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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The Latest News From China

June 14, 2022

The Development Trends of the WeChat Mini-Program in 2022

Current situation:

  • 450 million DAU
  • 4 million mini-programs created (x2 more than the number of native apps on iOS)
  • 95% of e-commerce brands have mini-programs

Context:

The rise of China’s mobile internet market has slowed, and the growth in individual device online time has practically halted. Customer acquisition became increasingly difficult for emerging applications. Users want apps that would not require installation or uninstallation, were constantly available for use at their fingertips and could be exited after usage. 

These facilitated the emergence of mini-programs

Development trends:

Mini-programs have grown in popularity not just in first- and second-tier cities, but also in third- and fourth-tier cities, and even counties. The most popular industries will continue to be e-commerce, live streaming, retail, community group purchasing, and tools.

Since WeChat is expected to introduce public domain traffic for e-commerce mini-program streaming, live streaming commerce, which is currently popular, will become even more appealing to businesses.

 Operation and service trend —— Refined operation, brand cultivation:

Start transition from “traffic” thinking to “retention” thinking by creating their own private domain traffic pool

Brands need to build a “private domain matrix” comprising WeChat features with mini-program, WeChat enterprise, video channels, mini-program live streaming and Official Accounts to guide the transformation

Link: https://qpsoftware.net/blog/development-trends-wechat-mini-program-2022

TikTok Shop’s Troubled UK Expansion: Staff Exodus and Culture Clash

TikTok is attempting to imitate Douyin’s phenomenally successful live-streaming approach (the Chinese version of TikTok). Since October 2021, the UK has become the first market outside of China to debut TikTok Shop.

More than 50% of the e-commerce team apparently quit in the past months and more is ready to exit the company.  Extremely long work hours (the 996 culture comes to mind) and high KPI targets are the key reasons for this. Employees also said that management is pushing solutions that work in China but aren’t tailored to the needs of the UK.

Link: https://www.ft.com/content/dc1aba86-2055-4521-8f0c-1f026c7f6864 

Asia-Pacific Consumers Willing to Pay Premium For Sustainable Products: Report

According to a recent survey released ahead of World Environment Day, nearly 90% of customers in Asia-Pacific are willing to pay extra for sustainable products, but a lack of information and availability is holding them back.

Alibaba Group, based in China, has vowed to be carbon neutral by 2030 as it reduces emissions across its operations and collaborates with millions of merchants to provide more sustainable items to the platform’s over 1 billion users. 

Alibaba also promises to expand its sustainable product line and advertise it properly. There are more than 460 certified ecolabels globally which increases consumer confusion. 

Link: https://www.alizila.com/asia-pacific-consumers-willing-to-pay-premium-for-sustainable-products-report/

TikTok’s Toxic ‘996’ Culture Is Forcing UK Employees out the Door

At least 20 staff have left TikTok since the company launched TikTok Shop in the UK in October, a live-streaming e-commerce platform. Employees complain that they are required to adhere to China’s working hours, which frequently result in them working more than 12 hours per day. Employees who took time off were penalised by the corporation, which rewarded overworking. Other former TikTok employees have also spoken out against the company’s hostile work atmosphere.

“The culture is really toxic. Relationships there are built on fear, not cooperation,” a former London-based team leader said. “They don’t care about burnout because it is such a big company, they can just replace you. 

Joshua Ma, the head of eCommerce at TikTok Europe and a senior executive at China’s ByteDance — the owner of the viral video app — upset London-based employees at a dinner this year when he declared that as a “capitalist,” he “didn’t believe” companies should offer maternity leave. TikTok informed employees on Wednesday that Ma had “stepped back” from his role while the company conducted a formal investigation into the comment.

TikTok Shop’s Troubled UK Expansion

Last year, Bytedance opened a Tiktok shop in the United Kingdom, but the results were unsatisfactory. According to the report, the main reason for Tiktok’s failure is that users are not accustomed to shopping on the platform; many live streams even make no purchases.

TikTok Shop’s goal is to buy low-cost things directly from low-cost producers in both the UK and China.

Bytedance introduced an e-commerce platform named Fanno in Europe in 2021, which is similar to Pinduoduo, as well as a separate e-commerce platform called Dmonstudio, which is a B2C website that sells women’s clothing. However, the plan failed as well, and Dmonstudio was shut down in February 2022.

The experts explained that the vertical e-commence market has never been developing in China because of the existence of Taobao. However, in Europe, the market is quite mature, which could be the main reason that Bytedance failed in this area. 

As a result, Tiktok will need to adjust its strategy both internally and technically in order to thrive. They must adapt to local culture and market characteristics while leveraging their algorithms and content distribution to create a fresh approach to stand out.

Link: https://www.ft.com/content/dc1aba86-2055-4521-8f0c-1f026c7f6864

Slow Live Streaming Is a New Trend

In May, Bilibili conducted a late-night accompanying live broadcast. The live broadcast called “Midnight Song platform” began at 10:30 p.m. only some songs were played. There were no anchors or products. In the evening, the number of viewers on WeChat video accounts reached 100000.

The slow live broadcast without editing and special effects, slow pace and simple pictures has gradually become a place for people to cure their emotions.

