How businesses can adapt — and thrive — in the fast-paced China market

The answer: a careful balancing act of cultural sensitivity, staying up-to-date with the latest advertising regulations, and keen awareness of the mainland Chinese digital landscape.

Turn and face the change

In 2021 alone, marketers had to navigate a number of regulatory changes to China’s digital advertising landscape — July saw the introduction of new regulations on advertisements for private tutoring in China, while August saw revised regulations on medical beauty advertisements. In December, new guidelines on operating algorithms were announced in a bid to create a safer online experience for China’s netizens. 

While keeping track of the status quo may seem like a handful, the key to successfully planning your 2022 China marketing strategy is to understand the cultural nuances and differences between Chinese and other global consumers. As one of the most developed and fast-growing e-commerce markets in the world, understanding the mainland Chinese digital ecosystem is essential for brands looking to succeed.

The dominance of digital 

Research from QS Search, a one-stop China digital media agency, confirms that China’s advertising trend in recent years has been a push to embrace the digital. According to a study by the agency, 32.9% of China’s advertising market belongs to in-feed native ads. Following behind are short video platforms, with a 17.4% market share in China’s advertising market. The remaining market dominance belongs to SEM (search engine marketing), on platforms such as 360, Baidu and Sogou. 

In the past year, there has been significant growth in KOL marketing. Brands in China now cooperate with KOLs, who help brands promote their products on livestream sessions and short-form videos, providing IWOM (Internet Word of Mouth) to Chinese netizens and driving instant conversions.

High risk, high reward

To celebrate the best digital marketing changemakers and risk-takers who have adapted to the China market with aplomb, QS Search established the China Digital Excellence Award in 2017. The first of their nature on a global scale to celebrate businesses’ China digital marketing campaign success, the awards recognise the unconventional marketing strategies deployed when mitigating go-to-market risk. 

This year, in light of the unprecedented difficulties as a result of the pandemic, the awards will be paying tribute and celebrating those businesses which have shown the most resilience, determination, and growth in the face of uncertainty. Highlighted award-winners from 2021 include Mouser Electronics (Hong Kong) Limited, which received the “Most Valued” award; WorldFirst Asia Limited,  which received the “Most Localized” award; and igold (领峰贵金属有限公司), which received the “Most Creative” award.