Unleashing the Pulse of China’s Market: Updates and Breaking News.

August 2, 2023

 

  1. JD launches vertical AI model, targets retail, finance and education sectors:

  • Context: Beijing currently is home to approximately half of the more than 80 large models available in China
  • JD on Thursday introduced its own large AI model ChatRhino. Positioned as a vertical AI model that offers industry-specific use cases, JD’s AI offering arrives a few months later than rivals Alibaba and Baidu. 
  • Why it matters: JD is the latest Chinese tech major attempting to upgrade its offerings with AI and large models. The company said ChatRhino combines 70% generalized data and 30% native intelligent supply chain data, targeting a number of sectors including retail, finance, education, and government.  
  • Details: The company has already utilized the AI model to enhance customer service, facilitate code writing, and improve product recommendations, she added.

JD’s healthcare unit also unveiled a specialized model designed for the medical industry that is capable of quickly adapting and learning from various healthcare scenarios, which will serve as a technological foundation for remote medical services. The e-commerce giant also showcased its ambition to develop humanoid robots, which will be a key exploration direction for the JD Explore Academy.

LINK:
https://technode.com/2023/07/14/jd-launches-vertical-ai-model-targets-retail-finance-and-education-sectors/

 

 

 

2. Baidu AI products overseas

 

The AI social products “SynClub” by Baidu have recently been introduced in Hong Kong, China, Japan, and other countries. This product uses the latest AI technology of Baidu, so that users can know their own AI friends, and through the company of AI friends, users can chat more interestingly and in-depth.

 

3. The “channel retrieval” feature was introduced by the channel.

 

On July 12, the channel launched the “channel retrieval” function for the certification body to support the recovery of the lost agency authentication channel.

It is understood that “channel retrieval” refers to the channel that has completed enterprise and institutional certification or main body verification and can initiate the channel retrieval process and re-operate the channel after the platform verifies the authenticity of the main body.

In the process of initiating the retrieval, it is necessary to pay attention to the following two points: First, the initiator has not created a channel, and it is necessary to use a wechat signal that has not created a channel to initiate the retrieval process. Second, the account must be in normal use, and the account that has been cancelled, blocked, or banned cannot be recovered.

 

 

 

4. Users of the Meituan app can now record and upload brief videos.

 

Meituan has unveiled a new feature on its app that now allows users to shoot and upload short videos. The addition of this feature provides users with more creative ways to engage with the platform and record their experiences.

Meituan’s latest move comes amidst the intensifying rivalry with Douyin within the online local services industry.

The food delivery giant has also made moves to shake up the live-streaming business by hosting more live-streaming events, including monthly live streams on the 18th of each month since April, where participants are offered coupons.

In addition, the company launched its very own platform, Meituan Live, which is currently only visible to a select group.

Meituan continues to evolve as a multifaceted platform in order to stay competitive in the market

LINK: https://daoinsights.com/news/meituan-app-now-supports-users-to-shoot-and-upload-short-videos/

 

 

 

5. China’s newest beauty retail battleground, Douyin, was won by L’Oreal by 1 billion RMB.

 

L’Oréal topped a ranking of brand sales in the first half of the year, hitting a GMV of 1 billion RMB 

Douyin is the nation’s newest retail battleground, and international brands are actively fighting to grow their market share for Gen Z

Social platforms like Douyin are becoming pivotal channels for brands to close the loop in digital commerce

L’Oréal collaborates with roughly 800 to 1,500 Douyin KOLs every month, ranging from mega influencers with over 5 million followers to small-to-medium key opinion consumers

LINK:
https://jingdaily.com/loreal-douyin-china-newest-beauty-retail-battleground-billion-rmb-gmv/

 

 

 

6. Three New WeChat Advertisement Products Online Now

 

Moments Ads brand gallery: advertisement is WeChat’s first vertical multi-screen display advertisement. It supports 3-5 vertical screen video cards displayed at the same time, and the new method of display brings an eye-catching visual experience by creating a high-level window texture for the brand and enhancing the user’s memory of the brand.

WeChat Channels Carousel Ads: advertising supports 3-5 components, which are displayed on large tiles throughout the process. Different cards can be diverted to different official mini programs or different pages of mini programs, or they can be turned to native pages and H5. 

