China Marketing Insights Monthly Newsletter [March 2023]
Hello There,
Welcome to our March newsletter.
Looking to expand your business in China? Look no further than these must-read articles packed with insights and trends to unlock the potential of China’s dynamic and thriving market. As China’s tourism industry is back in full swing! We share with you an interesting China’s Travel Booking App User Insight 2023 report – which reveals how comprehensive travel booking apps are driving the industry’s growth and how industry giants like Ctrip and Fliggy Travel are paving the way for the future of travel.
Next, get ready to revolutionize your marketing strategy with the 2022 China Mobile Internet Industry Insights & Review – explore the latest trends and discover how to expand your reach with over 1.2 billion users with endless possibilities for growth.
In Valentine’s Day Marketing Insights: China Trends and Strategies, to discover the hottest trends, audience profiles, and winning strategies that are captivating audiences on Xiaohongshu and Douyin. The social dating industry is booming in China, stay up-to-date with the latest industry insights, social rankings, and creative reviews from the report “Unlock the Secrets of China’s Thriving Social Dating Industry”.
Finally, don’t miss out on our App of the Month – Marketing to Chinese Travellers on Qunar: Insights and Strategies for China’s Leading Online Travel Booking Platform , with 600 million users and a diverse range of highly educated white-collar workers and high-net-worth individuals, take advantage of various types of advertising and targeting options and reach your desired demographic with ease.
Thank you for reading!
Sincerely,
Mia C. Chen
CEO & Co-Founder of OctoPlus Media
China’s Travel Booking App User Insight 2023
January 2023 brings exciting news for travel enthusiasts as China lifts entry restrictions and welcomes tourists with open arms. The Chinese tourism market is back in full swing, with an impressive surge in demand during the Spring Festival.
According to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, domestic tourist trips in January 2023 will increase by a whopping 23.1% YoY, reaching 308 million. Additionally, domestic tourism revenue is predicted to rise by 30% YoY, reaching 375.843 billion yuan. This is a remarkable recovery to 73.1% of the same period in 2019, indicating a promising rebound for the industry.
Comprehensive travel booking apps are a key driver of this growth, with impressive figures reported by major players like Ctrip, Qunar, Fliggy Travel, Mafengwo Travel, and Tongcheng Travel. These apps have seen an impressive increase in the number of active users, with some as high as 29.84%. What’s more, the per capita usage time of these apps has increased significantly, indicating that users find the content more appealing and are more likely to convert to actual travel behaviour.
The per capita usage time of China’s major comprehensive travel booking apps:
- Qunar: 2.56 hours, an increase of 25.25%
- Ctrip: 1.38 hours, an increase of 23.14%
- Tongcheng Travel: 0.36 hours, an increase of 20/99%
- Fliggy Travel: 0.33 hours, an increase of 45.86%
- Mafengwo Travel: 0.24 hours, an increase of 36.98%
List of marketing cases of comprehensive travel booking apps in China:
- Ctrip
Get ready to embark on an adventure of a lifetime with Ctrip, your ultimate travel companion. Ctrip has taken the world by storm with its impressive range of travel packages, including a whopping 700 outbound group tour projects in January alone, covering 15 countries and regions. With nearly 400 self-operated projects in 9 countries, Ctrip ensures you have an unforgettable travel experience!
But that’s not all! Ctrip has revolutionized tourism by creating the first-ever live broadcast of tourism with goods, in partnership with the Thailand National Tourism Administration. The live broadcast had over 10 million viewers at home and abroad, with more than 110,000 orders for Thai products sold in just one day!
And the good news keeps rolling in! From January 11, Ctrip Group and the Macao SAR Tourism Bureau have launched an incredible 50% off hotel coupons to help Hong Kong and Macao tourism resume. With Ctrip by your side, you can explore the world while saving big.
- Fliggy Travel
Fliggy Travel is making waves with its exciting “Hello, Tomorrow” plan, launched on December 12, 2022! This comprehensive travel platform has already released over 900 thrilling outbound travel packages for Chinese mainland consumers, perfect for satisfying all your wanderlust during the upcoming Spring Festival. And the best part? Fliggy is doubling its subsidies to make your travels even more affordable and unforgettable. It’s no wonder that from January 8th to February 6th, the average daily number of travellers using Fliggy’s overseas local entertainment services increased by more than four times compared to the previous period. Get ready to say hello to your dream destination with Fliggy Travel!
