Live streaming in China: advancing into the AI era with complete service solutions
The live streaming market in China is experiencing remarkable growth and innovation, offering a unique platform for businesses to engage with their audience and drive sales. As of February 2022, over 703 million live streaming users resided in China, constituting about 68.2% of the country’s total internet users. The live streaming market in China continues […]
Standing out in the competitive market through branding in China
In the huge, complex, and highly competitive market, the role of branding in China in building a successful business has become increasingly crucial. Not only is there more pressure from other brands, but people’s needs and desires are also becoming more diverse and many are preferring local brands as reflected in the Guochao marketing trends. […]
Perfect Diary: a once-thriving cosmetics brand’s decline and lessons learned
Perfect Diary, a cosmetic brand originating from China, achieved early success in its global expansion efforts. The brand’s initial popularity in China was fueled by effective marketing strategies, including KOL (Key Opinion Leader) marketing, co-branding, and private traffic pools. However, despite its standing as a leading makeup brand in China, Perfect Diary’s success has waned […]
Ultimate guide to KOL marketing in China: What is a KOL and how to unravel their enormous potential
In June 2022, out of a population of 1.41 billion, China had 1.05 billion Internet users, accounting for around 74% of the population, thus recording an increase of 3.8% compared to 2021. Moreover, according to CNNIC, netizens spend an average of 29.5 hours per week online, and 99.6% of them use their mobile to surf […]
Why the next stage of Chinese virtual influencers is body positivity
A virtual influencer is an AI-generated fictional character that brands in China have been using in place of human Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs) for a variety of marketing-related activities. Their flawless evergreen youth and ability to be controlled is highly desirable as often a human KOL’s actions or political comments can lead companies to face […]
Genki Forest: a Chinese soda brand planning to tackle Coca-Cola
Founded in 2016, Genki Forest is a Chinese soft drink brand that specializes in sparkling water and instant tea. Due to the increased health awareness among Chinese people, Genki Forest’s relatively healthier products that are “low calorie” and less sugary have successfully catered to a substantial target market in China. Genki Forest announced its plans to become […]
Crackdowns in livestreaming in China: how brands should approach it
2021 was the year of crackdowns in China as the government pushed for the ‘Common Prosperity’ initiative. The government has been tightening regulations to balance wealth and establish a more sustainable economic model. Among the several industries affected, the e-commerce industry – specifically the livestreaming market – has emphasized the importance of abiding by the […]
FILA asks Chinese who are today’s idols
On June 28th, FILA’s new campaign 《对话》 (Conversation) and its Weibo hashtag #一个时代的偶像# (#The Idols of Our Time) was released and soon became a hot topic. By 5th July, this topic was read 460+ million times and discussed 456,000+ times (including 155,000+ posts with the hashtag). With this ad, the brand celebrated its 110th-anniversary using […]
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 […]
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. […]