As ad-supported media content declines globally, media companies and brands scramble to find solutions to make up lost profits. Chinese companies have found theirs, and it blurs the line between content and commerce. It’s called retailtainment. In the West, platforms like Instagram and Snapchat are actually starting to follow China's lead by
KOL marketing is hot in China, and it's only getting hotter. Local consultancy Analysys International projected that the China influencer economy will be worth over $15.5 billion this year. From frequently talked-about Weibo and WeChat KOLs, to those on other smaller Chinese social media platforms such as Meipai, Xiaohongshu, and
Over the past year, we have frequently mentioned the emerging phenomenon of Chinese KOL brands — KOLs who turn the traditional sponsored-post model of KOL sales campaigns on their head by manufacturing and selling their own products specifically created for their audience. This model proved extremely effective last 11.11 Singles
As the major Chinese social media platforms Weibo and WeChat become saturated and give users declining organic reach while charging increasingly large sums for advertising, big brands are starting to turn to smaller platforms like Douyin for social media campaigns that target China's Gen Z consumers. Douyin is a Musical.ly
You can’t deny Weibo and WeChat KOL marketing in China is red hot. For any brand hoping to succeed in China, KOLs are hands-down the best method out there. Yet many brands don't work with them because Weibo and WeChat KOL marketing costs are a total enigma. Brands can’t make heads or tails
Every day marketers are bombarded with news about China’s two largest social media channels: Weibo and WeChat. Because these Chinese social apps are the most popular, brands that try to promote themselves in China often feel they have to flood all their resources here. That’s not always the best choice. While
Western media and some "China experts" need to stop referring to Weibo as China’s Twitter clone. While Weibo might have started out as China’s Twitter when it launched in 2009, it has transformed itself into something completely different than its predecessor. In the process, it’s absorbed features from many different
If you’re paying for KOL media posts on Weibo to promote your brand, should you also pay an additional fee for Weibo advertising to promote their posts? While your first reaction is probably “No, why would I do that? Isn’t that what we’re hiring the KOL for?” the correct answer is a
A new type of e-commerce function has been released on Meipai video. It allows users to create product links that pop up in the middle of videos, which are more eye-catching than previous types of product links on the platform. While the tag link function is currently limited to a select
Weibo Stories function is an exciting addition to the platform that Sina-Weibo is heavily promoting. However, it is still in its early stages in terms of reach and engagement, and a bit unoriginal. As more users start understanding how to utilize and incorporate stories into their content mix, should we