Episodes
-
We challenge the narrative surrounding China's economic slowdown to reveal an unexpected truth: today's market conditions might be ideal for patient brand builders. Alex Duncan, marketing consultant, former co-founder of a Chinese social media platform and a 15-year China veteran, shares fresh insights from his recent return to Shanghai, making a compelling case for why now – when consumer confidence is at historic lows and competitors are scrambling for quick sales – might be the perfect moment for strategic brand entry. This episode offers a masterclass on turning market challenges into long-term opportunities in the world's second-largest economy, from the paradox of convenience-killing convenience stores to why discounting is destroying brand value.
1. After 15 years away from China and 18 months away, what dramatic changes did you see?
2. How are people coping with the economic slowdown?
3. What aspects of China Speed do you miss now living abroad?
4. Does China speed equate to China efficiency?
5. Does China's slowdown turn into a spark moment to become more efficient?
6. Is the slowdown a reflection of China becoming more of a mature market?
7. Should this all be about brand building during slower times?
8. Will this impact lower funnel sales and less brand search as consumers spend less and save more?
9. Have the digital platforms made it too easy (and challenging) to build brands, and as a result, brands have become too complacent?
10. Is this the best time to enter the China market?
11. How do you encourage consumers to spend money during times like this?
12. What's with your book, Alex? When can we see it?
6. -
In this report, it's called the 20/80 rule. Are we going to see a lot of brands exiting the Chinese market, or are there still opportunities? We're back for round #2, covering Totem Media's 2025 Marketing & Media Trends. Today, we talk about the 25 considerations, although we go through all of them, just the key ones. We're honored to have Totem Media Founder Chris Baker back on the show. Joining Chris is Minnie Wang, Senior Reporter for Campaign Asia. Minnie covers the marketing and advertising issues of Greater China for the magazine.
1. Looking at the considerations, #4 "Brands Still in Disbelief" - Can you explain this one?
2. Consideration #6: Experiences on the Upswing & #7 Active Hobbies are Growing - How will this translate for brands?
3. What's the 20/80 Rule? Will we expect many brands to leave the China market?
4. #14: The Great Retail Remix - How will retail survive the economic crunch? Is there anyone winning?
5. And for a bit of optimism...'#21 - China is Stil a Growth Market' - are you still bullish on China? -
Missing episodes?
-
Word on the street that Chinese app Xiaohongshu or Rednote, as it is now called, was not expecting nor prepared for the 500K and counting American TikTok Refugees that have downloaded and migrated to the app. Is Rednote a short-lived thing? Will people eventually move back to TikTok, or has the West entered the world of "App Fluidity," where communities move from place to place without little concern for the platform they are on? To discuss this, we are joined by Shanghai-based Wai Social's Founder, Olivia Plotnick.
1. What is Xiaohongshu or Rednote? How is it different from TikTok?
2. What sparked people to migrate there, and why Rednote and not Lemon8?
3. Are we ready for a truly global platform, returning to the LinkedIn days?
4. Have we come to the point where we will see more fluidity of platform users?
5. Are people abandoning Meta platforms because of their complexity or is this the preferred GenZ user experience?
6. What about the role of community and express authenticity?
7. Will YouTube have a resurgence in the U.S.? Who will win out?
8. How can Xiaohongshu become such a community place?
9. What are the most important aspects of this incredible cultural collision?
10. How will the Chinese authority react to this amazing soft power opportunity?
11. What keeps people back when very few people post? What's the role of entertainment? Is there a balance?
12. Is this the right time for Chinese brands to reach out to Western audiences?
13. Is the whole "Rednote movement" a passing fad?
14. Will App Fluidity kill brands? -
Welcome to Season 4! Today, we're also celebrating the 10th anniversary of the 2025 Totem China's Marketing & Media Trends Report, hoping to solve the biggest challenge in China marketing: is performance marketing, and are brands nowadays just focused on short-term sales gains? According to Totem's report, 48% of marketers plan to decrease their 2025 marketing budgets, and 31% now rank sales conversion as their top objective. Amid this, an economy that's shaping up to be the "new normal," a normal that surprisingly looks like everywhere else in the world. To discuss, Totem's Chris Baker joins us again this year, along with OMD China's General Manager, Ahle Kuang. We try to solve all the marketing problems in 50 minutes!
1. What are some of the big things that stood out for you in this year's report?
2. Are some categories safe, or are there decreases across the board?
3. Have local companies found a way to grow brands and increase market share simultaneously?
4. How do you balance the desire for short-term sales with building long-term brand equity?
5. For China, is brand equity purely driven by product innovation?
6. Do Chinese products need to live beyond a certain period to be considered a brand?
7. Are there things brands should avoid doing in the 2025 context?: Positioning is Everything
8. Can signature global brands in China grow with products designed for a global audience? -
How has consumer research evolved since the advent of social media? Can social media drive insights, or do we still need interviews and focus groups? We speak with Wang Tao, who is the Head of Strategy & Innovation for the Shanghai-based agency Target Social. Target Social is China's largest full-service social performance consultancy, providing a complete range of services that help brands take control of their social media investment.
-
Are traditional festivals still essential drivers in the Chinese marketing calendar? Or are they overshadowing the modern shopping days that seemingly overpower attention? We welcome Hope Hong, founder of Chuanmer, a non-profit organization specializing in cross-cultural marketing consulting, experience planning, curation, and promotion. Hope is based in Vienna. Besides being a cultural ambassador, Hope is a mom and a digital marketing leader working at Austria's largest telco.
1. What is Chuanmener?
2. How important is Chuanmener rooted in being a Chinese mother?
3. Do you see Chinese festivals as being more critical when you're living abroad?
4. Are the modern shopping festivals diluting the traditional festivals?
5. How did Bryce connect his children to American culture while living in China?
6. How can brands effectively connect with consumers during festivals in a modern way?
7. Which brands are doing festivals differently?
8. Who is not doing festivals properly?
9. What's your favorite Chinese festival? -
We're thrilled to re-broadcast an insightful episode from the Sinica Podcast, where host Kaiser Kuo sits down with Bryce Whitwam to delve into the ever-evolving world of Chinese livestream e-commerce. Bryce's latest research highlights a fascinating shift: Chinese consumers increasingly gravitate toward smaller, more personalized livestream shows that foster greater interaction with hosts. While large-scale shows with millions of viewers still exist, they’re gradually being replaced by micro-targeted streams on platforms like Xiaohongshu and Douyin, which offer a more authentic and engaging experience. This evolution carries significant implications for brands looking to connect with highly targeted audiences in China. It could hint at the future of livestream shopping in the West, especially as TikTok explores similar trends.
1. How did you first engage with the livestream e-commerce trend in China?
2. What’s the history of livestream commerce, and how has it evolved since its inception?
3. How does livestreaming contribute to consumer engagement compared to traditional retail?
4. What differentiates Douyin, Xiaohongshu, and Taobao as livestream platforms?
5. What role does authenticity play in driving consumer trust in livestreaming?
6. How do demographics like age, gender, and location influence livestream shopping behavior?
7. What are the key differences between China’s livestream strategies and the U.S.’s early adoption of TikTok Shop?
8. How are niche and microtargeted livestreams reshaping consumer behavior?
9. What challenges or disruptions could affect livestream commerce’s growth in China?
10. What does the rise of livestreaming tell us about broader changes in Chinese consumer culture?
11. Recommendations -
We’re unpacking a critical issue affecting luxury and prestige brands operating in China’s discount-heavy e-commerce landscape. With platforms like Tmall and JD and emerging competitors like Douyin and Pinduoduo, brands are constantly pressured to use aggressive discounting strategies to boost sales and visibility.
Jacques Roizen, managing director of China Consulting at Digital Luxury Group, joins us as an industry expert who guides some of the world’s top prestige and luxury brands through these challenges. Together, we’ll explore the long-term impact of discount culture on brand equity, why some brands are starting to ‘detox’ from discounts, and how the rise of the gray market is reshaping consumer expectations.
1. How did you enter the e-commerce luxury business in China?
2. Give us the history of premium/luxury e-commerce and how it evolved from its early days.
3. How important is e-commerce for new consumers to learn about new brands?
4. Where's the pressure for brands to discount so much?
5. Is GMV still an effective measure of performance in e-commerce?
6. How can brands discount detox?
7. Who in the organization can orchestrate a discount detox?
8. What should brands do to improve brand equity? Is livestream a way to do this? -
Chinese outbound travel is returning, which is great news for luxury brands. To many brands, overseas travel has always been a source of awareness, validation and purchase. How can brands take advantage of this opportunity? We speak to Subramania Bhatt, CEO of the China Trading Desk, a digital marketing and research firm targeting these travelers. Subbu's company recently published a travel insights study that shows a changing Chinese travel demographic. Joining Subramania is Mark Shrives. Mark leads Marriott Digital Services for Asia, which is based in Bangkok. Alongside his team of 35 digital consultants, Mark guides Marriott International's APEC portfolio of hotels in directly implementing cutting-edge digital strategies.
1. What's the latest about the Chinese overseas travel situation? Has it bounced back to its pre-COVID levels?
2. From the hotel side, how might travelers be changing?
3. How have influencers impacted travel experiences?
4. What's a typical traveler customer journey?
5. What's the hotel's strategy in targeting Chinese tour groups to overseas hotels?
6. How much differentiation can you offer on an OTA platform?
7. What motivates people to shop outside China? Is it all about saving money?
8. What is the importance of using influencers to target travel experiences?
9. How have hotels integrated their offerings to the new wave of Chinese tourists looking for experiences?
10. Are we seeing an overlap in age groups and craving experiences? And why so many Chinese women?
11. Are we seeing more Chinese taking advantage of hotel loyalty platforms?
12. Do you have a hidden gem travel destination?
13. Shanghai Zhan Mailbox: Will Xiaohongshu go global? -
What are China's technology opportunities for Chinese women? Are Chinese companies becoming more gender diverse, or are coveted STEM careers still largely avoided by Chinese women? We asked Dr. Susan Zhang about the state of Chinese women in tech. Dr. Zhang is a high-energy business executive and serial entrepreneur. Her journey has taken her to incredible heights in Australia, China and the UK. She has inspired many young entrepreneurs with her legacy at Google, ByteDance (TikTok), Amazon, and Canva. She is the book author of 'Life Outside My Comfort Zone', a TEDx speaker, and an award-winning role model for Women in Leadership and STEM Education.
-
Welcome to the world of Clienteling: it's a world where the brand manages the client relationship. It's an online/offline integration ecosystem that is alive in China, but the West has no equivalent. In the clienteling world, retail sales become online sales associates, and brands promote their products directly to the customer database, all possible thanks to WeChat. Aurelien Rigart, managing director and co-founder of Shanghai-based digital transformation consultancy IT Consultis (ITC), takes us on this journey. When will Clienteling come to the rest of the world?
Listen and discover!
1. What are the biggest challenges for foreign brands embracing digital transformation in China?
2. Is there an equivalent to the Chinese ecosystem in the West? Will WhatsApp catch up?
3. Is Clienteling only for luxury and high-end brands? Will it work for FMCG?
4. How do you calculate ROI in Clienteling? Answer: It depends
5. Are there more luxury buyers, or have luxury brands kept their loyal followers?
6. Who owns the data in a Clienteling relationship?
7. Is there a separate Clienteling app for store personnel, or do they all connect through WeCom?
8. How do the stores get involved, and what's the social media connection?
9. Is Xiaohongshu more for awareness and WeChat more for the bottom funnel?
10. I don't have much money; where do I start?
11. Why are brands still behind in digital transformation? It's China!
12. Should the CRM manager run the sales department?
13. A/B Test: Ye all the way! (sorry, Taylor) -
What opportunities exist for Chinese brands post-Olympics? In this world of micro-targeting and community building, smaller brands can take advantage of sponsoring Chinese athletes who may not be as expensive as sports celebrities like Eileen Gu. Did the Paris Olympics help break China's overseas travel slump? Ali and Bryce take a China marketing take on the recent Paris games.
-
In 2023, over 1 million Chinese students went abroad to study, and this number is increasing as the job market sours back home. Today, we speak with Sydney-based Jimmy Lim, co-founder and Managing Director of AIG Education Group, about the Chinese overseas education phenomenon and why it shows no signs of slowing down. AI will come into play in the application process as Australian universities are now flooded with applications.
1. Why is Australia still popular for Chinese students studying abroad?
2. Who is applying? What are the roles of the international schools in China?
3. How do you get into a competitive program in Australia?
4. Are they coming from the Chinese Gaokao or the "international track school"?
5. How important is a "ranked university" in China?
6. Why is Australia restricting the number of international students?
7. is international education important in China, given increased competition?
8. How is AI going to improve the education recruitment process?
9. How will new AI tools change how Chinese students prepare for university?
10. Why do Chinese parents still use consultants to help their children get into university?
11. How can international schools in China do better to prepare students?
12. What are the biggest educational AI innovations coming out of China? -
What's the new evolution of Chinese e-commerce, and why will it impact how Westerners shop?
Today, Ali and Bryce discuss China's new livestream e-commerce transformation. It has evolved from the days of the big livestreamers to hundreds of thousands of mini-livestreamers competing for attention with only several hundred viewers. This evolution is happening on Douyin, TikTok China's cousin, which has used its sophisticated algorithm to serve just-in-time content that intuitively knows what you might just want to buy.
1. Overview of Bryce's recent trip back to Shanghai
2. Who did Bryce interview for his live stream study? What were some of the key findings?
3. What channels do they use to engage live stream commerce?
4. Why are people gravitating towards Xiaonhongshu and Douyin?
5. The growth of mini-livestream influencers (and the decline of the big players)
6. How do mini-influencers disrupt the mass influencer model in China?
7. The importance and definition of authenticity in live stream has changed.
8. What do people buy on Douyin and what's the role of brands in this space?
9. How do brands make money on Douyin/TikTok these days?
10. Will Livestream 2.0 Commerce impact the West?
11. What will happen when we have AI influencers? Will this impact China's live stream experience? -
Have you ever considered working for a local Chinese company? We thought we would ask 20-plus-year PR expert, ultra-marathon runner, and ethnic musicologist Harriet Gaywood, who previously worked at Blue Focus and recently was the VP of Public Relations at Huawei. How is it different from working at a foreign firm? What are the challenges? Is this a viable career option for new recruits?
-
Episode 60! To talk to beauty consumers on social media, beauty brands have to be adept at Chinese social media beauty slang. What's the difference between the #Boiled Water Look (白开水妆容) and #Rich Daughter Makeup (富家千金妆) )? Elisa Harca, Co-Founder and Asia CEO of Red Ant, and Ching Xie, Client Partner at Red Ant Asia, join us to unpack the important lingo. Red Ant is an award-winning agency that specializes in fashion and beauty, working with some of the world's coolest brands, including LUSH, tarte, CREED, and Amika, to name a few.
1. What's the deal with Red Ant? How did you get into myrmecology?
2. Tell us more about Chinese internet beauty slang. Are these slang terms important for connecting with Chinese consumers?
3. Where did these terms originate from? Can they be artificially created by celebrities and influencers?
4. Give us some examples of how brands may use beauty slang in their social media campaigns.
5. Can my looks have different slang references, or am I tied to one of them?
6. You deal with a lot of niche beauty brands? What's the secret to launching a beauty brand in China these days?
7. Which beauty categories provide the greatest opportunity for growth?
8. Beauty in China is still dominated by the big global players but the local brands are catching up. Which local brands do you see as truly stand out? What are they doing that impresses you?
9. A/B Test: Red Book or TikTok, Brands or Products, Speed or Strength? -
How do you bring a product idea to life in the area of the world that produces over 80% of the world's electronic consumer products? Meet Troublemakers' founder, Henk Werner. He's lived in Shenzhen for almost 12 years and guides many worldwide who might have a cool product idea but don't know how to make it a reality. Henk serves as their guide to the Greater Bay network of over 270,000 factories, connecting them with experts in product design, product development, and manufacturing. He's not called "The Map" for nothing.
-
According to this week's guest, automobile industry expert Bill Russo, this year's Autoshow China, held in Beijing, was a wake-up call to the global automobile industry. China has clearly leapfrogged the global auto industry, making products that aren't just transportation vehicles but literally smartphones on wheels. According to Russo, the global auto industry is still living in the 20th century. With the EV tariffs looming in the U.S., are Westerners deprived of owning the next and best iPhone?
1. What was big at this year's Beijing auto show compared to previous ones? What made this year's show a real "wake-up call" to the auto industry?
2. What is "smartness" in EVs, and how does it differ from putting a simple plug-in EV car?
3. Why is Tesla falling behind the curve?
4. What is the smartness experience? Can you describe what it's like inside a truly smart Chinese EV?
5. What's the difference between "national security" and a "security blanket?" Will the tariffs deprive Western automakers of competition that will lead to better and more competitive innovation for their customers?
6. What is a more practical solution besides tariffs for the U.S. and Europe? Bill calls it " flipping the script."
7. How can Chinese EV auto companies stay competitive With so many new NEV brands? -
Welcome to the latest invasion, no it's not TikTok but Shein & Temu!
It's hard to imagine that 4 of the top 8 U.S. iPhone App Store apps are from China. While TikTok and Capcut make the list, the two big surprises are e-commerce juggernauts Temu and Shein. These companies operate unique, manufacturer-to-customer business models and do not manufacture products but simply work with armies of factories throughout China to use powerful algorithms to serve up a plethora of options. Shein reached an estimated $24 billion in revenue in 2022, while Temu reached 161 million users throughout the world. What's the future of these two platforms? How will Amazon respond?
1. Why have these two platforms become so popular? How do they work? How are they different?
2. What makes these platforms uniquely Chinese? What things are similar to their Chinese platforms?
3. How is Temu disrupting the market, given that it doesn't sell recognized brands and people have to wait to get its stuff?
4. Advantage Shein: consumer-responsive fashion
5. Given its incredibly responsive manufacturing model, will Shein develop more up-market products, or will it stay on the low end?
6. Morgan Stanley says that Temu's growth is non-sustainable. Will Amazon pick up the slack?
7. How will Temu impact China's manufacturing tiers? Will it enable them to sell name brands and compete against Amazon?
8. Does Temu need to deliver a group-buy model to survive against Amazon?
9. Will Costco-style value brands emerge from the Temu model?
10. The importance of time spent on the platform and how it will impact Temu/Shein business performance. -
How can brands take advantage of China's new transformation? We decided to invite our livestream episode guests, Chris Baker, founder of Totem, and Minne Wang, Senior Reporter with Campaign Asia, for an in-depth discussion on 5 of the 10 considerations in Totem Media's 2024 report. The report (with links below) is a must-read for anyone looking to navigate the complexities of marketing in China for the next few years.
1. Consideration 1: Value Purchases rule - will this impact brands with weak value propositions? We think so.
2. Consideration 2: Wealth Divides Growing - are we seeing changes in the ever-important middle class?
3. Consideration 3: Trust is Under Pressure: Consumers increasingly scrutinize their purchase decisions, including those in CPG categories. How should brands respond?
4. Consideration 4: Social Commerce is Still Key - are we seeing a move away from Taobao and a greater focus on RED and Douyin?
5. Consideration 5: Brands Need Impact (and not just impressions): How do brands simultaneously focus on brand building while driving sales? How do we prioritize with fewer brand campaigns?
6. A/B Test - Show more
