2016 is quickly approaching and so we took the opportunity to pull together some thoughts on where social media in China is...and what's going to be important next year.
3. 2016 projects to be a pivotal year for digital/social advertising
in China. In 2015, economic growth slowed, retail shifted further
to online, WeChat conquered Weibo ... and for brands it
became much harder to break-thru with audiences.
In this social marketing preview of 2016, we have highlighted 10
trends that will prove to be critical for marketers. The trends
represent the most current conversations taking place with
brands in China.
These trends are placed in the context of China as an
(overwhelmingly) digital-first market.
About This Presentation
Prepared by Totem Media
4. Digital Rules in China
Digital won easily over traditional media in China. Digital is all important.
5. “Traditional media never stood a chance in China.
Most commercial, entertainment media (TV, print...)
only got its start in the late 90’s. Before that it was
all government run, with near-zero audience value.
Unlike other markets globally, digital had an equal
start with traditional media in China. (eg. Google was
incorporated in 1998, Alibaba started in 1999)
Given the equal start with traditional, its no surprise
that digital dominates in China.”
Chris Baker, Totem Media
8. “In China, digital is more important than all other
media combined for audience engagement.”
With 688 million people online in China, digital is of
paramount importance for marketing.”
Jeff Sprafkin, CEO of Media Pacific
9. 0
25
50
75
100
TNS Connected Life 2014
Online
TV
Print
Radio
Reach%
Wake Up
(in bed)
Early
Morning
Late
Morning
During
Lunch
Early
Afternoon
Late
Afternoon
Early
Evening
During
Dinner
Late
Evening
Bedtime
(in bed)
Daily Use of Media Time (Online vs Traditional)
10. GIK Polling for Interactive Ad Bureau (IAB), Aug 2014
71%
28%
27%
9%
Several Times
Per Week
Several Times
Per Day
US
China
US
China
HOW OFTEN THEY WATCH
TV ON A MOBILE DEVICE
China: All Eyes Are On Mobile
11. GIK Polling for Interactive Ad Bureau (IAB), Aug 2014
CHINESE RELY HEAVILY ON
SOCIAL TO DISCOVER AND
RESEARCH BRANDS
“Social networks
are the first place I
research brand
information”
“I post product
ratings and reviews
at least once per
month”
23%
8% US
China
US
China75%
20%
China: Shopping Is More Social
17. display
(Sina, Sohu)
online video
(Youku/Tudou)
social
(Weibo, WeChat)
search
(Baidu)
ecommerce
(Taobao, JD)
brand.cn
Weibo - users have moved on
Ecommerce - most sales flow through Taobao
Display - limited RTB, poor quality data
Baidu - effectiveness in decline
Challenges Online
China - Digital Ecosystem
18. Global = Long-Tail
Lots of independent sites
Linked together by Search, RTB, Ad Networks...
Open, “friendly” competition between big guys
Efficiency in “open source” tools
China = Concentrated
A few dominant players hold most traffic
Search & Programmatic “relatively” less important
Social more important (news, entertainment, WOM)
Development of tools dominated by BAT
Global (Long-tail) vs China (Concentrated)
20. 1. WeChat Still Rules
But growth is slowing ...the honeymoon is coming to an end.
21. 1
WeChat continues to rule social but growth is slowing. With 570 million
DAU (Daily Active Users), WeChat is king of social in China. It will quickly
reach its peak in total users numbers (ie. 93% of T1 City residents are
already registered). Reports also show that engagement is dropping.
WECHAT STILL RULES
22. Early Adopters
Early Mass
Late Mass
Laggards
RAPID FOLLOWER GROWTH
2009-10
2011-12
2015
Very active engagement
with Creators ...modest,
steady growth
Sharp rise in new
Registrations, Very
high MAU.
Modest number of new
Registrations. Much
lower engagement
totals.
Decline in Registered
User totals. Much
lower MAU.
Social Life-Cycles - User Growth vs. Investment
A lesson from Weibo.
23. Moments Ads on WeChat
With user growth slowing, now might be a good time to invest in ads.
Moments Ads: are pushed
directly into users’ social stream
(based on detailed targeting).
