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/

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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.

 

 

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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.

 

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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

 

 

 

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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.

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The Idol Economy in China; Who are KOLs and KOCs?

October 25, 2021

Idolising stars and celebrity worship has become an increasingly important part of modern Chinese culture. Chinese Gen Z’s are continuously engaged with internet information as a result of growing up in a connected environment, and they are especially attentive to what their idols have to say.  

With the debut of innumerable TV series, brand endorsement deals, and the growing KOL market in China, these trends have naturally aided the rise of China’s idol economy. 

Who are KOL’s and KOC’s?

In a world dominated by social media and influencer marketing, key opinion leaders (KOLs) and key opinion consumers (KOCs) have become integral aspects of brands’ online marketing strategies to raise brand knowledge and recognition among their target audiences. Despite the fact that they both advertise products or services, they are two very different things.

A key opinion leader (KOL) is a well-known figure whose endorsement of a product is valued by a larger audience. Individuals who are trusted and respected for their status quo or expertise are known as KOLs. KOL’s include people such as actors, models, and celebrities, as well as people who have built a name for themselves on social media platforms. 

KOCs, on the other hand, are valued for their insight into products and services based on their personal experiences. They are people that do not conform to the status quo, making them relatable to the public. Although KOCs have a smaller following — only a few thousand — than KOLs, their fans are extremely loyal. 

Benefits of working with KOL’s and KOC’s

 

  • Working with idols is more profitable
    Young Chinese fans idolise their stars and are willing to go to great lengths to support their celebrity idols. According to a recent survey, roughly a third of “Gen Z” respondents said they’d be willing to buy products that their idols recommended or used, and a fifth said they’d be willing to watch their idol’s Livestream and purchase virtual gifts.

 

  • Chinese celebrities do not fear marketing
    Sponsorship arrangements are often avoided by Western celebrities because they believe that too much exposure could jeopardise their reputation. With Chinese idols, however, this is not the case. The local celebrities are easily involved in marketing and brand endorsement efforts to promote items via a variety of channels. This is due to censorship, which means that projects in China can be easily cancelled or repealed, thus idols must ensure that they have other sources of income.

 

  • The fan culture is a collaborative effort
    A form of collectivism popular in China suggests that fans affect one another during the purchasing process, and studies demonstrate that “the more collectivist a person’s orientation, the more vulnerable he or she will be to social influence in the purchase decision. As a result, if Western businesses can win over the heart of one hardcore idol lover, they may be able to win over the entire fan base.

Conclusion

Marketers and retailers benefit from the idol economy, but few multinational companies are yet to capitalise on Chinese celebrities’ fame. This is primarily due to Western corporations’ continued lack of understanding of the Chinese fan economy and the youthful, impulsive consumer base that supports these idols. 

The idol economy is expected to grow in the next few years, therefore international brands looking to stay ahead of the competition should seek closer links with the Chinese stars.

However, though the idol culture is prevalent in China, it is vital to exercise additional caution when selecting a reputable KOL, as there have been various KOL scandals in the past, and the Chinese government is attempting to simmer down the idol economy. As a result, seeking advice from a skilled partner is recommended.

Working as a partner, KRDS offers the expertise and abilities you need, including access to the relevant KOLs for your business and the know-how to quickly create Chinese social media KOL partnerships that meet your goals. We can also help B2B businesses with KOL collaborations by partnering with other renowned official accounts in the industry or niche experts. Please contact us to discuss further.

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WeChat for Education Sector

October 18, 2021

With the growing competition in the foreign education market, education brands are looking for new ways to attract Chinese students, such as incorporating e-learning courses, offering home and distance learning, and establishing physical campuses in China, among other things. As the educational landscape becomes more digitally disrupted, most educational marketers have begun to embrace digital platforms and compete in the brand and marketing area.

With over 1 billion registered users till Q1 2021, 780 million using WeChat Moments and 400 million using Mini Program, WeChat can be greatly beneficial to education sectors.

How does WeChat benefit the education sector?

One of the most difficult challenges for educational institutions such as colleges is building an efficient content marketing strategy that communicates to all of their various audiences.

WeChat advertising comes in handy in this situation. Because of WeChat’s developed digital ecosystem and vast user database, it is a common tool for education brands to leverage in their digital marketing plan. Marketers may use WeChat’s smart data capabilities to execute targeted ads and obtain vital consumer insights. 

Creating well-developed, highly detailed personas — fictional characters that encompass a certain target group or demographic, based on market research and genuine data – is one of the first steps in constructing an efficient content marketing strategy for educational organisations on WeChat.

 

Here are some ways education sectors can leverage the WeChat platforms:

  • Product Promotion
    WeChat advertising is helpful in guiding visitors to online sale sites when a business is launching a new collection or wants to promote hero products and stimulate direct sales through its marketing.

