Vaping in China: Will brands target young adults or convert smokers?
Vaping has become a trend worldwide in recent years. The e-cigarettes which were previously introduced to help smokers quit have become a symbol of the Gen Z. The size of the vape market in China is still smaller than that in the U.S., despite a much larger smoking population. Many users, including middle schoolers and […]
Why China’s Idol Economy is at its Turning Point
The year 2021 has been the turning point for China’s idol economy. After several years of booming growth, it fell into decline from July 2021 onwards. The “Operation Qinglang” (清朗运动, the operation to cleanse the entertainment industry) launched by the Cyberspace Administration of China in August dealt a huge blow to the idol economy. With […]
The China International Import Expo 2021: Sustainability, health and winter sports highlighted for future development
The 4th edition of the China International Import Expo (CIIE) in Shanghai ended on November 10th. Similar to past years, the Expo acted as a sounding board for reiterating China’s commitment to open up its domestic market to the world economy. President Xi Jinping announced for the first time its intention to hold an import […]
8 steps for foreign brands to leverage Chinese trade fairs and exhibitions
Chinese trade fairs and exhibitions are the most valuable link for foreign brands to expand their network. Many foreign brands in China must rely on local forces to be successful, cooperating with Chinese companies. On the other hands, Chinese trade fairs and exhibitions are an excellent opportunity for domestic companies to “benchmark” with the world’s first-class […]
What brings Chinese companies to ASEAN? Hint: It is far more than a mere race to the bottom
During 2020 Q1, the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) became China’s largest trading partner, surpassing both the EU and the US. Such rise in trade was partly due to lockdown measures adopted in the EU in an attempt to curb the spread of the pandemic, as well as part of a pre-existing trend to […]
China’s ‘Common Prosperity’ initiative and its potential economic impacts explained
In early 2021, Chinese President Xi Jinping made a speech emphasizing the importance of ‘Common Prosperity’, setting this concept as a tone in policy making for the next few years. As a policy-guided and increasingly modernized country, China’s ‘Common Prosperity’ campaign gathers momentum and impacts all aspects of society almost instantly. What’s China’s ‘Common Prosperity’ […]
Cultural Opinion Leaders (COLs): The future of China’s KOL economy
As Li Jiaqi and Viya win the titles “king” and “queen” of this year’s Singles’ Day and fashion brands keep on collaborating with the same handful of Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs), China’s KOL economy is in flux. Gen-Z consumers looking for more authentic and deeper tastemakers are the main driver of change. KOLs’ standardized format […]
Checking the health of online clothing rental services in China
According to a report jointly released by Bain & Co. and the TMall Luxury Division, mainland China accounted for 20% of the world’s luxury industry last year and it is going to become the largest luxury market by 2025. Unlike the in the past, nowadays Chinese consumers’ reluctance to purchase pre-owned luxury clothing is gradually […]
Everything you need to know about crowdfunding in China
Crowdfunding in China started to develop relatively late compared to the global market: the market size peaked in 2016 with 48,467 successful campaigns in that year. Chinese crowdfunding models include investment-based, non-investment based and integrated crowdfunding. The investment-based crowdfunding model includes equity-based and property-based crowdfunding. Non-investment-based crowdfunding model includes reward-based and donation-based crowdfunding. How crowdfunding […]
Financial influencers in China: targeting Gen Z with stocks and digital currency advice
During the pandemic, millions of future financial analysts have been fully immersed in the world of investment. Recently a new generation of investors has been emerging on social media. The proliferation of commission-free online trading has sparked a demand for inexpensive financial advice that can be obtained from the most easily accessible place, namely the […]