The Chinese Men's Cosmetic Market: Guangzhou, Hong Kong and ...

money on advertising to attract the men in China (Men’s Cosmetics Take off in China).
Popular movie stars and models appear on billboards in China that advertise men’s
cosmetics to the Chinese population. Advertisement agencies feel that cold and neutral
colors are better to use because they reflect the impression about male stereotype as an
individual. Male models tend to wear more clothing in advertisements, which shows that
the advertisements are not used to embellish or enhance the product (Feng). The Chinese
advertising consists of both body and skin care products, which is one of the reason it
attracts so many customers. Men are willing to pay any amount of money for these
cosmetics because they think it is going to give them competitive advantage for their jobs
and with girls. Advertisements are predicted to keep increasing in the future because
sales of men’s cosmetics in China are growing more than double the rate for women’s
(Balfour).
When companies attempt to advertise their product to the Chinese men, they are
faced with some laws and regulations. In order to advertise men’s cosmetics in China, a
company must obtain a registration slip. A few contents that are prohibited from
advertisements are the national flag and emblem, anything harmful to the environment
and natural resources, and anything that may jeopardize social or public order (China
Business News). Penalties will be awarded to any advertisements that violate these
contents. Smaller penalties consist of a fine, but large penalties may lead to criminal
liability. All of the advertisements must not contain false information. Having false
information misleads consumers and can lead to penalties by the government (China
Business News). Fortunately, this has not been a problem when dealing with men’s
cosmetics in China.
Not every city in China has the same laws and regulations when advertising
men’s cosmetics. We researched two different cities in China confirming this. The two
cities are Hong Kong and Guangzhou. In Hong Kong, Chapter 456 Consumer Goods
Safety Ordinance governs. This states that a person shall not supply, manufacture, or
import consumer goods unless the consumer goods comply with the general safety
requirement for consumer goods or the consumer goods must satisfy an approved
standard if applicable (YU). On the other hand, Guangzhou is in accordance with the
Regulations on Marked Prices of Advertising Services. Any advertising service that
adjusts their service fees for advertisements must update these price details and keep and
keep a record. They must also make an announcement three days before the new
standards become effective (Guangzhou). Along with all of the other set laws and
regulations in China for advertising, these are a few that differ in certain cities in China.
China has a large amount of men in their population to advertise their products to.
Advertising agencies must be careful when promoting their product because there are
cultural contexts that must be taken into consideration. Advertising campaigns can be
effective if they convey the correct message. Before promoting a product, advertising
agencies have to understand what certain signs and symbols represent in the Chinese
culture. By doing this, certain strengths and weaknesses can be uncovered. For example,
a motorcycle being advertised in the United States is viewed as freedom, adventure, and
speed. On the other hand, the Chinese view this as dangerous, noisy, and low status.
Another great example is an advertisement illustrating an open landscape. In the United
States, people view this as independence and lifestyle. Conversely, Chinese citizens view
the countryside as dirty and dusty (Labbrand). These examples represent how American
19