Market Updates
Find out what is happening in the Chinese Digital Market with our Market Updates.
3 Key Platforms for B2B KOLs in China
The main platforms used by B2B KOLs around the world are different. While in the west influencers usually use LinkedIn, email lists and podcasts, in China that is very different. Popular platforms used in China for B2B KOLs are Zhihu, Ximalaya FM and Zhishi Xingqiu. Each platform has its own distinct features and serves a different purpose, however all of them enable leaders to monetize their expertise. In China, this trend even has its own name: 知识付费 or “Pay-for-Knowledge”
What Lies Ahead for Daigou in 2019
Daigou is an overseas personal shopper that brings anything from vitamins to luxuries goods to Mainland China. Chinese consumers love them because they can buy products at lower prices that might not even be available in China. But most brands detest daigou as they undercut their traditional sales and spread their branding with rogue messaging. And then there is the Chinese government, they too would prefer legitimate cross border commerce over the daiguo trade. That is why they will implement another round of rules and regulations in 2019 to suppress this grey market. This could be tricky for those brands that did actually work with daiguo and have build their entire China strategy on these foot soldiers. Even though it is a powerful marketing and advocacy channel, putting all your eggs in one basket is never a good idea in China.
Is Chinese E-Commerce Moving Down Market?
The Chinese online consumer preferences have been changing in the last few years. The ongoing tech empowerment of the middle class and lower middle class is reflected in the rapid success of Pinduoduo and in the rapidly increase sales of instant noodles, paper towels, and low-end consumer products. After years of high growth in the luxury and premium segments there is some evidence that the fastest-growing online segment today is the mass market. The luxury and premium segments are still growing, but the mass-market is definitely growing faster. This offers a great opportunity for Western brands selling low-end consumer products.
The Truth About KOL’s Impact on China E-commerce Sales
Brands want to see results when they embark on working with KOLs, which is why it can be disheartening when expensive marketing efforts result in low sales generation. However, it is important to remember that the value of a KOL is one that is measured not simply by their reach, but by their ability to interact with a potential shopper at all points of their customer journey. Measuring the success of an influencer campaign isn’t easy. There are different factors that should be analyzed besides the immediate return on sales. Branded content, community grow and interactions with consumer are others indicators that help a brand measuring the KOL’s impact.
Marketing Misfire? A WeChat Plug for Dyson’s $550 Curler Goes Viral, Then Goes Sour
Dyson’s curling iron set suddenly garnered explosive interest on China’s social media platform WeChat over the weekend. The storytelling and the user interaction following WeChat the post publication helped the article go viral. But the results were not just positive. Many WeChat users publicly shared their views on the product and showed their general mistrust in what influencers said. Read on to find out more about Chinese consumers’ attitude toward influencer marketing.
Weibo, Not WeChat, Is Travel Influencers’ Destination of Choice: ParkLu Report
Chinese outbound travelers used to look for destinations that were “WeChat-worthy”, but this have been changing according to a Parklu report. Weibo is now dominating the most travel conversations followed by Little Red Book and Douyin, with WeChat ranked at the bottom. The main reason why influencers are switching to other platforms is the fact that all WeChat posts from travelers can only be seen by their connections; while on Weibo it becomes a public post, which can gain greater exposure. Another interesting observation is that despite the huge fan base of top-tier KOLs, most mentions of destinations are contributed by micro influencers. This is a great opportunity for Western travel destinations. Instead of spending large amounts on top influencers, the brands can opt to work with smaller KOLs on various platforms, not just WeChat.
Square dancing and big fonts: How China’s elderly use the internet
Most brands and marketing agencies like to talk about the Millennials. But it is actually the older generation that make up almost a third of China’s massive population. That’s why more and more Tech companies as well as brands are looking at ways to engage them. Examples are Alibaba’s easier and more user friendly version of Taobao of a while back. And more recently iQiyi, one of China’s most popular video streaming platforms, launched a short video app specifically designed for people aged over 50. Jinshi has bigger fonts, its videos are horizontal, and it allows users to turn video into audio with one tap in case they can’t see clearly. And now even square dancing, keep reading to learn more.