- Tongcheng Travel
Tongcheng Travel is leading the way in tourism recovery with a strategic partnership with the Tahiti Tourism Bureau, the Gansu Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism, and the Zigong Chinese Lantern World. Their efforts have resulted in exciting travel opportunities for adventures seeking unforgettable experiences. Additionally, the company has officially upgraded their WeChat mini-program “Chengchebei” to the irresistible “City Link”, offering a comprehensive array of daily travel and local entertainment services for explorers of all types.
These innovative strategies have helped drive tourism growth and create exciting new opportunities for travellers.
Unlock the future of travel with positive market trends
Exciting times are ahead for the travel industry! Major platforms are constantly releasing new tourism products, and more and more people are taking advantage of them. The national tourism market is bouncing back, and we can see a bright future on the horizon. As long as there are no major setbacks with the covid infection, we can expect a continuous upward trend in the tourism industry.
Tourism companies are quickly rebuilding their supply chain systems to ensure that they’re ready to provide the best possible travel experience to their customers. While most of the tourists travelling in January were post-80s and post-90s young tourists, we anticipate that middle-aged and elderly groups will join in on the travel fun as time goes on. Get ready to experience the joy of travel again!
To discover more, please fill out the contact form below and we will be in touch with you shortly.
2022 China Mobile Internet Industry Insights & Review
Attention all marketers! Get ready for the rise of “mobile intelligence” as China’s mobile internet users soar past a whopping 1.2 billion, marking a new milestone in the digital world!
Thanks to three years of constant evolution, the mobile internet user base in China has now reached an all-time high, as reported in the “2022 China Mobile Internet Annual Report” by QuestMobile. And, the best part is the report shows user engagement has surged too, with an average monthly usage of over 177.3 hours and a staggering 2633 times per capita. Plus, demographics are changing with the times as well – the number of users over 51 years old has exceeded 26.4%, surpassing the quarter mark, and 60.6% of users are now from third-tier cities and beyond!
Get ready for the future of China’s mobile smart industry! The latest report reveals that short video users are dominating the industry, accounting for an impressive 28.5% of all applications, while instant messaging has taken a back seat at 20.7%. With constant changes in application and external environments, industry subdivision has become a key trend in the market. Looking for new ways to expand and grow, mini-programs, fast apps, and other innovative content strategies are taking centre stage. The quest for incremental growth remains the primary focus of China’s mobile internet.
Experience the power of 5G smart terminals and network popularization as the number of active 5G network users surges to 12.7%, a significant YoY increase of 5.2%. The proportion of iOS and Android terminals has also stabilized at 21.7% and 78.3%, respectively. In addition to advanced chips and screens, cross-terminals such as multi-terminal interconnection and multi-screen collaboration have become new must-have selling points
Brace yourself for the exciting news that will revolutionize the way you think about technology. From mobile phones to car terminals and wearable devices, the expansion of China’s smart internet has taken the world by storm! With “interconnection” and “smartness” becoming the new buzzwords in the field of equipment, it’s no wonder that niche sports and beauty care are experiencing explosive growth on content marketing platforms. Imagine cycling, camping, and Frisbee with cutting-edge equipment that takes your performance to the next level.
And that’s not all! AIGC applications like ChatGPT are making waves globally, empowering more and more application scenarios, and enhancing production efficiency. Get ready to experience a surge of basic large-scale models that create new consumption and demand.
Industries Insights of Mobile Internet in China
Let’s not forget the booming mobile shopping industry, which has over 700 million users in China’s panoramic traffic channel. Panoramic traffic has expanded to first-tier, second tier and young users, further fueling the growth of mobile shopping. Don’t miss out on the latest trends and innovations in China’s mobile internet industry!
Experience the wealth of financial opportunities in China’s booming financial wealth management industry! As more and more Chinese consumers take advantage of online financial apps, the industry has achieved a significant increase in penetration rate, with over 8% of internet users turning to online wealth management. Leading the industry in traffic is Alipay, gross settlement and mobile banking industries. But that’s not all – banking institutions are rapidly accelerating their online processes too, with mobile banking app users increasing by a staggering 175 million in just three years. The industry’s highly sticky user base even includes middle-aged and elderly consumers in low-line areas, proving that online wealth management is a trend that spans generations and geographies.
