Weekly China Oversight

November 30, 2021

WeChat’s latest update signals support to China’s first personal information legislation

Tencent’s WeChat received a fresh update for its 8.0.16 version recently. Users can now discover a new page in the settings menu called “Personal Information and Authorizations” by going to Settings -> Privacy.

This modification is in reaction to the publication of China’s first Personal Information Protection Law, which requires businesses to process personal data publicly and accurately. 

WeChat’s latest update gives users four alternatives for swiftly viewing and changing the personal information they’ve submitted to the app and other third-party platforms:

  • System Permissions
  • Authorisations
  • Personalised Ads
  • View and Export My Information

Link: https://daoinsights.com/news/wechats-latest-update-signals-support-to-chinas-first-personal-information-legislation/

 

Should Brands Distance Themselves From ‘Controversial’ Celebrities?

Apart from extreme cases like Kris Wu should brands be quick to cut ties with their brand ambassadors?

“In the digital era, people who agree do not speak as loud as those that disagree, but those who disagree may not be the brand’s actual consumers”

As a result, companies can only get an accurate answer through surveys and research. Luxury firms are selecting many ambassadors for their ranges to limit risk, with Dior leading the way with 14 spokesmen and numerous house friends.

With increasing calls for diversity and inclusion in China, local customers are demanding a more diverse cast of brand ambassadors. The local market has shown signs of fatigue towards pretty ambassadors, now preferring more intriguing backstories and deeper connections with their brands.

Link: https://jingdaily.com/luxury-brands-distance-controversial-kols/

 

Five consumption trends in China in the next 10 years (by Mckinsey)

China’s emerging consumer class has become the growth engine of many global consumer goods: in the next decade, middle and high-class consumers may become the main force to promote China’s consumption growth. 

Non-first-tier cities may become a source of power: cities are expected to account for over 90% of China’s future consumption growth. Different urban consumer marketplaces have significant disparities. The rise of Chinese local brands is fueled by a shift in consumer attitudes: Chinese consumers’ brand preferences are shifting, and consumer support for local brands has aided the rise of some local businesses. Chinese brands are gaining market share in domestic consumer goods and electronic devices, with a market share of more than 50%.

More than 70% of Chinese digital customers consume both online and offline, resulting in large data pools. Consumption data is exploding thanks to the burgeoning digital economy. A new market consumption curve is emerging: the consumption curve in the Chinese market is shifting as a result of the confluence of variables such as business model innovation, technology-driven unit cost reduction, and new purchasing behaviour. Chinese technology companies are at the forefront of the global curve shift.

Link: https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/XjHKuMtKKb7zEOb4rcY5Cw

You may also like

Top 5 alternatives for LinkedIn in China you need to know now

November 29, 2021

Linkedin, the world’s most popular professional social networking site, recently announced that it will cease operations in China due to a “significantly more challenging operating environment and greater compliance requirements in China,” according to Mohak Shroff, LinkedIn’s senior vice president of engineering. LinkedIn has been the only major Western social networking platform operating in China for nearly seven years.

China was LinkedIn’s second-largest market behind the United States, with over 54 million users. They would lose access to a platform for networking with professionals from other nations as a result of its departure. There are none with a similar global reach in China.

However, there are a few Linkedin alternatives to consider for users in the world’s most populous country, and here is a list of a few of them.

⚠️ August 2023 UPDATE: WeChat as a LinkedIn Alternative in China – Navigating Professional Networking Beyond Borders

Alternatives for Linkedin

Maimai

Maimai is a China-based career and social networking platform with over 80 million users. Lin Fan established the platform in 2013, and it is now China’s most popular professional social networking site, surpassing LinkedIn. 

You may acquire access to relevant firms, clients, and investors by using MaiMai instead of wasting time on other random and foreign platforms looking for the right partners. And since China’s corporate structure is so complex, such platforms make it easier to communicate directly with the company’s decision-makers.

 

Angelist

Unlike LinkedIn, Angelist focuses on entrepreneurs and industry newcomers interested in pursuing a new career path.

