The word brandigo is written in blue on a white background.

China Marketing in 2023

Looking towards a brighter 2023

The year 2022 was a challenging one for the China marketing scene, as the COVID-19 pandemic led to significant changes in the way businesses operated and marketed themselves. With trade shows and in-person meetings being largely off the table, companies had to find new ways to reach their target audiences. 
 
One trend that emerged was the increased use of KOLs (key opinion leaders) and other influencers to promote products and services. These individuals have a large following on social media platforms such as WeChat and Douyin (TikTok), and they can help businesses reach a wider audience through their trusted recommendations. For B2B marketers, this took the form of trade publications – typically the WeChat versions.  
 
B2B marketers also stepped out of the WeChat comfort zones and started to experiment with Douyin, Little Red Book and other more consumer-focused social media. One of the reasons being that the “walled garden” that is WeChat is a long, slow slog for new fans and growth – something that has always bedeviled China B2B marketers.  
 
Companies also experimented with video and used the WeChat Channels video platform to supercharge their WeChat content efforts. We saw a rise in B2B clients taking advantage of video in a more systematic way as well – supporting them to take a larger “content zero” piece of content and break it into sizable chunks.  
 
Another trend was the rise of webinars, which allowed businesses to connect with their customers and partners remotely. Some of our most successful clients incorporated webinars into their WeChat official accounts, providing a library of content, sometimes gated and sometimes available to the public.  
 
Hybrid trade shows and digital-only trade shows did not make much headway, although at CIIE (China’s major import-export trade show), we saw many brands use live-streaming to reach their target audiences that could not attend the exhibition. 
 
Looking ahead to 2023, it is difficult to predict exactly how the China marketing scene will evolve. With COVID-19 still a major concern and vaccination efforts ongoing, it is more than likely that digital channels – especially newer channels – will to play a significant role in how businesses reach their target audiences, even as trade shows start to re-surface.  
 
However, as the pandemic hopefully comes under control and restrictions are lifted, it is possible that we will see a return to more traditional marketing methods, such as trade shows and in-person meetings. Only time will tell how the China marketing scene will adapt and change in the coming year. 
 
Andy Smith

Andy Smith - StrategiQ

By Steven Proud • 11 Apr, 2024
In this episode... Andy chats about his background in retail and sales and the corporate grounding he developed during his early career. His introduction to marketing and advertising sales came from the 12 years he spent at Yellow Pages, the majority of which was working face-to-face with businesses of all sizes. He talks about maintaining a passion for business challenges, a belief in robust business planning and developing marketing strategies and tactics that are directly aligned with the business plan. We discuss leadership in an agency environment and how Andy interprets his role as CEO. We also look at the career progression of his team and the importance of providing opportunities for growth and leadership. Andy highlights the importance of achieving a balance between brand, technology, and customer experience, and how this has influenced how StrategiQ positions itself as a business. Resources mentioned in this episode: Andy Smith on LinkedIn StrategiQ website StrategiQ on LinkedIn Brand igo Chin a Steven Proud on LinkedIn AMIN Worldwide online AMIN Worldwide on LinkedIn Sponsor for this episode... This episode is brought to you by Brandigo China . We are an independent marketing and communications agency based in Shanghai, China with 20 years of on-the-ground experience in China. At Brandigo China , we work with multinational clients to support their marketing and business growth efforts in China. We are experts in insight strategy, content marketing, marketing-led business growth campaigns and all things China-based marketing. Go to www.brandigochina.com to learn more and contact us with questions at hellochina@brandigo.com .
Sean O'Brien

Sean O'Brien - B2B Leader

By Michael Golden • 20 Mar, 2024
Marketing podcast with B2B marketing leader Sean O'Brien

Do you need specific marketing personas for China?

By Steven Proud • 15 Mar, 2024
Developing marketing personas specific to your China target audiences should be the foundation of your China marketing strategy and insight research, and here are 6 reasons why.
Share by: