Hermès’s Innovative WeChat Campaign: Bridging Digital and Physical Worlds in China’s Luxury Market

December 24, 2024

Introduction to Digital Innovation at Hermès

In an era where digital transformation shapes marketing strategies, Hermès has set a benchmark in China’s dynamic market. This blog post explores Hermès’s recent groundbreaking campaign that harmoniously blends offline exhibitions with interactive WeChat Mini Programs, setting new standards for engaging consumers in China’s competitive luxury landscape.

海报

Poster

Exploring the Campaign’s Mechanics

The campaign revolved around an engaging scavenger hunt/escape room that took place during an exclusive offline exhibition. Participants embarked on a journey through the venue, tasked with discovering horse-themed items—a tribute to Hermès’s equestrian roots. Each item was cleverly integrated into the exhibition, encouraging visitors to explore in-depth.

Hermes Exhibition

Inside The Exhibition

Digital Integration via WeChat Mini Program

The brilliance of this campaign was further amplified through its digital strategy, utilizing a WeChat Mini Program. Participants used this platform to log the items they discovered by clicking the corresponding images. This seamless integration of digital tools ensured a smooth and engaging user experience, highlighting the potential of WeChat Mini Programs in bridging online and offline worlds.

wechat mini program

WeChat Mini Program

Rewards and Incentives

To add excitement, Hermès offered exclusive branded rewards to those who successfully completed the scavenger hunt. This strategy not only enhanced participation rates but also created a memorable experience that participants were likely to share across their social networks.

激励

Rewards and Incentives

Key Learnings from Hermès’s Strategy

  1. Seamless O2O Integration
    • The campaign is a prime example of effective Online-to-Offline (O2O) integration, which keeps users engaged by connecting digital actions with physical experiences. This approach is particularly resonant in China’s retail environment, where digital engagement can significantly amplify physical marketing efforts.
  2. Gamification Drives Engagement
    • By gamifying the exhibition experience, Hermès managed to transform a traditional marketing event into an interactive adventure. Gamification is a powerful tool in digital marketing, especially on platforms like WeChat, where user engagement can directly translate into higher brand loyalty and customer retention.
  3. Narrative-Driven Branding
    • Hermès’s focus on storytelling, by integrating its brand heritage into the campaign, helped reinforce its identity and values. This strategy not only enriched the consumer experience but also bolstered the brand’s image in the eyes of Chinese consumers, who value rich, narrative-driven interactions.

Conclusion: A Model for Future Campaigns

Hermès’s campaign demonstrates the profound impact of integrating innovative digital marketing strategies with traditional methods. For brands looking to make a mark in China’s luxury market, leveraging social media platforms like WeChat through Mini Programs offers a direct route to consumer engagement.

This case study serves as a reminder of the effectiveness of combining physical and digital experiences in a marketing strategy, especially in a highly digital society like China. Brands aiming to expand in the Chinese market should consider similar integrations to captivate and engage with their audience effectively.

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Xiaohongshu RED Marketing for Brands 2024

May 22, 2024

What began in 2013 as an online guide for Chinese shoppers traveling overseas has evolved into China’s answer to Instagram and Pinterest: “XiaoHongShu” (小红书) or “Little Red Book,” known simply as RED. This dynamic platform offers a one-stop destination for users to discover, share, review, and purchase lifestyle products and services, with content spanning health, beauty, fashion, travel, and entertainment. Primarily user-generated, RED’s content is perceived as authentic and trustworthy, featuring diverse formats such as photos, text, videos, and livestreams. 

Now RED is a thriving ecosystem where users seek inspiration, recommendations, and genuine connections. With over 260 million monthly active users, predominantly Gen Z females residing in China’s bustling cities, RED marketing presents a golden opportunity for brands to foster high engagement and meaningful customer dialogues building genuine trust with the audience. Let’s delve into how brands can effectively tap into this vibrant community and navigate the nuances of marketing on Xiaohongshu.

RED Key Data

Understanding RED’s Unique User Demographics and Platform Dynamics

RED’s user demographics consist primarily of educated, high-income individuals with a penchant for lifestyle, fashion, and beauty. The platform’s blend of social sharing and e-commerce creates a unique environment where users seek authentic recommendations and peer-driven content. Understanding the platform’s nuances is crucial for brands looking to navigate RED’s community-driven ecosystem successfully. Emphasizing authenticity, trustworthiness, and genuine connections is key to building rapport with RED users and driving meaningful engagement.

 

Navigating Account Setup and Marketing Strategies

Opening an account on RED is the first step towards establishing a presence on the platform. Brands can initiate marketing efforts by providing free samples to regular users or investing in paid collaborations with KOLs to generate buzz and awareness. While RED marketing can drive sales, it’s essential to understand that the platform’s primary focus is on fostering brand engagement and building a loyal community rather than high-volume transactions. Brands should adopt a strategic approach, balancing direct marketing initiatives with content-driven strategies to resonate with RED’s user base effectively.

5 reasons to Leverage RED as a Lifestyle Brand in China

RED marketing features

Exploring Top Account Content: Insights and Trends

The top accounts on RED often publish content that resonates with the platform’s user base, ranging from lifestyle tips and fashion trends to beauty recommendations and travel experiences. These accounts leverage visual storytelling, user-generated content, and influencer collaborations to captivate their audience and foster engagement. As a result, understanding the content preferences and consumption habits of RED users, brands can tailor their marketing strategies to align with the platform’s ethos and drive impactful results.

Post organic content by leveraging global material and localizing it for the Chinese audience. Stay attuned to China’s hot topics and trends, creating relevant hashtags to enhance visibility. Use specific hashtags for keyword searches and optimal placement within the platform’s algorithm. This approach ensures your content resonates with local users while maximizing reach and engagement on RED.

We suggest promoting your best-performing content with ads to further enhance reach and achieve optimal results. However, RED offers a limited range of targeting categories for ads. The platform supports four types of ad formats: pop-up ads, banner ads, keyword ads, and in-feed ads.

Learn more about advertising on RED in our previous post

 

RED Marketing: Top Strategies

Engaging with RED Users: Leveraging Influencer Marketing and Live-streaming

Firstly, influencer marketing and live-streaming are two powerful tools for brands to connect with RED users authentically. Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs) and Key Opinion Customers (KOCs) wield significant influence on the platform, capable of initiating trends, expanding brand visibility, and driving conversions. Collaborating with these influential figures allows brands to leverage their credibility and tap into their loyal follower base. Live-streaming adds another dimension to engagement, providing users with an interactive platform to interact, ask questions, and make purchases in real-time during influencer-led sessions.

Secondly, implementing an influencer seeding process involves gifting products to influencers in exchange for posts. It’s a crucial and cost-effective RED marketing strategy. By gifting high-quality influencers with new products, brands can build strong relationships and gauge an influencer’s impact before entering official collaborations. This method increases consumer touchpoints, especially when influencers share your brand multiple times. Additionally, influencer seeding serves as a market survey, helping to identify the season’s hero product based on influencer popularity. This approach is effective regardless of an influencer’s size.

In this post, we explain how to establish your presence on RED

 

RED as a travel planning platform

RED is a catalyst for new behaviors, extending its influence beyond commerce and travel to shape user patterns. While online travel agencies remain essential for planning and booking trips, RED stands out in the pre-planning phase, with nearly 40% of travelers seeking outbound experiences using the platform. Travel content holds a prominent position on RED, showing remarkable growth alongside health and beauty content. Additionally, RED excels at driving conversions for lesser-known travel offerings, showcasing its adaptability and agility in influencing consumer behavior. 

Data Travalers China 2023

Conclusion: Maximizing Opportunities on Xiaohongshu (RED)

In conclusion, Xiaohongshu offers a wealth of opportunities for brands to connect with a highly engaged and affluent user base. By leveraging influencer marketing, live-streaming, and content-driven strategies, brands can establish a meaningful presence on the platform and drive brand awareness, engagement, and loyalty. Understanding RED’s unique environment is essential for brands looking to navigate the nuances of marketing on Xiaohongshu effectively. As brands continue to explore the potential of RED, fostering authentic connections and delivering value-driven content will remain paramount in driving success in this dynamic digital landscape.