Alipay to issue electronic marriage licenses for people married in Jiangsu Province
The government in China is digitizing their services more and more. Earlier this year the government in Jiangxi province issued ID chips for smartphone users. Attach to the SIM card it can store sensitive identifying information for safer verification over the internet. China’s tech companies have caught onto this trend and have begun offering an increasing number of government services on their various ecosystems. Mostly on…? You guessed it, Mini-Programs! The latest example is a mini-program of Alipay which Jiangsu Province will use to issue electronic marriage licenses. Users are required to search for the mini-program in Alipay and scan their faces to verify their identity in order for it to be issued. Freaky but useful apparently.
3 Key Platforms for B2B KOLs in China
The main platforms used by B2B KOLs around the world are different. While in the west influencers usually use LinkedIn, email lists and podcasts, in China that is very different. Popular platforms used in China for B2B KOLs are Zhihu, Ximalaya FM and Zhishi Xingqiu. Each platform has its own distinct features and serves a different purpose, however all of them enable leaders to monetize their expertise. In China, this trend even has its own name: 知识付费 or “Pay-for-Knowledge”
What Lies Ahead for Daigou in 2019
Daigou is an overseas personal shopper that brings anything from vitamins to luxuries goods to Mainland China. Chinese consumers love them because they can buy products at lower prices that might not even be available in China. But most brands detest daigou as they undercut their traditional sales and spread their branding with rogue messaging. And then there is the Chinese government, they too would prefer legitimate cross border commerce over the daiguo trade. That is why they will implement another round of rules and regulations in 2019 to suppress this grey market. This could be tricky for those
Is Chinese E-Commerce Moving Down Market?
The Chinese online consumer preferences have been changing in the last few years. The ongoing tech empowerment of the middle class and lower middle class is reflected in the rapid success of Pinduoduo and in the rapidly increase sales of instant noodles, paper towels, and low-end consumer products. After years of high growth in the luxury and premium segments there is some evidence that the fastest-growing online segment today is the mass market. The luxury and premium segments are still growing, but the mass-market is definitely growing faster. This offers a great opportunity for Western brands selling low-end consumer
The Truth About KOL’s Impact on China E-commerce Sales
Brands want to see results when they embark on working with KOLs, which is why it can be disheartening when expensive marketing efforts result in low sales generation. However, it is important to remember that the value of a KOL is one that is measured not simply by their reach, but by their ability to interact with a potential shopper at all points of their customer journey. Measuring the success of an influencer campaign isn’t easy. There are different factors that should be analyzed besides the immediate return on sales. Branded content, community grow and interactions with consumer are
Marketing Misfire? A WeChat Plug for Dyson’s $550 Curler Goes Viral, Then Goes Sour
Dyson’s curling iron set suddenly garnered explosive interest on China’s social media platform WeChat over the weekend. The storytelling and the user interaction following WeChat the post publication helped the article go viral. But the results were not just positive. Many WeChat users publicly shared their views on the product and showed their general mistrust in what influencers said. Read on to find out more about Chinese consumers’ attitude toward influencer marketing.
Weibo, Not WeChat, Is Travel Influencers’ Destination of Choice: ParkLu Report
Chinese outbound travelers used to look for destinations that were “WeChat-worthy”, but this have been changing according to a Parklu report. Weibo is now dominating the most travel conversations followed by Little Red Book and Douyin, with WeChat ranked at the bottom. The main reason why influencers are switching to other platforms is the fact that all WeChat posts from travelers can only be seen by their connections; while on Weibo it becomes a public post, which can gain greater exposure. Another interesting observation is that despite the huge fan base of top-tier KOLs, most mentions of destinations are
Square dancing and big fonts: How China’s elderly use the internet
Most brands and marketing agencies like to talk about the Millennials. But it is actually the older generation that make up almost a third of China’s massive population. That’s why more and more Tech companies as well as brands are looking at ways to engage them. Examples are Alibaba’s easier and more user friendly version of Taobao of a while back. And more recently iQiyi, one of China’s most popular video streaming platforms, launched a short video app specifically designed for people aged over 50. Jinshi has bigger fonts, its videos are horizontal, and it allows users to turn
Alipay to issue electronic marriage licenses for people married in Jiangsu Province
The government in China is digitizing their services more and more. Earlier this year the government in Jiangxi province issued ID chips for smartphone users. Attach to the SIM card it can store sensitive identifying information for safer verification over the internet. China’s tech companies have caught onto this trend and have begun offering an increasing number of government services on their various ecosystems. Mostly on…? You guessed it, Mini-Programs! The latest example is a mini-program of Alipay which Jiangsu Province will use to issue electronic marriage licenses. Users are required to search for the mini-program in Alipay and
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