Most brands nowadays will be familiar with China’s unique social media platforms – WeChat, Weibo, Xiaohongshu, Douyin – and how they compare to their Western counterparts like Instagram and Facebook. While there are many similarities between Chinese and Western platforms, particularly in terms of their young, entertainment-hungry audience, their differences mean that marketers need to subtly shift their strategies when creating content for the Chinese market, particularly when it comes to influencer marketing – or KOL (key opinion leader) marketing, as it is usually known in China.

Chinese consumers have traditionally been seen as being very receptive to seeking recommendations for new products and ideas online. This has been reflected in the format of user-generated content-driven platforms like Xiaohongshu and also in the degree of acceptance and importance given to influencers. “Chinese consumers are more receptive to promotional content because it is more of a guide,” says Robin Liu, co-founder of social media marketing agency Influencer Hub International.

“They are used to searching for information about the products on social media, which is the start of the customer purchasing journey.” Liu notes that OgilvyOne reported that over 55% of Chinese users had participated in online discussions about brands and that these discussions are able to directly affect businesses. It can be difficult for audiences to discern the extent of promotional content because people naturally trust and accept the influencers.

In either market, influencers from famous media or professional backgrounds or with a large number of loyal followers will automatically win more trust. Liu notes that the biggest difference between Chinese and UK influencers is professionalism, and the emergence of multi-channel networks (third-party services that work with multiple channels and creators to develop content), also known as MCN, is the key reason for this difference. Thousands of MCNs in China, such as Dayu Media, Mei One, and Hive Media, offer professional training and a variety of resources to influencers. More importantly, this number is still growing. According to iiMediaResearch, there were 30,000 MCNs in China in 2021, responsible for some of the country’s biggest internet celebrities, such as ‘Lipstick King’ Li Jiaqi (prior to a recent controversy that saw him disappear from the internet) and Papi Jiang.

As a result of this “content factory” structure, there is less pressure on influencers to be “authentic” or anti-commercial, especially since their careers were often started on social commerce platforms, as WWD China Markets Editor Tianwei Zhang noted in an interview with High Snobiety. That being said, the most popular influencers are still those that have successfully blended their own unique style and topics that genuinely move them with relevant brand partnerships.

Clearly, the ecosystem for influencers and brands is much more mature and well-regulated in China, as Jake Xu, co-founder of Shakeup Cosmetics, points out. Based on Shakeup’s experiences, this means that “Chinese social investment is much more costly than in the West, but this is in proportion to the size of the market. Commercially, influencer campaigns in China generate more tangible and visible monetary return… and brands get better control of their ROI.”

“Consumer awareness and mature warehousing and logistics infrastructure have played a big role in the rapid growth of [the influencer ecosystem] in China,” adds Liu. This infrastructure has been particularly beneficial to social commerce, with more than 70% of Chinese consumers saying that they are likely to shop on social media platforms, far ahead of the 42% worldwide average. But the UK is catching up, with social commerce expected to grow by 37.5% to reach over $21 billion (£17.3 billion) by the end of 2022.

But with so much content being churned out every day, consumers in China and the West are starting to complain of “influencer fatigue”. So how can companies keep working with influencers while making sure that the content is true to their brands and also appeals to consumers?

“Simply put, it is about improving creativity,” Liu says. “Rather than direct sponsored content, brands should consider product placement with well-selected influencers based on the target audience. Brands should also consider giving the influencer more artistic control over the content to make it more authentic and engaging for their audience. For long-term projects, such as launching a new brand in the China market, companies can consider identifying and developing a key opinion consumer (KOC) (the equivalent of a “micro influencer” in the Western market) that can grow alongside the brand and build following and reputation organically.

Many of the lessons learned from influencer marketing in the West can be applied to KOL marketing in China, and vice versa. Whatever market you are working in “make sure the size of the prize can justify the risk before you commit,” cautions Xu.

Call +44 (0)20 7802 2000 or email enquiries@cbbc.org now to find out how CBBC can further help you identify the best social commerce platforms for your brand and target market in China.

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When it comes to China’s female consumers there is no singular female demographic, explains CBBC‘s retail and e-commerce business advisor Pearl Zhu. “Women’s spending habits differ based on a wide variety of factors – marital status, location, degree of financial independence, social media engagement, working schedule…” she explains. These different factors result in very different and very specific consumption trends. For example high-end kitchenware, seasonal wardrobes, fitness and wellness spending, and luxuries. Whilst many would assume that female spending power is concentrated in China’s major cities, Zhu encouraged brands not to ignore lower-tier cities, which actually drive demand for some product categories, such as beauty devices.