The cctv24-hour continuous live broadcast of hospital construction lasted 117 days at the start of 2020, with approximately 200 million views and more than 6000 hours of the online live broadcast.

There’s also the ipanda panda channel, which broadcasts a 24-hour live feed of enormous pandas, a national treasure, to people all over the world.

The slow video has become popular not only at home but also abroad

The Discovery Channel also produces a variety of slow-motion televisions with superb picture quality and stunning photography. On the longest day of the year, Icelandic rock band Sigur Rós took a 24-hour trip around the island. Their music was blended with the fog of northern Europe to provide sensory satisfaction to the audience; the public has a particular taste for sluggish live broadcasting, which is the time preference. People “trapped in home life” are highly eager to travel and get close to nature, and thus view the outside world, thanks to the epidemic’s travel limitations.

Link: https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/Ee-Md4O0V5JOh_ZUrzZRQw

 

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What’s New in China This Week?

June 9, 2022

What a Buzzword Reveals About Chinese Tech’s Urban Bias

By increasing the frequency of notifications and advertising lurid or scandalous content outside of large cities, internet providers appear to be playing into prejudices about rural or less educated customers.

The ‘xiachen’ practises of internet corporations frequently reflect a skewed perspective of rural and small-town internet consumers. They’re portrayed as exploitable locales, with citizens who are readily satisfied. China’s economic development, however, differs not only between metropolitan cities and rural areas but even inside so-called xiachen markets.

Link: https://www.sixthtone.com/news/1010263/what-a-buzzword-reveals-about-chinese-techs-urban-bias

WeChat Channels: The Key to Your WeChat Ecosystem

Despite the fact that the material on WeChat Channels is not sales-oriented, the platform is nonetheless beneficial to enterprises, particularly those who have already set up e-commerce operations on the network.

Brands can connect visitors to a WeChat article featuring mini-program store embeds by including a link in the post description. WeChat Channels released an update in March 2022 that allows certified users to list mini-programs on the homepage, increasing conversion rates.

Link: https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/yax22WrsGERrmtN-2FjMnA 

Nike CEO John Donahoe Says He’s Chasing Generation Alpha

Although Gen Z is presently Nike’s main source of revenue, the sportswear company has already set its sights on Generation Alpha – children under the age of 12.

Nike faces intense competition in China from disruptor and challenger brands, as well as continuing headwinds in China as a result of local anger over Xinjiang linkages and now Covid lockdowns. Nike released a Roblox game with LeBron James to use Web3 to increase physical sport participation while activating in the metaverse. You received a virtual reward for performing physical activity.

Link: https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/sPMKsitKWHNQ6CzEBFlNYQ 

With Concerts and Pop Stars, Tencent’s Channels Emerge As Big Challengers to Short Video Giants Douyin, Kuaishou

Online concerts featuring big stars from the 1990s and 2000s, such as Lo Ta-yu, Jay Chou, and Westlife, have been organised by Tencent. WeChat’s Channels are gaining popularity, which might shake up the Chinese short video market, which is now headed by ByteDance’s Douyin.

Tencent claimed in its latest quarterly report that thanks to additional entertainment programming and improved algorithms, the volume of videos and total viewing time on Channels, its WeChat-based short-video platform, saw “substantial growth.” The growing popularity of Channels has the potential to shake up China’s short video business, which is now dominated by Douyin.

Tencent’s decision to invite bands that were popular in the 1990s and 2000s corresponds to WeChat’s short-video section’s user base, which is older than Douyin and Kuaishou. Channels also take advantage of WeChat’s large social media network, which allows users to view what their WeChat contacts have enjoyed in terms of posts and videos.

Link: https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3179857/concerts-and-pop-stars-tencents-channels-emerges-big-challenger-short?module=perpetual_scroll_0&pgtype=article&campaign=3179857

China Digital Currency: Leading Mobile Payment Apps Alipay, and WeChat Pay Install New Features to Help Widen E-Cny Roll-Out

On Thursday, Alipay said that its app now includes a button that allows users to search for and download the official e-CNY wallet. Users can make purchases with e-CNY on the app by creating an account with the same phone number as Alipay. On Alipay’s platform, approximately 6 million digital yuan wallets have been “pushed” to merchants, a process that allows a new e-CNY user to commence that payment option. Last year, Alipay, which has around 900 million users, enabled the payment option.

WeChat Pay, which accepted digital yuan as a payment option three months ago, added a similar e-CNY wallet capability to its app in April. At the end of December, the mobile payments platform, which is part of the multipurpose super app WeChat, had almost 900 million users.

Meanwhile, Hong Kong aims to launch a trial programme to utilise the e-CNY in the city soon, making it the first offshore city to use the digital currency outside of mainland China.

Link: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/china-digital-currency-leading-mobile-093000549.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAADsmwpThaIz1VCSUKtkfFxHs8-2J7tneZmfm2YAnImpD5J3BErW0uvdA4ob6OWCz2GLMb_HSkAHalgS82PWinLZ0zM_FAmnTXHt8znZFwhpJpdA93eYjSHAb2SS0ya2YFYTWsaXgE9E8F16WPnT8HqAfNPm6l_72SOnF8cYey1x3

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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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China News for the Week

May 11, 2022

Top 5 Chinese Tech Firms Have Lost Nearly Half of Their Combined Market Cap in 2 Years

Why it matters: After two decades of phenomenal expansion, the top five Chinese tech behemoths have lost at least 46% of their total market capitalisation.