WeChat Search: discovering brand surprises through WeChat Search and finding beautiful gifts for their loved ones for Qixi Festival

LINK:

https://www.luxurysociety.com/en/articles/2023/07/what-should-luxury-expect-post-pandemic-chinese-travellers 

 

 

 

7. Translation vs Transcreation: which one is the right choice?

 

When expanding a business to a new country with linguistic and cultural differences, it’s crucial to ensure that the brand’s message and identity are accurately conveyed to the new audience.

Translation is the process of converting text from one language to another while preserving the original meaning, making it suitable for more literal texts. Transcreation, on the other hand, is a creative approach that adapts the message, cultural nuances, and persuasiveness to resonate with the target audience.

Factors such as the purpose of the text, marketing strategy, target market, and time/budget constraints should be considered when deciding between translation and transcreation for a successful linguistic adaptation.

LINK:

https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/meZQ7MC_HIHktV-0KSPdhg 

 

 

8. How AI technology is reshaping beauty retail in China

 

Store of the Future on Shanghai’s East Nanjing Road The first of its kind in China, the new concept retail space boasts seven digital touchpoints: an advanced skin analysis device powered by big data; a product recommendation feature based on AI-generated makeup trends; product labels equipped with radio frequency identification (RFID) that unlock a detailed breakdown of ingredients; mobile POS, which allows customers to check out anywhere with a beauty advisor and avoid long queues; and personalized gift packages with the option to add scents and voice messages.

Meanwhile, the Shanghai Municipal Medical Products Administration has granted SkinCeuticals, Estée Lauder, L’Oréal, and Shanghai Chuangyuan Cosmetics stores in Shanghai a license for personalized on-site services. With this license, retail stores can act as mini cosmetic factories, creating products tailored to individual skin types.

Typically, consumers seek the advice of sales assistants or search for product reviews by influencers.  plus the fact that KOLs and personal shoppers may have other motives for recommending certain items (e.g., brand sponsorships).

When stepping into the futuristic concept store, customers are asked to use their WeChat account to sign into the AI experience. Users are then connected personally to a salesperson who helps them through their purchase journey in person and can stay in touch with them once they leave the store.

 

 

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Tips for Reusing Your Western Social Media Content for WeChat in the Chinese market

September 2, 2022

China is the largest social media market in the world, but since Western social media like Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube are blocked there, most people are limited to using domestic social media – WeChat The Chinese social media ecosystem is distinctive because of this ban of other popular social networks.

WeChat is one of the most popular social media applications. It has grown to become the world’s (not just China’s) biggest super-app, with more than 1.25 billion average monthly active users. 

One of the most interesting features for brands is official accounts. There are over 25 million official accounts on WeChat and all brands are fiercely fighting for users’ attention. How to make sure you do it the right way? Even if your content is performing really well it doesn’t necessarily mean that would be the case on WeChat. Content consumption, preferences of the Chinese audience, and format requirements vary from those on Facebook or TikTok. Reposting your Western content directly on WeChat won’t bring you a lot of fans. 

 

Western Social Media vs WeChat Content 

WeChat is an excellent tool for entering the Chinese market. It is frequently compared to Facebook or WhatsApp because its initial, and still the most important function, is instant messaging. However, despite these comparisons, the content that brands share on their official accounts is completely different. 

If your WeChat strategy was to reshare content from your Western social media platforms, that’s not an easy road. WeChat’s content formats differ significantly from those of Western social media apps. 

WeChat articles are lengthy posts that resemble newsletters or even blog articles more than anything else. Whereas Western social media are usually short, visually speaking content. Simply reposting content from Facebook and Instagram with a brief caption is not the best strategy because readers will be unsatisfied and won’t return if the situation occurs again. 

However, it’s not impossible to make Western content work for WeChat. If you have a library of content already created for your Western social media or official website, we can help you to find the best way to repurpose and localize it to WeChat requirements and your target audience preferences.  

 

Tips to repurpose Western social media content for WeChat 

Blogs:

  • Good news! You can simply reuse your blog articles as WeChat posts.
  • Localize the content for the audience by translating the blog posts into the market language.
  • Focus on the most interesting aspects that will resonate with your audience in China and skip paragraphs that are less relevant. 

