Numbers and dates are regularly used in Chinese marketing because of their symbolism and sounds, but be careful

2003 was the year that China surpassed the EU for greenhouse emissions. By 2019, emissions from China were more than four times that of the EU’s 27 member states combined, and over 30% more per capita. In 2019 China accounted for 27% of global emissions, exceeding the entire emissions from the Developed World for the first time.

Not long after the People’s Republic of China was established in 1949, Chairman Mao declared motherhood to be a patriot duty to build manpower. Whilst there was no official policy, government propaganda rallied couples to reproduce. It condemned contraceptives and even banned the import of some. By the 1960s the average Chinese woman had six children.

Back in August 2018 we were happy to report that China’s seemingly impenetrable ecommerce duopoly had fallen. In less than three years, ecommerce platform Pinduoduo (PDD) had come from nowhere to surpass JD.com’s daily user count.

Skinny readers who’ve been with us for a while may remember when we hypothesised how retailers would be able to tap into China’s facial recognition with consumer scenarios in 2019 and beyond. The anticipated opportunities were the result of China’s leadership in facial recognition tech, coupled with its liberal policies and consumer attitudes towards the privacy. While cities such as San Francisco and Portland have banned the use of facial recognition, the technology has flourished in China with numerous marketing applications. Unfortunately many have been unscrupulous.

Last time we looked, the end users in the bra category were almost always female. That’s why we were scratching our head, like many others, when we saw last week’s promotion from Chinese bra brand Ubras with the famous comedian Li Dan, a male.

Female consumers account for three out of four purchases in China, but in many categories they are underserved by brands and marketing

Happy Niu Year! For our readers who had a break, we hope it was great.Digital platforms have long been more advanced and deeply entrenched in Chinese lives than anywhere. Back in 2017, for every dollar that American consumers spent on mobile payments, Chinese consumers shelled out $250. China's ecommerce market is the largest and most dynamic in the world. 22% of consumers globally are likely to buy groceries online, whereas 59% of Chinese do. While livestreaming is barely visible in most markets, 388 million Chinese viewed it in December, with more than two-thirds making a purchase.

Pets were denounced as bourgeois vanity by Chairman Mao which saw China late to the game of keeping pets as companions. But this has changed in recent years, driven by political, economic, societal and technological drivers, and accelerated by Covid. Now more than 500 million pet lovers embrace them online. The infographic below provides some of the more interesting data points about China’s online pet group of more than 500 million who now adore our canine and feline friends…

It’s been three weeks since Singles’ Day smashed records with sales topping $116 billion just from Alibaba and JD. At China Skinny, we’ve been busy analysing the results and trends – many of which apply to year-round marketing strategies to reach and connect with Chinese consumers.

If you’re not living in China, you probably haven’t heard of the sugar-free beverage brand Genki Forest. It’s unlikely that you’ve come across women’s underwear brand Ubras, or had a cup of Saturnbird instant coffee as you munched through a bowl of Wangbaobao cereal. Like in many markets, they are part of an increasingly-common genre of new brands who have quickly eroded market share from the big, established brands in their category. These disrupters should provide both inspiration and lessons for small-medium enterprises already selling or planning to launch in China.

Excellent Singles' Day and Q3 results won't be enough to cancel out draft antitrust legislation for China's big tech firms.

Post-90s are now the biggest age group online in China and a significant spender. Yet they are unlike any other demographic in the market. The infographic below highlights the segment’s online preferences and behaviours to shed light into what pushes their buttons and where to push them.

On 11 August 2020, Jun Lei the CEO and Co-Founder of Xiaomi gave an opening speech on the company’s 10th anniversary, sharing stories of their product launches and memorable moments over the last decade.

Many Youtube watchers in the West will have observed the comeback of Auto-Tune Remix-Themed Content (ATRTC) in recent years, helped by the many timeless quotes from President Trump which lend themselves to song.

It wasn’t long after the establishment of the People’s Republic of China in 1949, when Chairman Mao started encouraging the population to procreate to create a strong China through “manpower”. Although there was no official policy supporting the fertility drive, government propaganda condemned contraceptives and even banned the import of some. Soon enough, woman were having average of six children each and China’s population had doubled.

China’s ballooning endearing popular is the last frontier of growth for budding brands hoping to tap into China’s enormous population. China’s over-60 market is likely to double in size from 240 million in 2017 to 486 million by 2050.

China isn't out of the woods yet, but there have been a number of positive developments over the past couple of weeks reinforcing China as one of the most, if not the most, promising market this year.