  • In April 2020, Apple’s valuation = Alibaba+Tencent+Meituan+JD.com+Pinduoduo the top five Chinese tech firms
  • In April 2022, Apple’s valuation = 49 top Chinese tech firms combined. Apple’s valuation has more than doubled while many Chinese tech firms’ valuation has decreased or stagnated

What are the reasons? 

  • A saturating local market
  • Pandemic outbreaks
  • US-China trade tensions
  • Rigorous government regulations
  • The loss of the “upbeat spirit” of China’s business world.

Link: https://technode.com/2022/05/09/top-5-chinese-tech-firms-have-lost-nearly-half-of-combined-market-cap-in-2-years/

Chinese Internet Users Buy Fake Covers After Social Media Forcefully Reveal Their Locations

Why it matters: Chinese internet users are playing cat and mouse with the country’s social media sites, which have violated users’ privacy by requiring them to give their geolocation.

Many people have been surprised by the new rules. Many popular marketing personas with international pictures and selling qualities, for example, are demonstrated to be based in China.

As a result, several enterprises are now selling services that change IP addresses on e-commerce platforms like Taobao for as little as RMB 6 ($0.9) per day. Many of these businesses claim to be able to change location information (in Chinese) on platforms such as Weibo and Douyin.

Link: https://technode.com/2022/05/07/chinese-internet-users-buy-fake-covers-after-social-media-forcefully-reveal-their-locations/

Why Is Email Marketing Ineffective in China?

An email has never been popular in China in comparison to the West. Experian Market Services statistics from 2015, which examined email marketing success in selected Asia Pacific nations, showed that China’s total opening rate was barely 10.5%, compared to 33.1%  in New Zealand.

Chinese users check their emails 22% less frequently than users worldwide. Smartphones have mostly overtaken desktops as the primary computing device in China. The country was a late adoption of computers, and as internet cafés began to develop in the 1990s and early 2000s, young people began to engage with one another using social messaging apps such as QQ.

Email marketing frequently disappoints marketers because the majority of Chinese do not regularly check their personal emails (if they have one at all) and would expect the brands they care about to meet them in their native digital environment.

WeChat brand accounts are far more engaging than email and can provide information on several elements of the brand.

Link: https://daoinsights.com/opinions/why-does-email-marketing-not-work-in-china/ 

The Future of E-Commerce on Douyin and 5 Tips on How to Prepare

In China, TikTok is known as Douyin. With over 600 million active daily users, it’s a hugely popular short video app. That equates to half of China’s population.

Unlike TikTok, Douyin clearly integrates e-commerce. Douyin users can complete purchases within the app by clicking links within each short video. Douyin thus becomes a viable sales channel, perfectly adapted to impulse purchases.

Link: https://agencychina.com/blog/e-commerce-on-douyin-5-tips-how-to-prepare/ 

WeChat to Reveal Users’ IP Location on a Public Posts

WeChat announced on Friday that it will begin displaying users’ whereabouts when they post on a public account.

WeChat, which is controlled by Tencent, said it would soon begin testing the setting, which only applies to users of its “public platform,” where they can comment on news, essays, and other written content published by official accounts.

The new settings will show the province or municipality of Chinese users who post on public accounts. Posts made by users from other countries on public accounts will show the nation indicated by their IP address.

WeChat, which has over 1.2 billion monthly users, stated in a notification that the action targeted misinformation about “local and international hot-topic topics,” but did not elaborate.

Link: https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/-utfIpLwq7Iq6GKqldKRhw

A Part of Gen Z Decides to Give Up Filters on Social Media

Posting on WeChat is becoming increasingly tiresome for many individuals. Typically, it takes them 5 minutes to take photos and 1 hour to edit them in Photoshop, plus they have to think of an interesting environment to write in. Finally, it appears to be extra labour.

As a result, as more people become dissatisfied with social media, they want a platform that is easier and less stressful. Then, all of a sudden, a new app becomes extremely popular. It’s called “BeReal,” and it was created in France.

Users cannot upload photos to this platform. Instead, they can only utilise the app’s camera to snap a live photo. Furthermore, the platform lacks a filter and editing tool, so users may only send original photographs. Furthermore, BeReal does not allow users to choose when they want to snap photos and share them. Instead, the system tells every user to perform everything at once. Every time, users have only 2 minutes to shoot photos and upload them before it is too late. BeReal wishes to save the most genuine moment in your life. Furthermore, you cannot choose not to be genuine because both of your phone’s cameras will be activated, allowing people to see both your face and where you are. Finally, there are no “like,” “share,” or “comment” buttons on BeReal; the only way to communicate with your friend is to take a picture of yourself and send emoji.

The concept of BeReal is that they want people to calm down and forget those annoying data, while just focusing on what is happening in real life. Perhaps because of that, BeReal suddenly became popular. In the first quarter of 2022, the number of users increased by 315%. And it has become the Top 4th app in America, France, and England, just behind Instagram, Snapchat and Pinterest.