Examples of Western social media blogs and updates turned into a WeChat article

Image-based content (Instagram):

You can incorporate the images and lengthen the copy by adding an introduction and more details, giving it at least a few paragraphs.

  • You can take additional photos and include them in the article. 
  • Try to combine several posts and see if you can create a WeChat story out of them. 
  • Prepare a nice layout to be visually appealing to the readers.

 

Video-based content (Stories, YouTube):

  • You can create content around videos by directly embedding them into articles.
  • You can also open WeChat Channels. Reuse both photos and videos with this WeChat feature. Literally, it’s the best WeChat feature for utilizing nearly all your visual and video content. 
  • You can add Chinese subtitles added to your videos or fully localize them. 
WeChat Channels Video

WeChat Channels – WeChat answer to TikTok and other short-video platforms

➡️ Learn more about WeChat Channels and how you can win on this WeChat’s sub-platfrom 

With a good strategy and a pinch of creativity, you can smartly reuse existing content to maximize your efforts and save time. This will work for Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and even YouTube content. We encourage you to prepare a mix of global and original content for the local Chinese market – that is the strategy that works best for WeChat. 

 

Conclusion 

WeChat is the most widely used and well-known social media platform in China, so if you want to expand into the Chinese market, you must start producing content on WeChat. 

At The WeChat Agency, we can help you decide on the content that can be reused from the global marketing assets and also help you create the best original content for China.

If you wish to know more about WeChat content creation and repurposing or other marketing techniques in China, please contact our team. We use our knowledge and expertise to help businesses build meaningful partnerships and develop their networks among Chinese customers. For additional information, please contact us at contact@thewechatagency.com.

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Weekly China Updates

July 12, 2022

JD.com Announces Renewed Strategic Cooperation With Tencent

Tencent will keep providing JD.com with main entry points on its WeChat platform in order to maintain traffic. It also includes collaboration in areas like membership services, marketing and advertising, technology services, and communications.

The deal will carry out business cooperation in the areas of e-commerce portals, cloud technology and cloud services, membership systems, online conferences, enterprise services, smart retail and advertising, supply chain, and other areas. It will also strengthen technical exchanges and cooperation in artificial intelligence and other fields.

JD.com and Tencent are collaborating strategically for the third time at this time. The contract is extended for another three years.

Link: https://pandaily.com/jd-com-announces-renewed-strategic-cooperation-with-tencent/

Navigating Douyin — A Guide For Luxury

The mainland’s TikTok has already solidified its position in the market despite just having launched its e-marketplace in June 2020; it is currently ranked among the top five e-commerce applications with the greatest market shares.

600 million DAUs are on Douyin. The innovative consumer journey that Douyin delivers is what makes it so intriguing since it is completely changing the e-tail landscape. By connecting interest to final transactions, the software completes the cycle.

Link: https://jingdaily.com/douyin-guide-for-luxury/ 

Head & Shoulders Father’s Day Campaign Taps Into Paternal Pathos

Despite the fact that Father’s Day is not a recognised holiday in mainland China, it is nonetheless observed there in accordance with Western custom. On this day, the majority of Chinese advertisements are usually more sentimental than those in the West and focus on father-child connections. That said, it is remarkable how the Head & Shoulders commercial managed to stir up laughter in its viewers while also bringing them to tears.

For this very reason, family marketing is a common motif in Chinese ads. The good or service could be marketed to the whole family as a shared activity that is consumed together.

This video promo is not only directed at men who lose their hair but also at kids of all ages who value their father figures. In reality, sons and daughters wrote the majority of the posts under the Weibo hashtag #Dadsloveistoobald, which received an astounding 10 million views.

Link: https://daoinsights.com/works/head-shoulders-fathers-day-campaign-taps-into-paternal-pathos/ 

Weibo to Launch New Interest-Driven Social App

Several reports claim that Planet, a new interest-based social app, will be released by Weibo. An improved version of Planet Video, which already includes millions of communities covering a variety of themes, is the new app. Importantly, it will primarily serve as a tool for Weibo users to follow famous people and influencers while immersing themselves in groups of people who share their interests.

At the moment, Planet Video is divided into five categories: Home, Discover, Shoot, News, and My. The app immediately demonstrates Weibo’s interest in short video content. The move comes as no surprise given China’s tremendous demand for live streaming and brief video content.

