Weekly China Insights

October 12, 2021

WeChat Launches Easy Mode for Elderly

The older generation, even though relatively mobile-savvy, faces a lot of challenges when it comes to mobile services, especially those related to COVID-19. By the end of 2020, more than 123 million Chinese netizens were aged over 60, accounting for 12.3% of the overall internet users. We can expect this trend to grow in the coming years.

That’s why the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology ordered 43 of the most used applications to take the lead in adapting to the needs of elderly users – Wechat, Taobao and other apps are launching ‘Easy Modes’ to cater to older netizens.

However, these improvements seem to be rather limited with a focus on bigger fonts and brighter colours instead of simplifying the user journey or incorporating voice assistant. 

Link: https://daoinsights.com/news/wechat-launched-easy-mode-to-target-chinas-123-million-elderly-users/ 

 

Alipay consumption report during National Day holiday

Theme parks are the latest trend: visits soared 936% over the previous month. Fantawild, Disneyland, Universal Beijing Resort, Happy Valley, and Chimelong Resort are the top five parks. Museums, zoos, and resorts were among the top five mini-programs for picturesque areas.

The amount spent in duty-free stores and offline boutiques has surged: in Hainan duty-free stores, the amount spent has climbed by 87%t since 2019. In comparison to last month, the amount spent in boutiques and shopping centres jumped by 40%. Xi’an, Taiyuan, and Zhengzhou, all tier 2 cities, ranked first, second, and third, respectively.

Convenience Store consumption met the peak. Consumption at convenience stores has reached an all-time high. During the holiday, the most popular mini-program was about anti-covid-19, Travel tracking cards; others were about “Order by mobile phone” and Old clothing recycling.

Link: https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/V_j7k4GjvAUjD-OKmHsj8w 

 

National Day WeChat status

During the National Day holiday, “wishing the motherland” was promoted as the top WeChat status NO.1. The top three are: wishing the motherland, fighting and the unknown.

Wechat status data show that girls love “chilling at home” more and boys “having fun” more. With the decrease of holiday balance, and the set amount of “exhausted” and “worried” is increasing.

More than 3 million WeChat users take more than 30000 steps a day, and more than 4.13 million WeChat users take less than 100 steps a day.

Link: https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/TtcEqzmS0WTRscFz6wLJ4g 

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WeChat for Travel Sector

October 12, 2021

Everyone who has ventured into Chinese marketing knows that WeChat, the mobile app and social media platform with over one billion monthly active users, is the place to be.

WeChat has spent the last decade trying to make its users’ lives easier. In China, it has become a “one-stop” store for social and transactional events.

Businesses can promote themselves on WeChat by requesting an Official Account or partnering with other parties. You can generate content on the WeChat service account and directly communicate with and sell to your followers and consumers if you have an Official Account. Its vast features have shown to be advantageous to many business sectors. 

 

How does WeChat benefit the Travel sector?

 

When it comes to travel, China continues to be the world’s largest outbound and inbound tourism market. In the past years, the number of domestic trips in China surpassed six billion, suggesting a ten-fold increase in comparison to ten years ago.

Travel agencies and hotels must discover innovative ways to give a holistic brand experience to their customers as the new generation of Asian travellers becomes more tech-savvy and knowledgeable.

WeChat & WeChat ads provide the global tourism sector with a real potential to communicate with locals without needing to physically be present in the country.

Some of the WeChat tools that can be leveraged by the travel industry are:

  • Check-In Service

China Southern Airlines has launched a WeChat mobile check-in service that allows passengers to skip the airport check-in wait. Once customers follow the airline on WeChat, they will be greeted with a message and instructions. Passengers must respond to the notification after which they will receive an electronic boarding card that can be printed at the airport’s self-service check-in facilities.

  • Price Comparator Function

On their WeChat account, Shangri-La Hotels is presently offering a price comparison function to help consumers get the best value for their vacation. Customers must choose a destination, a hotel, check-in and check-out dates, as well as the number of guests/rooms. The hotel price comparison search engine will then offer you the best rates for the hotel you’ve chosen instantly.

  • Smart Hotel Room

To improve WeChat customer service and introduce the concept of the Internet of things, Wechat launched this tool. This innovative technology transforms the WeChat app into a remote that allows visitors to manage all aspects of their room, including lighting, thermostats, and curtains, as well as lock and unlock doors. Customers must download the most recent version of the WeChat app, scan a room-specific QR code from the hotel room, and follow the particular instructions to use this service.

