Tag: China

Shanghai, China – Interpublic Group’s media and marketing solutions division IPG Mediabrands has recently appointed Kestrel Lee as the head of Mediabrands Content Studio (MBCS) in China, effective immediately.

Lee, who has over 20 years of industry experience, is a well-known creative expert across all facets of integrated digital marketing including e-commerce and social media. He will be responsible for setting a creative vision and building an innovative, content-forward culture for clients across all platforms and formats in China.

He first entered the industry as an English-Chinese copywriter at advertising agencies including Saatchi & Saatchi, BBH, and Y&R; and then built his industry credentials working across digital-led integrated agencies such as Arc Worldwide/Leo Burnett, FCBi, TBWA/Tequila, Sapient, and ZENO/Edelman.

He will be reporting to Chris Chen, CEO of Mediabrands China.

“I am thrilled to have Kestrel join us to champion our content proposition as part of our global MediabrandsContent Studio capabilities. With his award-winning track record, creative passion, and in-depth understanding of how content is consumed in China, I truly believe Kestrel will accelerate our business growth through content,” Chen stated.

MBCS was first launched in 2020 by Brendan Gaul, global chief content officer at Mediabrands, and aims to grow the content capabilities within Mediabrands agencies: UM, Initiative, Reprise, Rapport, MAGNA, and Orion; around the world.

Hong Kong – In retrospect to celebrating the game’s gameplay in China for a decade now, multiplayer online battle arena video game League of Legends has launched a new campaign alongside brand agency Superunion, which evokes memories of the game’s players in the country, who have been active now for a decade.

Called aptly as the ‘Annie-versary’ campaign, the title plays on one of the game’s well-known characters known as Annie, a child mage known to possess pyromantic abilities. Furthermore, the character has become of increasing importance to League of Legends players as a valuable and iconic champion.

Said campaign was developed using the insight from Riot Games that gamers love finding Easter eggs and the feeling of being truly part of a gaming community. It uses memes, secret words, and insider jokes, piecing them together to follow a protagonist’s 10-year gaming journey with League of Legends, sharing the wild ride with the gaming community.

Justin Kuo, head of creative, China Entertainment at Riot Games, said, ”Superunion has been the ideal partner for the campaign, as they truly understand the passion that our players have for our games and have helped us create a campaign that reflects the transformative power of being part of the gaming community.”

The film launched at the grand opening celebration event at Hangzhou Olympic Sport Centre and will be featured across all social media platforms and broadcast media.

Meanwhile, Maggie Chien, business director at Superunion China, commented, “It’s been an honor working with Riot Games China, with this particular project aligning perfectly with our creative revolution spirit. We worked as one global Superunion team to complete Riot’s 10th ‘Annie-versary’ film that integrates an impactful plot with top-notch visualizations, designed to evoke memories for all League of Legend gamers over the last 10 years.”

Shanghai, China – Automotive manufacturer BMW in China has launched ‘The Convenience Store’ on its flagship store in e-commerce TMall, in order to deliver a completely new brand and product experience for a younger generation of car enthusiasts. 

The concept, which was created in collaboration with creative agency TBWA’s Juice Beijing, has been designed to remove traditional barriers associated with purchasing a car, making the experience as seamless as buying the latest pair of sneakers. 

Moreover, ‘The Convenience Store’ integrates popular culture, technology, and service with a brand-led approach, which includes door-to-door delivery, online bidding, car customization, and lifestyle collectibles.

Through door-to-door delivery, customers can now view a model and reserve a test drive with door-to-door delivery without ever stepping into any physical store, while the online bidding is for limited edition cars, where customers can bid to get hyper limited-edition models immediately, avoiding a long waiting list. 

Furthermore, the car customization will enable customers to customize exterior color, wheels, and interior materials for key models enabled by BMW Visualizer tech. And lastly, the lifestyle collectibles will allow customers to purchase a full set of limited edition designed collectibles.

In addition, the initiative includes the BMW pop-up ‘The Convenience Store’ in Huaihai TX, which is the latest street culture landmark in Shanghai. The real-world pop-up provided a complementary sensory experience including Yee’s crafted miniature art cars and collectibles on display, and different art installations to represent the different service experiences in an avant-garde style, mirroring the virtual store.