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The Evolution of Xiaohongshu, RED, into a Travel Platform

September 4, 2023

China’s Gen Z has found Xiaohongshu, also known as “RED”, to be a distinctive platform that resonates with them in the rapidly changing world of social media and e-commerce. Xiaohongshu stands out for its clever integration of influencer culture and retail. This is what draws in young customers looking for inspiration and authenticity. RED began as a shopping guide for wealthy mainlanders traveling abroad in 2013, but its development has been characterized by seismic shifts. This article will delve into Xiaohongshu’s evolution from a cross-border shopping platform to a thriving hub for travel inspiration, highlighting its impact on China’s digital landscape and the broader tourism industry.

📕 Little Red Book: Main Functionalities

Xiaohongshu RED Travel Tourism Content

From Shopping Guide to Social Travel Hub

RED embarked on its journey as a shopping guide, providing valuable insights to Chinese travelers visiting international destinations like Hong Kong, Thailand, Japan, and South Korea. Gradually, it embraced a new dimension by acknowledging users’ desires to do more than just window shop. The company capitalized on the growing trend of users wanting to purchase products endorsed by influencers and. celebrities. Then everyday consumers started to share their experiences on the platform. This transition led to the birth of a social e-commerce ecosystem, enabling Xiaohongshu to position itself as a pioneer in this emerging industry.

The platform’s evolution didn’t stop there. Over time, it expanded beyond its initial shopping-focused approach, transforming into a digital haven for travel and lifestyle enthusiasts. The 2020 China Tourism Industry Report revealed that Xiaohongshu had secured its position as the go-to platform for 64% of China’s wanderlust-driven individuals. This staggering popularity catapulted Xiaohongshu beyond conventional online travel agencies, underscoring its potential to redefine the market.

🌏 Reaching Chinese Tourists and Top Online Travel Agencies in 2023

AI-Powered Growth and Expansion

Firstly, Xiaohongshu harnessed the power of artificial intelligence and machine learning to enhance content distribution since 2016. This strategic move proved instrumental in captivating the preferences of young consumers, effectively driving the platform’s popularity. Two years later, the platform expanded its horizons by launching Puzhen Xiangli, a travel agency rooted in Shanghai. This venture showcased the platform’s commitment to becoming a comprehensive travel resource, offering services ranging from travel consulting and hotel management to catering and tourist site operations.

Fast forward to 2023, Xiaohongshu solidified its authority by forging a strategic partnership with Tourism New Zealand. This collaboration, announced during a high-profile event in Shanghai, exemplifies Xiaohongshu’s ability to foster alliances that amplify its impact and influence.

New Zealand Xiaohongshu RED

A Catalyst for New Behavior Patterns

Xiaohongshu’s influence extends beyond commerce and travel, shaping the behavior patterns of its users. Online travel agencies remain pivotal for trip planning and booking. However, Xiaohongshu emerges as a frontrunner during the pre-planning phase, catering to nearly 40% of travelers seeking outbound experiences. Notably, travel content occupies a significant position on the platform, showcasing remarkable growth alongside beauty-related content.

Data Travalers China 2023

Subsequently, The COVID-19 pandemic catalyzed shifts in travel preferences, favoring short-to-mid-distance trips. In this landscape, Xiaohongshu demonstrated its prowess in driving conversions for lesser-known and budget-friendly travel offerings, reflecting its adaptability and agility.

However, Xiaohongshu is not without its critics. The platform’s embrace of user-generated content transformed picturesque locations into influencer magnets, yet this practice also attracted criticism. Accusations of heavily filtered and stylized content raised questions about authenticity. Notably, during the National Day holiday, influencers’ images on Xiaohongshu faced scrutiny when compared to real-life experiences. It prompted a candid discourse about the platform’s portrayal of destinations.

In conclusion, Xiaohongshu’s evolution from a shopping guide to a diverse platform blending commerce, travel, and social interaction demonstrates its user-focused agility. Through AI, strategic alliances, and embracing changing travel trends, it has firmly established itself in culture and commerce. Xiaohongshu’s enduring legacy lies in its adaptability, innovation, and bridging digital and real-world experiences.

