s

14. But they still fear future uncertainties,
and choose to live in the now
48%
Like to enjoy life and don’t
worry about the future
60%
Have a practical outlook on life
14
Lives have been comfortable for millennials.
However, they also are confronted by
a reality of pervasive corruption, slowing
growth rates, heavy pollution, and
serious food security issues.
They feel insecure and don’t know
what will happen tomorrow.
Therefore, they choose to focus
on the present and enjoy the now.
Source: CNRS 2015 & Huffington Post: China’s
90s generation: new minds, old world

15. Happiness is doing what they want
What happiness means across 3 generations
A life doing
what I like
A successful career A stable life
90s 80s 70s
15
Source: OMD Future of China

16. They live and spend in the now
38%
Make ends meet
36%
Excessive
consumption
26%
Save money
Millennials do not save.
If spending money can
make them happy now,
they do it.
16
Source: RET, How malls attract 90s

17. They care about how they present
themselves to the world
The 90s generation believe in
presenting themselves to the
world, dressing up is a way to
assert their personality.
When buying online products,
millennials buy things that can
show their individuality and prefer
buying clothes, skincare and
cosmetics.
Unique Practical
Good
Quality
90s 80s 70s
Online shopping preferences of 3 generations
17
Source: Taobao, Consumption trends of
70s, 80s and 90s

18. Maintaining a good figure is part of looking
good and staying healthy
Concerned about health, millennials are enthusiastic for fitness. 35% of them are willing to pay
expensive gym membership with credit card.
Age profile of fitness fans
18
11%
Under 19
52%
20 to 29
25%
30 to 39
8%
40 to 49
Above50
4%
Source: Keep big data

19. Travelling helps them understand the world
Travelling is a favorite activity.
In the past 1 year, 32% of the millennials travelled
domestically, 7% to HK/Macao and 6% went
abroad.
In the next 1 year, 26% of millennials plan to travel
domestic, 10% to HK/Macao while 11% of them
want to travel abroad
Top 5 favorite
domestic destinations
Top 5 favorite
outbound destinations
Hangzhou
Nanjing
Chengdu
Xiamen
Xi’an
Hong Kong
Seoul
Singapore
Bangkok
Taipei
19
Source: CNRS 2015/ Ctrip: Travel behavior of 90s

20. Millennials face fierce competition in
finding a job and feel the brunt of that stress
They began to enter China’s workforce 4 years ago. In 2016 itself, there were nearly 7.7 million
university graduates in China.
4.1
5
5.5
6.1 6.3 6.6 6.8 7 7.3 7.5 7.7
2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016
Colleges & universities graduates by year (million) 60% millennials feel very stressed and
their concerns are
1
2
3
Job Pressure
Health
Housing prices
20
Source: OMD Future of China

21. But they are still changing jobs as they wish
They have become a generation that switches jobs within a short period of time
21

22. This is because personal interest is more
important than salary
Personal interest
Career
development
Respect to
employees
Welfare
Salary
Factors
considered
when
choosing a
job
62% of millennials care
about personal interest
more than salary when
choosing a job
22
Source: Zhilian Zhaopin, Career profile of 90s

23. Enjoy self-deprecating humor
Social language reflects how millennials view themselves. Beyond the selfies
and confidence, millennials are also self-aware, thus their social language is
punctuated with self-deprecating humor. This trend in self-mocking is birthed
from the need to release pressure in a stressful society.
Self-
obsessed
Self-
confident
Self-
mocking
Self-
deprecation
Popular social language style for Chinese 90s
23

24. Fuyuanhui, a post 90s
Olympic swimmer, recently
received worldwide attention
for her facial expressions and
frank sense of humor
I didn’t hold back. I already
used all my mystical energy.
Maybe my arms are too short.
If they were a bit longer, maybe
the silver medal would be mine.
I am very satisfied with today’s
scores. I am not looking
forward to tomorrow.
Fu’s remarks are typically post 90s.
Unlike previous athletes who follow
official protocol, she feels free to say
what she wants in front of the camera
and is willing to make fun of herself.
24

25. While this is a generation who cares about their
individuality, they also recognize their role in
society and want to make a difference
Individuals belong to society
25

