From Genki Forest to Chi Forest: a Chinese soda brand planning to become the “Coca-Cola” of China
Founded in 2016, Chi Forest (previously known as Genki Forest) is a Chinese soft drink brand that specializes in sparkling water and instant tea. It is also renowned for its low-calorie, low-sugar products, catering to the Chinese Generation Z and Millennials, who seek healthier consumer options. Being only 7-year-old Chi Forest became the fastest-growing beverage brand in […]
KOL marketing in China: from live streaming to virtual influencers
In the heart of China’s ever-evolving digital landscape, a phenomenon is taking center stage, redefining the rules of engagement and trust in the marketing world. Chinese influencers, commonly known as Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs), have emerged as the heralds of a new era in social media marketing, setting a fresh paradigm for brand-consumer interactions. These […]
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 […]
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 […]
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. […]
What made Double 11 2020 break records: Sales stats and new trends
November 11th, also known as “Guang Gun Jie”, was invented at first to celebrate singles’ day, as opposed to Valentine’s Day. In order to boost sales, Alibaba turned it in to a shopping festival in 2009, in which year it earned a total revenue of 50 million RMB. From then on, each year brought more […]
KOC marketing in China often gets more bang for the buck than KOL marketing
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 […]