If you’re wanting to invest in a startup, raise capital for your own startup, or recruit professionals for your firm, AngelList is the place to go.

 

Xing

Xing is a European-Asian version of Linkedin, with over 200 countries represented and a multi-language (over 16 languages) interface to aid networking in a culturally varied world. 

Another appealing feature is the opportunity to attend events organised by Xing’s “Ambassadors,” where professionals may network, share ideas, and seek business guidance.

 

Hired

Hired is a great place to look for a job if you’re looking for one. They’re a two-sided marketplace that connects cool companies with tech talent while also providing free professional profile hosting.

 

Meetup

Meetup is the most preferred LinkedIn alternative because of its corporate features, social features, easy registration procedures, and new “virtual interview” tool for speeding up recruitment processes. 

Meetup will keep you up to date on any events that may be of interest to you and are strongly recommended when applying for jobs at startups. It is used by 16 million people in 196 countries throughout the world.

 

Conclusion

Overall, it is critical to emphasise the significance of networking in China. Many contracts and economic ventures are agreed upon based on people’s contacts. So, if you want to flourish in the very competitive Chinese market, you’ll need to make some “good friends” who can assist you and your company.

So, regardless of which platform you choose to join, social business networking is important and may assist you in developing these contacts, which can help you grow your business in China.

If you require further support with setting up your account please contact our team. We use our knowledge and expertise to help businesses build meaningful partnerships and develop their network among Chinese customers. For additional information, please contact us by phone – Shanghai or Hong Kong

You may also like

What is Zhihu? And 4 key benefits of using it.

November 23, 2021

WeChat, Weibo, and Douyin are almost certainly the first platforms that come to mind when it comes to social media marketing in China. While Zhihu may not be as well-known on a global scale, its reputation is unmatched. As one of China’s most reliable, expert-led social media platforms, it is worthwhile to investigate further.

Zhihu, which was founded in 2011, distinguishes itself from its competitors by offering high-quality questions and reliable responses. 

Its name is derived from the classical Chinese phrase 

“Do you know?”. 

The platform’s main feature is that users can ask and answer questions on a variety of topics, from software development to postnatal care

People can rate, bookmark, share, and comment on responses, as well as invite individual users to respond to their queries. Experts and professionals from a variety of industries utilise this platform to offer high-quality thoughts. 

According to the platform’s SEC registration statement, Zhihu is one of China’s “top five comprehensive online content communities.” It has 76 million monthly active users and 43.1 million cumulative content creators who have published 315.3 million questions and answers since it began as an invite-only service (as of 31 December 2020). 

Zhihu Marketing and its Benefits

Any company that wants to reach educated professionals in China with more disposable income should advertise on Zhihu.

However, certain brands will gain more than others from Zhihu marketing. Those in the B2B, IT, or professional services industries, for example, would be in the best position to boost brand awareness by providing true value to platform users. Whereas, fashion and beauty brands, on the other hand, are unlikely to succeed unless they’re expressly targeting the professional market.

 

Key Benefits 

 

  • Raise brand awareness by organising a Q&A session
    Zhihu is popular among the well-educated. According to studies, 80% of registered users have a bachelor’s degree or more, and 20% have had international educational experience. Zhihu’s user base is made up of people who have a lot of money, a lot of spending power, and a lot of knowledge, and who can talk about more high-level, technical, and premium issues.
  • 3rd-Party Mentions Can Help You Build Trust
    Being mentioned on the platform can help your company create credibility and go viral through word-of-mouth within the community because the majority of the users are well-educated. Many people come to Zhihu for in-depth evaluations and research when they need to make a purchasing decision, making it an immensely strong tool for soft-selling and influencing long-term buying decisions.
  • A well-educated user base
    Zhihu receives around 26 million daily visits on a typical day. This indicates that it is commonly used by Chinese internet users. As a result, Zhihu is an excellent platform for showcasing your brand to a big number of educated and well-off people. Given a large number of users and the platform’s “Q&A” character, this is a great platform for increasing brand visibility or marketing a new product.
  • High search engine authority
    Many popular search engines, such as Baidu, Sogou, and 360.com, rank Zhihu extremely high. It has a Baidu domain authority of 8/10 and a 360 search domain authority of 9/10. This demonstrates that major search engines trust Zhihu material, making it simpler for the platform’s content to rank high in search results.