On the other hand, some social circles may view the affiliation with a platform that promotes fan interaction and celebrity culture as disrespectful of the government’s efforts to curtail “excessive fan culture.” As a result, the luxury brands associated with Planet may find themselves in a sticky situation, dealing with criticism and reputational issues.

Link: https://jingdaily.com/weibo-planet-app-celebrities-short-video/

China’s All-Purpose Wechat App Lets Users Register Two Accounts With One Phone Number In Pilot Test

Tencent Holdings’ all-purpose social media platform WeChat is currently pilot testing a feature that enables users to sign up for an additional account using their existing mobile number. This could make it easier for users to balance their use of the app between their personal and professional lives.

According to a report by Chinese media outlet Thepaper.cn, the new capability has been in experimental testing with a small group of users since last year, and it is unclear if or when it will be formally released.

Some welcomed the move as a way to better separate work and life, while others were not impressed. However, some complained that the two accounts cannot work concurrently and they could miss the message on the main account when switching to the other one. 

Link: https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3184348/chinas-all-purpose-wechat-app-lets-users-register-two-accounts-one

WeChat Service Marketing

The service market is an official platform to help find cooperation. At present, millions of companies are looking for small program development, customer service and other high-quality services here.

In the article, the marketing managers of two companies recommended this platform. They said that after they applied to join this platform, they signed a lot of customer resources and got a lot of cooperation service providers who meet the following standards to enter the service market-content service area: 

  • It must be an independent corporate legal person, with fixed office space, and be qualified as a general taxpayer; 
  • Has been registered and operated for more than 1 year; 
  • The business scope should include: Daren, celebrity, self-media and other related businesses, providing market planning and publicity services, providing supply chain or e-commerce agency operations, etc., and engaging in related businesses for more than half a year; 
  • The registered capital is more than 500,000 yuan;

He has experience in providing live broadcasts, short videos, and graphic operations for merchants in the WeChat ecosystem. One of the following conditions is met:

  1. Sign a real and effective live broadcast operation business contract with at least 3 or more mini-program merchants, the live broadcast cooperation relationship can be checked, and the live broadcast comprehensive data performance during the service period is good;
  2. Possess an agency operation business contract based on short videos and pictures and texts signed with more than 3 merchants in the WeChat ecosystem.
  3. If neither of ① and ② is available, it is necessary to prove other materials that can prove the serviceability in the WeChat content service field.

Link: https://developers.weixin.qq.com/doc/oplatform/service_market/provider_guideline/enter_guideline/mcn_enter_guideline.html

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WeChat Interactive Articles – Introduction & Examples

July 1, 2022

WeChat Interactive Articles (WIA) are a relatively new and highly engaging way of presenting content on WeChat. They are created by brands and are designed to be quick, easy, and fun! Thanks to different features they can be used to engage with your audience in a very unique way.

What exactly are interactive posts?

You might have seen WeChat posts embellished with GIFs or other eye-catching graphics. Creators can upload such elements into articles directly in the WeChat backend when creating an article. However, WeChat’s native backend offers extremely limited options. That’s why many brands decide to use third-party platforms to create their posts. For example, you can add some features like swiping or ‘click to reveal’ to your posts using popular browser-based editing tools like xiumi. 

More advanced interactive features require coding and are increasingly popular among WeChat brands. 

What Are Animated SVGs?

Let’s begin with a technical explanation here. Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) is a vector picture format for two-dimensional graphics that is based on Extensible Markup Language (XML) and supports animation and interactivity. A less technical explanation is that it is a special kind of image format – a Scalable Vector Graphic. We know, TL;DR. Let’s move to a more practical explanation.

Let us share with you some of the coolest examples of interactive posts. The effects can include tapping, long-pressing, selecting an answer (micro quizzes), and more. 

Montagut interactive post

 

 

 

 

Why Interactive Posts Are a Great Alternative? 

First of all, they are extremely engaging! A social media post with a picture is 10 times more likely to receive interaction. This is due to the fact that our brains process images and colors more quickly than other types of information. Therefore, advancing the idea and animating your image will also boost engagement. If your post hit the sweet spot, there is a good chance that your readers will share it further with their friends. 

Classic static content no longer do especially when users are constantly inundated with new posts from brands. 