    To advertise its Chinese EMBA courses, the Chinese University of Hong Kong conducted a WeChat marketing campaign. The ad’s creativity enticed users to schedule a one-on-one inquiry session in Guangzhou or Shenzhen. Users were routed to the university’s official website when they clicked on the ‘details’ button.

    WeChat advertising is applicable to a wide range of scenarios, and brands can discover the appropriate solutions based on the characteristics of various sectors. 
  • Lead Generation Campaign
    In its ad structure, WeChat advertisements can enable simple sign-ups for lead generation campaigns. During the campaign, user conversion can be successfully boosted, which can also lead to increased brand recognition.     

    A WeChat moments ad intended at increasing the number of direct sign-ups for an education service company that provides counselling and help for students choosing international universities. The ad presented the major selling features of its service and offers with a basic creative and provided a list of its partnered schools and colleges throughout the world.

 

  • Others
    WeChat also provides other services like selling webinars or one-on-one coaching sessions, selling books and products, translations, etc. Students can see everything from scientists teaching quantum physics to professors providing writing tutorials for college applicants. Amateur enthusiasts can also learn from mountaineers, hikers, and photographers.

Conclusion

The development of mobile technology has ushered in a new era of informal, personalised, lifelong learning outside of the classroom. However, when it comes to efficiently implementing mobile learning, we’re still figuring it out.

WeChat is installed on practically every other person’s smartphone in China, as it is widely used in almost every field of life. This is the only app that overseas students in China use. As a result, any company looking to establish a presence in China’s education market should consider starting with a WeChat account and leveraging the available tools.

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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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What Are the Most Important E-commerce Festivals in China?

September 28, 2021

China is not just the world’s most populous country, but it also has the most internet users. And with about one billion online shoppers, the country has the world’s largest and fastest-growing e-commerce market.

The Chinese e-commerce business has evolved significantly over the years, revolutionizing the traditional system for both customers and sellers. Needless to say, the e-commerce market exploded in 2020 as a result of COVID-19, particularly in China, causing an increasing number of firms to want to start selling online. 

And one of the market’s driving forces is the China shopping festivals, which is a massive retail event where firms slash prices in honor of Chinese culture, history, and plain old consumerism. Therefore, all international firms looking to grow their sales in 2021 and beyond should learn about China’s biggest and most important e-commerce festivals.

 

Here at the top 5 e-commerce festivals in China:

 

  • National Day/Golden Week

Golden Week, which commemorates the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949, begins on October 1st with National Day and lasts until October 7th. It is China’s longest public holiday, and it generates huge business for international brands.

The total sales for overseas brands on Tmall increased by about 80% last year and several international cross-border e-commerce platforms also reported a significant rise in sales. Luxury brands in particular perform well during this time, with several companies reporting a 60% boost in sales in 2020.

 

  • Double 11 Shopping festival

The Double 11 shopping festival, also known as Singles Day, is the king of all global retail events. During the festival periods in November 2020, Alibaba and JD earned $155 billion in sales.

With more than 250,000 brands and 800 million consumers participating, last year’s sales were recorded as more than RMB 372.3 billion (US$56 billion).

 

  • 12.12 Shopping Festival 

Alibaba introduced the 12.12 or Double 12 Shopping Festival on November 12th in 2010 for customers who were still looking for good deals after Singles Day. The Double 12 shopping festival is one of the largest in the South Asian online buying marketplace and it is that time of year when careful planning and organisation can pay off handsomely for a seller.

Due to rising customer interest, the event resulted in a 4-5 fold increase in online traffic, 60% unique visitors, and a 2 second average order rate. Last year, 18,000 orders were placed in a single day, with an average spend of 125 SGD per customer.

 

  • Nian Huo Festival 

The Spring Festival, also known as Nian Huo, commemorates the Chinese Lunar New Year, which falls in the month of Jan-Feb

Since Chinese New Year is such a popular festival, discounts are available across a variety of platforms, though market giants like Alibaba and JD tend to attract significant crowds. This famous holiday brought in more than $155 million in retail sales in 2019, and sales of imported goods climbed by 2.3 percent year over year in 2020.

 

 

  • International Women’s Day

International Women’s Day, observed on March 8th, has become a lucrative shopping festival in China for female-oriented brands in China.

According to the Chinese Research Centre for E-commerce, 70% of Chinese women prefer to shop online rather than offline. As a result, this is an important e-commerce festival to participate in. Last year, Tmall’s “Own Yourself, Love Yourself” campaign aided female empowerment, garnering more than 600 million hashtag views on Weibo and 2.12 million comments.

 

Conclusion

Online shopping is an accepted part of life in China. Everything from fresh produce and seafood to appliances and automobiles are being purchased online.

Due to the high demand in the market, e-commerce platforms work hard to encourage online shoppers, resulting in China’s numerous shopping festivals. If you want to increase your brands e-commerce sales, you need to be aware of the major e-shopping festivals and plan your marketing strategy accordingly. This is why selling on Chinese e-commerce platforms is the most efficient way to increase sales among the Chinese audience. 

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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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