 

Conclusion

Asking and answering questions, particularly ones that connect directly to your brand’s expertise is the simplest method to engage with the community. Users don’t respond well to overt promotion, so content should be meaningful and informative rather than brand-focused. 

Additionally, some of the platform’s newer features, such as Zhihu Live, can be used by firms to demonstrate their competence; for example, a cosmetics brand could live stream basic beauty demonstrations.

The company is preparing to develop a national knowledge-based content platform, thanks to some recent investments. It intends to expand spending on content, knowledge services, and marketing, as well as artificial intelligence technology for better content personalization. Therefore, with a large number of high-level intellectual users, Zhihu provides lucrative marketing opportunities for brands and organizations.

If you require further support with setting up your account please contact our team.   We use our knowledge and expertise to help businesses build meaningful partnerships and develop a digital marketing strategy that better targets and engages Chinese customers. For additional information, please contact us by phone – Shanghai or Hong Kong

You may also like

China Roundup This Week

November 16, 2021

What can Europe learn from China’s live e-commerce boom?

Consumers in the United Kingdom, Spain, France, and Poland expressed interest in live e-commerce for online shopping, with 70% expressing interest. In 2020, Western brands will see 15 times more engagement in live e-commerce than they did on traditional social media, three to five times more sales, and a 50% increase in customer numbers.

If China’s growth trajectory is followed, Europe has the potential to reach over 160 million live streaming e-commerce consumers by 2024, with about 100 million of them making purchases while viewing live feeds.

China is about five years ahead of Europe in terms of economic development. China’s experience may provide us with valuable lessons. It took China a few years to turn live e-commerce into a popular format used by both companies and consumers on a regular basis. Europe is currently in the research and development phase, but we can anticipate some significant changes in style and approach:

 

Link: https://technode.com/2021/11/04/what-can-europe-learn-from-china-livestreaming-ecommerce-boom/ 

 

Can C-Beauty Brands Cultivate Loyal Consumers?

Florasis, which ranked third on Tmall’s “Double 11” best-selling brands list in 2020, has dropped out of the top ten this year. Local beauty brands frequently spend more than 65% of their income on marketing, substantially exceeding the market norm of 30-40%. Although their massive advertising, KOLs, and live streaming budgets quickly generated social buzz and attracted new customers, they failed to maintain user loyalty.

“Through data analysis from ByteDance, we found out that most international companies work on the branding side, while Chinese brands focus more on the performance side,” Hwee Chung, Kantar Worldpanel’s head of the China beauty market, stated. That is, Western brands employ influencers to create a desirable atmosphere around their products in order to attract customers. Domestic brands, on the other hand, use low pricing and KOL promotions to entice customers to buy specific products. R&D and licencing are not addressed by C-beauty brands. Yatsen Group, for example, holds 38 licence patents, but Procter & Gamble files 3,800 licences each year.

Link: https://jingdaily.com/c-beauty-brands-loyal-chinese-consumers/

 

Changing Attitudes Towards 11/11 Shopping Festival?

Despite setting new sales records, Alibaba and other e-commerce companies are keeping their sales figures quiet this year.

Alibaba attempted to rebrand “Double Eleven” as the Chinese government pursued attempts to regulate big digital businesses and wipe out the worst excesses of economic inequality. The company’s annual promotional extravaganza lacked the star power of prior years, with green efforts, homegrown companies, and rural products taking centre stage.

Link: https://www.sixthtone.com/news/1008954/alibaba-tries-an-unfamiliar-new-singles-day-strategy-restraint

 

Douyin City

This is a big IP from Douyin. This offline event was held for three years by Douyin in collaboration with local tourism/brands. Every time they visit a city, they should promote both the place and the companies. They’ve visited over 70 cities, and this time they’re in Sanya. Its goal is to raise awareness of Douyin through various activities such as dreamland, a music festival, and a webcast. People will also learn about the city, where to go, and what distinctive foods they have, among other things. They built six blocks for Sanya’s Dreamland, where players can take on various identities, complete stages, and win prizes.

