China’s social commerce space revolves not around ambient influencer posts, but an intricate ecosystem where content, commerce and credibility converge. British brands stepping into this arena must unlearn much of what they assume about sponsorship in the UK and embrace the layered roles of KOLs (Key Opinion Leaders), KOCs (Key Opinion Consumers) and KOSs (Key Opinion Sellers).

“China is a global leader in influencer marketing, with the market for key opinion leaders (KOLs) reaching billions of pounds worth of sales, a scale unmatched in the West,” says CBBC’s Director, Consumer Economy Antoaneta Becker. KOLs like Li Jiaqi the ‘lipstick king‘, regularly drive hyper‑growth via marathon livestreams. Becker reminds us that “big isn’t always better” — sometimes niche, mid-sized creators outperform giants on return on investment. KOCs —micro‑influencers with smaller but highly engaged followings — often play the most effective role in initial trust building. They provide authenticity, especially among Chinese consumers who tend to trust peer reviews more than polished celebrity endorsements.

Platform dynamics differ sharply, too. In the UK, an influencer post may raise awareness; purchases generally happen later, off‑platform. In China, platforms like Douyin (short video plus Mini Shops), Xiaohongshu (content-led discovery), Taobao Live (livestream‑driven sales) and WeChat mini‑programs link community, content and commerce in real time. A single livestream can sell out stock in minutes if logistical readiness, message alignment and platform strategy are in place.

The contrast is striking: whereas UK shoppers are comfortable with keyword search and independent product research, Chinese consumers rely on multiple touchpoints — sometimes eight or more — before buying, placing influencer-driven livestreams or lifestyle content at the centre of the journey.

This difference produces very real errors. UK brands can fall into the traps of misallocating budgets, chasing marquee KOLs without matching audiences or not ensuring inventory readiness. Some refused to adapt messaging or packaging after KOC-led feedback, and ultimately saw partnerships cancelled or campaign efficacy drop dramatically.

By contrast, successful brands use KOCs early to validate messaging and packaging through Influencer Focus Group or similar sessions. Once the story resonates, they scale via KOL livestream collaborations — yet always with careful alignment of inventory, platform mechanics and sales fulfilment. In a recent CBBC panel, Ntola Obazee of Emma Bridgewater explained that “live streaming in China now accounts for 10% of Emma Bridgewater’s sales, with live streamers often creating videos of the unboxing experience and doing live reviews of products” — demonstrating the power of co-created content paired with real-time conversion via influencer formats.

The benefits are compelling: livestream-led campaigns can produce dramatic sales spikes, micro‑influencers seed grassroots trust, and private‑domain marketing via WeChat mini‑programs or group chats fosters loyalty and repeat purchase. WeChat groups in China can be very effective if key opinion communities are pushing products through and mobilising with great content and brand support.

However, the influencer economy brings real risk. Fake followers and inflated engagement are widespread; studies suggest up to 45% of influencer metrics may be fabricated, often through Multi-Channel Network (MNC)-driven embellishment. High-profile scandals — such as livestreamer Viya’s abrupt ban for regulatory infractions — can trigger blackout-like disruptions and literary vanish entire campaign plans overnight.

Cost structures also diverge. In the UK, flat‑fee sponsorship is common; in China, KOL deals often involve commission-based remuneration (typically 10–30 %) or MCN-managed bundles. Brands must account not only for talent cost but stock readiness, logistics and contingency planning — missing stock at the moment of conversion can immediately undermine credibility.

To compete effectively, UK brands must recalibrate their strategy. They should engage micro‑influencers early, adapt assets and packaging via focus testing, co-design livestream programmes, plan inventory and logistics robustly, and use KOLs and KOCs in tandem to seed trust and scale. They must prepare to build community in WeChat private domains rather than assume platform checkout alone will convert UK-style posts into sales.

China’s influencer ecosystem demands theatre and trust anchored in real-time commerce. Brands that replicate a UK influencer playbook — isolated macro-influencer mentions or studio shoots — are unlikely to make an impact. Those that design a multi-tiered influencer strategy — seed with KOCs, amplify with KOL livestreams, convert on Douyin or Taobao, and retain via WeChat — stand to perform at a level far beyond UK norms.