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Xiaohongshu RED Beauty Trends 2022 – What’s Hot?

May 5, 2022

Xiaohongshu, a lifestyle platform, released a report dedicated to the trends gaining popularity at the beginning of 2022. Called Little Red Book, or simply RED, attracts a big number of beauty enthusiasts. As of now, it has over 200 million monthly active users. Beauty has consistently been one of the most popular content categories on Xiaohongshu, owing to a large user base with a strong interest in beauty and makeup.

Women account for 89% of clients who view beauty-related articles, while those aged 18 to 34 account for 87%, according to the survey. More importantly, many of them are now in the habit of using the site to study skincare and beauty items before purchasing them. Recently, we dug deeper into RED marketing with our Quick Guide to Xiaohongshu (Little Red Book) Marketing and talked about 5 Reasons to Leverage RED/Xiaohongshu and How to Set Up an Account?

Earlier this month, China’s lifestyle social platform Xiaohongshu released its 2022 Xiaohongshu Beauty Trends Report. The report provides valuable insights into what trends are emerging in the beauty sector from a large user base that is highly interested in beauty and makeup. It allows brands and investors to iterate their products in response to market demand and develop more targeted marketing and investment strategies. 

Xiaohongshu forecasts trends based on content searched on the platform in the previous year, including ‘efficient skincare,’ ‘haute makeup,’ ‘stacking products,’ and ‘gender neutrality.’

The Four Major Beauty RED Trends 💁‍♀️

 

  • Haute Makeup
    Simultaneously, searches for personalized and custom makeup increased in 2021, as individuals sought makeup that might transform potential flaws into distinct qualities. Searches for “Square face makeup” jumped 1100%, “How to define olive skin” increased 470%, and “Facial angling” increased 163%.

 

  • Stacking products
    Combining the use of various items, according to Xiaohongshu, became popular since it was supposed to provide an exponential effect. Searches for “lip oil layering” and “perfume layering” jumped by 135% and 82%, respectively.

 

  • Efficient skincare
    When it comes to skincare products, quality always outweighs quantity. Searches for “simple skincare” grew by 170%, while searches for “skincare pyramid” increased by 560%.

 

  • Gender neutrality
    On the site, men’s attractiveness has grown in popularity. Men are searching for a broader range of beauty goods than perfumes, facial cleansers, and lotions. Searches for “Men’s eyebrow shape” and “Men’s cosmetics cream” increased by 130 and 354%, respectively.

Some of the RED Report’s Key Takeaways

 

Men’s beauty is emerging: More categories of cosmetics have been added to men’s beauty wishlists, in addition to the evergreen perfumes, facial cleansers, and lotions. Furthermore, the survey revealed a significant increase in men in 2021, with 14% of these becoming content creators. This group has the potential to push more men to abandon outdated notions of masculinity. Hence accelerating the rise of gender-neutral beauty labels.

Self-acceptance drives personalization: Similarly, the report demonstrates how Xiaohongshu users have embraced variety. This transition is evident in the emergence of personalized and tailored makeup showcasing the distinctive qualities of beauty customers. The practice of layering multiple cosmetics, such as lipsticks and perfumes, exemplifies the desire for individuality. Some of the brands gaining benefits from these are Perfect Diary, Proya, Carslan, FlowerKnows, Zeesea, and more.

The need for cosmetics ingredients is increasing: Cheng Fen Dang (成份党) has been a key trend impacting the beauty landscape in China since its inception in 2017. This exclusive club, founded by skincare enthusiasts with scientific degrees, discusses the professional understanding of cosmetic components and how they influence different skin types. Some of them use personal social accounts to provide product reviews that evaluate various substances and their features, which have become reliable sources of information for locals. 

Xiaohongshu’s Beauty Influencers

The number of beauty-related artists in Xiaohongshu is increasing, with a 14% increase in male users in 2021 (it didn’t happen without some controversies – see our news bulletin). Beauty influencers are also increasingly younger. The group born after the year 2000 accounting for 20% of the platform’s beauty creators. Almost 70% of Xiaohongshu’s beauty producers live in major cities.

