China Social Media Trends & Insights

Resonance’s blog provides timely insights into the Chinese digital and social media market. If you have something you’d like us to cover, contact us at hello@resonancechina.com.

taobao

Taobao: Connecting with China's Youth

Facing the challenge of China's super fickle millennials, Alibaba’s leading C2C online marketplace, Taobao, has made a strategic effort to connect with this demographic online.  In this report, we look to see how Taobao has structured their…

Huawei, Oppo, Xiaomi and Vivo: Insight Report

Recent Q2 sales reports suggest that Apple has fallen to the fifth position in China’s mobile phone market. Rising to the top four places are local brands; Huawei, Oppo, Xiaomi and Vivo.Part of this recent success for local players…
cosmetics

Best Practices: Lancôme, Shu Uemura and Maybelline

Arguably one of the most competitive categories globally, cosmetics in China is a fierce battle for the globe’s ‘spendiest’ consumers – Chinese female shoppers. To maintain relevance with locals, brands must ensure they are at the ‘top…
didi_chuxing

China’s Uber: Didi Chuxing: Digital Report

The battle for China’s lucrative ride-haul market has been dominated by the question of whether will extend their global footprint to the local market. But in the background, the brand known locally as Didi has built a strong relationship…
liuwen

Liu Wen: Digital Celebrity Storytelling

Model and TV celebrity Liu Wen has become a favorite with Chinese consumers. As a result, an increasing number of brands are using her as an ambassador for their brands in China.In our 50th China Social Branding Report, we look at how…
landrover

Land Rover: Discovery Sport Campaign Launch

Land Rover launched the Discovery Sport in China hoping to make gains in an auto-market where consumers are increasingly purchasing cars to explore new experiences. Part of the brand’s challenge was to create awareness around the new vehicle…
Muji

Muji: Digital Ecosystem Review

As a Japanese brand in China, Muji faces the challenge of overcoming potential bias due to Japan’s wartime atrocities in China.  The key to making Muji a welcome part of local consumers’ lives was communicating the brand’s unique philosophy…
North Face

The North Face: Outdoor Training Campaign

As Chinese consumers exercise more frequently, North Face saw an opportunity to introduce the culture of training outdoors – an important part of their brand heritage. This was introduced to Chinese fitness enthusiasts through a series of…
starbucks

Starbucks Tmall Ecommerce Insights

Starbucks has worked consistently to become China's to-go cafe brand.  Now, as consumers are becoming increasingly digital, the challenge was to extend the coffee brand to engage this new reality.  While not selling coffee on e-commerce platform…
Nike Logo

Nike Run Club Digital Ecosystem

Our new CSBR report focuses on how Nike used digital to powerfully engage local Chinese runners.Noticing the increasing popularity of exercise amongst Chinese urban residents, Nike engaged local runners with a dedicated digital ecosystem.…
starwars_csbr

Marketing Movies on China Social Media

China is poised to become the largest movie market globally from next year. To match the local hunger for movie going, franchises need to think strategically how they best use digital platforms to promote and ensure box office success.In…
CSBR_product cover avatars

Pepsi: Souvenir Can Digital Campaign

Determined to be part of New Year celebrations, Pepsi launched a comprehensive digital campaign to support the release of a souvenir Monkey King can. All timed to coincide with a movie based on Journey to the West released over the holiday period,…
lufthansa

Lufthansa Mini-Report: WeChat for Chinese New Year

For Chinese New Year, German airline Lufthansa created a WeChat account that allowed locals to personalize their holiday messages. Using a digital version of cut-out patterns and unique visuals, users could tailor their messages by uploading…
CSBR_product cover avatars

KFC: Social Media and WeChat, Mobile Insights

Faced with fierce local and international competition in the Chinese fast-food market, KFC has gained advantage with an engaging and refreshing social campaign. Understand how KFC was able to successfully engage China’s notoriously fickle…
Durex

Durex Social Media Ecommerce Insights Report China

In a country where Facebook and Twitter are censored, how did a condom brand spark a nationwide discussion on sex and sex related products? Understanding Chinese culture, the current state of sex education and the burning curiosity that exists…
Loreal Logo

L’Oréal: Digital Ecosystem Review

As China’s leading skin care marketer, L’Oréal Paris found creative ways to connect with consumers to explore the up-and coming cosmetics industry in China.Among these strategies, online media stands out one of the best ways to…
hm

H&M: Digital Ecosystem Report

Even in the face of the challenges brought by the slowing growth of Chinese economy, H&M has still managed to increase their sales by 11% in the third quarter. Among the reasons behind this success lies the creative use of their media presence.…
Givenchy Logo

Givenchy: Digital Ecosystem Review

Givenchy provides a seamless social media experience that uses celebrities and KOL fashion influencers to amplify its brand message.  The success of its autumn and winter fashion videos demonstrate the brand's clear understanding of what…
Hugoboss Logo