UK brands engaging in China’s social commerce must treat influencer marketing less as sponsorship and more as an integrated sales channel, rooted in live content, platform-native formats, tight logistics and trust-led storytelling. Those that get the ecosystem right unlock not just sales spikes, but scalable, sustainable consumer journeys.

Join CBBC’s China Consumer 2025 to learn more about the social selling sector in China

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How has Covid-19 impacted commerce in China?

The spread of Covid-19 earlier in the year caused lockdowns across China, causing people to turn to e-commerce for purchasing everything from daily necessities to clothes and luxury items. However, even as offline retail has opened back up, the acceleration of China’s digital transformation has not slowed, resulting in lasting changes across consumer behaviour, new trends and interests, and purchasing behaviour. In order to adapt to these changes, brands will need to not only provide online sales channels, but also provide positive digital experiences.

How have sales in different categories reacted post-Covid-19?

The sales data shows that despite the outbreak, e-commerce has continued to grow steadily. Examples of the top categories that have experienced growth on Tmall and Taobao include:

• Women’s fashion: Growth rate of 30.7%
• Men’s fashion: Growth rate of 29.1%
• Snacks/nuts: Growth rate of 53.8%
• Beauty/skincare/body care: Growth rate of 24.8%
• Mother and baby: Growth rate of 36.5%

Read Also  Five consumer trends to watch in China in 2020

What is an important trend that brands need to be aware of when entering the China market?

One of the most significant trends that has arisen over the Covid-19 period and continues to be significant in e-commerce is live streaming. In fact, the number of people using online live streaming related services exceeded 560 million people in March. When it comes to live streaming, there are two main types that brands can utilise:

• Key Opinion Leader (KOL) live streaming: Brands can collaborate with KOLs who already have a following to promote a product or service during a livestream. These livestreams are hosted by the KOLs and are effective at driving sales.
• Internal live streaming: Another option is for brands to build up their own internal live streaming teams, training their employees to become the online equivalent of salespeople. An advantage of this option is that the brand has direct control over what is said during the livestream and does not need to pay the KOL fee. However, these internal livestreams also do not come with the pre-established audience that KOLs have.

When it comes to live streaming, what are some important points that brands should take note of?

• KOL fame does not always mean sales. Brands should first define what their goals are for the live stream – do they want sales or brand awareness? Many brands have made the mistake of investing huge amounts of money into KOL live streamers that do not fit with their brand image or KPIs.
• Promote the livestream in advance. In order to boost awareness ahead of time, brands should always promote any planned livestreams through their own social media channels and using paid media. If working with a live streaming host, make sure the host also promotes the live streaming session beforehand.
• The timing of the live stream is key. Livestream timing can affect the number of viewers – as an example, 7pm or 8pm during the week is usually the best.

Livestream timing can affect the number of viewers, as an example, 7pm or 8pm during the week is usually the best.

In terms of regulations, what do brands need to be aware of?

Since China’s digital and e-commerce landscape is extremely fast-changing, new regulations and platform policies are being constantly updated. As a result, brands need to stay up to date on the situation in China, since it could be very different just six months in the future. Examples include changing cross-border e-commerce and live streaming regulations or changing policies when it comes to platforms allowing direct links to other social or e-commerce platforms.

Read more about the previous sessions below:

Session 1 – Why and how to sell to China

Session 2 – Building Brand Credibility Online in China

Session 3 – How to emotionally engage with Chinese consumers

The post Post-Covid trends in China’s consumer sector appeared first on Focus - China Britain Business Council.

Once confined to amateur-level content, influencers are increasingly able to make a living creating paid promotional content, with over 20,000 influencers now having amassed more than 1 million followers on Weibo. The huge potential of influencer-led marketing is evident from success stories of key opinion leaders (KOLs) such as Austin Li – China’s ‘Lipstick King’ – who is well-known for having sold 15,000 lipsticks in 15 minutes.

