A Marketer's Dream...

Hello Everyone! 
So, I have decided to do something a little bit different for this post. Although I have been having some other good experiences here that I could talk about, I have decided to inform my readers about what would feel like or what they would observe on a daily basis if they were here themselves living in Taiwan. 


So first of all I want to tell you all that Taiwan is what "we in the Marketing world" call a Marketer's Dream. (Well I am not exactly sure if that is what they call it since, I have yet to obtain a job in the actual field of Marketing, ha!)  I say this, because during the time that I have been here, I have noticed that most of the Taiwanese culture wants to take part in everything or anything that is so called "cool." Also, anything that is marketed to be the "new and upcoming" thing or ANYTHING marketed by a foreign company or person, will most likely be very successful here in Taiwan.  

So I guess I will just get started by showing you the things that the Taiwanese culture is obsessed with, that you or I would NEVER have given a second thought about. So, sick back and relax, because here is the list that I have acquired over the past couple weeks. (Oh also that is why this post has taken so long to write!).


As you all probably know, Asians LOVE to put up the peace sign in every picture that they take. So that is the first thing that I have noticed. Even kids as young as 7 years old put up peace signs in every picture they take! But since you already know that, lets move on! 


Next, what I have noticed that they are obsessed with: 


1. Coldstone - Every single time I see a Coldstone Creamery, there is a lime out the door and down the hall. They are obsessed with Coldstone and I honestly can't see the obsession with it. It is quite hilarious to see everyone waiting for this. 

Coldstone

2. Burkenstocks - RANDOM (I KNOW), but they are obsessed with Burckenstocks. These shoes are SOLD everywhere and in every night market. There are people standing in the streets holding up posters and signs about what kind of specials they have on Burkenstocks. Well I guess that the Burckenstock Company did a great job marketing and promoting their shoes, and I am telling you, once something becomes popular....EVERYONE WANTS ONE!!

3. Dunkin Doughnuts - Ok, there are Dunkin Doughnuts EVERYWHERE! Since as of recently, coffee shops have become the "in thing" with the younger generation (instead of drinking tea) here in Taiwan, people think that sitting in a Dunkin Doughnuts, drinking coffee and eating doughnuts is the new cool place to hang when they have free time. It has also caught on with the older generation as well, as there are Starbucks on every corner and other random coffee shops.  

4. Department Stores & opening of stores - Alright, this is a pretty funny one. I have NEVER EVER seen anything so ridiculous in my life before. Lately, two major clothing stores have opened here in Taiwan. The first one is a clothing store that has just come here from Japan, called UNI QLO. Secondly, the other store that has just come here from Europe is called ZARA (which I know we have in the states, but I am not sure about MN). I am pretty sure that I want to get into the Marketing in Taiwan of clothing stores, because when these two stores opened here in Taiwan, for the first 3 weeks, there were people lined up outside the store waiting to go in a participate in the grand opening of the store. OH ALSO, don't forget about the security guards standing at every entrance, managing the amount of people that can enter at a period of time. (Therefore, if 10 people leave, 10 people may enter). THIS HAPPENED FOR 3 WEEKS in a ROW!! I died. I would never wait that long for clothes in my LIFE (although I do love shopping)! 

Ok so I had to put department stores AND opening of stores separately, because once again the Taiwanese LOVE LOVE LOVE their department stores. There is one area near the Taipei 101 building called Xinyi, and within that area, there are probably a total of 6 department stores within a 3 block radius. You LITERALLY can walk out of one department store and cross the street to enter another one!! I couldn't believe it. Was I in HEAVEN? hah. 

5. Waiting in lines - I had to put this one in a category of its own, because the Taiwanese just solely love "lines." Whenever they see a line of people, they instantly gravitate towards it and want to see what the "hype" is about and they want to take part in whatever is going on. It is wild. For example, when you are waiting for the MRT (Mass Rapid Transit), everyone forms perfect lines to get onto the train. It is hilarious, because if you are NOT in the line, people stare at you, like "what are you doing?" 

6. Bakery/bread shops w/gourmet pastries & breads - Would you have ever though of Asia having these? I definitely didn't! You wouldn't believe how many different bakery shops they have here in Taiwan. Every street has at least 2 or 3 and every department store has at least a couple as well. These shops have everything from amazing breads to cakes to sandwiches. At every one of these stores, you grab a tray and a pair of tongs and you walk through the store choosing everything that you would like to bring to the counter and buy. It is incredible. I actually just went to one the other day, around the middle of the day like 2:00 and it was so busy I almost couldn't walk through it.....don't people work!? What the heck ?

7. Lensless glasses - Many of you, like myself, will think this is really strange, but many, many girls (and some guys, because most of the men here are very feminine in comparison to men the US) wear classes without lenses. They wear these, because there is a Taiwanese celebrity who wore them one time and OF COURSE, once she did it, she set a fashion trend and everyone else wanted to get them/wear them. (What a perfect way to market your product here. Just have a celebrity wear that item and everyone else will want it). These lensless glasses are sold EVERYWHERE!! In every night market, in every color imaginable. I haven't found myself wanting to buy a pair yet, but I will let you know if I end up buying some! ha. 

I secretly took a picture! 

8. Jansport Backpacks - They are just now becoming obsessed with backpacks. Usually everyone, I mean EVERYONE carries purses, even the men. Some of the men carry more feminine looking purses than I do!! This one I find to be so funny, because, I believe that on my first day of school, I went to school with a Jansport Backpack!!! Aren't they like so 90's? ha. Or haven't they at least been around for a good 15 years? Well....I guess if you can do a good job of marketing, you can pretty much get anyone to buy your stuff...right? Well Jansport is sure doing well in Taiwan. I see these backpacks all over the place and just had to tell you that people are obsessed with them here. (Well young people that is). So, I guess I will maybe have to join the "in crowd" and get one? (Or have my mom send me one from back home). ha. 

9. Being White - Whitening lotion - So as you all know, most American are obsessed with being tan and looking like they are darker than they actually are. (Some of us would rather look orange than be white...haha!!) But, it is quite the opposite here. Many Asians want to look whiter. They actually use whitening lotion and some of them actual get their skin whitened. Most of them do this, because they either A. don't like the color of their skin, because of them think that they look "yellow" or B. being white is a status symbol and a symbol of wealth. If you are white, it must mean that you have never had to work in the "fields" and be outside in the sun all day. Therefore, many people want to be white. It is very interesting as I HATE how I look when I am very white. 

Although there are only nine things that I listed here, I am sure that there are SO many more things that are different here in Taiwan in comparison to back home, but these are just some of the ones that I noticed from my marketing perspective. I am slowly becoming accustomed to some of these things here and I just think it is so fascinating. I hope you all have found most of these things fascinating as well and I hope that you learned something from the blog as well. My eyes have definitely been opened to the perfect place to market and promote products, if it is done correctly.  Hopefully in the future I will be able to use my knowledge and skills which I have learned over the past 4 years studying Marketing, here in Taiwan when I am working in the marketing industry!!! 

Thank you ALL again for reading and I really appreciate your support. I would love comments, so if you have any, please leave me some！　Oh and Merry Christmas!!! It will definitely be weird being here for the holidays!!! 

你的朋友 （your friend), Olivia 

P.S - They are obsessed with little dogs in strollers