 

Other available tools include Online Booking Service, Loyalty Programs, Location-Based Service (LBS), Flash Sales, etc.

 

CONCLUSION

As China develops, the number of Chinese tourists continues to rise. With rising market demand and more inventive business models and development spots, China’s tourism sector appears to have adapted to the current condition of frequent epidemic prevention and control.  

With the help of different tourism fairs and expos, China’s cultural tourism business is recovering, providing more chances and benefits to the global tourism industry.  As a result, WeChat is the ideal medium for foreign tourism organisations trying to reach Chinese tourists.

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WeChat for B2B Sector

October 4, 2021

We’ve always heard that WeChat is a wonderful tool for marketing to customers. But what about B2B marketing on WeChat?

B2B Marketing on WeChat

Since the B2B e-commerce sector began to flourish in 2013, B2B businesses have had to adapt their marketing strategies to stay up with the ever-changing channels and platforms. Because marketing methods vary swiftly in China, western approaches may not produce the best outcomes for B2B companies. As a result, determining the best platform for building relationships and generating leads is crucial.

Tencent’s Super App, WeChat, provides the ideal ecology for B2B businesses. WeChat, which has over 1 billion monthly active users (MAUs) and 80 million public account followers, may help businesses expand if used effectively. Many Chinese people no longer carry business cards to networking events, meetings, or conferences. They merely scan each other’s QR codes on WeChat.

Businesses may conduct one-on-one direct conversations with their customers, as well as one-to-many messaging possibilities inside groups, multimedia communication, and mobile data sharing, all of which make WeChat a useful and successful corporate communication tool.

WeChat also has a multitude of built-in features, such as stock ordering and administration, quizzes, and lessons, to name a few. To get the most out of this platform, make use of as many relevant features as possible. Furthermore, the WeChat app makes any work-related information more engaging, fascinating, and enjoyable. As a result, every company’s marketing efforts should include WeChat B2B platforms.

Types of WeChat accounts

First and foremost, you will require a WeChat official account. Businesses can use a WeChat official account to communicate with customers and boost brand awareness.

The 3 types of WeChat official accounts are subscription, service, and corporate.

Both subscription accounts and service accounts are appropriate for B2B marketing.

Since it allows organisations to maintain direct relationships with clients, a service account is preferable for service-oriented enterprises and after-sales departments. Only service accounts have access to CRM, custom menus, payment integration, and mini websites.

💼 Why should brands use CRM Integrations on WeChat and how about Salesforce?

 

What Are Some of the Beneficial Features of WeChat for B2B Marketing?

 

  • WeChat Web Analytics Tool
    Businesses can utilise WeChat web analytics to see how customers engage with their websites and gather feedback on their performance in order to enhance their products or services.

 

  • WeChat Translation Tool
    Businesses will benefit from WeChat’s in-app translation service, which is available for iOS and Android users. When doing business in China, you must be completely immersed in the culture. Poor translation will result in poor marketing outcomes and harm your brand’s image. It also aids firms in gaining a better knowledge of the demands and needs of their target audience.

 

  • WeChat Template Message Tool
    Official accounts can utilise a template message to deliver crucial service notifications to their customers, such as a message informing them that a purchase has been completed successfully.

 

  • WeChat Communication Tool
    Official documents, contacts, excel sheets, videos, and plans can all be sent over WeChat. The B2B segment allows businesses to communicate swiftly with one another via messages.

 

  • WeChat Group Message Tool
    You can send gender and location-based group messaging to your target audience. This function allows you to reach the proper target audience while avoiding annoying other groups of people who aren’t interested.

Other features available include an automatic reply tool, a personalised menu tool, and many more.

 

Conclusion

WeChat B2B marketing is a wonderful tool for businesses looking to market their goods or services to Chinese customers. To create the best marketing strategy, you must not only use all of the features of WeChat B2B, but you must also understand your opportunities and challenges.

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This Week In China

September 28, 2021

TikTok limits younger users to 40 minutes a day in China

Following the stepped up efforts to protect minors from the internet’s risks by the Chinese Government, TikTok created a new app for its younger audience. The new app, called Xiao Qu Xing or “Little Fun Star,” offers a personalized feed of short videos in areas ranging from science to literature and art history.