Check out our previous posts to discover more about how to advertise on RED.

Conclusion

If you wish to know more about Xiaohongshu or need assistance in creating content, 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 at contact@thewechatagency.com.

 

 

 

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Advertising on RED/XiaoHongshu

February 21, 2022

Xiaohongshu, also simply called RED, is one of the fastest-growing smart social commerce apps on the market, with over 100 million monthly active users. RED provides multinational brands with enormous opportunities to maximize their potential and establish a strong presence in China. It’s for this reason that famous brands like Louis Vuitton and YSL are clamoring to advertise on the site. If you are not convinced yet check our previous post 5 Reasons to Leverage RED/Xiaohongshu and How to Set Up an Account. 

In the ever-changing digital landscape, it’s a must-have Chinese marketing channel for beauty, lifestyle, and fashion brands. 

RED helps marketers to engage and sell to their target market by utilizing a filtering algorithm that tailors material to users’ likes, which is one of the most significant advantages.

The most effective strategy to reach users is to advertise in the app’s newsfeed. User-friendly and authentic material with clear reasons to interact is preferable. We recommend to use a mix of multimedia with enticing descriptions with hashtags to cover a variety of views depending on the objectives and industry subjects. 

One of the key ways to gather popularity on RED is of course collaboration with KOLs and KOC ​​which we will cover in our next posts.  

Who are Chinese influencers: KOL and KOCs? 

Today, we will focus on how you can advertise using RED’s native media buy system.

While advertising on the platform is certainly beneficial to your business, navigating XiaoHongshu’s merchant setup can be tricky. There’s a lot to consider, and there’s not a lot of help available. Here’s all you need to know about selling on XiaoHongshu without the hassle!

Step 1: Create an account on RED / XiaoHongshu

To begin, you must first create an account on XiaoHongshu’s enterprise system. If you’re an incorporated business with your own email account, this should be pretty simple.

Step 2: Provide information about your business

After you’ve created an account, you’ll need to fill out the following information:

  • Company information and qualification: like your contact information, location, the origin of your goods, trading model (cross-border or general commerce), and business type. Also, include a Chinese business license or letter verifying your right to sell in China and proof of incorporation.
  • Financial information: your bank details, account number, billing currency, and sort code
  • Brand information and qualification: adding your brand name, description, and photos, as well as whether you’re a single or a multi-brand company. Also, I Include trademark certificates, permission to resell other brands (if applicable), and authorization to sell under your own brand.

Step 3: Review of qualifications on RED

After you submit the above information, XiaoHongshu will review your application and determine whether you are eligible to sell on their site. If all of the information you supplied is correct, you can complete it as soon as one week after your submission.

Step 4: Fill out the contract

When RED approves your application, you’ll receive both a digital contract to sign through email and a physical contract to return by mail. Read these over with a lawyer and sign them as soon as possible if you wish to move further.

Step 5: Take up the XiaoHongshu training

The completion of XiaoHongshu’s online training program is the final stage in the application procedure.

This section contains all you need to know about selling on the platform, and you won’t be able to start your store until you finish it. Set aside some time to concentrate on this – it will benefit you greatly in the long run.

Time taken to register: The length of time it takes to register is mostly determined by how quickly you can complete all of the paperwork, complete your company introduction, submit photographs, and so on.

If you do everything correctly from the start, you can administer the application in one week.

Costs included: Deposits and operating fees are included in the cost of selling on the platform. Deposits vary depending on your company’s “characteristics,” your qualifications, and the type of store you intend to open.

The deposit is usually RMB 20,000 and is returned three months after the store is closed.

Conclusion

Xiaohongshu’s unique stance as a trustworthy, celebrity-approved distributor of international products is an ideal route for businesses. Especially for ones looking to leverage the social commerce trend as part of the e-commerce revolution for purchasing superior products.

However, marketing in China is never simple. There are language barriers to overcome, rules to follow, and high costs to consider. All of that makes starting all too risky.  

