Changes in the value system and living environment are ushering in the emergence of a highly expressive society. In the new social context, consumers are offered a wide and rich variety of options in tastes to their liking. A desire to enrich one's mi...
Changes in the value system and living environment are ushering in the emergence of a highly expressive society. In the new social context, consumers are offered a wide and rich variety of options in tastes to their liking. A desire to enrich one's mind is shaped by an orientation that stresses absolute fulfillment of needs. Furthermore, the desire is rapidly making the consumers more expressive, idiosyncratic, and plural.
The first background factor affecting emotional consumption is the upgraded needs of consumers' needs. In the past, consumers pursued qualitative and quantitative fulfillment of their needs. Because the levels of their income have increased, consumers and because the quality and price of products have been stabilized, consumers are largely satisfied with the functional aspects of products. Nowadays, the consumers are pursuing products that can satisfy their upgraded needs and desires. Therefore, the consumers are interested in some hitherto less essential aspects of products such as colors, design, image, and mood.
Because of the changes, emotion rather than rationality has become the more important criterion that determines consumers' selection of products. They placed much importance on convenience and simplicity of products. Now, they look for pleasures that can be obtained by the consumption and use of products.
The second factor affecting newest trends in consumption is the progression of informatization. Information society refers to a society in which all aspects of life involve information-related values. Therefore, much emphasis is placed on information values in addition to the practical value of products. More specifically, the consumers' expectation include images and moods-related values such as pleasure, fun, longing, playfulness, "being oneself," colorfulness, and neatness.
An interest in health is one important aspect of consumers' behavior in the age of emotional consumption. Green tea is a product that has an explosive appealed to socio-economic classes. It has played an important role as a cutting edge product that leads the overall expansion of health industry in Korea. Researches have shown that green tea is rich in EGCG, catechin, etc. that vitalize physiological functions and process. Consumers are therefore well informed about such positive aspects of green tea and the product has become an essential part of health-oriented consumption behavior. In 2005, consumers' health-orientation has continued.
Considering that the total size of the beverages market was KRW 3 trillion 500 billion in2005, the size of the green tea market is still small but it reached KRW 18 billion in 2001. Since then, the market has grown more than 30% each year. In 2004, the market reached KRW 45 billion, or a 40% growth from 2003. This year, it is expected that the growth rate would be an even more impressive 50%.
The new generation of consumers pursues functionality as well as simplicity in their purchasing behavior. Targeting this group of consumers, green tea-related beverages have achieved great successes. Donwon F&B's Bosong Green Tea has positioned itself as the "First Mover" of green tea beverages. The concept used was quite successful in attracting consumers' attention. Lotte Chilsung Beverage has two unique products: ChaUrin (soak out) and Jiri-san Saengnokcha. The company has been increasing its market share by establishing an advanced distribution.
To cope with such market trends, it is necessary to select the new generation consumers as targets and devise package design strategies that can appeal to their needs and emotions. This study focused on the cases of green tea beverages as a method of exploring effective ways of communicating with the consumers. Domestic and foreign green tea beverages were selected as cases that can lead to a development of specific plans and provide solutions to problems.