Enter the vibrant world of China’s short video industry, where user activity and usage time have skyrocketed to new heights, with an average daily usage time exceeding a whopping 2.5 hours! Dominating the industry with their unparalleled traffic and impressive user stickiness are the trailblazing Douyin and Kuaishou apps, ensuring the competitive landscape remains stable.
While new game releases in 2022 may not significantly affect the market, classic games still reign supreme. Notably, small games are incredibly popular among users, with the top 10 small games boosting more than 10 million active users. And for game developers, there’s a powerful advertising tool available on the leading short video platform, Douyin. With its massive user base and influential reach, Douyin is the perfect medium to promote online games and take your game to the next level.
The life services industry such as catering companies, food delivery services, and warehousing and logistics are all flourishing with the help of the internet. Attract new customers through the innovative “APP + mini-programs” approach and increase the digital footprint.
Meanwhile, the smart device industry is rapidly evolving to meet the growing demands of tech-savvy consumers. Comprehensive management, smart speakers, and smart home appliances are just a few examples of the commitment to staying ahead of the curve. With the traditional car companies boasting a loyal user base and a balanced audience, the “new generation” brands are quickly gaining popularity with the younger demographic.
In this rapidly evolving market, businesses must stay current with the latest online marketing trends to succeed. Don’t miss out on the incredible opportunities that await in this vibrant mobile market!
Contact us now with the form below to learn how we can help you reach your target audience and achieve your business goals.
Valentine’s Day Marketing Insights: China Trends and Strategies
Get ready to spread the love with China Valentine’s Day Marketing Insights! The latest “2023 Festival Marketing Insight Report” by QuestMobile has revealed a sharp increase in the popularity of Valentine’s Day after the Chinese New Year holiday. Want to make your brand stand out? Look no further than the top two platforms for publication, Xiaohongshu and Douyin, where “Valentine’s Day” related content interaction volume occupies a staggering 47.6% and 40.4% respectively!
Unlock the power of love and cater to your audience’s desire for romance with essential Valentine’s Day marketing keywords. From the classic roses and indulgent chocolates to tantalizing cakes and perfumed makeup, to accessories and the ultimate symbol of love – couples’ handprint photo frames – your brand can create the perfect Valentine’s Day experience for all.
Step into the exciting world of 2023 Valentine’s Day content marketing trends in China and discover the three major changes that are taking the market by storm!
- There’s a thrilling trend of multi-dimensional cross-over in the community – The traditional notion of Valentine’s Day being solely for couples is fading away. Nowadays, it extends to a variety of relationships, including self-love, relatives, friends, and even pets! This means that Valentine’s Day is now a diversified consumer market, with endless opportunities for brands to attract more consumers through carefully planned and positioned campaigns.
- There’s a wealth of differentiated marketing models on different platforms – On Douyin, the discussions centred around diligence and ritual; while Xiaohongshu thrives on creating emotional connections and promoting brand customization. In particular, gifts for boyfriends are becoming increasingly popular, indicating a growing demand for men’s festive celebration needs. By understanding the nuances of each platform, brands can craft targeted campaigns that resonate with their audience.
- Young users are driving demand for fashion, photography, music and games – The top four interests with penetration rates exceeding 50%. Brands that cater to these preferences will be sure to catch the attention of this crucial demographic.
User audience portraits reveal exciting insights for 2022 and 2023.
- Gentlemen, listen up! You have our attention, and we are here for you! Statistics show that male users’ interest has grown by a remarkable 5.9% YoY.
- Calling all young lovebirds! The findings indicate that the proportion of users under the age of 30 has increased by a staggering 13.5%.
- Are you ready for the big reveal? Data shows an 8% increase in users from first- and second-tier cities.
- The audience portraits have confirmed that the proportion of people with high online consumption ability has increased by 5%.
Attention all brand players! Content marketing is evolving, and these three major trends are creating exciting new hotspots that you won’t want to miss out on. From captivating UGC and PGC in the “preheating period”, to the irresistible “purchase promotion” on the final day, creating sensational hotspots has become the ultimate goal.