In France, 80% of the users are Gen Z, mainly because they are tired of pretending and being identified by others. They are not afraid of being “ugly”, they just want to be themselves rather than live in other people’s comments.

Link: https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/5L0JpmtmXZ-j7Va2sVB-xQ

Glamping Swept China’s Social Media This Labor Day Holiday

Because of the COVID-19 control measures and continued domestic travel limitations, Chinese people spent their Labor Day holiday this year on short getaways and staycations. The most popular topic these days is “glamping” (glamorous camping). According to Ctrip data, online traffic for “camping” reached a historic high on the first day of the holiday, and search volume jumped by 90% over the previous week. There are nearly three million campaign-related UGC (user-generated content) entries on Xiaohongshu, ranging from gear photos to the journey itself.

From January to April of this year, the number of participants on Ctrip was five times that of the entire year of 2021. In addition, the number of camping facilities has increased by 800% since this year.

Camping can be classified into two categories: luxurious camping and survival camping. The first emphasises quality, whereas the second emphasises the difficulty of surviving in the field. The most popular is luxury camping because most people prefer to explore nature rather than build a genuine fire. And those stunning photographs on social media have had a huge influence on individuals who have never gone camping before, making camping a new fashion trend among young Chinese visitors.

This brisk growth portends a bright future for the outdoor equipment and apparel business. According to Daxue Consulting, the sector would be worth $100 billion (666.8 billion RMB) by 2025. Luxury residences were eager to seize this opportunity. Prada debuted its Outdoor Collection last year, a distinctive ready-to-wear line inspired by the great outdoors.

However, this part still has many obstacles, such as style, functioning, colours, activities, and so on. Players in this game should think outside the box and be more creative while maintaining quality.

Link: https://jingdaily.com/glamping-labor-day-china-prada-beast/?utm_source=Jing+Daily+Subscriber+List&utm_campaign=069f57ad7b-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2020_03_12_06_39_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_8dec01cd8d-069f57ad7b-40884038

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A Recap of the Latest China Updates

April 12, 2022

Meet Poizon (Dewu), China’s Latest E-commerce Platform

 

  • What it is?
    Poizon is a full-fledged fashion marketplace that sells authentic designer and premium brand sneakers, garments, bags, watches, and accessories, as well as artwork. It began as a content-sharing community in 2015. The company then ventured into e-commerce and used specialised authentication. Its journey is built around two pillars: community and shopping, allowing for a closed content-to-commerce cycle.
  • What does it offer?
    • Verification and quality inspection process for each purchase. Poizon-branded packaging, featuring an exclusive certificate of authenticity, a tamper-resistant cable tie, and custom packaging, is included with items that pass the process.
    • The world’s largest AR shoe model library. Its “AR try-on” function is used by 30% of customers every day.
  • What makes it different?
    On-site orders through purchase links in the posts, and sharing authentic experiences and styling inspirations after receiving the products. This helps accumulate brand equity and establish loyal communities.
  • Why does it matter?
    90% of its users are Gen Zers. They are better educated, have a broader perspective, and are more concerned about quality. Poizon has established an online shopping destination as well as a virtual area in which to form emotional relationships with others, and they are motivated by the potential of the community.

    Poizon, unlike other social networking platforms and e-commerce sites, is in charge of everyday operations, which are usually outsourced to third-party organisations. For brand merchants, there is no registration charge, which is a high cost on marketplaces like Tmall. And all of its marketing and advertising tools are available for free.

  • Bottom line: Legendary collaborations like Louis Vuitton x Supreme and Dior x Air Jordan have proved that the resale value of luxury can concentrate brand equity. Leading premium brands, however, appear unwilling to open official accounts, based on the current brand portfolio on the marketplace. A prudent approach might be a one-off collaboration.

 

Link: https://jingdaily.com/poizon-china-ecommerce-streetwear-resale/?utm_source=Jing+Daily+Subscriber+List&utm_campaign=03272a45fc-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2020_03_12_06_39_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_8dec01cd8d-03272a45fc-408272405

Tips on Increasing the WeChat Article Open Rate

  1. Leave out key information
  2. Catchy headlines
  3. Surprising – repeating characters or leaving extra spacing between letters
  4. Leverage buzzwords
  5. Relate to a common struggle
  6. Numbers in the titles
  7. Call out your target audience
  8. Problem + solution
  9. Be friendly and personable
  10. Categorize

Link: https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/ahD0qYcIxpW6Jd2UNq6jhQ

Xiaohongshu Wants More Male Users. It’s Using Women as Bait.

Is XHS drastically changing? Since the company has adopted a new growth strategy that prioritizes attracting more men to join the platform, many women say that they no longer feel safe and comfortable sharing their reviews.

https://www.sixthtone.com/news/1009886/chinas-instagram-wants-more-male-users.-its-using-women-as-bait

Taobao Tmall Released the Spring/Summer 2022 Fashion Trend Report. Based on Global Trends and Consumer Side Data, the Report Jointly Released Eight Spring/Summer Fashion Trends.