Secondly, they can also be an interesting alternative to H5 mini-sites. 

  • Creating an H5 mini-page requires much more effort in terms of time and budget. An interactive post can be a good option for smaller budgets and quick turnaround.
  • User journey doesn’t require WeChat readers to leave the article as it happens when redirecting to an H5 page.  

Montagut interactive post

 

 

 

Naturally, H5 is still a great option for bigger campaigns that need to pack varied special effects or more complex interactions. Tracking clicks is also possible on an interactive article. It is worth mentioning that interactive features on the articles, even with coding, will still be quite basic but nonetheless fun. 

groz beckert interactive post

 

 

 

You can also add a call to action (CTA) to demonstrate to readers the benefits they will receive; it should also be rewarding, contextually appropriate, and consistent with the official account’s branding and content style. When you catch readers’ attention, you can try to redirect them to e.g. your e-shop mini-program. 

blackrock interactive post

 

 

 

Conclusion

When creating interactive WeChat articles, keep in mind these essential components. You might feel tempted to add too many interactive elements. We suggest keeping them to around 5 but well-thought-out and creative ones. Make sure your content is on-brand and that the interactions are clearly indicated.

Always remember that a brand’s engagement and conversion rate are better the more interactive it is.

If you wish to know more about WeChat articles & other marketing techniques in China, please contact our team. We use our knowledge and expertise to help businesses build meaningful partnerships and develop their network among Chinese customers. For additional information, please contact at contact@thewechatagency.com.

 

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Weekly News Roundup From China

June 28, 2022

Tencent’s WeChat Debuts in 618 Shopping Festival with Big Bet on Live-Streaming Ecommerce Despite Slowing Economy

WeChat, a product of Tencent, has for the first time introduced its own 618 online shopping festival using its in-app video feature Channels. Over 50% of the sales generated by live broadcasting on WeChat in 2021 were from private domains, such as a brand’s current WeChat fans.

The average transaction value for customers watching live streams on Channels is 200 (US$29.9), and 60% of viewers make additional purchases. The Tencent app appeals to businesses who wish to communicate with consumers in a semi-private network in order to gain and keep a loyal customer base.

Link: https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3182083/tencents-wechat-debuts-618-shopping-festival-big-bet-live-streaming-e

Backstreet Boys Join Westlife for Online Concert on super-app WeChat

Thanks to the Backstreet Boys’ first-ever live-streamed concert on the popular app WeChat, Chinese fans of the ’90s and ’00s pop music may experience the enchantment of the 2022 DNA World Tour.

It’s anticipated that around 40 million people will watch the show. In addition to receiving approximately 37 million views on Weibo, a linked hashtag, the event’s preview on WeChat received 82,000 likes in just 24 hours.

Most Chinese Millennials and Zoomers who were exposed to the Backstreet Boys and Westlife by their professors have grown up with both bands by their sides.

Link: https://radiichina.com/backstreet-boys-concert/

Unpacking Sephora’s Global C-beauty Push

The “In China for China” business incubator programme, which will seek to develop five premium Chinese beauty names into global megabrands, was unveiled by Sephora on June 6.

The strategy capitalises on both the propensity of Chinese customers to purchase domestic brands as well as the expanding interest within foreign beauty communities in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and eastern wellness ideas.

Link: https://jingdaily.com/sephora-c-beauty-global-expansion-tcm/ 

China Plans to Review Every Single Social Media Comment

China may soon evaluate each and every social media comment before it is posted, raising concerns about increased censorship in a nation with one of the strictest media environments in the world.

Internet users in China have expressed concern that if planned legislation requiring internet platforms to evaluate all social media comments is passed, the country’s already restricted space for free speech will be further reduced.

The new limits would disrupt the fun since real-time remarks give viewers the impression that they are in a chat room with other people. This makes the experience more engaging.

“If the rules are passed, it means that everything we see online would be what’s been hand-picked by moderators, and it would be harder for individuals to make their voices heard,” 

Link: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/china-plans-review-every-single-093000701.html

Tencent News Aggregator App Kuai Bao to Cease Operations Next Month

Tencent Holdings will stop operating Kuai Bao, its news aggregator app, at the end of the month, showing that even China’s most powerful and wealthy Big Tech corporations must slash non-core businesses in the face of persistent regulatory pressure and the slowing economic growth of the nation.