Hugo Boss: Digital Ecosystem Review

Hugo Boss uses their digital, social media ecosystem in China to promote their latest campaigns and educate Chinese consumers about their collections and sub-brands. Hugo Boss not only uses its China website for ecommerce sales, it also operates…
beatsbydre

Beats By Dre: Straight Outta Campaign

Riding off the coattails of popular Hollywood movie “Straight Outta Compton", Beats by Dr. Dre creates its “Straight Outta” Asia campaign to feature Asian A-list celebrities showing off their pride for where they came “straight outta.”Beats…
MichaelKors

Michael Kors: Digital Ecosystem Review

Michael Kors designs its digital, social ecosystem to amplify its brand messages and encourage Chinese consumers to purchase its products. The brand aligns its image with the jetsetting ideals of the Chinese nouveau riche. Michael Kors capitalizes…
Mini Brand Logo

MINI: Digital Ecosystem Review

MINI designs its digital, social ecosystem to help China's netizens buy a new car. MINI's website serves as an excellent central hub for product education and exploration. Its social media channels help to spread buzz and entice followers to…
Sephora

Sephora Digital Social Media Ecosystem Review China

Sephora uses its digital, social media ecosystem in China to educate Chinese consumers about its variety of beauty products and brands. Sephora encourages a relatively inexperienced Chinese population to try out its cosmetic products by offering…
Airfrance Logo

Air France: Digital Ecosystem Review

Air France's China digital, social media ecosystem works to amplify its key messages of travel and leisure, encouraging Chinese netizens to travel abroad with their user-friendly brand website and their glossy destination highlights posted…
PGI Brand Logo

Platinum Guild International: Promise

PGI launched the "Promise" campaign on "I love you day" (5/20) in China. The campaign's digital ecosystem spanned Weibo, WeChat, Youku, and media partner websites: iJie, OnlyLady and Elle.It was successful in driving awareness and buzz…
Longines Brand Logo

Longines: Digital Ecosystem Review

Longines' China digital, social media ecosystem is designed to amplify their key messages of elegance and luxury through their many events, sports sponsorships and collaborations with brand ambassadors and key opinion leaders. The high quality…
Visa Brand Logo

Visa: Different Experience Campaign

VISA China launched a travel-focused campaign which highlighted scenic spots and points of interests in a number of popular destination cities. This campaign successfully reached out to Chinese VISA cardholders by recommending scenic travel…
Cartier Brand Logo

Cartier: Digital Ecosystem Review

Since entering China in 1992, Cartier has embarked on a slow and steady expansion that culminated in the opening of their first standalone flagship store in Chengdu, and their 36th mainland retail outlet, in early 2015.With 168 years…
Nike Logo

Nike: Better For It Campaign

Nike has captured the hearts of consumers in China, leading the sportswear category in overall marketshare and seeing a 17% increase in mainland revenues for Q2 2015.As perhaps the world’s most important sportswear market, Nike has…
Forever21 Brand Logo

Forever 21: Digital Ecosystem Review

Having only officially entered China in 2012 with their first flagship store in Beijing, Forever 21 is quickly gaining ground on fast-fashion rivals H&M and Uniqlo opening ten additional locations on the mainland by 2015. But the brand has…
LouisVuitton Brand Report

Louis Vuitton: Series 2 Campaign

Louis Vuitton's Series 2 campaign is the follow-up to last year’s award-winning collaboration with iconic fashion photographers - this second installment featuring images by Annie Liebovitz, Jeurgen Teller, and Bruce Webber.Louis Vuitton…
KOL Brand Logo

Brands & Key Opinion Leaders

Key opinion leaders, or KOLs, are major players on China social media and have an important role in most successful digital marketing strategies on the mainland. Ranging from fashion bloggers to celebrity travel photographers, KOLs have amassed…
Singapore Airlines Brand Logo

Singapore Airlines: Tourism Australia Campaign

With an attractive blend of pristine natural scenery and first-class wine and food culture, Australia has benefited from a China outbound tourism boom that saw mainland travelers spend $5 billion in 2014 to become its most valuable source of…
travel

China Online Travel Marketing Trends

In 2014, China surpassed the United States as the world’s top source of international travel spending with nearly $165 billion spent overseas. While 67.5 million trips were taken from the mainland in 2014, China is still in the early stages…
airbnb

Airbnb: Digital Ecosystem Review

Since launching in 2008, Airbnb’s peer-to-peer travel marketplace has disrupted traditional hotel and lodging industries by offering affordable vacation-rentals that combine local experience with a community of like-minded hosts and travelers.Already…
beatsbydre

Beats By Dre: Solo Selfie Campaign

Having almost single-handedly created the premium headphone market after its launch in 2008, Beats By Dre has used a savvy blend of celebrity and lifestyle branding to create one of the most coveted products among fashionable young consumers.But…
uniqlo