With Valentine’s Day fast approaching, major brands are getting ready to launch intensive marketing campaigns. They are allocating hefty budgets to promote their Valentine’s Day customized and limited products. However, in the early stages of marketing, brands are focusing on soft advertising to attract consumers and nurture brand loyalty. For beauty brands, Valentine’s Day is an incredibly significant festival. It’s no surprise that over half of the content in Xiaohongshu’s business notes is about beauty makeup, with nine out of the top ten brands being beauty makeup brands. This is a clear indication of the cutthroat competition that exists between beauty brands during Valentine’s Day marketing.
Moreover, it’s crucial to note that trending words and content related to giving gifts to boyfriends are becoming increasingly valued by brands. This highlights the brand’s expansion and cultivation of the gift-giving crowd and commodity usage scenarios over the past few years. Major brands are also launching customized and limited gift boxes and products with designs, packaging, and trade names associated with Valentine’s Day. This approach caters to users’ desire for a “sense of ritual” during the festival, allowing consumers to relish the festive atmosphere while making their purchases. Against this backdrop, all major brands are employing marketing strategies to attract more consumers, thereby bolstering their sales performance.
When it comes to KOL collaboration, savvy brands know that mid-tier KOLs with outstanding performance are the way to go! According to Xiaohongshu, over 80% of Valentine’s Day posts were created by KOLs with fewer than 500,000 followers. Mid-tier KOLs with 100,000 and 1 million fans, whose content boasts the highest engagement rates.
Valentine’s Day is a competitive time for beauty, home appliances, and related industries. But fear not! By creating compelling, Valentine’s Day-themed content, brands are boosting their sales conversions and captivating their audience. Interestingly, the top 10 beauty care brands capturing China’s 2023 Valentine’s Day e-commerce audience are all international players, while the top 10 home appliance brands are all homegrown heroes.
2023 Valentine’s Day e-commerce audience attention TOP10 brands (beauty care):
- Lancôme
- YSL (Yves Saint Laurent)
- L’Oreal
- Estee Lauder
- M.A.C
- Huaxizi
- Armani
- Chanel
- Dior
- Proya
Valentine’s Day is the season of love, and major brands are in a frenzy to launch the most romantic gifts and capture the hearts of their customers. With beauty makeup, food and beverage categories taking the lead, high-end watch accessories are also making a splash on the popular Douyin platform. With sub-categories priced at over 100 yuan, it’s clear that customers are willing to invest in love, and brands are reaping the rewards with sky-high conversion rates. The likes of Estee Lauder, Saint Laurent, Givenchy, and other top brands are experiencing a surge in popularity on Douyin, with Valentine’s Day-themed gifts soaring to the top of the best-selling list.
Valentine’s Day sets have emerged as an effective way for brands to increase the unit price of customers, and the sales rankings indicate that set product combinations are a hit. Douyin’s live broadcasts are still the go-to for placing orders and converting them. While flowers are a staple for any couple celebrating the season of love, emerging e-commerce platforms are now selling them through live broadcasts. These live sales contribute to nearly 80% of the sales, with flowers in the price range of 20-50 yuan and 100-300 yuan being the most popular. Alongside live broadcasts, content platforms are also turning to group-buying videos to promote flowers, with a focus on romance and ritual. These savvy strategies and marketing tactics have undoubtedly increased brand exposure, attracted more customers, and boosted sales to new heights.
Hottest sales trends of typical brands on the Douyin channel in 2023 (proportion of sales of Valentine’s Day-related products):
- YSL (Yves Saint Laurent)
– 70.3% - Estee Lauder – 63.2%
- Givenchy – 51.5%
Looking to indulge in a bit of romance and celebrate your significant other? Look no further than the thriving “romantic economy” that not only encourages gift-giving but also highlights the importance of experiencing the festival scene with your loved one. One key element of this vibrant culture is movie-watching, which has become a staple for couples seeking an intimate and entertaining date night. And when it comes to Valentine’s Day, there’s no denying the impact it has on the movie market – with romance flicks soaring to the top of the charts.
