In China, cross-border e-commerce holds a specific distinction. Through cross-border e-commerce platforms, international companies are able to sell their products to Chinese customers at reduced duty fees, without needing a Chinese business license.
In 2021, Xiaohonshu has become a focal point for digital marketing campaigns of lifestyle brands in China. With approximately 100 million monthly active users, of which just under half are 18-24 and over 70% being born after the 90s, this booming Chinese platform is a crucial for reaching the next generation of China’s consumers.
Advertising law in China has taken a new turn, and is now going after the official WeChat accounts of companies and artists. More and more companies, both local and foreign-owned, are being handed penalties for using terms such as “the best”, “one hundred percent”, “first”, “most advanced”, and “lowest price” on their social media accounts.
They sell out stocks worth of millions of dollars in minutes, they make newest products trendy and famous, they are the most-watched Chinese influencers and internet stars in China, they are the king and the queen of Chinese e-commerce!
If you’ve had any contact with China in the past five years, you’ll know just how embedded WeChat is in daily Chinese life. With 1.2 billion monthly users according to Tencent’s 2020 Q3 report, WeChat has almost complete penetration of the Chinese market.
In 2020, the development of the video industry continues to increase and watching videos has become an everyday habit for millions of people. There is a huge demand for OTT streaming media service platforms, such as Apple, Disney+, Netflix etc.
Over the past decade, marketing in China has become increasingly more internet-based. This has forced foreign and domestic companies that enter the Chinese market to become mobile-friendly, in order to allow instant access to customers. Along with the success and multiple uses of social media apps, it is no surprise to know that consumers have infinite information at their fingertips. It is therefore up to companies and brands to utilize this information in order to better connect with potential customers in specific markets.
When it comes to dual localization, brand name translation, especially into languages such as Chinese, Japanese, and Arabic, can be very sensitive, and despite the fact the end result may only consist of one or two words or characters, the amount of time, research, and effort involved to arrive at this point can be enormous. This is especially the case in China, where one character may have several meanings, and these meanings may morph into something completely different when paired with another character.
It probably comes as no surprise that e-commerce has also been hugely affected by the global pandemic. Many experts agree that consumer behaviour has changed significantly in the first quarter of 2020 as a result of Covid-19. However, in 2021 it is clear that e-consumers have adapted to the current global situation, and numbers have grown by an additional 17%.
WeChat marketing is becoming more and more complicated in 2020. With the constant shifts in trends it is becoming more and more difficult for marketers to develop long term plans. Finding new customers and creating interest, not to mention generating sales is a new challenge. And when it comes to closed ecosystem such as WeChat marketing, e-commerce takes a whole new turn.