They used VR, AR broadcast, and the Douyin micro application to create interactive and social situations. People would be able to see brand information through virtual reality and augmented reality interactive experiences. Celebrities and musical KOLs were also asked to attend the festivals. This is a win-win idea for both Douyin and the cities; by uploading short videos with #Dou In the City, KOLs will encourage more people to come and visit. This effort will give the KOLs more exposure.

Link: https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/Imd1eRm2LYkcR9auoLWXKA

 

Singles’ Day posts record haul despite slower pace, as China’s antitrust moves dampen world’s biggest online shopping event

The world’s biggest online shopping event recorded a slower pace of annual growth after Alibaba Group Holding swapped the usual razzamatazz of Singles’ Day for a more down-to-earth event that stressed sustainability.

The gross merchandise value (GMV) for this year’s Singles’ Day reached a new high of 540.3 billion yuan (US$84.5 billion) across the 11-day campaign, representing an increase of 8.45% year on year. Since Alibaba launched Singles’ Day in 2009, this is the first year of single-digit GMV growth.

  1. This year’s Singles’ Day was weighed down by China’s slowest economic expansion pace in decades, as growth slowed to 4.9 per cent in the third quarter
  2. This year, Tmall issued 100 million yuan worth of ‘green vouchers’ to encourage purchasing decisions that ‘contribute to an environmentally friendly lifestyle’

Link:https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3155762/sales-growth-alibabas-singles-day-drops-amid-chinas-crackdown-big

 

How to Recontextualize Brand Narratives in China

The house’s 70th-anniversary campaign, which featured Max Mara’s iconic Teddy, was a major hit in China, driving organic social traffic to offline footprints.

Image courtesy of Max Mara’s Mini Program.

  1. With a sophisticated understanding of China’s digital ecosystems, Max Mara has successfully built up a content-to-commerce loop.
  2. Luxury brands need to tailor social currency that can be showcased and shared with users’ friends via social platforms, per each campaign’s themes, as well as each platform’s user demographics and capabilities.
  3. Global HQs of luxury brands need to be aware of the uniqueness of China’s ecosystems and allow higher flexibility in experimenting with innovative approaches in the market.

Link:https://jingdaily.com/max-mara-70-anniversary-campaign-china/

You may also like

Unusual Brand Collaborations In China

November 15, 2021

Whether your business is selling lipsticks, chicken wings, or museum tours, the topic of how to reach more new people – more customers – comes up in every marketing meeting, across every sector imaginable. So here’s a suggestion for you all – Why not tap into the audience of someone else? 

A collaboration with a competitor is obviously not going to work, but what about one with a brand that sells something completely different? 

To get noticed among China’s millennial consumers, businesses must take advantage of unusual collaborations. It may sound bizarre, but it has the potential to attract a new audience that was previously unaware of your existence. 

Here are a few examples of unusual brand collaborations in China

 

Perfect Diary – Cosmetics
Disney – Kids entertainment
Collaboration – Limited-edition line of amino acid-based facial cleaning products inspired

 

The C-beauty brand routinely leverages brand collaborations as part of its overall goal to appeal to China’s millennial and Gen Z audiences. In a recent collaboration with Disney, the company released a limited-edition line of amino acid-based facial cleansing products inspired by the Baymax character from the 2014 animated film “Big Hero 6”. Two of the makeup remover bottles are sealed with a Baymax head, while other goods include images of the character on the packaging, appealing to young buyers’ love of cuteness and blind-box style toys.

 

KFC – Fast food restaurant chain
Karl Lagerfeld’s – German fashion designer and photographer
Collaboration – Limited Edition Chicken Bags 

 

KFC China recently resorted to the luxury business to mark the company’s 80th anniversary. Karl Lagerfeld, the fashion mogul, was the chosen brand, and he created two limited-edition bags. The centre Karl Lagerfeld logo was replaced with Kentucky Fried Chicken, and Paris was replaced with Kentucky in the funny new rendition of the original Karl Lagerfeld design. The bags contain three red stripes, which are KFC’s signature colours.