But it’s not just about the movies – Valentine’s Day has become a global phenomenon, inspiring consumers around the world to seek out the perfect gift for their special someone. This massive consumer holiday has given rise to a range of brands and industries that cater to the lovebirds of the world, with beauty care brands seeing particularly impressive success.
In conclusion, it’s time for brands to embrace the changing trends of China’s Valentine’s Day and tap into the immense potential they hold. By understanding the diverse and inclusive nature of the celebration, tailoring marketing strategies to different platforms, and catering to the interests of young users, brands can truly make their mark and stand out in the crowded market. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to connect with your audience in a heartfelt way this Valentine’s Day season. With the romantic economy in full swing, the possibilities are endless!
Contact us with the form below to find out more!
Social Dating Industry Advertising Insights: China Trends and Strategies
Social apps have become a means of knowing friends and emotional relief for many single young people living alone, which shows that the demand for social dating in China is gradually flourishing. According to the AppGrowing social APP launch insight report, we summarized the industry delivery insights, social hot list and creative review.
According to AppGrowing data monitoring, the proportion of creative placement and the number of social apps in the social dating industry during January-February 2023 were at the forefront, with a total of 720+ social apps running ads. As for Momo, a veteran social app, after it has a certain number of users, it will reduce the number of ad purchases, and the number of advertisements in January was reduced by more than 60% compared with last year.
- Industry delivery insights
According to AppGrowing data, social and marriage accounted for 12.4% of the hot ad investment industry ranking from January to February 2023, compared with the first half of 2022, the ad investment proportion increased by 5.71%, ranking among the top three. The social and marriage app is rank second compared to the game and cultural entertainment industry, and far surpasses reading, tools, online earning, finance, medical and health industries, and it belongs to the main force of ad investment. However, social apps have a short creative life cycle, with nearly 80% of the creatives having a delivery cycle of 1-3 days and thus having higher requirements for creative quality. The main ad investment platform for social and marriage apps is Tencent Advertising, Ocean Engine, and Baidu Marketing are the top three. Social and marriage ads accounted for 16.05% of Tencent’s advertising platform traffic, Ocean Engine (11.40%) and Baidu Marketing platform (8.66%).
- Social Hot List
According to AppGrowing data, the Aiqing APP has impressive volumes of ad investment, which have increased by 250%+ YoY during January 2023, leading the social buying list. Since Q4 2022, Aiqing APP has ranked No. 1 in the promotion list of social apps, while apps such as Soul, MianMian, MoSheng, Tongcheng Moyue and other apps have continuously ranked among the TOP10 social app ad investment list, which shows that the overlap of the social hot lists extremely high. Comparing the number of ad investments in the past 7 months, it was found that although the apps such as FuJing XunAi, MoSheng, and TaQu app showed an overall upward trend, there was a slight decrease in early 2023. During the period from January to February 2023, CSJ’s media platform is the main ad delivery channel for FuJing XunAi, MoSheng, and TaQu, and 94.64% of the FuJing XunAi’s advertisements are concentrated on CSJ’s media platform.
- Creative review
With the increasing demand for social networking in China, the regulatory authorities have paid more attention to and strengthened the review of social app creative. In addition to being cautious in the production of social app creative, it is also necessary to focus on user pain points and provide product benefits. Creatives have to use benefits to disassemble users’ pain points, for example, real-name authentication and authenticity can dismantle users’ pain points of untrue information; fee is not transparent concern can be dismantled by “no charge, just add friends directly”; “near you” can alleviate the pain points of the offline meeting. Social app ad copywriting high-frequency words include local area, get to know each other, soul, friends, home-cooked food, video, chat, good looking, etc.
In order to cater to the preferences of Gen Z users, social app advertisers also tend to be younger for creative content. Using emotional healing short films, paired with affectionate BGMs to create an “atmosphere” that directly hit the hearts of lonely young people.
Diversified development of social apps, such as “social + voice”, “social + live-broadcast”, “social + game” and so on to attract young users. The materials of “social + game” to create game CP through the user needs of “finding game teammates” or “playing games together”. In addition, the pain points of social users, such as chat restrictions or reload restrictions, etc., social app advertisers break users’ concerns through videos, thereby guiding users to download the app.
The advertising strategy and creative tricks of the social marriage industry will have more changes in the future. To learn more, please contact us in the form below!