Users are allowed to like clips but not upload or share them. This youth mode limits daily usage time to a maximum of 40 minutes for those aged under 14, while banning them from accessing the app from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. With this new set of restrictions, Chinese authorities want to tackle addiction to online devices.

Link: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-09-20/bytedance-s-new-tiktok-for-chinese-kids-sets-strict-user-limits

 

China passes sweeping data privacy law, to go into effect Nov. 1

The law, which is one of the most stringent in the world on personal data security, will make it more difficult and expensive for Chinese tech companies to acquire and utilise customer data. The complete wording of the final law has yet to be disclosed, but according to Xinhua, it will provide users the ability to turn off targeted advertising. It could lead to a ban on tailored advertisements.

Link: https://www.cnet.com/tech/services-and-software/china-passes-sweeping-data-privacy-law-that-goes-into-effect-nov-1/

 

You Can Now Use All Links on WeChat!

Tencent said on Friday that users can access external links in the one-to-one chat scene after upgrading to the WeChat latest version of ,  because Chinese industry authorities ordered internet leaders including Alibaba and ByteDance to open up their platforms to each other.

On the premise of ensuring information security, users can access external links in the one-to-one chat and it will also establish an external link complaint portal, which allows users to report illegal external links. Continue to develop group links and provide users with discretion but now Tiktok and Taobao can not jump directly in the service account article.

Tencent also stated that it will actively cooperate with other internet platforms to jointly implement the special guidance of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, explore the technical possibilities of smoothly using WeChat services on other platforms, and achieve further interconnectivity.

Link: https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/2BPntlnbCy-OLeyXzyUSHw 

 

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Weibo and it’s Status in 2021

September 20, 2021

Globally, the number of people using social networking sites is constantly rising without an end in sight. By the end of 2021, there will be over 3 billion people using social networks. And with over 2 billion monthly active users, Facebook is the most widely used social media site in the world.

 

Meanwhile, WeChat, China’s most popular social media network, has more than 1 billion monthly active users all on its own. This suggests that the app and other social media giants, in general, are used by nearly all Chinese citizens.

 

However, ever since China set up the Great Firewall of China and internet censorship, in 2008, western social media giants like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube can no longer be accessed in China. As a result, in 2009, Sina Corporation launched Sina Weibo, a microblogging site similar to Twitter and Instagram, to replace the social media giants. 

 

  • Wangyi Weibo was launched in 2010 and claimed 260 million registered users by 2012. However, Wangyi Weibo vanished by the end of 2014.
  • Later, Tencent introduced Tencent Weibo in 2010, but it failed to attract a big following. 
  • Following which, Sohu launched Sohu Weibo, but it never really took off.

 

Because of this, among all the ‘Twitter lookalikes’ that were launched after 2009, only Sina Weibo, has been around to tell the tale. With more than 300 million monthly active users since its launch, Weibo became China’s biggest social media platform after Tencent’s WeChat.

 

Despite the platform’s success since its launch, its supremacy is now being challenged by competitors like WeChat, Toutiao, Zhihu, Douyin, and others. But despite the fact that Weibo has lost some of its shine as China’s social media leader, it is still expanding rapidly, making Weibo marketing a vital tool for companies looking to expand into the country.

 

The following features on Weibo can help brands gain visibility in the China market:

  • Weibo Influencer campaigns
  • Weibo advertising
  • Weibo lottery
  • Cross-promotion
  • Organic growth

 

Despite its ups and downs, the platform is on the rise in 2021. Sina Weibo has 566 million monthly active users in the second quarter of 2021, an increase of 43 million from the previous year’s second-quarter total. The Chinese version of Twitter has quickly risen to prominence as China’s go-to micro-blogging destination.

 

In addition to text, Sina Weibo users can include photos, gifs, and videos in their posts. Weibo now allows users to post audio, video, and photo files, as well as animated gifs. Besides being able to follow friends and celebrities, users may also send and receive messages and search for information using keywords.

As for the Weibo user base, compared to WeChat, Weibo has a significantly younger base. Weibo users are quite young: 30% of them are under 20 years old and 48% are aged between 30-39 years old. This is a significant factor for the placement of your brand and products in the Chinese market. Weibo is also a very dynamic and animated site, and users expect businesses and KOLs to engage at a high level and respond quickly to their posts. Chinese users, particularly Gen Z users, frequently use Weibo to learn about new companies and promotions from major influencers in the industry.

