EphMRA Shanghai

September 27-29, 2011

Kerry Hotel Pudong, Shanghai

The Research Partnership attended and exhibited at the EphMRA 2011 Asia Pharma Market Research Conference from 27-29 September 2011. Representing the company from our Singapore office were Marc Yates, Managing Director Asia Pacific and Kah Huey Loh, Research Director.

Marc Yates and Kah Huey co-presented the paper entitled “Understanding the Chinese Health Consumer - How patient empowerment will impact pharma”.

Marc and Kay Huey offered up a fascinating analogy, supported by our Living with diabetes China report, which was based on 3,000 interviews with Type II diabetes patients from the USA, Germany, UK and China. The western consumer, they said, is like a grasshopper, spending beyond their means to fulfil their current ‘needs’. The Chinese healthcare consumer is more like an ant, saving to create security for itself and its family. The key difference between the west and the east is not how the treatment but the healthcare environment and access to medication. However, thanks to changes in convenience, affluence and access, this scenario is shifting – and pharma must take note. Marc and Kay Huey ended by quoting Austin Lally: “There is no such thing as China. There are 1,000 Chinas. Here consumers have differing aspirations and spending power. Marketers must grasp that complexity or fail."