Marketing to Chinese Travellers on Qunar: Insights and Strategies for China's Leading Online Travel Booking Platform
In recent years, the Chinese online travel market has experienced tremendous growth, thanks to the rising popularity of online booking platforms like Qunar.
What is Qunar?
Qunar is a leading Chinese online travel booking platform that allows users to search, compare and book flights, hotels, and other travel services. With 600 million users and 2.04 billion monthly active users downloads, Qunar has become one of the most popular travel websites in China.
Qunar, one of China’s largest travel platforms, offers businesses an opportunity to advertise their products and services to a large audience. With its extensive reach and engagement, Qunar has become an attractive platform for business to advertise their travel-related products and services in China. In this article, we’ll explore Qunar advertising and provide you with a comprehensive guide on how to advertise on Qunar in China.
Qunar User Profile
Qunar platform attracts a diverse range of users, from young and tech-savvy travelers to high-net-worth individuals with a passion for self-drive tours. Here’s a closer look at Qunar user profile:
- The high-potential user group
The high-potential user group consists mainly of white-collar workers aged 26 and above. They are highly educated, with 63.7% holding a bachelor’s degree or above. This group includes a significant number of post-95 female users, who make up 59.5% of the group. And when it comes to travel, they know what they want – 41.5% of post-90s users prefer to rent a car through Qunar
- The high-net-worth user group
If you’re looking to target high-net-worth individuals, look no further than Qunar high-net-worth user group. This group includes a large proportion of users aged 27-35, with a significant number of parent-child travelers. And they have the means to indulge their passion for travel – 49.2% of users in this group have a monthly household income of over 30,000RMB. They also have a strong preference for self-drive tours, with 50.6% of users in this group choosing this type of travel in 2020.
And if you’re looking to target male users, Qunar high-net-worth user group is a great place to start – 51.9% of Qunar’s male users are part of this group. They are primarily located in first- and second-tier cities, with 68.9% of users hailing from these areas.
Types of Qunar Advertising
Qunar offers various types of advertising options for businesses to choose from, including:
- Display Ads: These are ads that appear on the Qunar website and app.
- Search Ads: These are ads that appear when users search for travel-related keywords on Qunar.
- Brand Zone Ads: These ads appear in the Qunar Brand Zone, a dedicated section on the Qunar website for brand promotions.
Qunar advertising uses a bidding system, where businesses bid for ad placement based on their desired target audience and ad placement options, The bidding system is based on a cost-per-click (CPC) model, where businesses only pay when a user clicks on their ad. Qunar also offers a daily budget option, which allows businesses to set a maximum daily spend for their ads.
Ad Formats
Qunar offers various ad formats for businesses to choose from. These formats include:
- Image Ads
- Video Ads
- Text Ads
- Carousel Ads: These ads consist of multiple images or videos that users can swipe through
Targeting Options
Qunar offers several targeting options to help businesses reach their desired audience. These options include:
- Demographic targeting: Target users based on age, gender, location, education level, occupation, and other demographic information
- Interest targeting: Target users based on their interests, such as travel, sports, fashions, and more
- Behaviour targeting: Target users based on behaviours on Qunar, such as searches, clicks, and bookings
Tips for Advertising on Qunar
Here are some tips to help businesses make the most of Qunar advertising campaigns:
- Use high-quality and appealing visuals that are relevant to your product or service
- Use concise and compelling ad copy that highlights the benefits of your product or service
- Incorporate a clear and prominent call-to-action (CTA) that encourages users to take action
- Conduct thorough keyword research to ensure you are targeting the right keywords for your business
- Leverage Qunar’s targeting options to ensure you are reaching the right audience for your product or service
- Monitor your campaigns closely and adjust your strategy as needed to ensure you are generating a positive ROI
In conclusion, Qunar is a highly attractive platform for businesses looking to advertise in China’s online travel market to reach a large and engaged audience in China. By understanding Qunar’s user profile, various ad types, and ad formats, and leveraging its advertising options, businesses can create effective Qunar ads that engage and drive positive results for their campaigns. With its extensive reach and engagement, Qunar advertising is a must-have in any business’s marketing strategy in China’s travel industry.
So why wait? Start advertising on Qunar today and reach your ideal customers! Contact us in the form below to find out more!
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