- According to Tencent X BCG 2019 China True Luxury Playbook, 52% of people said the WeChat ecosystem triggered their interests in a luxury product, followed by Weibo (28%), Xiaohongshu (19%), and short videos (7%). click for more…
INSIGHT & IMPLICATION: WeChat remains the uncontested No.1 platform for consumers to discover and research luxury brands and goods. Many luxury brands have been holistically cooperating with WeChat in acquiring customers, monetizing social traffic, and managing customer relationships. For brands interested in positioning themselves as premium or luxury, the ability to enhance their digital intelligence will be crucial towards gaining traction in today’s crowded and cutthroat Chinese market. As Chinese consumers become more savvy and sophisticated shoppers, they expect only superior, innovative and seamless digital communication and shopping experiences from premium and luxury brands.
- CaasData found that the number of KOLs using both Douyin and Kuaishou from July 2018 to March 2019 increased by 5.93 times and mid-to-bottom tier KOLs (100K to 5m followers) using both platforms accounted for 95.5% of the total group. click for more…
INSIGHT & IMPLICATION: It is common for mid-to-bottom tier KOLs in China to set up accounts on multiple platforms to expand their fan base. However, the content they create on different platforms should be more tailored and adapt to different ecosystems and user portraits. Brands may find it easier to leverage the dual platform presence of a single KOL due to the potential expanded reach. However, in order to prevent media investment waste, brands need to confirm the percentage of fan overlap on these two platforms before utilizing both. To be more effective and provide stronger marketing value, KOLs need to have customized content that better matches the perception of each platform. For example, the relationship between KOLs and followers on Kuaishou is one that connects more to real people’s lives. Its majority of users are lower tier consumers who face higher information barriers and are dependent on sales channels and personal relationships to learn about products. This is why brands can consider KOLs on short video platforms not only for brand building and consumer engagement but also for sales conversion.
- Based on Kantar and Tencent’s “2019 China-born Beauty Whitepaper”, 42% of consumers are willing to buy Chinese beauty products and 60% of them would consider buying again. click for more…
INSIGHT & IMPLICATION: China’s beauty market is no longer dominated by international brands as China-born beauty brands are rising rapidly and have massive potential. The perception of Chinese consumers towards Chinese local beauty brands has changed due to improved quality, strong WOM endorsement and real value. To compete in this market, it is important to show expertise by leveraging communications resources and product quality to gain trust. Since young consumers have been the major purchasers of beauty products, increasing the presence on their preferred media channels such as social media can help break the limitations of traditional media to expand consumer coverage. China’s market is changing every day and brands need to quickly react to those changes to meet consumers’ constantly evolving needs.
- The 619.5 million players in China spent US$37.9 billion on games in 2018, making it the biggest gaming market in the world with 94% of paying gamers spending money on in-game items or virtual goods. click for more…
INSIGHT & IMPLICATION: Gaming has evolved into all-around entertainment, catering to a spectrum of individual interests. Gamers are not just playing games—watching esports and gaming video content are equally important parts of the puzzle. Hardware and peripheral ownership are other vital components of gaming fun. These new dimensions of gaming require a new gamer segmentation in order to capture the most unique and passionate fans. Gaining an understanding of different types of gamers’ personas is critical because some gamers are light and may just play games to pass the time, while others enjoy high-quality gaming experiences or prefer watching gaming content rather than playing. Different gamers have different characteristics and behaviors, so brands need to ensure they understand how the target gaming audience engages.
- In 2018, China’s total FMCG spending grew at a rate of 5.2%, slightly faster than the previous year’s 4.7%. By comparison, the value of personal care categories grew by 10.3%, mostly due to premiumization, while home care grew by 7.2%, primarily the result of volume growth. click for more…
INSIGHT & IMPLICATION: As the total FMCG market recovers, premiumization plays a big role and holds prospects for continued importance since Chinese consumers increasingly prefer products that can improve the quality of their lifestyle. Furthermore, small brands now account for more category value growth than big brands because they are more likely to adapt quickly in serving unmet consumer needs, and they do not face limitations or internal regulations in the selection of digital marketing and social media. This is why, in order to use these new growth opportunities, big brands need to show more agility and flexibility in innovation and responding to new and unmet consumer needs.
Have a great weekend!
