The case for authenticity across your China marketing mix
Back in February 2019, Zara was slammed on Chinese social media for "uglifying China." Their offence? Featuring one of China’s top models, Li Jingwen, without make-up—freckles and all. Beyond the initial backlash, the campaign sparked a widespread debate about beauty standards in China.
A year later, Chinese consumers were locked in their homes. This provided plenty of time for reflection on what is truly important. No single event has shifted how consumers think about products, services, and marketing more than COVID-19 did. For many, there emerged a stronger desire to "keep it real." If the Zara ads aired now, they might have been received differently.
Authentic experiences have been an aspiration in the tourism industry for years, but they are increasingly becoming part of everyday consumption. Brands should be “reading the room” to understand which messages, images, and experiences resonate with Chinese consumers. A good place to start is on social media, where there has been a visible backlash against overly polished selfies. This is particularly evident in photos from increasingly popular outdoor pursuits, where people proudly display the “rough life”—the raw sweatiness, dirt, and exhaustion that is very real when you’ve just trekked through the wild. This trend stands in stark contrast to the typical, perfectly polished poses in front of scenic backdrops.
The same holds true for bricks-and-mortar retail experiences. Many standardised malls filled with generic chains and stores have lost their appeal—five out of six of Swire Properties' malls experienced negative growth, according to their recent reporting. In contrast, more authentic commercial spaces, such as community-focused areas and pop-ups, are booming, as exemplified by THE BOX in Beijing.
The red-hot music group Varihnaz has gained fans as an alternative to China’s hyper-polished, fast-paced modern life, with songs about topics like pesticides and farming chickens.
This is a strong case for identifying your target market and approaching it with laser focus. China is not a one-size-fits-all market; trying to be everything to everyone means you may not mean anything to anyone. Authenticity is hard to achieve without a focused approach.
While brands are increasingly using AI in their operations—a generally positive trend—this shift can sometimes risk undermining authenticity. Brands should train their algorithms and consider each touchpoint to ensure they stay true to their purpose.
The maturing Chinese consumer's quest for more authenticity doesn’t mean brands should abandon all airbrushing and double down on freckles. Consumers evaluate authenticity far beyond polished visuals. For example, if a brand claims to be healthy, it should back this up with multi-dimensional features and initiatives to support that claim. Well-executed community marketing can also help to cement authenticity. Every touchpoint should aim to reflect your brand’s true DNA, not just a polished version of what you think Chinese consumers want to see.
Contact China Skinny so we can work together to create an authentic portrayal of your brand that resonates with your target audience.
It's a lot cheaper to retain a customer than acquire a new one, so the old adage says. Many marketers in China don't seem to have got that memo, with marketing plans based around increasingly expensive livestreams and KOLs for sales, with limited initiatives to retain those customers once they've transacted.We track many loyalty initiatives at China Skinny, but one of the most exciting we've seen lately is from Chinese EV brand, Nio. Car sales have been one of the brightest categories in China's retail sphere, last month growing 17% year-on-year. As we noted in July, Beijing has been strategic in putting its weight behind car sales - it takes a lot of packaged goods or shoe sales to match that of a single car in making retail sales look rosy.