Do you have an active presence on WeChat that doesn’t seem to be working? Are you posting WeChat articles that are not effectively reaching the Chinese audience? Is having a WeChat subscription account enough to target Chinese audiences? A new age has dawned! Digital marketing for the Chinese audience has been changing while the world tries to catch up. Today, social video marketing (SVM) dominates the WeChat platform, like never before. SVM has always been a component of an integrated marketing communications plan, designed to increase audience engagement through social activity around a given video. It is now more important than ever to have authentic, raw and “live” video content for any campaign to be successful among the Chinese audience group.
Here are a few fun facts: Papi Jiang, an internet celebrity, posts short videos (less than three minutes each), where she pokes fun at everyday topics including entertainment news, dating and family relationships. Her videos have received more than 290 million hits on major media platforms in just four months. Similarly, other video-based content is 50% more shareable among Chinese users, compared to articles or other traditional digital campaign content. The annual car show in Beijing was shot and streamed live; 40 times more people attended this event online than the physical location. A live broadcast of just 11 Internet celebrities to launch a new line of make-up products by VIPSHOP attracted 5 million+ views for this event. In addition, live newsfeed allowed audiences to pre-purchase products, while sharing information and having conversations around the products and event with their family and friends simultaneously, making it the most watched launch of any brand ever.
Digital marketing for the Chinese audience has been changing while the world tries to catch up. Today, social video marketing (SVM) dominates the WeChat platform, like never before. SVM has always been a component of an integrated marketing communications plan, designed to increase audience engagement through social activity around a given video. It is now more important than ever to have authentic, raw and “live” video content for any campaign to be successful among the Chinese audience group. Here are a few fun facts: Papi Jiang, an internet celebrity, posts short videos (less than three minutes each), where she pokes fun at everyday topics including entertainment news, dating and family relationships. Her videos have received more than 290 million hits on major media platforms in just four months. Similarly, other video-based content is 50% more shareable among Chinese users, compared to articles or other traditional digital campaign content. The annual car show in Beijing was shot and streamed live; 40 times more people attended this event online than the physical location. A live broadcast of just 11 Internet celebrities to launch a new line of make-up products by VIPSHOP attracted 5 million+ views for this event. In addition, live newsfeed allowed audiences to pre-purchase products, while sharing information and having conversations around the products and event with their family and friends simultaneously, making it the most watched launch of any brand ever.
Here are a few fun facts: Papi Jiang, an internet celebrity, posts short videos (less than three minutes each), where she pokes fun at everyday topics including entertainment news, dating and family relationships. Her videos have received more than 290 million hits on major media platforms in just four months. Similarly, other video-based content is 50% more shareable among Chinese users, compared to articles or other traditional digital campaign content. The annual car show in Beijing was shot and streamed live; 40 times more people attended this event online than the physical location. A live broadcast of just 11 Internet celebrities to launch a new line of make-up products by VIPSHOP attracted 5 million+ views for this event. In addition, live newsfeed allowed audiences to pre-purchase products, while sharing information and having conversations around the products and event with their family and friends simultaneously, making it the most watched launch of any brand ever.
The annual car show in Beijing was shot and streamed live; 40 times more people attended this event online than the physical location.
A live broadcast of just 11 Internet celebrities to launch a new line of make-up products by VIPSHOP attracted 5 million+ views for this event. In addition, live newsfeed allowed audiences to pre-purchase products, while sharing information and having conversations around the products and event with their family and friends simultaneously, making it the most watched launch of any brand ever.
How do we turn these numbers into a culturally relevant video campaign? An advertisement centred on “leftover women”, in China, has gone viral, provoking an emotional debate about single women in the country. SK-II, a Japanese beauty giant, commissioned the “Marriage Market Takeover”, as a part of “a global campaign to inspire and empower women to shape their destiny”. The message resonated strongly with thousands of social media users. A YouTube video uploaded on the brand’s official channel drew more than 2 million global views and was shared widely among Facebook users.
In China, the video received thousands of likes and was viewed more than 10 million times on SK-II’s official Sina Weibo account, just days after being posted. It drew huge praise from vocal Netizens on the popular microblogging site and prompted a serious discussion. It was considered the most successful brand building campaign of the year. Growth in the following months reflected how social messaging had positively impacted the brand image and sales.
Essence and form are the top two elements that brands need to understand when creating a cultural marketing strategy. Essence usually relates to audience insights, such as what is your audience thinking, feeling, currently talking about or concerned about. Form is the chosen platform and medium to reach and engage with the audience of choice. Knowing the preference of an audience, understanding their ever-evolving thinking and emotions and integrating the right message, platform and medium to engage with the right audience – this is what cultural marketing is about in today’s digitalized world. This is where MCX’s passion stands true and tall in the world of cultural marketing.
By Di Wu