Zhu also offers broader insight into how brands can connect with female consumers, highlighting the importance of understanding who your audiences are and, crucially, figuring out what message you can deliver that speaks to their needs.  “Modern femininity in China is a combination of modern and traditional traits,” she says. Understanding how specific social issues and challenges impact women’s lives is of utmost importance. Whilst women in China share many concerns with their counterparts around the world – balancing family and career, independence and connection – different social pressures apply in different countries and, in a country the size of China, even in different towns and cities. Zhu encouraged brands to “bravely step into social and real-life issues and always stay on-trend.”

Zhu encouraged brands not to ignore lower-tier cities, which actually drive demand for some product categories

International brands should carefully narrow down their target audience. One way to achieve this, suggests Adam Knight, cofounder of TONG Digital, is through a brands platform strategy. Women in China are more digitally engaged than men, and niche platforms have evolved to cater to every consumer group. Noting the trend of female-focused digital platforms, Knight says that “every brand that wants to get its content strategy right needs to understand the affordances of different platforms in China.” One example of an international brand leveraging female-focused social media in China is Louis Vuitton’s first live-streaming event, which attracted more than 152,000 page views on RED.

Knight also says that other trends relating to China’s female consumers include self-empowerment and body positivity messaging in advertising, “although these messages remain relatively niche,” he adds. He goes on to explain that there is a clear trend in the rise of clean and ethical consumerism, with 30 percent of Chinese women having bought products making anti-pollution claims. On this point, Lexie Morris, the general manager of Whittard of Chelsea in China, observes that while the momentum of sustainable consumerism in the UK has been largely consumer-led, this switch appears to be being led by brands in China. “Both brands and consumers in China are showing a lot of interest in sourcing and ingredients,” says Morris.

Chinese brands have become dominant in several female-targeted industries in recent years. Perfect Diary, founded in 2016, is a prime example. Having mastered the art of sales through storytelling and seeded content, the Chinese beauty company was able to achieve RMB 100 million in sales in only 13 minutes during its Singles Day promotions last year. This success was partially achieved, Knight argues, through its hyper-personalised and localised marketing strategy which involves the cultivation of private groups on WeChat containing a few hundred potential consumers. These groups are led by automated virtual influencers who answer questions about the brand and its products, providing an intimate, personalised experience akin to getting recommendations from a friend.

Success was partially achieved through hyper-personalised and localised marketing strategy involving the cultivation of private groups on WeChat containing a few hundred potential consumers

As Chinese brands move towards such personalised marketing strategies, a one-size-fits-all approach from international brands will no longer cut it. Noticing Chinese companies’ skill in generating followers, and the dominance of domestic brands in China, some international brands have begun collaborating with Chinese companies on crossover campaigns which have been well-received by consumers. For example, Fenty Beauty collaborated with Hey Tea, a bubble tea brand, to market a limited-edition makeup bag accompanied by a voucher for tea, and MAC Cosmetics partnered with online game Honor of Kings to release a new line of lipsticks. Given the dominance of Chinese brands, a carefully selected collaboration can be incredibly important for an international company.

International brands have also started to make forays into the world of live-streaming, KOLs, and influencer marketing. This industry is a huge driver behind consumption in China, with the best KOLs – such as Austin Li – expected to shift 10-20,000 units of a product within 10 minutes, regardless of the price point. But this industry can seem confusing to UK brands. Cecilia Yan, a Key Opinion Leader, says that although the industry started with image- and text-heavy blog promotions, it is now driven by video. “Understanding the different kinds of influencers that are out there is key,” she says.  “There are different KOLs for different industries, and different influencers provide different content and skills.”

Given the dominance of Chinese brands, a carefully selected collaboration can be incredibly important for an international company

Yan highlighted the importance of having a specific campaign objective before approaching influencers, be it branding, sales, or engagement. “If you know your objective, then you can choose the right KOL in the right industry,” she says. Morris explains that for an international brand such as Whittard of Chelsea, it’s important to “separate our KOLs into live-streaming KOLs, branding KOLs, and sales KOLs…we’re then very clear on what we’re expecting them to deliver.”

KOLs are not amateur reviewers – some of the most popular influencers use their professional skills and experience as make-up artists, fitness coaches or journalists to offer trustworthy and informed recommendations to their followers. As Yan notes, a good KOL must embody both authority and inspiration.

Brands looking to appeal to China’s female consumers must be very intentional when designing their strategy, selecting their target group, and approaching KOLs. By targeting specific platforms, personalising advertising campaigns, bravely and sensitively approaching social issues, considering collaborations with Chinese companies, and strategically engaging expert KOLs, brands can position themselves to be as effective as possible in approaching one of the world’s most confident consumer groups.

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