 

In conclusion, compared to other social media platforms, Weibo has a powerful ability to connect with the younger Chinese audience. Thanks to its vast user base, user affective states and engagement rates,Weibo is still on the rise. As a result, if you are looking to grow your brand presence in China and your target audience consists vastly of Gen Z, then you need to use social media platforms like Weibo.

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What is Bilbili and Why Brands Must Consider it When targeting Gen Z

September 14, 2021

When it comes to establishing a business and grabbing the Gen-Z audience through Chinese video-sharing platforms, forums such as Douyin and Kuaishou that create short-form videos take up the majority of air. Hence, one of the fastest-growing social platforms among China’s Generation Z called the Bilibili is often overlooked.

 

What is Bibili?

Bilibili, often known as B site, is a Chinese video-sharing website where users can contribute and read “bullet” chats, which are real-time comments sent while users watch videos. Bilibili is, without a doubt, an ACG (anime, comics, and games) platform at its core and its homepage looks like any other video-sharing site on the surface, but the aesthetics are dominated by anime characters and screenshots from video games. It is because of this content that the daily active user rate has exceeded 65 million, surpassing Youku to become China’s third-largest long-video platform.

Unlike other Chinese video-sharing services such as Youku, iQiyi, and Tencent Video, Bilibili emphasises professional, user-generated material, hence earning recognition as the Chinese version of YouTube.

Users spend over 80 minutes every day on the platform, resulting in 4.7 billion monthly interactions. It also appeals to one out of every two young people in China. The platform has a highly balanced user base of 49% female and 51% male users, making it one of the most popular video platforms in the country.


Why must brands consider Bilbili?

Bilibili’s new e-commerce mini-programs debuted on the platform in April 2019. After Alibaba invested in Bilibili, it changed its online marketing strategy, focusing on e-commerce rather than user acquisition. Because of the evolving Gen-Z lifestyle, which includes online shopping as one of their most popular pleasures, it has recently become a more profitable enterprise due to which many brands are seeking to register an official Bilibili account as a means of tapping into China’s youth market.

Brands can use this platform for branding by using the “Splash Screen Ads”, which usually appear when users first open the App. Such ads were used by brands such as Swaroski to promote themselves among young Chinese audiences. Brands can also use the service to host virtual presentations and live streams.


How can brands leverage the platform?

Businesses can also use Bilibili to promote their products through its marketing platform, “Sparkle” (Huahuo), which can help with monetization by offering features like smart price recommendations, exhibiting sample work, and access to data on followers and user interaction. Another way to promote their business on Bilibili is by partnering with well-known key opinion leaders (KOLs) or key opinion consumers (KOCs) who engage with Gen Z consumers. 


How to engage with the audience on the platform?

Two of the most popular ways for brands to engage with customers on Bilibili include partnering with influencers or opening a personal account.  In both cases, it’s critical to have a good understanding of the platform and the target audience. As we all know, the majority of Bilibili users are Gen Z, who are very engaged and on the lookout for authenticity. They are savvy consumers who are well-versed in e-commerce and thus have a lot of options. To win this group, brands should work on creating their brand image and connecting it to a lifestyle, a community, a passion, or an attitude, rather than just hawking their products based on numbers.


Conclusion

Therefore, it is without a doubt that Bilibili has effectively positioned itself as a unique social video platform, with a loyal user community that is deeply involved with the creators and companies that they see as supporting the community. That’s something you won’t find on most other Chinese social media and video platforms, which is why companies should consider Bilibili as a way to reach China’s Gen-Z.

 

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Your Weekly China Roundup

September 13, 2021

Growing Significance of Private Traffic

In China, a growing number of industries are incorporating private traffic into their digital strategy. Meituan, a food delivery app similar to Uber that has 450 MAUs, is one of them. Bonus fandom groups, where businesses may communicate directly with customers, are the newest additions to Meituan. Customers can find group access directly from the shop’s main page & u users are encouraged to join such organisations by CTAs implying that they will receive further coupons and offers.