It is crucial for KOLs to maintain their reputation for good taste, especially among their loyal followers. It is therefore important that brands are open and transparent when reaching out to influencers and provide key information such as a product’s unique selling point, the company’s aims, and its ethical standpoint.

Brands looking to engage KOLs should first familiarise themselves with individual influencers’ work so that realistic expectations can be set regarding KPIs and the type of content being produced.

RachelRach, is a full-time influencer who has worked in China, the United Kingdom, and the United States. She says that having a passion for the brand and a personal connection to the product they’re promoting is key. Her work with William & Son, she says as an example, allowed her to explore her personal connection to London.

Rachel explains that she is happy for her content to be checked against a brand’s guidelines, but that she also needs the freedom to produce work that is in line with her own creative style and that fits with the overall messaging of her platforms.

Gloria another influencer who has experience worked with British brands in China, described being particularly proud of her early work with ASOS, as she was an enthusiastic consumer of its products prior to their collaboration. She explains that she expects any brand approaching her for collaboration to be on board with her style of content before reaching out.

Yue has also worked for UK brands during her time as a student in the UK. She says she is often happy to work with smaller brands once she has had the opportunity to verify the quality of their products. “For less well-known brands, quality speaks for itself,” she says.

It is crucial for KOLs to maintain their reputation for good taste, especially among their loyal followers

Once a brand and influencer have decided to collaborate, the next step is to discuss deliverables. For most brands, this is down to performance tracking, which usually takes the form of engagement targets. Metrics used to track performance can vary depending on the aims of the campaign and can include views counts, tracking overall engagement, and analysing comments from each influencer’s network of followers.

“Brands should set realistic expectations based on what they already know about an influencer’s online presence,” says Gloria. “Although there are strategies that can be used to boost views for individual posts, total engagement is unlikely to significantly exceed an influencer’s average engagement.”

“A brand I was working with attempted to boost engagement using fake accounts,” says Yue. An action which had the potential to jeopardise her reputation. Fake engagement is an issue which gives rise to particular caution among influencers.

Metrics used to track influencer performance can include views counts, tracking engagement, and analysing comments

So how much will an influencer-led marketing campaign set you back? It depends entirely on the type of campaign you’re looking to run. Pricing is based on a combination of factors – including the expectations communicated by the brand, its budget for the campaign, and the time and monetary costs involved in producing the desired content. Depending on the resources made available, the content produced can range from a brief product recommendation shot using a smartphone, to a full production with a hired film crew and different locations. Individual campaigns are usually priced individually, depending on the brief, even if the influencer has a long-term relationship with a brand.

However, Rachel says that she has worked on a retainer basis for a brand whose products she really believes in and with which she has developed a good relationship. Sometimes influencers work on a commission model, but this kind of revenue-driven campaign is likely to impact the nature and quality of content.

The cost of an influencer-led maketing campaign will depend on the type of campaign that is needed

Many influencers are more reluctance to work with multi-channel networks (MCNs) – so-called ‘influencer houses,’ which sign contracts with multiple influencers and house them under one roof. This is because of the potential for such relationships to restrict the creative freedom and flexible working patterns which work in the favour of many KOLs.

However, Gloria says that for some influencers, the MCNs do bring benefits, including a structured workflow and access to industry connections.  Rachel says she has signed on with one MCN in order to comply with platform requirements for RED, noting that no restrictions had been placed on her creative freedom.

On the plus side, Rachel says that agencies often have more time to communicate directly with influencers and can help connect brands with the influencers who can most authentically promote their products.

“With the Covid-19 pandemic having increased the importance of leveraging social media marketing strategies, and as companies jostle for space in what has become a crowded market, competitiveness within this industry looks set to increase,” says Gloria. “Future trends are likely to include more extensive regulation within China,” which she says is a good thing, provided regulations are flexible and place minimal limitations on their creative processes. Further development of livestreaming as a more revenue-driven digital strategy is also expected. With the industry set to grow, we are likely to see more influencers undergoing what Adam Knight refers to as the transition from “handheld names to household names.”

Click here to watch the influencers talk about their market

Written by Alexandra Kimmons, with contributions from Hannah Williams

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