Brands are cleverly tapping into the popularity of Children's Day to reach 'the other children', pets, as well as appealing to adult nostalgia

"If you protect yourself from the sun, you will be whiter than others. If not, you will be uglier," so said a sun hat advertisement last month on Douyin from the multi-billion dollar Chinese sun protection brand, Beneunder.

China has almost achieved another lofty goal: becoming a high income economy against all odds. This represents further opportunities for brands

Don't underestimate the importance of bricks & mortar touch points in China, and ensure they are integrated and optimised for consumer needs

Sustainability is becoming a key requirement of doing business in China - both due to consumer-pull and Beijing-push

Rising nationalism has been attributed to the rise in Chinese brands, but in many categories imported goods still hold an enviable reputation

China's punitive new regulations around tutoring may have some unexpected consequences from foreign brands in many categories

The drivers behind China's rising second-hand market provide some important trends which brands selling in China should take note of

There are some staggering numbers highlighting the tough life for kids in China, all contributing to lowering fertility rates

Earlier in May, after a month-long delay, China released much of the population statistics from its once-a-decade census. Whilst there were no real surprises, the data quantified many trends that can help shape China marketing strategies. At a personal level, tracking the changes from the 2010 and 2020 censuses gave us a reason to look back and trace the past 10+ years that China Skinny has been consulting in the market, and provided another reminder of the dynamism of China. Below are some of the snippets that we found interesting…

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.

Community Group Buying is shaking up grocery shopping in China with the big tech firms all investing heavily, providing lessons for marketers

Despite increasing geopolitical tensions, rising nationalism and Covid fears, imports of consumer goods grew 8.2% in China last year. Sales of domestic goods contracted 3.9%. Chinese consumers' historic pursuit for beauty helped see imported cosmetics as one of the biggest drivers of this growth, with their value rising over 30% according to China's Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) figures published last week.The strong growth in cosmetics imports further reinforces the attractiveness of foreign skincare brands, and is well timed to coincide with the launch of the China Skinny Skincare Tracker.

Happy 2021. With China being the only major country to grow its GDP in 2020, economists the world over have been dialling up their forecasts of China's relative might in the years ahead. The Chinese economy is now expected to be larger than the US by 2028, presenting enormous opportunities for everything from milk to Maseratis.

China's digital channels have been the talk of the town since COVID-19 burst onto the scene. Online platforms' already-healthy growth rates have switched up a gear, with livestreaming and its big brother, ecommerce, hogging much of the spotlight. Yet behind the big numbers, all isn't what it seems. In 2018, at least a third of internet traffic in China could be considered "abnormal", and still today, few online touch points escape the bot-bombardment, brushing and other fake numbers.

Wandering though the library of a Chinese primary school, don’t be surprised if you encounter a 6-year old dusting up on their DNA-editing knowledge. The “Third-Generation Gene Editor CRISPR,” has made the list of recommended books for Chinese kids in elementary and middle schools, along with a host of subjects including quantum computing, drones and aerospace.

Remember when you’d see the big tricycles stacked metres high with polystyrene, rubbish and furniture cruising the streets? Or the vividly-coloured Facekinis poolside or on the beach? Or how about the infants with split pants on a cold Beijing day? They were all China novelties that have largely disappeared from the bigger cities. Yet with each disappearing quirk, a new curiosity has arisen to ensure that there is never a dull day in China.

The experience and knowledge that you’re likely to be getting from marketing to Chinese consumers – and from resources such as China Skinny – are hopefully helping you sell more in China. There’s also a good chance that they’re equipping you with expertise that spans far beyond the market. Chinese marketing campaigns are faster, cheaper, and often more effective than traditional Western ones, and in some ways they are better suited to today’s global marketplace, according to a study by US-based academic and former practitioner Kimberly Whitler.