  • New Chinese style: Generation Z in China promotes design that is inspired by Chinese style and elements; at the same time, creative workers continue to produce excellent “New Chinese” products by delving deeply into the meaning of traditional cultural elements and combining them with the aesthetic concept of the new era.
  • The wearing style is generally made of body shapers, navel revealing styles, which accentuate the sensual and daring while integrating innocence and is influenced by the #Y2K style that has become trendy in recent seasons.
  • Free commuting: As working from home becomes the new normal, clothing is becoming increasingly integrated and diverse, and can be readily exchanged between office and leisure to meet the needs of many scenarios.
  • City Girl & Boy: Having a lockdown at home encourages individuals to engage in outside activities and get closer to nature. People are increasingly participating in outdoor recreational activities. Young people want a neutral combination, which combines leisure, sports, and other style components while displaying a basic and informal attitude and lifestyle.
  • Dopamine: This type of design can inspire joy and hope, restoring confidence and optimism for the future. Consumers are easily won over by design and experience that may elevate their spirits and promote optimism. Tufting’s popularity, both online and offline, is proof of this, as is the emergence of businesses like Merci Madame and Tagi, which demonstrate the trend’s market potential.
  • Holiday south France: go abroad vacationing still can stay only in imagination stage, “escape city plan” heat is not reduced, contracted and comfortable French country vacationing style catered to this one demand, attracted young city people with its peculiar languid, leisurely and comfortable with grace.
  •  High-performance life: safety and security as the most basic human survival law, is now under threat, it will drive the innovation of high-tech protective materials, promote the renewal and iteration of functional protective product design, so that science and technology empower, science and technology to benefit the world, in the field of fashion with products to provide people with a safe high-performance life.
  • Deconstruction: As customers place a greater emphasis on environmental protection, businesses and brands must assume greater social responsibility in designing and producing environmentally sustainable products that reflect today’s consumer values. In 2023, businesses’ objective of regeneration will become a prominent innovation field, as seen by the fashion industry’s launch of regenerative series, the use of recyclable materials in product design, and the creation of individual pieces through deconstruction.

Link: http://beautyland.creativeonshow.com/ifashion/index.html

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China’s Latest Updates 

February 15, 2022

China’s first virtual magazine: a read in the Metaverse

Huasheng Media and Alimama have joined the newest Metaverse campaign in China. On February 9th, the two partners released MO Magazine, a virtual magazine that replaces traditional reading experiences with an immersive virtual reality environment.

This new medium is led by Ayayi, one of China’s most popular virtual KOLs, and Jing Boran, a Chinese actress, giving both hit figures even more clout in China while tapping into the need for Metaverse.

The digital area offers a futuristic sci-fi atmosphere in which spectators can learn about human civilisation in a digital museum that also includes an audio narrative about the earth’s evolution. This makes reading more engaging because viewers are not only players but also builders of the digital world, with the ability to contribute to the virtual “human evolution.”

Meanwhile, 88% of readers who completed the virtual reading were given a Metaverse Spaceship ticket, according to reports. In just two days, the virtual magazine has received over 400,000 views, with interest building when hashtags related to the launch of the magazine began trending on Weibo, attracting millions of views on the microblogging site.

Link: https://daoinsights.com/news/chinas-first-virtual-magazine-a-read-in-the-metaverse/ 

Shanghai Bans Effeminate Men, Money Worship in Commercial Ads

Shanghai’s market regulator released a new advertising rule on Wednesday, barring the representation of male characters in romantic relationships, effeminate men, and philosophies like money worship in commercials, among other things.

Advertisements are also barred from promoting ideologies such as “money worship, hedonism, extravagance, and soft pornography.” Also, to ensure that their communication is up to date, brands must be informed of new national and city-level legislation.

Link: https://www.sixthtone.com/news/1009633/shanghai-bans-effeminate-men%2C-money-worship-in-commercial-ads 

Alibaba: Consumption Trends for the Lunar Year of the Tiger

According to the short report, the event boosted ice and snow consumption when it coincided with the Olympic Games: over 1 million people visited the Olympic Games’ Tmall shop, and the mascot Bingdundun was sold out in one night.

In addition, there was a large increase in the sale of ski and ice sports equipment.

The festival became digital, ushering in a slew of new trends: Tiger-themed goods, such as backpacks, t-shirts, and caps, are quite popular. The search rate has climbed to 874%, while the number of people purchasing pre-cooked meals has increased by 345% via the Hema app.

Link: https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/ZDzU2v1WeV7I42LkDeFSUg

WeChat: Keywords About the Lunar New Year of the Tiger

  • Over 5 billion WeChat hongbao with designed covers have been sent during the CNY, the total number of WeChat hongbao covers was 380 million.
  • The take out food order increased 13.8% compared to last year on New Year’s Eve and over 120 million people watched the Spring Festival Gala on WeChat Channels
  • The top 5 video themes on Moments were: fireworks, family reunion dinner, new year wishes, festival mood and count down
  • The Tiger welcome a new year was the top 1 WeChat status sticker 
  • Over 16 million coupons (over 800 million RMB) have been sent via WeChat pay and low carbon travel with Paperless boarding increased to about 82.3%

Link: https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/FmxWAT-R8no-Gy-PxoL-9w

100 Keywords Forecast 2022

On January 27, 2022, Wunderman Thompson, a brand of WPP, released the future 100:2022 – trends and changes to watch in 2022.

