Harnessing social media to reach consumers

China has a thriving and fast-growing social networking market, with more than 300 million users. With Facebook and Twitter access blocked in China by the so-called Great Firewall of China, the fragmented sector is dominated by domestic players such as Renren – often dubbed “China’s Facebook” and boasting 154 million users – and Sina Weibo, a local equivalent of Twitter.

Technologically, Chinese social media is very advanced, and access through mobile devices is high. Reflecting skepticism about formal institutions and authority, the views of opinion leaders in social networks are highly valued.

Competition for the ears and eyes of consumers in China’s social media space is fierce, with many companies employing “artificial writers” to seed positive content about themselves and attack competitors with negative stories. But these strategies often backfire, and are fraught with risk. Importantly, these efforts do not offer organic content – the lifeblood of a strong, sustainable social media strategy.

How can Thai companies best make use of social media in China? Social media content costs significantly less than a traditional advertising campaign and using a Chinese partner to implement a social media strategy to reach consumers is recommended. 

Thai companies can benefit from the experience of several multinationals promoting their brands in China, as outlined recently by McKinsey & Company.

Estee Lauder’s Clinique brand launched a drama series, Sufei’s Diary, with 40 episodes broadcast daily on a dedicated website, repeated on bus, train and airplane monitors. Skin care was part of the story but the series was seen more as entertainment than advertising, and was viewed online more than 21 million times. The lesson? Make content authentic and user-oriented. 

Campaigns that might work outside of China often need to be adapted for local tastes. Dove China imported its Real Beauty social media campaign to promote beauty among women of all looks and body shapes, but it didn’t work with Chinese consumers who viewed the “real” women as overweight and unattractive. So Dove changed tack, partnering with Ugly Wudi, the local adaptation of the hit US comedy, Ugly Betty, to weave-in Dove storylines, and also using blogs and live online chats. The campaign worked, indicating the value of a test-and-learn approach.

Many well-known international brands combine traditional marketing with social media strategies. Among them are Starbucks which is particularly active online, promoting its messages of quality, social responsibility and community building, and Durex, which has a marketing team that monitors online comments around the clock and works with agency partners to create original, funny content, trying to generate a buzz and deepen customer engagement with the brand.

Consumer marketing in general in China is different in many ways from other countries – for example, Chinese businesspeople tend to be more assertive than their overseas counterparts, with a never-say-die attitude, and this is reflected in how they go about their marketing.

For social media, while there are notable differences in the environment, the basic techniques for reaching Chinese consumers are not that different from those you would employ in any other country, and Thai companies prepared to adapt as required should be able to find success. 

 

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