Kuai Bao offers users algorithm-generated recommendations based on their profile, hobbies, and browsing history, much to the well-known news aggregator app Jinri Toutiao, which is owned by ByteDance.

Since its 2015 launch, Kuai Bao hasn’t gotten big enough to compete with its rivals. According to a survey released in February 2021 by the research firm Questmobile, ByteDance’s Jinri Toutiao leads the Chinese online news information sector in terms of daily active users, followed by Tencent News, Sina News, and NetEase News.

ByteDance last week shut down a game development studio that it acquired three years ago, slashing more than a hundred jobs in a major setback for its quest to challenge Tencent in that market.

Link: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/tencent-news-aggregator-app-kuai-093000641.html

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What’s New in China?

June 20, 2022

Consumers in China Shift Focus from Instant Gratification to Longer-term Value

Consumers in China have entered a new era characterised by increased sophistication and prudence, a commitment to sustainability, and a desire for work-life balance. Despite the fact that family remains the most important factor, the “me” economy has grown in popularity.

Also, convenience is becoming increasingly important. Consumers like the convenience of smart gadgets, with 70% prepared to contribute personal information for improved services, but they are concerned about excessive push messaging. The content given via push messaging is unsatisfactory for 75% of consumers because it is irrelevant or not tailored to their requirements.

Link: https://newsroom.accenture.com/news/consumers-in-china-shift-focus-from-instant-gratification-to-longer-term-value-accenture-research-finds.htm

Are Chinese Middle-Aged Men Luxury’s Next Big Spenders?

China’s menswear market was worth $104 billion in 2021, according to a survey by data analysis firm iiMedia Research, and is predicted to increase at a CAGR of 8.47% over the next five years. In a country with a population of over 1.4 billion people, it’s no surprise that male clients want to have a voice in their wardrobe – hence the term ta jingji, or “He economy.”

An account called @云爸爸品牌男装, also known as Yunbaba, that sells middle-aged men’s clothing has gained ground recently on Douyin. It attracted a lot of attention from the audience including younger people.

Canudilo, a local menswear brand famed for its traditionally fitted suits and separates, is hosting a series of themed fashion roundtables for male customers. It also works with renowned local designers and artists, such as Liu Pingyun (who designed the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic mascot), to develop eye-catching pieces for the middle-aged market.

As the menswear market accelerates, options for older male shoppers are limited. “Men are too shy to discuss how to dress if their bodies are out of shape. Money is not the problem but the market still has a lot to do to educate this group.” 

Link: https://jingdaily.com/chinese-middle-aged-men-shoppers-ralph-lauren/ 

WeChat Unveils New Feature for Managing Group Chats

Admins and group chat owners can now highlight a message by long-pressing it and selecting “Sticky on Top.” Members of the group can click on the message, which will take them back to the original post, making the material more evident to the reader.

The hashtag #WeChat released a group chat message pinning feature# garnered over 460 billion views on Weibo this week, referring to a new feature that allows users to pin group chats to the top of WeChat for easier access. Netizens, on the other hand, are dissatisfied since they identify WeChat as nothing more than a working app. Users, on the other side, are proposing additional features like as the removal of like notifications and higher resolution photographs, among others. Despite the less than enthusiastic response from users to the new feature, WeChat remains the most popular social media platform among Chinese users, with over 78% of its 1.24 billion users residing in the country.

However, brands that build private traffic groups on WeChat may benefit from this capability. Brands might, for example, provide loyal consumers with exclusive discounts and bonuses, or improve the customer experience by providing more tailored aftersales services. Meanwhile, during recent lockdowns in locations such as Shanghai, group chats on WeChat were heavily used for collective shopping. As a result, as group buying has transitioned from rural to mainstream following the 2022 lockdowns, the group-buying community can benefit from this new function by allowing consumers to locate their orders more efficiently.

Link: https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/qUotevoBpFQXcebxXR4DBQ 

Elon Musk Tells Employees He Wants Twitter to Be More Like WeChat and TikTok

Elon Musk told Twitter staff on Thursday that if the company wants to reach 1 billion users, it needs to become more like WeChat and TikTok. Musk stated that the app should be more useful and that “people should be really entertained and informed.”