Ikea – Furniture retail company
ROG – Gaming retail
Collaboration – Gaming Furniture and Accessories


Ikea presented an eagerly anticipated collaboration with the Asus Republic of Gamers (ROG) on a new collection of affordable gaming furniture and accessories, taking a “China-first” approach to product innovation. A sleek high-backed gaming chair, an adjustable table that can be used as a standing workstation, and a wall-mounted pegboard to keep gaming equipment organised are all part of the black-and-red collection.


Conclusion

Younger consumers, particularly Generation Z, are perceived as having a larger proclivity for purchasing from ‘collaboration’ collections than older consumers. According to Boston Consulting Group (BCG), Chinese Generation Z customers have the largest desire for cross-brand collaborations among this generation’s quest for newness from the brands they like.

These out-of-the-box collaborations demonstrate that the opportunities for co-branding in China are limitless. Why limit yourself to usual collaborations when you can have so much fun? Collaboration with other well-known brands across all industries may help businesses grow their audiences, increase sales, and establish a reputation as a creative and fun brand among Chinese customers.

While unique collaborations have a lot of promise for your company, getting started can be challenging. If you require further support, please contact our team. We apply our expertise and experience to assist firms in forming meaningful partnerships and developing a digital marketing strategy that better targets and connects with Chinese customers. For additional information, please contact us by phone or email.

 

 

You may also like

WeChat for Beauty/ Makeup Sector

November 9, 2021

Thanks to rising disposable incomes in urban areas, consumers in China are increasingly interested in health and beauty products such as cosmetics, perfumes, fashion accessories, and vitamin supplements.

The Chinese beauty, cosmetics, and grooming market is second only to the US in terms of size and maturity after several years of rapid expansion. Although some newbies to the industry have begun to climb the rankings, foreign brands continue to outperform domestic players.

Beauty Brands and WeChat

Brands in China are turning to the WeChat app to move beyond generic marketing and into a more personal level of connection, interaction, and targeting. Many people are discovering that using WeChat to take a customer-centric strategy produces greater results than merely posting and sharing blogs and other information.

Offering unique deals and exclusive content to subscribers, samples for testing, live event invites, games and competitions with rewards, and loyalty programmes are all examples of connecting with WeChat.

 

Why WeChat for Digital Marketing?

With so much growth expected in the cosmetics industry, it’s critical for companies to establish brand recognition in China. WeChat accounts for 47% of all mobile time spent and has 1.1 billion daily users, so it goes without saying that this app is critical for organisations looking to expand their digital presence in China. 

WeChat has accumulated a vast amount of user data as a result of its many capabilities and large community. In marketing, this translates to extremely useful data for Paid Media initiatives. In fact, many Chinese businesses begin their digital presence on WeChat before developing their own website or app.

 

How can WeChat Benefit your Beauty & Service Business?

  • Subscribers can get discounts, rewards, games, entertainment, interactive experiences, and other perks.
  • To fine-tune and optimise targeting based on interest, divide the audience into categories.
  • Customers can be geo-targeted and informed about upcoming in-store deals and specials.
  • Provide customised beauty solutions for each customer.
  • Interact and communicate with people one-on-one rather than in groups.
  • Provide a personalised answer to questions and inquiries (as opposed to automated).
  • During occasions that involve gift-giving, promote and offer extraordinary one-of-a-kind gifts (such as Chinese New Year).

 

Conclusion

WeChat Ads are a hot trend in China for breaking through and winning over the audience. WeChat offers a wide range of utilities and targets, making it a wonderful chance for businesses and marketers looking to break into China.

While WeChat has a lot of potential for beauty firms, getting started can be difficult. Get in touch with our team if you need assistance with this. We use our experience and knowledge to help businesses establish a digital marketing plan that better targets and communicates with Chinese consumers. Contact us via phone or email for more information.

 

You may also like

This Week’s China Learning

November 9, 2021

2021 Beauty Industry White Paper

Although this white paper focuses on China’s cosmetics industry, many of the conclusions are applicable to China’s other industries.