Ads in “moments” have been
effective in building new
followers for brands - quickly
raising account numbers.
Minimum costs for ads have
recently dropped, making them
more accessible to smaller
brands.
24. Looking back at the experience of Weibo, there is a peak
period for involvement, where users follow a lot of accounts
(personal and brand alike), after which, new ‘follows’ slow
down dramatically. Brand accounts built up during the
honeymoon of Weibo (2011-12), easily accumulated large
followings. Those built up more recently have had to work
very hard to achieve more modest numbers.
This is the honeymoon for WeChat but its coming to an end
soon.
Brands should therefore consider making the most of high
user attention now before WeChat becomes too crowded
and user apathy sets in. It will only get harder.
Implications for Brands
25. 2. The Rise of New SNS
While WeChat dominates, there is a shift of “hip/cool” users to new platforms.
26. 2
With WeChat now close to its peak, it’s been flooded by mass audiences.
Younger (hipper) audiences are shifting their attention to new social/
mobile sites, looking for more interesting experiences. Early adopters are
sharing/creating/exploring on sites like NICE, Lofter, Meipai ...
NEW SOCIAL MEDIA
27. Early Adopters
Creators x Active
(Demonstrate Engagement)
Early Mass
Late Mass
Laggards
Demonstrates “lite”
engagement
Passive “Viewers” but rarely
demonstrate engagement
CONTENT TYPE
UGC (Co-Created) Viewable (Video, Images)
Source of Content Distribution of Content
RAPID FOLLOWER GROWTH
Social Life-cycles - User Growth vs. Investment
28. Nice took 10 KOLs to Japan for UNIQLO to reveal the Spring/Summer
2015 collection. All KOLs visited Uniqlo’s flagship store in Tokyo, and
shared their visits on Nice as a “live show.” The images were sent
through NICE ...and later share more widely through WeChat.
Created on NICE - Shared by WeChat
Source of Content Reach for Content
29. For brands who require engagement with youth, style,
fashion, design ...and taste making in general, there will be
strong reason to invest time in building up presence on
sites like NICE and Lofter. These “instagram-like” sites are
key for driving consideration from; (1)people who carry
influence, (2)people who are willing to co-create and
participate with brands.
The influence (“cred”) developed with creators in these sites
can then be amplified through WeChat, Weibo and other
other mass channels.
Implications for Brands
30. 3. WeChat for Retail
They are looking to take over from Taobao as key ecommerce player.
31. WECHAT FOR RETAIL
3
During CNY 2015, WeChat increased the number of people registered for
its payment system to 400 million. Combine that with (1)incredible daily
active user numbers, and (2)the increasing availability of products ...and
WeChat ecommerce is set for “take off” in 2016.
32. We first established an account on WeChat in June 2013 and have had really good
traction so far. Our WeChat fanbase grew very rapidly and it drives really good
traffic to our ecommerce site as well. It’s actually one of the first times that we’ve
seen a social site driving a large number of ecommerce sales.
Julien Chiavassa, Digital Head APAC for Clarins
33. JD.com is putting out advertisements for its
selected partners on WeChat during Singles Day for
the first time. The company is also offering RMB 2.5
billion (US$394 million) worth of coupons on
WeChat’s Moments’ platform, according to
Deustche Bank’s report.
Alibaba says that mobile transaction represented 72% of total gross
merchandise volumes (GMV) during Singles’ Day 2015.
34. WeChat is setting its ambitions beyond being China’s key
social network. They want be THE dominant ecosystem and
rule the ecommerce market.
Tencent’s big growth efforts with WeChat have been in
registering users for their payment system (eg. CNY red
envelope campaigns), and with fueling ecommece sales (eg.
coupons/ads for Singles’ Day).
Brands that want to succeed on WeChat should develop
CRM and sales strategies to align with WeChat’s long-term
vision.
Implications for Brands
35. 4. Online Video is Critical
For BRANDED CONTENT and audience engagement - Video is a MUST.
36. 4
To break through with audiences in 2015, brands increasingly needed to
use video. It’s quickly becoming the ‘key currency’ on social media and a
‘must’ for marketing. Large incumbents (Youku...) and new sites (eg.