“There’s no WeChat equivalent outside of China,” Musk said, “You basically live on WeChat in China. If we can recreate that with Twitter, we’ll be a great success.”

Musk emphasised his desire for Twitter to rely more heavily on subscriptions and fees on the call, suggesting that people should pay to be verified.

Link: https://www.theverge.com/2022/6/16/23171054/elon-musk-twitter-deal-1-billion-users-wechat-tiktok

Is Tech Accessories Luxury’s Next Big Opportunity?

Because so much of daily life in China is impossible without mobile technology, the industry is particularly lucrative. According to NPD Group, a market research firm based in the United States, 75% of smartphone users use cases.

The phone case industry is predicted to increase by $11.74 billion (about 78.1 billion yuan) in value between 2020 and 2025, according to a report by market research firm Technavio. Headphone cases, computer cases, and other smart device accessories, on the other hand, are on the rise.

Bottega Veneta created a case for Apple’s iPad in 2010 that featured the brand’s characteristic Intreccio woven design. In recent years, premium companies have embraced headphone cases, with Dior, Gucci, and Prada all promoting high-end designs.

Years later, in June 2021, Chanel released two pearlized leather AirPods cases, causing a stir. These were made of sheepskin and featured a rhinestone-studded version of the traditional Chanel double C emblem. Many people were put off by its expensive price of about $2,970 (20,000 yuan). “The headphone case is more expensive than the headphones, so what’s protecting what?” joked one netizen.

In the end, demand for tech accessories will always be tied to the gadgets they’re meant to complement and protect. To today’s Chinese consumers, luxury is defined by goods that represent their personal taste and style, rather than by a price tag. Like apparel, phone cases (and headphone cases) have become a popular method for young customers to express themselves. It’s only a matter of time before luxury brands and niche players increase their investment in the segment and allow for greater personalisation.

Link: https://jingdaily.com/luxury-phone-tech-accessories-chanel-airpods/

Xiaohongshu Launches Official Cooperation Platform

In April, Xiaohongshu announced management regulations for illegal brand point deductions, which will deduct points for brands that engage in illicit marketing practices. The guidelines’ objective is to severely restrict the brand’s “Private transaction” (i.e., the brand’s private collaboration with bloggers to release posts), requiring the brand’s and bloggers’ cooperative promotion to be performed through the marketing platform “Dandelion” under Xiaohongshu.

Why are brands worried about this promotion platform?

For brand ：

  1. The brand will worry that the articles published through the cooperation platform will display the brand’s logo, indicating that this is an advertisement, and users will feel uncomfortable
  2. the brand needs to pay 10% of the service fee to the platform, which means that the launch cost is higher.
  3. the brand needs to go through a series of processes through platform cooperation, and the procedures are very cumbersome
  4. the brand should also consider the business content scheduling of the blogger.

Although brands will face such troubles, it is undeniable that the introduction of the rules is necessary. In the past few years, many brands have relied on the little red book to privately seek cooperation with bloggers and even issued false advertisements.

Therefore, for brands, if they want to open the market by relying on red books in the future, it may be the “optimal solution” to follow the rules of the platform.

Link: https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/M1sFpVo-IdzNjpvYsc1iEg

 

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Latest China News

May 31, 2022

Chinese Consumers are Comfortable Sharing their Data Compared to Consumers in Other Markets

Between 2017 and 2021, China’s loyalty programme market grew at a 13.7% annual rate to $15.7 billion. Over the following four years, it is predicted to increase at a rate of 13.0% each year.

Quick-service restaurants are establishing green rewards programmes to incentivize consumer behaviour in order to promote a more sustainable lifestyle and attract consumers who are driven by eco-friendly companies.

Link: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220512005913/en/China-Loyalty-Programs-Market-Intelligence-Report-2022-Chinese-Consumers-are-Comfortable-Sharing-their-Data-Compared-to-Consumers-in-Other-Markets—ResearchAndMarkets.com

WeChat Channels Live Streaming Rewards “Traffic Coupon” to Drive Traffic and Sales

Option 1: Mini program live streaming: Brands and businesses can add a Live Streaming module or component to WeChat mini program. For example, brands such as Perfect Diary, Forest Cabin (in Chinese: 林清轩), and Prada have held live streamings through WeChat mini program for sales or events.