At the same time, groups give users a place to express their comments and merchants a place to change their products. Meituan just implemented a new social feature: customers can now share their restaurant orders with their friends to enhance company awareness.

 

Link: https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/btw5G7GQvwOyNqgQQGbn3w 

 

Bilibili and Luxury Brands?

Bilibili, which began as an anime and comics platform, has evolved into a crucial platform for Chinese Gen Z, focused primarily on mid and long videos, and is currently China’s third largest video platform.

Beauty brands such as Shiseido and Lancome have already begun to experiment with Bilibli in order to reach Gen Z, but will luxury brands follow suit?

Bilibili is still relatively unproven in the luxury market, having only attracted a few early adopters such as Dior, Fendi, and Gucci to yet. The major disadvantage is the average age of a Bilbili user, which is still quite young. Bilibili has been actively pushing its e-commerce capabilities to its more than 62.7 million DAUs over the last two years.

Link: https://jingdaily.com/will-a-red-hot-bilibili-become-irresistible-to-luxury-brands-in-2022/?utm_source=CCI&utm_campaign=bca9179477-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2020_03_12_06_39_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_f85454f2c4-bca9179477-408382229 

 

Why Chinese Brands’ Strategies are Important to Brands Everywhere


Chinese businesses differ structurally from those in other countries in that they place a greater emphasis on revenue growth and customer acquisition rather than profit, as most western brands do. As a result, they devote a considerably higher portion of their revenue to marketing and concentrate on hot platforms and key opinion leaders.

Since China has become the world’s factory, Chinese brands can swiftly imitate and improve what is being produced. Because most Chinese businesses do not have heritage brands to protect, they are less risk-averse than established western companies and are willing to attempt a lot more things. This lean startup, come-as-you-are strategy has now been embedded in the DNA of many Chinese brands. Everyone who has grown up in China has only experienced constant change, which has made them extremely adaptive and quick-thinking, especially in business.

Understanding how Chinese competitors operate is critical for brands in China. However, with Chinese businesses like SHEIN becoming more likely to compete in western markets, marketers and strategists working in other nations, including their own local markets, must understand how they operate.

 

Link: https://www.chinaskinny.com/blog/chinese-brand-strategies-to-watch/

 

AMX X Ayayi – the first Metahuman in China

AMX, a yogurt company, teamed up with Ayayi, the first Chinese Metahuman, to produce a digital yogurt based on user data. This digital yogurt is comparable to NFT, a one-of-a-kind cryptocurrency token that serves as a digital asset representation.

AMX gained more scientific and technological features as a result of this collaboration, which set it apart from the competition. AMX will use Xiaohongshu and Weibo to promote the idea that “Yogurt brands may also be popular and fashionable” in order to raise the brand’s visibility. AMX wishes to usher the company into the digital era.

On September 8th, Ayayi started working for Alibaba as the proprietor of Tmall Super Brand. She had her own ID card and launched the first NFT digital mooncake for the Mid-Autumn Festival.

 

Link: https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/TuX2Tv6d8sgReFQw2bRIfQ 

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Your China Digital Weekly Update

September 9, 2021

Why Bilibili Is the New Beauty Battlefield for Chinese Gen Zers

Bilibili is favoured by millennials and Gen Zers, who together account for 81% of the platform’s user base. The volume of beauty-related content increased by 120% in 2020, according to Bilibili’s annual performance report, while vlogger fanbases in that area expanded by 120%.

Bilibili.com, which features vloggers’ makeup instructions, cosmetics testing, unboxing videos, daily makeup advice, popular makeup copy, and more, has turned into one of the most prominent mainstream beauty marketing platforms in recent years. By June 2021, the number of beauty companies on the site had surpassed all other official account categories on Bilibili.com, with a year-over-year increase of 2,050%.

Brands like Estée Lauder, Chanel Beauty, and Shiseido are already using this platform to promote their campaigns. Shiseido boosted its profile by hosting a live streaming session with celebrities and routinely invites Gen-Z influencers and celebrities to generate product-related content to boost web traffic. Lancôme, a French cosmetics company, collaborated with Bilibili KOLs to create content to promote its renowned products through campaigns and online engagement.