That is why at KRDS, we commit to assisting businesses to achieve marketing success 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

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5 Reasons to Leverage RED/Xiaohongshu and How to Set Up an Account?

February 18, 2022

China is one of the world’s largest e-commerce markets, with a myriad of marketplaces to choose from. Taobao, Tmall, JD, and Pinduoduo have drawn millions of shoppers to become frequent buyers over the last decade. 

Social media has substantially impacted the way Chinese consumers shop online, in tandem with a tremendous increase in mobile phone usage. Especially those born in the mid-to-late-nineties, Chinese Gen Z also called the post-90s generation, are pioneering new trends.

That’s where XiaoHongshu comes in: a well-known “lifestyle” UGC and review app that’s taken the e-commerce world by storm. You can find the introduction to RED we covered before here – A Quick Guide to Xiaohongshu (Little Red Book) Marketing. 

XiaoHongshu, or RED, is a combination of beauty, lifestyle, and fashion app in one that allows users to share their personal style while also discovering new goods from around the world. It is the Chinese equivalent of Instagram on steroids, and it’s a great way to read product reviews, share daily outfits, get fashion advice, and find high-quality businesses and all of this with just one click to buy the products mentioned in the article. This is especially relevant for relatively unknown, small luxury brands since beauty enthusiasts in China love to search for new labels and one of the industries that enjoyed this trend are niche perfumes – The Accelerating Growth of Niche Perfume Brands in China.

Why Should International Brands Leverage the Platform?

XiaoHongshu provides a variety of free and paid ways for businesses to advertise their brand to their user base. Some of them include:

Reason 1: Brand accounts

On XiaoHongshu, brand accounts are one of the most effective ways to interact with the community. They can send ‘notes’ to fans, add photographs and videos, sell their own items, and answer fan reviews and comments.

A brand account on XiaoHongshu with the correct strategy and content in place might quickly build attention on the platform, especially if your notes are added to the ‘boards’ of popular influencers.

Reason 2: 100 Monthly Active Users

XiaoHongshu has over 100 million monthly active users with 70% female and almost 40% users being between 25 and 34 years old. If you are a beauty, fashion, or lifestyle brand targeting Chinese gen Z that’s the platform to be. 

Content Promotion Model

Reason 3: ‘Key Opinion Leaders,’ or influencers

Xiaohongshu developed as a review platform and grassroots content is still dominating. Influencers and key opinion leaders (KOLs) are critical to establishing traction on XiaoHongshu and are perhaps the most powerful type of advertising available.

The XiaoHongshu ‘Influencer Platform,’ a database with roughly 6,000 influencers, is designed to match you with individuals who are most relevant to your speciality and budget.

Who are Chinese influencers: KOL and KOCs?

Reason 4: XiaoHongshu advertising 

XiaoHongshu also offers traditional advertising in the form of ‘pop-up’ ads that display when the app is used and promotional messages that are organically incorporated inside the platform’s ‘explore’ feed, in addition to organic opportunities and influencer marketing.

Develop content for the most important Chinese e-commerce festivals to catch the attention of Chinese users. Check out how to advertise on the platform in our article – Advertising on RED.

Overseas Shopping

Reason 5: Crossborder e-commerce

Xiaohongshu offers cross-border e-commerce business for brands based outside of China and wishes to target and sell to the Chinese market. Because of its business model, RED takes care of the warehouse and logistics within China making it easier for foreign brands to operate.

Find out more about cross-border e-commerce in China. 

 

How to Set Up an Account on RED/Xiaohongshu?

Setting up accounts on WeChat and XiaoHongshu is frequently done in conjunction and is substantially less expensive than selling on Tmall.

Step 1: On RED, there are over 20,000 brand community accounts. Nearly 10,000 third-party e-commerce merchants use the network, which offers over 100,000 distinct products. As a result, the most vital initial step is to create an account.

Step 2: After you’ve created an account on RED with a Chinese phone number (you can also create an account with an international phone number, but your app’s functionality would be limited), the next step is to see if you can use their in-app e-commerce option. 

Requirements for setting up an account

Your company must have a business registration in China in order to use this function. One of RED’s biggest advantages as a social commerce platform is that it has its own store where users can make purchases directly from the app. Many brands benefit from this closed-circuit integration since it allows them to sell their products more easily.