Main takeaways:

  • A content-focused strategy is becoming increasingly important, rather than a price-focused strategy.
  • Brand building has been a priority for both foreign and domestic brands. They are increasingly focusing on long-term brand equity/notoriety rather than short-term ROI.
  • In China, young internet customers remain the most significant market for most brands. Women under the age of 40 account for approximately 70% of the global cosmetics market, significantly outnumbering their demographic share.
  • As the appeal for transactional techniques fades and becomes increasingly unsustainable, younger consumers are more affected by brands and content that resonate on an emotional level and match with their value system. As a result, marketing is far smarter and more fascinating now than it was in the days when all you had to do was decrease the price.

Link: https://www.kantarworldpanel.com/cn-en/news/2021-Beauty-Industry-White-Paper?utm_source=news_chinaskinny_com&utm_medium=email&utm_content=The+Weekly+China+Skinny&utm_campaign=20211102_m165346214_20211102+-+1&utm_term=2021+Beauty+Industry+White+Paper

 

B2B Marketing in the Post-LinkedIn Reality

Maimai 脈脈 is a homegrown social-networking platform for professionals to create business connections, the Chinese equivalent of Linkedin. It now has more than 80 million high-value real name users with more than monthly active users of 30 million.

Through Maimai, marketers can convey their advertising message into different types of Ad formats including Splash Ad, Native Ad, and instant message, etc. Additionally, marketers could target the audiences in different positioning based on their geographic location, gender, career position (C Levels/ Directors / Managers grade), job industry (Business / Legal / Finance/ Design/ IT, etc), and even their specific company.

Link: https://www.xinergy.global/maimai-the-chinese-linkedin/

 

The older Chinese consumers turning silver into e-commerce gold

A few months ago, the Chinese government was encouraging the biggest Chinese apps to prepare elderly-friendly versions. More than 264 million people, or 18.7% of China’s population, are aged over 60 in a country that is ageing rapidly, according to census results published in May.

COVID-19 forced many Chinese 60+ online making for an expanding population of “silver-haired” internet users who have made the move to online shopping in China in the past year, nudged by the coronavirus pandemic, government policy and e-commerce giants. JD reports that retirees living in major cities, with money to spend and plenty of time, were some of the most prolific shoppers since the pandemic, with over half of the goods catering to the elderly bought by users themselves this year.

In the first three quarters of this year, purchases by the silver-haired demographic grew almost fivefold year on year, with users focusing on leisure purchases, such as gardening supplies and package tours. To really tap this market, online vendors need to simplify their designs or offer user-friendly guides for their apps or websites.

Link: https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3153456/older-chinese-consumers-turning-silver-e-commerce-gold

 

GUCCI– burst game

For its product burst, Gucci, a worldwide luxury brand, devised an innovative H5 game that allows users to engage, comprehend items, and expose brands by avoiding obstacles in the tunnel.

Burst’s shoes “gallop” in a 3D three-dimensional colour tunnel. At the 8m position, there are two operation guide arrows. Users can use the up and down arrows to directly drag bursts around the tunnel to escape impending obstacles by clicking and dragging it. There are timers and score reminders in the game. If you run into any barriers, the game will automatically finish and the game results page will appear.

 

Luxury brands are ditching KOLs for virtual influencers in China: how Alexander McQueen, Dior and Prada are turning to digital avatars and AI idols to woo millennials

Making their way from music to fashion, virtual idols are paving the way for mixed reality initiatives, increasingly appealing to younger, digitally native consumers.

As more consumers move online, they will increasingly demand compelling narratives like Maie’s from their virtual idols. It seems, every luxury consumer will be able to hatch their own virtual idols in the future.

Link: https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/luxury/article/3153210/luxury-brands-are-ditching-kols-virtual-influencers-china

 

 

 

You may also like

What’s New in China This Week?

November 2, 2021

How Chinese Retailers Are Reinventing the Customer Journey

China’s retail sector is both enormous and rapidly developing, with an estimated value of $5 trillion by 2020. It is also heavily computerised. And, as a result of the epidemic, digital has become a strategic priority for all retailers.

