KOC marketing in China often gets more bang for the buck than KOL marketing

KOC marketing in China

KOC marketing in China is gaining popularity due to the rise of big data platforms and new demands from young consumers. Chinese KOCs (Key Opinion Consumers), are regular consumers who love to share their true product reviews on popular social media. Although most KOCs don’t have a large fan base, they are the key for […]

Understanding Chinese sense of humor through ads

Chinese sense of humor shown in advertisements

Navigating the Chinese sense of humor can be incredibly difficult for individuals, let alone brands marketing to Chinese consumers. Although appealing to Chinese through funny advertisements is certainly effective, brands must understand the barriers, the taboos, versus the sweet spots of Chinese humor. The first thing that westerners need to wrap their head around when […]

Traditional and modern Chinese superstitions: Ghosts, gods, fate, and wedding dates

Chinese superstitions

Chinese superstitious psychology has existed since ancient times. It originated from prehistoric religious ideas of primitive society. Through the development of Shang dynasty, Western Zhou dynasty, the Warrior Kingdom Period, Qin and Han dynasty and so on, it finally formed various forms of secular superstition in modern times and reformed under the influence of politics, […]

The tableware market in China: Is disposable tableware on its way out?

the tableware market in China

The revenue of the tableware market in China was 213.24 billion yuan in 2017, increasing from 205.68 billion yuan in 2016. The size of the market grows consistently, metal-ware takes up the largest share of the market, ceramics come next and glass is a relatively small share. Data source: Zhiyan consulting, Size of China’s tableware […]

China’s startup scene: Lively, relentless, and unmatched by anything else

China's startup scene

China’s startup scene has its ups and downs but has never been inactive. The country has long recognized the importance of startups in boosting economy and employment, and therefore has invested in startup ecosystems. On the one hand, the huge and homogeneous Chinese market offers a natural experiment field for aspiring entrepreneurs. On the other […]

China’s street vendor economy: A band-aid or permanent solution for post-COVID-19 unemployment?

China's street vendor economy

China’s street vendor economy transfers earnings from the store owners to lower-income people. In contrast to the blue-ocean strategy,  which creates significant economic value with innovative or disruptive solutions, street vendors use existing business models while cutting operation costs. It will not make people rich, but it is effective at turning unemployed people into self-employed […]

How Chinese netizens react to the Black Lives Matter protests in the US

Chinese netizens reaction to black lives matter protests

A spark arises in the quiet Midwestern city of Minneapolis, Minnesota and within a week, the whole country catches fire from New York to Los Angeles. Since the death of Gorge Floyd, an African American who was suffocated to death by police on May 25th, thousands of Americans brave the curfews and confinement rules linked […]