Option 2: WeChat Channels Live Streaming: Up to early 2022, WeChat Channels have reached 450 million Daily Active Users, a 50% increase compared to early 2021. WeChat Channels Live Streamings are more visible to the public audience compared to mini-programs. For example, people browsing content on WeChat Channels may enter live streaming of a brand they didn’t know before.

Traffic coupon: In 2022 April 12th to December 31st, any live streaming for shopping purposes with the shopping cart function activated will be automatically participating in Merchant Incentive Plan. 

Brands or merchants have to introduce 50 new viewers that didn’t come from WeChat Channels to gain official traffic coupons. You can drive followers from your WeChat Official Account, spread the news through WeChat Moment, WeCom, personal chats, or groups, to Channels Livestreaming.

Link: https://walkthechat.com/wechat-channel-livestreaming-rewards-traffic-coupon-to-drive-traffic-and-sales/

How to Inspire Word of Mouth Marketing from a Chinese Audience

Any marketing strategy’s success is determined by two factors: reach and impact. Unlike mass media advertising, which has a broad reach but a limited impact, word-of-mouth marketing has a narrower reach but a far greater impact.

The value of word-of-mouth marketing is represented in statistics: according to Semrush, word-of-mouth marketing accounts for $6 trillion USD in global expenditure each year and accounts for 13% of all sales.

Currently, the top social media platforms in China for word-of-mouth marketing include WeChat, Weibo, Xiaohongshu (RED), and Douyin (Tik Tok’s Chinese counterpart), all of which also have their own e-commerce functions built in.

  • KOC
  • DTC
  • Group Purchase

Link: https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/IRwuZJ_-B26ACLLWt5osEw

Three Chinese Digital Marketing trends in 2022 

 

Regular product updates: More than 200 million new products will be launched on Tmall in 2021, accounting for 35% of the market. It signifies that new products have emerged as one of the most critical components of brand growth.

New goods, on the other hand, do not have to replace prior ones; rather, the new ones might be based on the previous ones and emphasise essential components to highlight the brand’s individuality. For example, OPPO debuted a new series Reno 6 with a light blue cover in September 2021, then 6 months later, they released a new colour Purple Star with the same feature.

Second, more and more brands are collaborating with other brands, particularly those that focus on completely different areas, in order to introduce a brand-new concept and capture the audience’s interest. For example, LV and Nike Air Force collaborated on a new shoe design. Holland, in collaboration with Pokeman, has released a new line of cakes.

Introducing virtual space and unleashing marketing imagination: Because of the Facebook revolution, metaverse has grown in popularity since 2021. More and more firms are creating advertising based on this notion, and NFT makes it even more appealing. With the advancement of new technology and the increasing risk of celebrity (scandals), more corporations are creating their own virtual idol for marketing objectives.

On the one hand, developing virtual idols assists firms in lowering marketing costs. Brands, on the other hand, can create a virtual image to suit the company’s position.

Brand responsibility has been enhanced: In recent years, a few corporations have developed a CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) department with the goal of increasing both social and financial value. Sustainable development will be one of the most essential aspects of a brand that encompasses three major themes: environment, climate, and biodiversity.

– Kangshifu and Pepsi both launched a drink without labels, to reduce carbon and build an environmental concept.
– Kuaishou created an advertisement, revealing the reality of the polar bear, and started a public campaign calling upon the whole society and corporations to actively respond to global warming with low-carbon actions.
– Clarins, together with WWF, created a foundation, starting with protecting the habitat of Siberian tigers and appealing to people to pay more attention to the living status of those tigers and hoping to help them come back home sooner.

Link: https://socialbeta.com/t/10-digital-marketing-trend-in-2022

WeChat Channel Admin Can Be Migrated

Previously, if we wanted to display the channel on the official account’s page, we needed to have the same administrator for both the WeChat official account and the channel. However, if the administrator of the official account is removed for personal reasons, but the administrator of the channel remains the same because the channel administrator does not support change, the channel will not be featured on the front page.

Now the administrator of the channel can be changed, and the function is still under test.

Key points:
It can be replaced 5 times a year
Only certified video numbers are supported
Private messages cannot be migrated

Link: https://developers.weixin.qq.com/community/develop/article/doc/000882fe1d01a003afed3e00e5b013

 

 

 

 

 

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