Meipai, Bili Bili...) have been focal points for this shift.
VIDEO IS A MUST
38. In our recent survey of 30+ top brands/agencies in China,
video was cited as the second most important channel,
after WeChat for driving audience growth.
Brands should be looking to create more video assets and
experiment with new video sites (with formats native to
those media).
Implications for Brands
39. 5. Weibo is Twitter, again
Started as a Twitter clone (then like Facebook), it’s now a lot more like Twitter.
40. 5
Orginally lauched as a Twitter clone, Weibo morphed into Facebook at its
peak (lots of friend focused functions). WeChat has taken over and
Weibo has shifted to focus back to news, trends and ‘realtime.’ It’s Twitter
again and is facing the same challenges (ie. lite audience frequency).
WEIBO IS TWITTER
41. Weibo = Realtime Events/Trends
Started the Trend
Responses by brands add to/benefit from the “Trend”
42. The shift of daily audience attention to WeChat seems to be
killing Weibo. However, Weibo has found its place as the
“Twitter of China” again. It’s the channel that people rush to
when big news and realtime events hit.
For brands, it’s also still the best place to launch campaigns
from. There is a well worn system for pushing content out,
which includes use of KOLs (Key Opinion Leaders) and
more recently Weibo’s “FanPass,” allowing brands to see
content move far-and-wide. And because its open and
trackable, brands are able to observe the full effect of their
efforts. WeChat isnt open to tracking and so numbers there
still dont look as good as Weibo.
Implications for Brands
43. 6. Distributed Social Shift
Brands struggling to build account followings need to grow an ecosystem.
44. DISTRIBUTED SOCIAL
6
Brands have struggled to build up follower numbers in WeChat. Most
official brand accounts only tally a small fraction of what they did on
Weibo. It’s time for brands to start looking at the bigger picture, by
developing content and networks to spread across the entire ecosystem.
46. Social networks like Weibo and WeChat host an incredible
volume of user traffic. For brands, building up “official”
accounts on social platforms, it’s not always easy to (1)get
audiences to sign up, nor (2)keep them coming back to the
brand account. Brands must become publishers - by
creating much better quality (more audience relevant)
content.
Brands must also understand the entire online ecosystem
and design content strategies for images, videos and stories
that go beyond “official accounts” - contents that start/
grow from a multitude of new sites.
For instance, infographics designed for Zhihu (Q&A site), can be very
effective in answering questions at the consideration/evaluation
stages...and can stimulate very broad circulation.
Implications for Brands
47. 7. Niche Social Contents
Brands must look beyond core segments to connect with new audience sets.
48. NICHE SOCIAL CONTENT
7
Social media strategies were once all about “core audiences” but for most
brands that want scale, there is need to develop connections with aligned
groups online (non-core but relevant), by using content that speaks to
the interests of new segments (interest groups).
50. Small groups of loyalists dont get the job done for most
brands. “Core audience” segments dont offer enough scale,
for companies conditioned to mass media (TV) with broad
reach. “Mass brands” need to employ strategies to target
larger audience groups on social.
Starting with “core audiences,” brands need to create maps
of aligned audience segments (niches). They need reach
into those new segments with the support of KOLs/
influencers and “segment relevant” contents.
A winning formula keeps the company “on brand” while
demonstrating benefits relevant to new audiences.
Therefore, the combination of content x KOLs must be
designed carefully.
Implications for Brands
51. 8. Globals Must Be Local
For content to breakthru with audiences, it needs to become more relevant.
B
52. LOCALIZATION
8
2015 has marked a turning point for brands in China. For decades, global
brands have used ads designed for US/EU in China. That was useful in
establishing awareness and credibility. But, now that the challenge has
moved beyond awareness, brands must become more locally relevant.
Star Wars, Episode 7 Trailer Launch at Great Wall
53. Designed for USAdvertising Content For Social in China ???
The content relevance gap:
US/EU Ad content for social in China
China Is Too Important
54. ChinaGlobal
A China First Approach to Content
Tiffany features model, Liu Wen in both Global and Chinese campaigns.
55. China has become too big, too important. Brands cannot
shoe-horn US/EU ads into China and expect that they will
resonate with audiences on social media. It’s curious why
brands that would never run a British ad in the US, still think
that running a US ad in China works.
For established brands in China, where awareness levels are
high, the focus should shift to listening more to audiences
and responding with contents that have been developed in
China, for Chinese.
The next round of growth in China depends on being more
closely connected with Chinese lifestyles, challenges,
dreams ...etc.
Implications for Brands
56. 9. Selling Matters More
As the economy slows, pressure is mounting on brands to sell more.
Social x eCommerce are very important in 2016.
$
57. ECOMMERCE
9
Companies that have invested heavily in awareness, now expect results.
Consumption has slowed in many categories (luxury, auto...) AND offline
retail has been challenged. Ecommerce holds the promise of new growth
for brands. Singles’ Day offers proof that brands can grow online.
H&M Outdoor Ads, China
58. “Alibaba said total sales exceeded $5 billion in just
the first 90 minutes of the 24-hour sale, which
kicked off at midnight Wednesday in Beijing. About
72% of sales were from mobile phones.”
Elizabeth Weise, USA Today (November 11, 2015)
59. Everything Sells Online In China
“High-end brands that aren’t online in China are losing out.”
YES
74%
NO
26%
“Have you ever
bought luxury
products
online?”
“A total of 40 percent buy luxury online more than five
times a year, while 35 percent said they’re going to
increase their online luxury shopping.”
Exane BNP Paribas
60. Social Merchandising - Supporting Sales
Where to Buy
Supporting O2O
What to Buy
Answering Key Product Questions
Infographics used across social channels to answer questions by audience.
61. Product information and images rank highly with users. The
release of new/hot products can drive very strong
engagement.
So, while companies need to do a better job of creative
content to support branding, they should not forget that a
large number of users follow them to see new products.
In cases where a consumer is close to purchase, they may
also check “official brand accounts” to find information
supporting detailed product selection and buying. For
consumers at this stage, brands could consider additional
incentives to drive/reward sales.
Implications for Brands
63. OUTBOUND ECOMMERCE
10
The liberalization of imports to China has lead to a dramatic increase in
outbound ecommerce (hai tao), with Chinese buying on global websites -
shipping back to China. Brands and ecommerce merchants that
understand this movement can reap significant returns.
Mainland Chinese Shopping is Global
65. In search of products from around the world online.
“HAI TAO” - Ocean Search
The term in China for the shopping trend to going online
...ordering direct from global Websites.
Outbound Ecommerce
66. Navigation Bar
Buying Guide
Banners
Chinese CRM
Payment Methods
user images
Involving users in
campaigns to show-off
products bought from
REVOLVE ...both inside
Chinese SNS and
outside.
Email Registration
Leave your email
Those who leave
anemail address are
more likely to buy from
REVOLVE.
REVOLVE - Overseas selling to China
KEY FEATURE
KEY FEATURE
Direct-to-China Sites
67. For some brands, more than 50% of sales to Chinese
nationals are taking place overseas - from purchases made
while on location and from purchases made through
“offshore” websites (hai tao).
For new brands, without operations on the ground in China,
this is great. New brands can look to strategies where they
continue selling through offshore sites, marketing directly to
China, (potentially) without costly local operations .
Larger, more established brands need to embrace this
challenge by aligning China marketing to Global sales (to
Chinese) - with more comprehensive CRM systems and
improved customer service.
Implications for Brands
68. A Pivotal Year For Brands?
Prepared by Totem Media
Brands focused on making noise and generating reach/awareness
on social are seeing diminishing returns with audiences in China.
Social is still largely about "push" in China.
The big pivot in 2016, should be about listening more and infusing
strategies with a stronger dose of CRM.
If audiences (who care enough about the brand to speak up), are
telling you what they want, then it's time to listen. Too many brands
right now don’t even know who they are pushing content to.
The real opportunity on social is about scaling customer interaction;
understanding audiences better, responding to their interests, and
growing together with them (depth & reach) ...scaling WOM.
69. Chris Baker, Managing Director
Email: chris@totemmedia.net
Twitter/WeChat: Talktototem