Link: https://jingdaily.com/bilibili-beauty-battlefield-gen-z/?utm_source=Jing+Daily+Subscriber+List&utm_campaign=f3d8479f5b-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2020_03_12_06_39_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_8dec01cd8d-f3d8479f5b-408268421

 

5 Reasons ‘New Luxury’ Is the ‘New Normal’ in China

‘New Luxury’ = the refined democratization of luxury. Premium products usually have a high price tag. They can, however, reassure customers that New Luxury is frequently still affordable. 

Chinese consumers are attracted to brands that feel unique and special. This uniqueness is at the heart of New Luxury, and customers want stores like these to embody innovation.

Consumers seeking aspirational lifestyles are more inclined to reject New Luxury brands that appear to be designed for the public.

Link: https://jingdaily.com/new-luxury-china-starbucks-apple/?utm_source=Jing+Daily+Subscriber+List&utm_campaign=32135e7ef3-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2020_03_12_06_39_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_8dec01cd8d-32135e7ef3-408272405

 

China Bans Effeminate Men and Abnormal Esthetics From TV


What Happened?
It’s the final curtain for China’s “Little Fresh Meat.”  On September 2, Chinese officials announced that “sissy men and other abnormal esthetics” would no longer be broadcast on television, encouraging broadcasters to “promote excellent Chinese traditional culture” instead.

Why should global brands care?
For a long time, luxury brands entering China have relied on these effeminate faces and their massive fan bases for publicity and sales. With no clear definition of what falls under the Party’s definition of “sissy” (Is it clothes and makeup? Is it certain types of behaviour?), ambassadorial appointments will become more tricky.

Link: https://jingdaily.com/little-fresh-meat-sissy-men-china/?utm_source=Jing+Daily+Subscriber+List&utm_campaign=32135e7ef3-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2020_03_12_06_39_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_8dec01cd8d-32135e7ef3-408272405

 

WeChat new feature for iPad

When iPad users upgrade to WeChat 8.0.13, they will gain a new feature: the ability to split the screen in half. When iPad users upgrade to WeChat 8.0.13, they will gain a new feature: the ability to split the screen in half.  With this update, they can also browse files, web pages and other content while chatting.

To easily “split-screen” and turn one into two while exploring files, web pages, video numbers, and other information on the iPad, simply touch the split screen icon in the upper right corner of the page.

Link: https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/RUU3r00BIX-pWGoB2i-aYQ

 

Nespresso interactive layout

It’s very impressive when opening the article and slide to discover more hidden interesting messages.

The article introduces their various coffee drinks; viewers can view the entire message by clicking on the centre.

Link: https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/ncjOR17GAZhvNiqSs_8GHw

 

Chocapic Nutri-Game

Nestle developed the H5 to market its Chocapic product. The H5’s general design is reminiscent of an old game console and is quite similar to the pixel look of Super Mario Bros., and playing the H5 brings back many memories. The game screen’s protagonist is Chocapic’s product mascot, and there are numerous wheat ears in the scene.

Link: https://www.chocapic-nutri-game.fr/

 

Layout for recruitment

To guide the recruitment of many enterprises, a lifelike simulation of personal moments of friends page was created, where the picture can be clicked to enlarge, the music can be clicked to play, and the link can be clicked to enter without a pop-up window.

Link: https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/EPHvdAiuu0gLyK4Rwkqe_Q

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[UPDATE] WeChat Testing a New e-Commerce Mini Program Feature

July 21, 2020

As its push into e-commerce accelerates, WeChat rolls out a new mini program feature called ‘WeStore’.

(more…)

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[UPDATE] WeChat Launches Plan to Stimulate Retail Growth

June 25, 2020

Chinese social-media and mobile-payment app WeChat is aiming to boost the recovery of the retail industry and has already introduced measures for it.

The firm’s Wechat Retail Growth Plan can help global businesses and brands better understand and use WeChat’s tools and functions for faster resolution of challenges created by COVID-19.

“The plan uses several recent services launched by WeChat, including WeChat Live for businesses – which allows them to interact with customers and generate sales via live streaming – and WeChat Work 3.0, which has become a key platform for remote working during the pandemic, connecting enterprises with customers.”

WeChat’s key services promoted by the growth plan also include a 1 on 1 Consultant, allowing retailers to tap into existing user bases and manage fans. Retailers can also initiate direct conversations with followers. The plan also includes WeChat Pay, which has encouraged cross-border e-commerce, local orders and scan-and-go self-service during the pandemic.

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