The main documents required to open a XiaoHongshu account are:

  • Papers for registering a business
  • Incorporation certificate
  • Form for customs registration

You’ll also need to submit the following supporting papers.

  • Information about the company 
  • Logistics commitment letter 
  • Authorization letter for store operations 
  • Brand information Application form 
  • Authorization form Trademark authorization

Conclusion

Xiaohongshu is an amazing platform where lifestyle brands can advertise things such as fashion, cosmetics, nutrition meals, accessories, and brands that are popular with young female shoppers. Hence, If you want to reach Chinese young female consumers, XiaoHongshu should be a big component of your strategy.

More than just another e-commerce marketplace; it’s a lifestyle community where users and influencers share photos, videos, and information about things they’ve used.

That is why at KRDS, we are committed to assisting businesses to achieve marketing success 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

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A Quick Guide to Xiaohongshu (Little Red Book) Marketing

August 28, 2020

Since 2013, Xiaohongshu (also known as Little Red Book or RED) has become one of the fastest-growing platforms in China with over 80 million monthly active users.

But exactly who’s on the platform? And is this a platform you should be devoting resources to?

Xiaohongshu is a curious mix of social media crossed with e-commerce. However, it’s main focus is user-generated content. Users can post their recommendations, demonstrations, and reviews, and they can comment on and save these posts to themed boards.

(more…)

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Establishing A Presence on Xiaohongshu, China’s Popular Fashion Platform

August 7, 2020

With e-retailers struggling to win over young Chinese consumers, it seems that Xiaohongshu is standing out. Looking into Xiaohongshu’s business model, it’s evident that it’s a great platform for foreign beauty brands that are targeting young Chinese women.

Xiaohongshu is a social media and e-commerce platform and it’s growing fast. Founded in 2013 as a community for users to find recommendations about foreign fashion and cosmetics, it has garnered more than 70 million subscribers and developed its own cross-border site called Fulishe, China’s cross-border e-commerce platform.

 

A Promising Future For Fashion

Demographics: Mao Wenchao, Xiaohongshu’s co-founder and CEO, revealed in 2015 that

  • 70 to 80 percent of the site’s users are female
  • More than 50 percent of Xiaohongshu’s users are students and office ladies
  • Age – 18-35
  • Living in first and second-tier cities

Girls are big purchasers of cosmetics and fashion. Xiaohongshu’s conversion rate is as high as eight percent, as compared to only 2.6 percent on Tmall, the biggest e-commerce platform for official Chinese brands. Also, every customer on Xiaohongshu makes three orders per month on average.

 

How Can Your Brand Establish A Presence On This Site?

Xiaohongshu has two sections: the user community and the e-commerce platform.

In the e-commerce section, qualified brands and retailers can submit an application through the official website.

As Xiaohongshu perceives itself as a first-party distributor, brands only need to sell their products to Xiaohongshu without any worry about the delivery and customer service. All that is handled by the platform.

The high engagement in its user community is what sets Xiaohongshu apart from other e-commerce platforms.

 

UGC And Micro-influencers

Xiaohongshu is a platform for girls and women to discuss fashion and beauty the same way they would with their friends offline (Peer Influence), making influencers on Xiaohongshu much more powerful than on other social media and e-commerce platforms.

Every single user who’s willing to share their real and comprehensive experiences can become a micro-influencer. On the platform, a lot of established influencers and celebrities share their personal favorites with their fans and their posts generally have high engagement (more than 1,000 likes and 10,000 saves).

Brands that want to try influencer marketing on Xiaohongshu need a translator or Chinese team to help them communicate with an influencer on the site with a decent following and one that fits the brand’s voice, tastes and target group.

 

In Conclusion

Xiaohongshu is a perfect choice for new overseas brands that want to test out the Chinese fashion market, particularly if they are targeting young Chinese women. Social listening is a major part of the community because the notes and comments are users’ feedback according to their first-hand experience. It becomes easy to understand the actual needs of the young Chinese female community and see whether your products can succeed in China.

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