This analysis projects 100 developing trends in ten categories in 2022, using 100 keywords: “culture,” “technology and innovation,” “tourism and vacation,” “brand and marketing,” “food and beverage,” “beauty,” “retail and business,” “new luxury life,” “health,” and “work.”

Brand and marketing 10 keywords:

Brandalism: In recent years, the advertising business has made significant attempts to achieve carbon net zero in its own operations. Activists argue that this isn’t enough and that the efforts pale in comparison to the carbon footprints of some of the advertising industry’s biggest clients.

“No matter how good the idea is, as long as it is to promote high-carbon products, provide misleading green packaging for oil companies, or use high-energy advertising screens, it is a kind of pollution and bad advertising.”

Co-creative platforms: The next generation of digital platforms puts the user in charge of their own creativity.

The new digital platform gives users more creative control, allowing them to take more initiative. They are a new set of creative people who meticulously develop virtual imagery, human designs, and self-expression.

Superfollowers: New in-app subscriptions on social platforms are allowing digital creators to monetize their work.

In terms of media content, social platforms are expanding to provide more than just amusement. Enhanced features and incentives to attract, gain, and keep a large following are fueling innovation and enriching social media dialogues for both producers and consumers.

Twitter, for example, allows authors to earn $2 to $10 per month by tweeting to their super fans; Twitter is also exploring business accounts to provide companies with special settings to display relevant information.

Branded virtual worlds: Gaming is increasingly displacing traditional advertising mediums, particularly among younger people.

As firms and marketers enter into this burgeoning field, expect to see more branded virtual worlds.

Allow users to compete in the virtual arena while wearing Nike apparel and equipment. P&G invites visitors to a virtual world where they may learn about the company’s product line, play games, and learn; BMW has established a virtual world that includes the IAA mobile 2021 International Auto Show and an exclusive Coldplay concert.

Users may learn about products, shop, and even watch movies in the virtual world thanks to SK-virtual II’s metropolis.

Euphoric ads: In brand advertising and engagement, happy moments are keeping spirits up.

Consumers value themes of optimism and unity, and businesses that emphasise these communal characteristics generate favourable responses from customers and increase involvement inside their branded communities.

Headless brands: A new wave of consumption creation is changing from the company’s control of the brand to the collective decision of brand, products and services

Regenerative brands: Across industries, more brands are stepping up to commit to regenerative practices, supercharging their sustainability goals.

Brands are acknowledging that doing less harm to the planet is no longer enough. Regenerating the world’s resources and repairing the damage is now the ultimate sustainability stretch goal.

New company manifestos: To stay culturally relevant and engage with today’s employees, companies are altering their internal brand messaging.

Companies are undergoing a rebranding process that aims to modernise internal rules to match today’s needs and prioritise employees. The move implies a new degree of regard for employee happiness and well-being, which necessitates a new level of understanding and empathy on the part of employers.

Dreamvertising: Brands and advertisers are looking to guide our dreams. 

77% of US marketers say they plan to use dream tech for advertising purposes in the next three years.

Augmented ads: With augmented reality, brands are taking their digital advertising to the next level.

AR ads are ushering in a new era of digital marketing and advertising—ads that people want to interact with.

To entice digital consumers, major brands are embracing augmented reality technologies to boost their digital advertising.

Link: https://www.oceanskycruises.com/sites/default/files/2022-01/The-Future-100-2022.pdf

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Weekly Learnings From China

February 8, 2022

China introduces state-backed NFT platform unlinked to cryptocurrencies

China’s state-backed Blockchain Services Network (BSN) has announced the soft launch of a nationwide infrastructure to support Chinese non-fungible tokens (NFTs), marking a significant step toward the development of a domestic industry separate from the global market and unrelated to cryptocurrencies.

The BSN-Distributed Digital Certificates (BSN-DDC) infrastructure, according to BSN, would provide enterprises with “a varied, transparent, credible, and reliable” one-stop-shop for minting and managing their own NFTs without relying on cryptocurrencies, which are prohibited in China. The Ethereum blockchain is used by the majority of NFTs throughout the world.

BSN is backed by China Mobile, a state-owned telecommunications company, China UnionPay, and the State Information Centre, which is a government think tank. The blockchain unit of accounting company Ernst & Young, Digital Art Fair Asia, and the Hainan International Culture and Artworks Exchange Centre are among the 26 founding partners.

Because public blockchains are decentralised platforms, they are prohibited in China, where the government mandates that all internet services verify user identities and allow regulators to intervene if unlawful actions occur. To address this issue, BSN turned to an altered version of blockchain known as the open permissioned blockchain (OPB), which can be regulated by a selected group.

Minting fees, which can only be paid in fiat money, can be as low as 0.05 yuan (0.7 US cents) – a fraction of what they are on public networks. While NFTs are currently mostly utilised for certifying digital artworks, the largest market for accreditations such as car number plates would be management. The automobile owner, government, and insurer would all have controlled access to data including mileage, engine number, and repair history, with each party being aware of the rights of the others.

Link: https://www.scmp.com/tech/tech-trends/article/3164681/china-introduces-state-backed-nft-platform-unlinked 

Can overseas luxury brands incorporate guochao? 