The authors draw from their research on Chinese retailers to explain five lessons that Western companies can learn from China as they develop their own digital market offerings:

  1. Create single entry points where customers can access all their potential purchases.
  2. Embed digital evaluation in the customer journey.
  3. Don’t think of sales as isolated events.
  4. Rethink the logistical fundamentals.
  5. Always stay close to the customer.

Link: https://hbr.org/2021/09/how-chinese-retailers-are-reinventing-the-customer-journey 

 

Luxury Brands and 11/11

Alibaba is actively promoting innovative digital retail solutions for luxury brands and is gradually expanding its virtual services and experiences. While the majority of luxury purchasing still takes place in physical stores, online and omnichannel expansion has constantly expanded – according to Bain & Co, China’s luxury internet penetration will increase to 23% in 2020, up from 12% the previous year.

Gucci, Vacheron Constantin, and Maison Margiela, for example, recently teamed with Tmall Luxury Pavilion to expand services previously only available in physical stores, such as membership benefits, sales associate consultations, and after-sales services.

This year’s 11.11 Global Shopping Festival, the world’s greatest retail extravaganza by sales, has over 200 luxury businesses offering a variety of services ranging from bespoke engraving to cleaning and repair services. Other highlights include a digital exhibition, an art presentation by a virtual influencer, Chopard and Cartier showcasing their items in 3D, AR try-on, and top executives joining firms’ live streams.

Link: https://www.alizila.com/alibaba-janet-wang-china-luxury-innovation-1111-shopping-festival/ 

 

China Brands Go Global

Report selected 100 Chinese brands present abroad and analyzed them. The purpose of the top 100 Chinese brands list was to look at consumer brands that have the most direct impact on global consumers – both in terms of sales and (more significantly) in terms of brand/audience impact and potential.

While many of the enterprises have their own websites, the vast majority of sales are made via ecommerce sites such as Amazon and AliExpress. While most brands have official accounts on three or more channels, social media is used more to enhance performance, such as digital advertisements (CPC), rather than to cultivate customer affinity. Brand content and organic growth are underserved because the focus is solely on advertising. Most brands have a small number of followers and a poor level of engagement.

Big event sponsorships: While these high-profile, high-budget endeavours are remarkable, they are often premature vanity projects for brands that have yet to gain traction in the market. These approaches are hoped to be fast-tracks to brand equity.

Link: https://www.talktototem.com/china-insights/china-brands-going-global 

 

WeChat Brand Channel

It’s a partnership between WeChat Pay and Channels; with this step, traffic from offline channels/mini programmes will be sent to WeChat Channels. There are five major benefits of using the Brand Channel.

  1. Turn to Channel’s video after offline payment: When users complete the payment, they will see the Brand Channel button and watch the videos
  2. Reserve the live stream after payment: The brands can add this feature to the payment page, so the users can make a live stream reservation during their payment
  3. Brand hongbao: The brands can send hongbao by QR code, when the users scan the QR code, they will receive the hongbao and use it when they pay the bill. On the receipt page, the users can get in the brands’ channels and explore the dedicated video
  4. Turn to Channel’s video after mini-program payment: The brands can add the Channels’ content in the mini-program page, so when the users browse the page, they can see the video amongst the products
  5. Coupons: The brands can combine the video to the coupon, so the users can watch the video when they get and use the coupon

Link: https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/ZtJ5Pji6KwcPTMwS51PNEQ 

 

WeChat update version 8.0.16 supports one-click to close personalized advertising

WeChat version 8.0.16 shows an updated pop-up window with revised privacy protection guidelines to advise users of changes to privacy guidelines and information sharing disclosure.

The “personal information and permissions” entry has been added to the bottom of the “WeChat – I – Settings – Privacy” interface.

You can now turn off “personalised advertising” with a single click in WeChat’s “personalised advertising management” and set the switch to “closed.”

It’s important to note that turning off “personalised advertising” does not imply that you’ll never see advertisements on WeChat again. Instead, you will turn off the display of ads that are relevant to you, but you will continue to get broad commercials.

