Whether you’re located in China or the West, you’ve probably heard of influencers attending some brand's product launch party. Around the world, holding a product launch party has become a quintessential way for brands to personally engage with influencers. With numerous companies vying for the attention of influencers, these events can foster personal
Influencer marketing is expensive in China and the prices are only going up. Even the biggest brands are looking for ways to get influencers to repost their content for free. No, don’t misinterpret this to mean influencers should work for free. Brands should acknowledge influencers’ value and compensate them fairly.
An influencer might be the face of a campaign, a traffic generator, or – at best – a brand ambassador. However, it is rare when a brand takes influencer insights and utilises them as part of their strategy for selling in China. And that’s a shame. Compared to their Western
At PARKLU, we get asked a LOT of questions about influencer marketing in China. Besides building an FAQ Wiki, we thought it would be useful to feature the most useful and frequently asked influencer marketing questions and answers. Q: How much should I budget? This will vary greatly depending on the
I believe many brands are missing a big opportunity in the age of Chinese social media. They are not connecting with their customers by providing value first via educational and entertaining content that builds communities. Influencers are filling that gap. Providing value first is deep-seated in Chinese culture and one
Douyin launched in September 2016 and grew to over 100 million users within a year, becoming the #2 ranked app in Apple’s Chinese app store and #1 in the video and photo category. Its main users are young females from 1st and 2nd tier cities – a demographic that many brands are
Smart brands and influencers have realised that one-off influencer campaigns don’t benefit anybody. They create more work for both parties and simply aren’t as effective as long-term cooperation. Building reciprocal, long-term relationships with influencers that perform well is the way to go. But how can brands do that? Why are
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
While we at PARKLU are obviously big proponents of influencer marketing, we can’t deny that plenty of things can go wrong when working with influencers. Many influencer marketing fails stem from miscommunication, mismanaged expectations, insufficient market knowledge, and a lack of clarity from the brand. Here is the most common
Influencer-led creative studios, as well as influencers starting their own brands, was a disruptive trend for brands in 2017. Last year was especially prolific as countless influencers started successful physical product businesses — Becky Li’s new clothing line, for example, or Zhang Mofan’s makeup brand Moamour, or Taobao queens like