Many luxury brands have collaborated with contemporary Japanese artists throughout the years, including Yayoi Kusama for Louis Vuitton and Veuve Clicquot, Takashi Murakami for Louis Vuitton, and Hublot for Hublot (all belonging to LVMH). Because Japan was the world’s largest individual consumer market for luxury goods until 2016, luxury houses concentrated their efforts there.

Luxury labels have created capsule collections for Chinese holidays such as the Lunar New Year, QiXi – Chinese Valentine’s Day, 520, and 11.11 Singles Day in recent years, as the tide has turned and the spotlight has shifted away from Japan and towards China.

Guochao 国潮 literally means national tide. This trend has been fueled mostly by the younger generation’s pride in domestic companies, designers, and artists. As a result, it’s remarkable that, in the two years since the trend began, European luxury and fashion businesses have been sluggish to adopt similar techniques to those employed in Japan.

Link: https://daoinsights.com/opinions/will-european-luxury-brands-incorporate-guochao-the-same-way-they-did-with-japanese-pop-culture/

ByteDance Debuts in the Metaverse With New Social App

TikTok’s owner, ByteDance, is testing its first metaverse social app called Party Island. The social network app creates a parallel online universe, where people can meet up, chat and join events in real-time, but through avatars instead of in the real world.

Party Island supports the same login method as Douyin (China’s TikTok) through a mobile phone number. Since it is currently in the testing stage, an invitation code is required to enter the platform.

Link: https://jingdaily.com/bytedance-metaverse-social-app/

The sports marketing market will become the leading force in 2022

The brand’s most crucial marketing direction is global sports competitiveness. It is the enterprise’s main appeal, especially in the aftermath of the epidemic, to promote the brand concept through events and communicate successfully with followers.

Brands must plan ahead and implement more targeted strategic deployments based on current marketing and consumption trends.

Tiktok has naturally created a global community and captured the attention of followers by offering engaging and educational material.

More brands are projected to enter the sponsorship market, energise communities associated to specific partnerships, or use the influence of sports or celebrities to raise public awareness, build trust, and fulfil commitments in order to create conditions for their products, services, and values.

Driven by sports competitions and social media, athlete marketing is further rising. These star athletes are younger than ever, and they reflect the core values of their respective fan groups.

Link: https://www.digitaling.com/articles/696723.html

Xiaohongshu-Snowflakes NFT is coming

Xiaohongshu asked world champions, sportsmen, and artists to produce 96 various design digital NFT of snowflakes during the ice and snow activities of this winter Olympic Games. Each work is limited to 1000 copies and is digitally certified with a unique hash value for each copy.

From February 4 to 20, look for “snowflake” in the small red book and go to the activity page. After that, complete a task to obtain one snowflake fragment, and five fragments can get an NFT snowflake at random.

Each snowflake is unique in its ingenuity. Each designer incorporates their individual professional traits into the snowflakes.

According to Wu Minxia, a diving champion, the six-petaled snowflakes and the surrounding splashes combine to create this remarkable snowflake.

Artists, illustrators, craftspeople, and other works ought to be recognised as well.

Jijiukiyoe, a Beijing-based artist, excels at Japanese ukiyo illustration and incorporates classic Japanese ukiyo themes with contemporary popular culture. He used the classic pattern “tiger, dragon, and Eagle,” presenting the snowflake pattern with oriental charm and blended the ancient blue and white porcelain pattern with the modern traditional tattoo style.

In addition to collecting snowflake digital NFT collections, the little red book has many surprises around the ice and snow event. Since January this year, many ice and snow athletes have settled in xiaohongshu. On the special page of xiaohongshu events, users can see the real-time medal and schedule information, live broadcast and obtain event information such as gold medal-winning and record-breaking. Many users also released notes to discuss the brand of clothing of each team at the opening ceremony. 

Link: https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/hQaKlQJvBvWc6YmAcsxidQ

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China News Roundup

January 25, 2022

Shopify and China’s JD.com team up to capture cross-border sellers

JD.com, a major Chinese online retailer, has partnered with Shopify to let global firms harness China’s massive desire for imported goods, as well as Chinese merchants, sell internationally:

  • The first part of the deal will put the JD-Shopify alliance in direct competition with Alibaba (which counted 35,000 international and more than 6,000 brands entered China via Alibaba)
  • JD’s account creation process will take 4 weeks instead of 1 year for Shopify-powered firms to start selling. The platform will leverage technologies like automated translation and price conversion, as well as cargo aircraft to transport items.
  • Using Shopify’s direct-to-consumer approach to export Chinese goods competes directly with market leader Amazon, which has been establishing itself as a gateway for Chinese exporters. 
  • The two e-commerce giants appear to complement each other — Shopify brings the range of products and JD offers its extensive global warehousing and shipping infrastructure.

Link: https://techcrunch.com/2022/01/18/shopify-jd-china-partnership/

Alipay unveils NFT-powered museum collectables in honour of Chinese New Year

Alipay is bringing a series of NFT-powered digital collectables inspired by the 12 Chinese

zodiacs, with the tiger – the Chinese New Year’s zodiac sign – as the star of the show.