Uniqlo: Digital Ecosystem Review

Uniqlo, the global fast-fashion retailing giant, opened its first store in China in 2002 and now boasts 340 stores across 70 cities throughout the mainland. For the 2014 fiscal year, the brand generated over RMB 12 billion in sales for Greater…
Nice

Nice App: Hot New, Growing Social Channel

With access to Instagram restricted on the mainland since late 2014, Nice has emerged as one of the most compelling mobile apps for brands to engage with China’s photo-sharing consumers with over 15 million users and 1.2 million photos…
jacobscreek

Jacob's Creek: Made True Campaign

Jacob’s Creek’s Made True campaign is part of a global rebranding effort that places the focus on the people, places, and passions that define the Australian brand and its wines.As the largest red wine consumer in the world, China…
BMW

BMW: Live Free for Action Campaign

After reporting record sales in China for 2014, BMW along with their “Big 3” counterparts (Audi & Mercedes-Benz) are bracing for a slowdown in sales due to overall economic cooling as well as stricter new car quotas put in place to curtail…
LouisVuitton Brand Report

Louis Vuitton: Digital Ecosystem Review

Ranked as the second-most searched luxury brand by Baidu for 2014, Louis Vuitton has maintained its premier position in the eyes of Chinese consumers since opening its first mainland store in 1992.But the brand is facing a shifting landscape…
lancome

Lancôme: Women's Day Campaign

Consistently ranked as one of the leading beauty brands in China for digital marketing and social media, Lancôme has developed a mature and specialized brand ecosystem. Brand channels are discreetly used for product education and cultivating…
shangrila

Shangri-La: Digital Ecosystem Review

As one of the leading five-star hotels in the world, Shangri-La has enjoyed success expanding their Asia-centric brand across Europe, the Middle East, and North America.But with more than 50% of hotel properties in China, Shangri-La…
hm

H&M: Alexander Wang Capsule Collection

H&M’s capsule collection with Alexander Wang was one of the brand’s most anticipated designer collaborations, and created enormous buzz around the world as shoppers lined up for the opportunity to purchase limited-edition pieces.As…
rayban

Ray-Ban: Never Hide Campaign

Launched in 2007, Ray-Ban’s Never Hide brand platform has been a recurring campaign that promotes the eyewear maker’s independent, creative, and authentic voice.Over the years, Never Hide campaigns have placed an emphasis on musicians…
starbucks

Starbucks: Digital Ecosystem Review

Since opening their first store in Beijing in 1999, Starbucks is on pace to have 1,500 China locations by the end of 2014, representing the largest market for the brand outside of the United States.Driving their success has been a seamless…
lancome

Lancôme: Digital Ecosystem Review

Consistently ranked as one of the leading beauty brands in China for digital marketing and social media, Lancôme has developed a mature and specialized brand ecosystem. Brand channels are discreetly used for product education and cultivating…
MichaelKors

Michael Kors: Jet Set Campaign

Along with Coach and Kate Spade, Michael Kors is enjoying unprecedented growth in China as consumers gravitate towards fresh American design elements at more affordable price points in response to widespread anti-corruption measures and overall…
coach

Coach: Digital Ecosystem Review

Coach has been riding the wave of affordable luxury in China, with products priced to meet the demand of a rising middle class consumer.But with growth in the category curtailed by government restrictions, outbound tourist shopping,…
tiffanyandco

Tiffany & Co.: Unlock the Possibilities

Tiffany has enjoyed steady growth in China with 26 stores now open since opening their first retail location in 2001. While the brand has enjoyed double-digit growth in recent years, wedding rings are still not a staple of Chinese tradition,…
adidas

Adidas: All In For My Girls Campaign

Adidas is one of many sportswear brands in China targeting women’s fitness in a trend that has seen Nike open only their second women’s-only retail store concept in Shanghai in late 2014.Spurred by the success of Lululemon Athletica…
Coke

Coca-Cola: Lyric Bottle Campaign

Coca-Cola has been consistently ranked as one of the most innovative digital marketers in China, with 2013’s Nickname Bottle campaign often cited for its effectiveness in creating awareness and brand engagement.The brand followed up…
burberry

Burberry: Digital Ecosystem Review

Burberry is consistently ranked among the most digitally savvy brands in China, and their investment is paying off as the mainland market is on pace to become the brand’s largest within the next five years.By educating consumers on…
xiaomi

Xiaomi: Digital Ecosystem Review

Since launching in the summer of 2010 with the proprietary MIUI OS as their sole product, Xiaomi has utilized a breakthrough digital marketing strategy to disrupt China’s smartphone market – unseating Apple and Samsung to become the best-selling…
BMW

BMW: Digital Ecosystem Review

BMW and its premium brand counterparts (Audi & Mercedes-Benz) have benefited from a China car boom that saw automobile sales triple during the five years ending 2013. But at the end of 2014, the landscape is in flux - with overall call sales…

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