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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WeChat Payments for Overseas Companies

September 8, 2021

WeChat, a social networking platform developed by Chinese internet giant Tencent, is the most popular platform in China, with over 1.2 billion active users. It provides a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to connect out to the Chinese people. 

While WeChat is the most popular social networking platform in the country, WeChat Pay is the most popular payment platform.  With over 900 million users a month, the payment platform with its convenient payment options have driven China to become the virtually cash-and-card-free economy it is today.

WeChat has recently brought together a number of essential features, including a game platform, a bank, and even a food delivery and thrift shopping gateway. As a result, it has become a must-have tool for foreign businesses looking to expand in the world’s most populous country. WeChat is not just a significant social tool for Chinese users, but it is also at the core of commercial corporate operations in China, making it the best and only opportunity for foreign companies wishing to establish a business in the country.

With 1.21 billion monthly active WeChat users worldwide and a +7 million quarter-over-quarter increase in global monthly active users, there is no doubt that WeChat and WeChat Pay are the most essential platforms for any foreign company looking to establish a presence in China and gain broad access to one of the world’s largest markets.

In order to get started on the process, you’ll first need a WeChat official account. Then, using your WeChat Official Account login information you can set up your WeChat Pay. As with Facebook pages, these are official WeChat brand accounts.

Setting up WeChat Pay is pretty straightforward if you already have a WeChat Official Account. If you don’t, you’ll need to create one. Here are some options on how an overseas business can set up WeChat Pay to conquer the Chinese audience.

1. Establish using Tencent directly

Through Tencent’s WeChat Pay website, businesses can easily set up WeChat Pay. Their Tencent’s bank account will transfer any money you receive immediately to your company’s account.

Setting up your WeChat Pay account directly with Tencent normally takes 2-4 months. Currently, there are limited refund alternatives, and you can only offer one if that day’s inbound transactions are larger than the refund amount. WeChat Pay will collect a 1-2% commission on all transactions.

2. Establish using Tencent-authorized WeChat Pay distributors

With the support of authorised payment agencies, WeChat Pay has worked with brands in different countries to enable them to set up cross-border payments.

Setting up your WeChat Pay through an authorized WeChat partner normally takes 1-2 weeks. Currently, there are flexible refund options; most orders placed within the past month can be refunded. To the WeChat Pay rate/transaction the service provider will add a minor surcharge of 2-3%.

Irrespective of which option you choose to set up your account, there are several documents you must provide:

  • Companies registration certification
  • All directors’ identification documentation
  • Financial license
  • Anti-money laundering agreement
  • Primary business contacts and legal representatives


Therefore, WeChat Pay is an essential medium for seamless selling of products and conducting business with a Chinese audience. It connects global businesses with Chinese consumers, allowing them to pay for transactions with overseas vendors in RMB.

Furthermore, because WeChat Pay can be linked to a WeChat Official Account, you can increase your brand awareness by creating a WeChat Official Account and encouraging your WeChat Pay users to follow and interact with it.

 

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The Accelerating Growth of Niche Perfume Brands in China

July 8, 2021

Introduction to Niche Perfume Market in China

According to research put forth by Forward, the global perfume market in 2017 consisted of only 1% Chinese consumers. Even though it would seem like a small number, the Chinese perfume market has been growing by more than 15% annually – a rate far higher than any other category in the beauty sector. The report also forecasts the sales volume of China’s perfume industry growing from 25.2 billion RMB (3.7 billion USD) to over 50 billion RMB (7.4 billion USD) by 2023. That is double the revenue in a span of under 7 years which is extremely impressive by all standards.

 

Foreign brands dominate in China, and the big beauty companies you’d expect to see are all leaders in the arena: LVMH, Chanel, Coty, L’Oréal, and Estée Lauder. Today, many Chinese consumers have since developed the habit of using perfumes and consider it an essential part of their daily routines. Let’s look at the market factors that are accelerating the growth of niche perfume brands in China.

 

Gen-Z Perfume Trend Preferences

When fragrances first started gaining popularity in China back in the 2000s, consumers were most attracted by the classics (Chanel’s No.5, Yves Saint Laurent’s Black Opium). But a few years ago, a different opinion started emerging from China’s younger, more discerning generation – Gen-Z. Fragrances by luxury brands were viewed as too pedestrian and common. Many young consumers referred to them as “街香” (which literally means “street scents”). The traditional marketing method for perfumes – beautiful, glossy ads and endorsements by A-list celebrities – also started coming across as passé to this consumer group.

 

According to industry experts like Allie Rooke (beauty consultant and the founder of Clean Beauty Asia), post-90s generations are driving the demand for niche names, and Gen-Z trends are shaping new perfume preferences. Furthermore, they are using it as a way to express their identities, and gender-nonspecific scents are particularly appealing.

 

Online Opportunities

Online platforms like Tmall and JD.com are key outlets for fragrances. Hermès Fragrance opened up recently, along with the launch of Gucci Beauty, featuring fragrances. Both of these were seen in 2021 itself. Cartier added itself to the category by offering names like Panthère and Carat.

 

Popular niche brands to drop on Tmall Global during the pandemic were Replica and L’Artisan Parfumeur. These two brands were backed up by social media, which was vital for their amplification. Baidu optimization is also essential for brands to improve their visibility.
Perfume KOLs and bloggers are on the rise too. Weibo’s top KOLs include names like Sunillusion, Initialscent, and The Perfume World of CC (CC的香水世界).

 

Home Fragrance Market

Home fragrance is booming in China. There are more home fragrance choices than ever before and the marketing strategies for perfume and fragrances has been very strong lately, with lots of celebrities and KOLs sharing their decor and candle purchases on Chinese social media. Not to mention The Chinese have burnt incense ever since the Han Dynasty.

 

Chinese luxury consumers only bought perfume and fragrance because of their brand names. These purchases were less about the scents and more about the status quo provided by the brands. But now, Gen-Z consumers want to know how to change their interior fragrances as part of their holistic luxury lifestyles. This demand continues to grow thanks to social media platforms like Douyin. Find out more about how to leverage Douyin for your brand.

 

What To Infer

It is safe to say that Chinese consumers today no longer desire to smell like cookie-cutter bottles of designer perfume. Many of them are looking for something a little more personal and complex – be it in the form of their favourite tea, or the scent of freshly cut grass. They need variety to pick the right one that suits their needs. While it remains to be seen if this category will continue to grow exponentially, it is certainly one to watch.

 

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