A total of 24 institutions around the country are anticipated to take part and release NFT work featuring tigers. Topnod, a mini-program integrated into the Alipay app that collects, discovers and shares digital collectables, powers these NFT collectables. This new NFT marketplace was launched last year and is seen as another move into blockchain technology and NFT trading by the tech giant.

The Fortune of Patriotism, the Fortune of Prosperity, the Fortune of Harmony, the Fortune of Kindness, and the Fortune of Dedication are all represented by digital collectables.

To target a younger audience, almost 2,000 museums in China have established their own mini-programs on the site. The internet market for NFT has proven to be a successful means of bringing these cultural artefacts to China’s tech-savvy youth.

Link: https://daoinsights.com/news/alipay-unveils-nft-powered-museum-collectibles-in-honour-of-chinese-new-year/

[Xiaohongshu] 6 Lessons from Chinese Beauty Brands

 In 2020 China’s Beauty market was valued at USD 6.34 billion with an average growth rate of 12%. 

Thanks to KOLs and KOCs, RED is the key platform for product and brand discovery. 

  1. The Diamond-Shaped Seeding Method
  2. Male influencers
  3. Ingredients & Routine
  4. Meeting Needs at Speed
  5. High Quality & Informative Content
  6. Posting Frequency & Topics

Link: https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/_LpvQ7sJnjIqLgyG-qFYQg

How Have Brands Used Channels Since Its Launch Two Years Ago?

WeChat has prioritised Channels since its launch two years ago. The following are some of the most important updates:

  • In December 2020, live streamers can use live streaming filters, host lucky draws, and connect with other live streamers. 
  • In May 2021, Channels finalized its commercial function by adding a product tab on videos. Users can watch videos/live streams while placing orders. 
  • Later in October, Tencent connected WeCom and Channels so that brands can maximize the conversion opportunities of their video content. For example, sales associates can share brand Channels videos with their clients. 

The 3 types of favoured content are:

  • Emotion-based
  • Professionally-generated content (news, official announcement)
  • Entertainment

The 3 types of channel live stream are:

  • Complements OA performance
  • Education content
  • Fashion & entertainment

Link: https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/nieKtQ-z8ID1K8fIgkC1dw

Top 10 global consumption trends in 2022

  1. Stock goods: Because they couldn’t get the products and services they required on a regular basis, hoarders began to buy similar items or come up with inventive solutions.
  2. Low-carbon lifestyle: As public awareness of climate change grows, customers are making attempts to reduce their carbon footprint by purchasing ecologically friendly goods and taking other practical steps, and they want brands to play a role in environmental protection.
  3. Older consumers get involved in digital: they are comfortable with and adapt to new technology, and they can shop and use a variety of services via digital platforms.
  4. Rise of financial enthusiasts: Consumers’ investment confidence has gradually increased, and they know better how to improve economic security through financial management.
  5. Interest and purpose-oriented behaviour: The pandemic has made great changes for consumers – people have re-examined their values, lifestyles and life goals.
  6. Rise of the metaverse: As consumers pay more attention to the metaverse in 2022, businesses will have the opportunity to build brand value in this new digital ecosystem, promoting e-commerce and virtual goods sales.
  7. Second-hand consumption: With the increasing awareness of sustainability and personalization, people have gradually eliminated the prejudice against second-hand goods and promoted the development of point-to-point platforms.
  8. Urbanized pastoral life: More environmentally friendly activities, such as indoor agriculture and roof gardens, can be integrated into urban areas to better complement the pastoral city trend.
  9. Self-love: Self-acceptance, love and tolerance have become the most important life attitude of consumers. If the product can make consumers feel optimistic and confident, the brand influence will also increase.
  10. Return to the new normal in diversified ways: When consumers consume online for convenience or safety, they are also eager for meaningful social connections. Therefore, it is very important to adopt the mode of combining the two to meet the new normal of consumers.

Link: https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/DnE_rpUlgWI-gi_G2NWZDg

The more social, the more social phobia, how does online social lower people’s social ability?

We constantly emphasise the Internet’s convenience and fun, but the reality is that people are becoming increasingly fearful of social situations. Although, in many situations, online social networking can efficiently overcome the inconveniences of time, geography, and form. However, an increasing number of people are avoiding face-to-face social situations.

Take a look at the social phobia search index over the last ten years, which has been steadily increasing. According to Guangming Daily’s social terrorism statistics, more than 62% of people have a clear social terrorism tendency.

Social phobia manifests itself in a variety of ways. When people meet up with acquaintances, they are hesitant to say hello and hide silently; they are also hesitant to talk in public and avoid doing so. Dinner is shared among friends, but everyone bows their heads and plays with their phones; Even the salesperson doesn’t want to ask questions when you are shopping.

The network allows for greater self-presentation: people used to try hard fitness, beauty, makeup, and plastic surgery to improve their charm and image. All problems can now be readily solved using social support software. The external image created by software will have a significant gap, in reality, causing people to be afraid of revealing their true self’s real life.

The Internet provides more social forms: they can escape the anxiety and fear of social interaction with the help of takeout, express, WeChat and games without being exposed to the sun.

The network provides stronger communication ability: on the Internet, we have more time to package our behaviour. We have enough time to think about the content of each other and trigger more interesting topics; To sort out the words you respond to.

Link:https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/xvuPAPcWmGByKhzA20NOfg

 

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