Everything you didn’t know Douyin could do

Douyin is one of the most popular social media platforms in China. Owned by the Chinese tech company Bytedance, this APP allows users to upload and share videos under one minute long, but what makes it so special is its ability to tailor content recommendations on members’ interests and tastes through its sophisticate algorithm. According […]
The LGBT Market in China | A rising pink economy

The Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community in China has been getting their voices heard since the 1980’s. This is resulting from engaging dialogue about the queer identity in the public domain. However, in 2021, the LGBT culture in China still stays largely underground. Despite being underground, there has been significant progress over the […]
AYAYI: The first metahuman in China has already made an “offline appearance” at Guerlain’s event

The first metahuman AYAYI (super realistic digital human) was created by RM Inc. (燃麦科技) earlier this year. AYAYI made her first appearance on Red on May 20th, 2021, the Chinese version of Valentine’s Day. As of July 1st, AYAYI’s first笔记 (note) launched on Red has won 95,000+ likes, 13,000+ favorites, and 2+ million reads. All […]
5 Chinese companies you didn’t know were using private traffic

The phenomenal success of Perfect Diary through leveraging private traffic highlighted this concept as key in marketing to the Chinese market. This is especially in the context of how e-commerce in China is predicted to comprise 57% of total retail sales in 2022, thus highlighting the importance of online customer engagement. What is private traffic […]
China’s consumer generated video economy: Outsourcing marketing to your own users

China’s consumer generated video (CGV) economy refers to economic activities- such as brand sales- fuelled by videos created by Chinese consumers. These videos can be in recorded form, or livestreams. According to McKinsey research, 11% of Chinese consumers’ time on social media is spent watching, sharing, and creating short videos. In 2018, the Chinese short […]
Chinese Digital Marketing Ecosystem in 2021

This article on Chinese digital marketing ecosystem in 2021 was published in the 2021 spring edition of the German Chamber Ticker, download the Ticker Magazine here! The events of 2020 did not change the trajectory of Chinese e-commerce, but rather accelerated the country’s consumption to a digital future that was, sooner or later, inevitable. As we […]
Influencer marketing in the West: What Chinese brands should know

This article sharing strategies for influencer marketing in the west is a part of our 7 Continents initiative where we use market research and consulting to help Chinese brands western market strategies. Learn more about our services for Chinese brands on our 7 Continents page. According to the State of Influencer Marketing 2021 report from […]
Clubhouse in China: The app’s quick rise and fall created a battle ground for imitators

The wave of Clubhouse blew from Silicon Valley to Chinese social networks. Since Elon Musk, the founder of Tesla, joined a chat room on Clubhouse, this audio-only social app has become a buzz with netizens around the world. According to App Annie, Clubhouse has exceeded 8.1 million downloads worldwide, and 4.6 million come from February […]
The many faces of virtual influencers in China: Vocaloids, KOLs, KOCs, idols and brand ambassadors

L’Oréal announced their branded virtual idol for the brand’s Chinese fans, Mr Ou. L’Oréal is not the only brand to invest in a virtual ambassador, virtual influencers in China are a growing phenomena. In fact, by 2023, China’s virtual KOL market is expected to be worth RMB 1.5 billion according to South China Morning Post. […]
18 inspiring Chinese New Year marketing campaigns 2021: Most creative, artistic, game changing and culturally competent

Lunar New Year is one of the most important and beloved holidays in China. On New Year’s Eve, Chinese families reunite and gather around the festive table, sharing their favorite dishes, handing out red envelopes of cash, and spreading good wishes for the New Year. Brands use this holiday to showcase their localization through specialized […]
Ingredient-based skin care market in China reaching Chinese “Skintellectuals”

A new term on the Chinese internet is 成分党, pronounced “cheng fen dang”, which points to the tribe of skincare consumers in China known as “Skintellectuals”. This consumer tribe are ingredients-oriented and thoroughly research skincare products before purchasing. The ingredient-based skincare market in China precisely targets this knowledgeable consumer group. Like makeup, skincare, selfies, topics […]
The 10 most epic China marketing campaigns of 2020

2020 was an all-around difficult year. But during the turmoil of a global pandemic and a global economic crisis, there were brands who still insisted in spreading the messages of hope and empowerment. There were also brands that uplifted us with their creativity and adaptability, and provided new products that resonated with Chinese culture on […]