From milk tea to chili sauce: Can Sexy Tea (茶颜悦色) catch up with CHAGEE (霸王茶姬)?
Founded in 2013 in Changsha, Hunan, Sexy Tea (茶颜悦色) built its brand around “New Chinese-style Fresh Tea”(新中式鲜茶) focusing primarily on light milk tea (轻乳茶). Thanks to its distinctive flavor and exclusive local business model, it quickly gained popularity. However, while its reputation soared, Sexy Tea remained cautious about expansion and only ventured beyond Changsha […]
Chinese makeup brands: the triumph of homegrown makeup brands supported by the Guochao trend
In the multifaceted Chinese cosmetics market, the makeup segment occupies a significant share of the transactions. In 2023, the retail cosmetics industry in China reached RMB 414.2 billion (USD 57.53 billion) and a growth rate of 5.1%. Notably, Chinese makeup brands are progressively gaining ground, significantly increasing their share which doubled to 28% in 2022 […]
From east to the runway: the irresistible ascent of Chinese designer brands
In recent years, at fashion shows and various events, many domestic and international celebrities have been seen wearing clothing from Chinese fashion brands, and an increasing number of Chinese designer brands are entering the international spotlight. At the 2023 Met Gala red carpet, Cardi B appeared in a specially tailored camellia dress designed by Chinese […]
Guochao 3.0: Chinese cultural Renaissance in consumer trend
In the last 8 years, national confidence has exerted a significant influence on consumption trends in China. Within this changing landscape, Guochao (国潮 – lit. National Tide) has emerged. This trend is a reflection of the younger generation’s profound interest in China’s culture, traditions, and domestic brands, reflecting a cultural shift towards domestic products and […]
Five China marketing strategies that domestic brands do better than foreign brands
Foreign brands have enjoyed a positive reputation in the Chinese market for years, but as China shifts to a consumption-driven economy, domestic brands are gaining increasing advantage. As the nation’s digital ecosystem becomes increasingly more complex and further diverges from what’s familiar to the West, Chinese companies are better able to navigate the digital world […]
China Chic: The Emergence of Chinese luxury brands
Nowadays Chinese consumers are a major driver of growth for the global luxury industry and their importance is bound to increase in the years to come. Indeed, mainland China is expected to become the world’s largest luxury goods market by 2025, thereby surpassing the regional share of the Americas and Europe. Covid-19 travel restrictions induced […]
How brands are biting into Chinese mooncake culture
Every mid-autumn festival Chinese people celebrate by spending time with their loved ones while exchanging and eating mooncakes, densely baked pastries that come with a wide variety of fillings. The festival is deeply rooted in ancient tradition and there are several legends about its origin, but the most convincing explanation is that it is closely […]
Chinese netizens reflections on the Tokyo 2020 Olympics: National pride is alive and well
Whether China won 38 or 42 gold medals, the Tokyo 2020 Olympics caused a rise of netizens commentary on Chinese social media. Through social media listening we gained a deeper understanding China’s national pride, but also openness and appreciation of other cultures. Here are the main takeaways from social listening regarding Chinese netizens reflections on […]
5 men’s fashion trends in China
Chinese male consumers are increasingly keen to spend money on clothes. Between 2009 and 2019, the men’s fashion market in China grew steadily, reaching 594.9 billion RMB in 2019, recording a year-on-year increase of 4.07%. Moreover, male consumers spend on average more than 1,500 RMB on clothing. According to Euromonitor, Chinese male consumers’ top three […]
How to do Guochao marketing: In-depth interviews with Chinese gen Z
What is Guochao marketing “GUO CHAO” (literally “national trend”) refers to the increase consumer favoritism towards Chinese brands, designs and culture. Guochao consumers embrace Chinese cultural designs and products made in China. 75% of Chinese consumers surveyed state they like products that incorporate Guochao design elements. To learn more about Guochao marketing, we conducted in-depth […]
How TsingTao Brewery is sponsoring the 2022 Winter Olympics with a goal to boost China’s image internationally
TsingTao Brewery Co. Ltd. 青岛啤酒 was founded in 1903 by Bavarian settlers in Qingdao, Shandong province. In 2020, the company generated approximately 27.8 billion yuan in revenue, a slight decrease from around 28 billion yuan in the previous year. (To learn more about the beer market in China.) Emerging trend Guochao has not bypassed the TsingTao brand In […]
May 2021 named “national consumption month” dedicated to boosting China’s post-COVID consumption recovery
While China is one of the nations that were able to recover the quickest from the pandemic, the Chinese economy still has largely suffered from the supply chain disruptions, regional lockdowns and a drop of international demand caused by the pandemic. Some sectors were mostly unscathed by the pandemic, retail in China was not one […]