In 2018, they are finally here. They are young, empowering, and different from the previous generation of Chinese consumers. The millennial generation, generation Z.
Post-2000, little emperors … the generation of Chinese born after 2000 are called by several names. This year is also the year they are becoming adults. Tencent company recently published a report on the rising of the millennial generation. Marketing studies also start to focus more and more on these consumers. Some marketers even say that if you don’t follow generation Z while you are working in the marketing field, you will lose.
The second generation of a unique child in China
If you have already read some of our articles, you may already know that the one-child policy has changed a lot of Chinese consumers’ behavior. Parents are not splitting their resources and their affection into several children (in China, the average number was about 4 to 6 children before) but spending all their time and affection on their unique child. They seek the best education and the best environment for their child. That’s why they are called the “little emperor”
Also with the increase in the middle class in China, many families can offer now better-living conditions to their children. This allows them to chase after their interest and hobby. According to the report of Tencent, the millennial generation has saved 3 times higher than the post-90th generation. While the previous generation has only about 800 Yuan, they have nowadays about 1800 Yuan.
The digitalization of society and access to information have impacted a lot of these young people. They are more open, have their own opinion, and know better what they want. 60% of them like brands that are specialized in their activity and clear with their proposed value.
Being the most connected online consumers, they have a huge influence on their peers and their family. They are also driving the future trend of the market.
What actions brands should take?
We talk about the necessity of branding as generation Z cares a lot about the brand’s personality. Brands need to show their expertise, their values, so they can earn their consumers’ engagement. Nowadays in China, the best way to reach your customers is through the internet.
Social media Campaign
In order to relax and reduce their daily learning pressure, millennials search for activities and entertainment. They spend a lot of time on social media and apps to watch and share content.
Obviously, brands have to be present online. However, choosing the right channels at the right moment is more important. You have to know well consumer behavior and the trend of the time in China. This will help you to effectively promote your brand.
For example, according to Tencent’s report on the millennial generation, they concentrate most of their leisure time in the evening and the wee hours because they have a lot of schoolwork to do before.
What is the platform to use? There are different kinds.
- For microblogging websites: you have Sina Weibo and Tencent Weibo. Sina especially is one of the most popular social media platforms in China.
- For video broadcasting: the trendy app of the moment is Douyin. Douyin (Tik Tok) has become the world’s most downloaded non-game app in the iOS App Store, according to market research company SensorTower. Young people are crazy about it. As videos are very convenient to watch, it is also popular among Chinese consumers in general. There are many other websites specializing in it.
- For forums and sharing platform: the hottest one is Little Red Book (Xiaohongshu in China), which combine e-commerce and content sharing. Young Chinese people are the most connected online and followers of the last trend. On this platform, consumers are also bloggers, they present products or places they are interested in and share reviews and advice. In this way, they are building a community.
Knowing consumers’ behaviors will allow brands to better connect with them.
Presence on WeChat
Even if WeChat is also a social media platform, we have to give particular attention to it and talk about it individually. WeChat is the most used communication app in China which reached recently 1,01 billion followers? Chinese consumers inevitably use WeChat to keep in touch with their contact. WeChat is a sharing platform where Chinese post their activities, photos, and content they are interested in?
Both Chinese and Foreigner users love it because of its convenience and multiple functions.
It has become a very useful marketing tool for brands, giving them the possibility to develop their mini-programs Wechat and to interact with their target consumers. Chinese consumers also use it to follow brands’ WeChat official accounts and get information from them. WeChat allows creating manage the customer relationship in an innovative way.
Build a Chinese Website
To do business in China, you need to be trusted by your consumers. It is important to have your brand’s official website because it can raise your brand’s credibility. Chinese are very active on the internet, they rely on their research online to build an impression of the brand. Besides that, putting quality Chinese content and photos is important for 2 reasons :
- Chinese people are more accustomed to their language and they will pay more attention to reading the content in that way.
- Quality is the key to ensuring your SEO (search engine optimization). Increasing visibility is our objective right?
There are also a lot of rumors on the internet. Even if an online presence can boost your brand’s activities, if it is not well managed, it could turn into bad buzz. Be careful to take care of your e-reputation.
Gentlemen Marketing Agency
We are the most visible marketing agency in China and specialized in the digital field. We have promoted many successful projects, thanks to our team of experts, and because we know the Chinese market situation. We can help you to effectively develop your business in China by using the latest digital tools. How do we help with social media in China? Click here to know more.
You are welcome to contact us for further discussions 🙂
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2 comments
Rico
it is true that there is 400 Million Chinese Millenials in the middle Class?
Gentlemen in China
China has around 400 million millennials, five times more than the 80 million.There are more millennials in China than there are people in the United States and Canada combined.