Link: https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/fV5k4jVUCtvpzjO3UGFVXA

 

One mobile phone number can register multiple WeChat ID

A new function appears in WeChat version 8.0.15, which allows users to quickly register another WeChat signal without an additional mobile phone number.

You must also carry out real-name authentication of WeChat payment if you need to transfer, send, and receive red envelopes and other operations in WeChat without binding your mobile phone number. You are not required to bind your mobile phone number if you need to transfer, send, and receive red envelopes and other operations in WeChat without binding your mobile phone number.

Link: https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/h5Tlo2NIsfVLlZMpISRbFg

 

Meta’s chief of Metaverse tells us what the future holds for the former Facebook

Meta aims to build solutions to social media problems that have yet to be solved in the future.

Meta has big aspirations for the metaverse. On Instagram, there’s a huge universe of artists, and there are a lot of people creating stuff on Facebook. Virtual commodities will undoubtedly play a significant role in Meta’s metaverse.

Link: https://www.cnet.com/tech/computing/metas-chief-of-metaverse-tells-us-what-the-future-holds-for-the-former-facebook/ 

 

You may also like

Podcasts in China

November 2, 2021

Despite the fact that podcasting has been around for almost two decades in the United States, with more than 41% of adults aged 18 and above listening to a podcast at least once a month in 2021, it is still a relatively new industry in China. Listeners in China are more familiar with government-controlled broadcasting and state-owned public radio than with on-demand audio content from private creators.

Ear Economy in China

However, in recent years, the internet audio business, also known as the “ear economy,” has grown rapidly. Podcast listening has become a regular fad in many young Chinese consumers’ lives. 

As a result of the expansion of commuter culture and easy access to different media content. Given the pervasiveness of smartphones in Chinese culture, all audio-visual content is now mobile-friendly. This is one of the factors that can be used to explain why podcasts are becoming more popular. 

Chinese podcast listeners are estimated to reach 85.6 million by the end of 2021, second only to the United States. Nonetheless, given China’s massive population, this only accounts for 6.1% of the country’s population, indicating that there is plenty of room for the market to expand.

 

The Growing Popularity of Podcasts in China

China’s low adoption isn’t due to a lack of interest in digital audio. In this sense, Chinese consumers have a wide range of options, including ebooks, audio live streaming, social audio, and karaoke, all of which fight for ear time. 

Regardless, China’s desire for podcasts—which is defined as any audio-first serialised episodes that can be accessed via digital streams or downloaded, as well as heard as podcasts via video platforms—is apparent. 

Chinese tech companies, including some of the country’s most well-known digital giants, are jumping into the booming audio category, establishing dedicated “podcast” sections. Tencent Music and Entertainment, for example, has recently been promoting “long-form content.” 

 

Chinese Podcast Listeners’ Demographics

The root of China’s developing podcast market is a growing demand for tailored, personalized, and individualised media tastes as a result of economic liberalisation and urbanisation. The thriving sector includes a wide range of themes, from travel to hobbies — and everything in between.

In terms of audience, over 68.2% of respondents live in top-tier or coastal cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou, according to the PodFest China 2020 Chinese Podcasting Listeners and Consumption Survey. The majority of podcast listeners are under the age of 35, with more than 88.5% being under the age of 35.

Podcasting is also popular among the well-educated, with 86.4% of listeners having a bachelor’s degree or more, but only 28.6% of short-video users had attended college.

 

Conclusion

China’s podcast sector appears to have a bright future. In 2019, China’s podcast sector generated US$193 million in revenue, making it the world’s fastest-growing podcast market. The market is expected to grow at a 37.3% CAGR before 2024, reaching a total value of US$689 million in 2024, owing to increased listener numbers, making China the world’s second-largest market if the revenue target is met.

However, the market expansion will need to be closely monitored in the future. With only 6% of the population reporting that they listen to podcasts, there is a lot of room for expansion. As a result, starting a podcast for your company could be a wise decision for the future of your business.

Do you think starting a podcast is simple? Well, think again. You do need considerable support and guidance. Hit us up to get the ins and outs sorted professionally and launch a cohesive campaign.

You may also like