26. They are proud of China
“Different from previous generations, the era in which the 90s
generation grew up was the time when China started to rise.
There are no memories of inferiority, suffering or shame.
They are proud of China’s economy and international prestige.
In their mindset, China is as good as other developed countries.
There are problems in China, but they also exist in foreign countries…
One cannot simply define China as good or bad. Thus, when
people assail China, they will easily turn into patriots.”
- from Global Times
26

27. Nationalism expressed differently
by millennials
The 2016 Chinese war of
Biaoqingbao on Facebook
Pokemon GO: Occupy
Japan Yasukuni Shrine
Angry Chinese swimming fans
trolled Olympian’s social media
The 90s defend and protect China in their own way—particularly on internet.
27

28. They are concerned with social problems
Violence & Crime
Food Security
Pollution
Social Harmony
Disaster
28

29. They contribute to the society, and want to
make a difference
Netizens who donated via Alipay to 2016
China Flood Charities by generation
90s 48.2%
38.1% 80s
13.7%
others
As they grew up, millennials started
to focus on small actions that
make a big impact.
They are aware of their social
responsibilities and are willing to
make contributions even when it’s small.
They believe small actions will start a
trend that grows into a tidal wave.
29
Source: Alipay data

30. They lead a lifestyle of sustainability
57%
Willing to change his life
style for the benefit of
environment
30
Born near a lake, I have witnessed the water is
decreasing sharply in recent years. I am worried
the lake will disappear one day. We 90s should
save water and protect the environment. Don’t
make money at the expense of destroying the
environment
#fresh air blue sky# Yiqi Han is a senior
colleague student as well as a bus fan. He
combined the love for bus with major and
wrote mobile app programming named
GET ALONG WITH BUS. This will help
citizens for a green commuting
Refuse to use disposable chopsticks
from the deliver food
Source: CNRS 2015

31. They care about morality and ethics
80% Stop supporting favorite stars if
they go against moral principles
76% Support companies that make a
contribution to society
75% Think merchants’ ethics affect
their purchase decisions
Cheating & doing
drugs
Criticized for
Praised for
Supported for
Producing an energy-
saving air-condition
Donating 100mil to
Wenchuan which suffered
in the earthquake
31
Source: CNRS 2015 & Tencent entertainment

32. They are open-minded and seek diverse
friendship groups
Life is colorful, and
friends should also be
diverse and open-
minded Accept
homosexuality88%
69% Have many friends
of diverse types
32
Source: CNRS 2015 & Baidu, 90s insight

33. Millennials are balancing the polar demands
of an individual and society
33
Live & spend in the now
Do what they want
Assert personality
Travel a lot to see the world
Enjoy self-deprecating humor…
Express nationalism
Donate to disaster charities
Voice for sustainability
Care about ethics
Embrace diversity…
As an individual
As part of the society

34. IMPLICATIONS FOR BRANDS
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35. Have a unique brand personality
Individuality is important to millennials. They refuse to
follow the mainstream and insist on having their own
perspectives. A brand should focus on building a unique
brand personality, stand out positioning differentiations
with competitors and have its own point of view.
35

36. Brand engagement should have
a sense of humor and be down-to-earth
This is a generation who love amusement and tongue in
cheek language. Brands should think about how to fit in
their social language, and deliver their message in a
humorous and self-deprecating way.
36

37. Establish an ethical brand image, and pay
attention to major events impacting millennials
Millennials have strong sense of nationalism. They care about
what is happening in society and want to play their part in
fulfilling social responsibility. Brands should pay attention to
ethics, and especially avoid behaviors going against 90s’
nationalism. Meanwhile, voice and be supportive in big
events to win brand preference.
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38. Focus on life enhancements
Millennials go travelling, hit the gyms and enjoy shopping
simply because they crave a better life quality and need
to broaden horizons. They are willing to pay for the cost
also. Communication themes including a better life will
help brands to attract the attention.
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contact us
Bhasker Jaiswal
Bhasker.Jaiswal@omd.com
MANAGING PARTNER
BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE
Jeanette Phang
Jeanette.Phang@omd.com
BUSINESS DIRECTOR
BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE
Windy Wang
Windy.Wang@omd.com
MANAGER
BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE