Learn About China Marketing Storyline for Your Business

As the biggest trading nation globally, and with a GDP of over 10 trillion dollars, China is an appealing destination for business development. Nonetheless, companies cannot just depend on the marketing approaches they have utilized in western cultures when introducing their brand in China. In this region applying uncommon tactics, such as the Chinese marketing storyline is the key to success.

In this article, we will be giving you the information you need regarding the best marketing practices for your Chinese business. It is essential to be aware of the various distinctions between China and other countries when it comes to how customers locate businesses, the networking platforms utilized, and regulations in terms of doing business. All of these are unique to China and should be taken into account. Thus, hiring professionals in business management is essential for foreigners.

Chinese marketing storyline

Having an outstanding product alone is not sufficient to guarantee success when attempting to promote it in China, where there is an abundance of products and companies. To ensure your product is noticed, it is essential to make it stand out from the competition.

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Every marketing professional realizes that constructing a narrative is a critical element for creating a brand identity and connecting with customers. In a complicated, intense market like China, where customers are knowledgeable, tech-savvy, and have countless options when it comes to brands they can shop from, this need for captivating storytelling is even more important. Fortunately, China has a deep, long-lasting association with the art of storytelling, which provides Western brands with an effective pathway for success if they are able to effectively utilize it.

For those Western brands that are able to effectively do Chinese marketing storyline, they have the opportunity to create a narrative that resonates with its target Chinese customers. This can be used to distinguish their brand from competitors and promote conversions and loyalty over time. It is essential to connect with customers on an emotional level. This by:

·        Providing a consistent and well-constructed narrative that brings products and services to life, and which engages the audience on a personal level to become tied to the brand.

Tips to get your Chinese marketing storyline right

In order to draw in Chinese customers with the narrative of your brand, it is essential to comprehend what your intended demographic is searching for, so you can modify your Chinese marketing storyline approach accordingly. This can necessitate some time, effort, and experimentation to get right. Here are the most important points to keep in mind.

Do proper research

It is essential to comprehend the particular components and characteristics of your brand. Especially those that you stress universally in any market. Also, comprehend how certain communications, characteristics, visuals, and other brand elements can be tailored to appeal to your Chinese target audience.

For instance, Disney takes great care to ensure that the characters they use appeal to their Chinese fan base. As well as to make sure that the story they tell is appropriate and sensitive to the local culture. They pay close attention to the language, images, and symbols they use so they do not inadvertently cause any offense.

Know what to say

Once identify the components of your brand, you can start exploring the narratives and principles you would like to communicate to your target group. This can happen through a combination of words and visuals, or design.

Select a Chinese marketing storyline theme

A theme can be a great tool to help shape the narrative of a story. Three popular topics for brand storytelling are 'innovative technology', 'romantic tale' and 'success narrative', respectively:

·        For example, Burberry put in a lot of effort to make their China events a high-tech and unforgettable experience. Featuring a fashion show with holograms and a flagship store in Shanghai that replicates the feel of London with cutting-edge theatrics, narrative, culture, and background.

·        The love story has been a lasting hit in China, and it has been especially useful for some companies. Likewise, Chaton, a French underwear company, has used a unique story of love to further its brand's success in China.

·        Chanel has had great success in China by exploiting the famous theme of success stories. Plus, leveraging the personal triumph narrative of Coco Chanel to boost its brand image.

A successful Chinese marketing storyline requires the use of consistent terms and phrases that accurately represent the ideals and messages of your brand. Budweiser was successful in doing this in China by utilizing language that was endearing, entertaining, optimistic and vibrant. By using these tips, the brand was capable of conveying its goals of ambition, companionship and liberty to its Chinese demographic. Thus, showing that everything is better when people come together.

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Consider using a mascot

Tencent's well-known penguin mascot is a prime illustration of how characters or mascots can be utilized to:

·        Generate a strong emotional bond with a brand

·        Increase public awareness

·        Bring Chinese marketing storyline and messages to life

Western companies should take into account the use of mascots to make their messages livelier, engaging, and endearing. Do not forget to tailor your message to the local audience!

Foment trust

Branding in China is heavily dependent on trust. With so many brands vying for customers, Chinese customers want to establish a strong bond with the brand they decide to go with. This is why it is essential to nurture the trust by delivering what is promised and investing in good Chinese-speaking customer service. Additionally, take time to reply with gratitude or assistance to reviews.

Engage with your Chinese social media followers and express your appreciation for your customers. You could do this by providing holiday-themed freebies like wrapping paper or stickers as part of their delivery, or by organizing competitions and promotions.

Be consistent

When you start formulating your Chinese marketing storyline strategy and its corresponding content plan, it is essential to be consistent in your execution. If you are aiming to introduce your storytelling as part of a comprehensive marketing plan, it is important to tailor your digital assets for a Chinese audience and guarantee that your digital environment is streamlined and optimized for them. Each landing page should be designed to lead your viewers to take the intended action. This will help increase conversions and give an incredible experience to your Chinese customers.

Think about how the offline elements of your business, such as:

·        Store

·        Travel agency

·        Destination

·        Educational program

Can be used to ensure that the same narrative is being shared with customers in China.

Seek support

Creating a successful Chinese marketing storyline campaign can be a difficult challenge. Particularly when it comes to localizing content, targeting the right people and being sensitive to the culture. Hiring a reputable Chinese marketing agency can help you create an effective marketing strategy with the right story to captivate your intended audience.

e-Commerce Rules in China

Businesses have a keen interest in the Chinese market due to its immense size. With a population of over 1.3 billion people, it is the most extensive consumer base in the world. Additionally, it has the highest percentage of cross-border ecommerce shoppers at 30% and contributes a total of 8.8 trillion RMB to the ecommerce market.

With an incentivized shopping day, e-Commerce merchandise sales have exceeded $25 billion. This impressive figure has prompted many companies to join the ranks of those who have already achieved success in the Chinese market by launching their product there.

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Any business that wishes to advertise in China must acquire a license. This is not a requirement for selling products in the country, but is necessary for legal advertisement. To circumvent this, some companies utilize trade partners who can distribute their product through their T-Mall or JD store.

Digital Advertising Guidelines in China

China has stringent regulations concerning online activity. A lot of the websites commonly used in other countries are not available to Chinese citizens. Such as:

·        YouTube

·        Instagram

·        Facebook

·        Google

To devise a successful Chinese marketing storyline plan, it is essential to advertise on channels that are widely available. The primary channels to consider are:

·        WeChat

·        Baidu

·        Sina Weibo

·        Toutiao

·        Tencent Channels

Nonetheless, leveraging these channels is not merely a matter of applying the same approach that you would typically use in Western societies.

·        Advertising on Baidu necessitates an account to be created and a minimum payment of 30,000 RMB to be made before one can begin. These channels have distinct regulations and prerequisites.

·        In order to engage in digital advertising, it is necessary to have a legitimate license from the applicable industry. Moreover, there are usually stringent regulations dictating the kind of advertising that is allowed.

If you are looking to market health and supplement products in the country, you will need to obtain a specific license. Certain platforms may not permit non-natives to create an account. So, it may be necessary to work with a partnered agency who can manage your account. Plus, serve as your media purchaser.

Rather than running their own advertising account, many companies opt to work with an agency. Some platforms necessitate a certain amount of money to be spent each month in order to get better support.

Social Media Marketing in China

In China, similar to other countries, social media advertising is a crucial part of marketing products. The 2 most popular platforms for this purpose are:

·        Weibo

·        WeChat

The majority of digital marketing firms in China focus on promoting these two sites.

It is important to be aware of the associated costs and time necessary for social media advertising before creating your digital marketing plan. Moreover, other methods may be more successful in targeting certain demographics and industries.

In your digital marketing plan, it may be beneficial to explore using additional social media platforms, such as:

·        Sine Weibo

·        Douyin

·        TikTok

·        Toudou and Youku

·        Tencent QQ

·        Toutiao

It is essential to think about which digital mediums will support the expansion of your business in the Asian region. Market study is the key to success. Through investigating and analyzing the target market in China, you can identify the platforms that will afford the greatest success when marketing your product.

A strong digital marketing plan can help build recognition of your brand and cultivate a base of loyal customers.

Key Opinion Leads and Chinese marketing storyline

In China, those who influence public opinion are known as "key opinion leaders" or KOLs. KOL marketing is a form of influencer marketing which involves experts in the field promoting products on popular Chinese social media outlets. These KOLs have the ability to sway their followers, typically due to their expertise and credibility.

Many fashion and beauty blogs showcase young social media models. However, these key opinion leaders often have more substantial backgrounds such as experience in technology or being healthcare providers. As these people have a high level of trustworthiness in their particular area, they can often persuade customers to take their advice and buy certain products.

A KOL China marketing approach can be costly as these influencers usually command high fees. It is typical for a famous Chinese brand to invest up to hundreds of thousands of dollars for a single WeChat campaign. KOL marketing is an important element of many commercial enterprises' marketing strategies.

When contemplating a KOL marketing effort, it is important to make sure the influencer you select is appropriate to advertise your company. While there may be renowned celebrities having widespread fame, there might also be lesser known influencers who are particularly pertinent in particular areas and may cost less to be a part of your KOL marketing campaign.

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