BMW China has appointed Chinese singer Jackson Yee as its new-generation ambassador to introduce ‘The Convenience Store’ across phygital channels Yee’s creative process in crafting unique miniature BMW art cars, T-shirts, and paintings became the highlight of the lifestyle collectibles.

For customers to gain access to the pop-up, they will simply register at BMW TMall Store to become members.

Hong Kong – Nantou City, the ancient city of Xin’an located at the center of Nanshan District in Shenzhen, has announced its complete brand overhaul, as part of its effort to build a cultural landmark in the Greater Bay Area (GBA).

Nantou City is positioned as the capital of Eastern Guangdong and the cultural origin of Hong Kong and Macau. It strives to be the melting pot of design, culture, and creative industries.

According to Nantou City, after Vanke, the town developer and city service provider, took over the renovation of the city, it has evolved into a landmark location embedded with four major parts – cultural and creative retails, trendy art experiences, and high-quality and innovative F&B, as well as cultural residencies.

The rebranding, which will be managed by creative brand agency Superunion, includes strategic brand, experience, and communications planning, alongside a total revamp of visual identity.

Nan Huang, the general manager of Shenzhen Nantou City’s Renovation Project, shared that their aim is to activate Nantou City, bringing out the best in both Chinese traditions and modern creativity, organic and sustainable development vitality to the town. 

“As we see the Greater Bay Area continue to thrive and develop, our goal is for Nantou City to retain its original architecture, which is reminiscent of Lingnan/Cantonese styles from the Ming and Qing dynasties but injects modern elements to build the city toward a young and collaborative melting pot,” said Huang.

Meanwhile, Maggie Chien, Superunion China’s business director, commented that it is both exciting and challenging to curate a brand strategy and positioning that addresses the delicate balance between maintaining the history and making it relevant for contemporary times, and the Vanke team has demonstrated astonishing execution and sensitivities in revamping the old city.

“We want to reveal that hidden charm of Shenzhen Nantou City and build an innovative and consistent visual system that communicates the city’s values. In our view, Nantou city is not just a historical landmark that you visit once, but a place that you want to come back to time and time again, to relax, to stay, and to grow with. Instead of commercializing, we want to build the city into a sustainable cultural center and integrate it with the local lifestyle,” said Chien.

The city’s new brand revamp is set to be revealed at the end of 2021.

Shanghai, China – Creative agency and consulting company Wunderman Thompson in China has recently bolstered its leadership team with the appointment of Raymond Chin as chief creative officer and Joyce Ling as chief strategy officer.

With 20 years of experience, Chin has used creative innovation to propel many brands’ digital transformation. Having previously served as digital creative director at advertising company J Walter Thompson in Shanghai from 2008 to 2013, Chin returns to the Wunderman Thompson network after serving as Accenture Interactive’s chief experience officer, leading subsidiary ad agency Droga5 in creating a more meaningful and targeted customer experience for brands.

“Brand creativity should not be just about communication but should also cover all dimensions of brand experience from product, service to CX innovations. It’s why I am excited to return to Wunderman Thompson, an agency that believes in this experience-driven approach,” Chin said regarding his appointment.

Meanwhile, Ling was previously the chief strategy officer for J. Walter Thompson for Greater China and was also previously chief strategy officer at ad agency network McCann Worldgroup in China, and vice president of strategy at digital consulting company Publicis.Sapient.

Having 20 years of experience in both traditional and digital advertising in China under her belt, Ling’s experience spans industries, including technology, luxury goods, FMCG, health, tourism, and lifestyle. She has worked on more than 100 brands, including Nestle, Michael Kors, LVMH, Heineken, Unilever and more.

“It’s very exciting to be back at the Wunderman Thompson network. I look forward to enhancing our strategic offerings to set up for client success, together with a team of driven and passionate talents.” Ling said pertaining to her appointment.

Both will serve under the leadership of Carter Chow, chief executive officer at Wunderman Thompson China.

“Their experiences since their previous tenure at J Walter Thompson have mirrored our growth as an agency network, and we are glad for the opportunity to work together again. I am certain that both Raymond and Joyce will further our growth as a future-focused agency and look forward to the collision of inspiration and ideas,” Chow concluded.

Beijing. China – The Chinese arm of global public relations consulting firm Hill + Knowlton (H+K) Strategies has announced the launch of its strategic advisory services to aid local businesses in creating environmental-friendly business strategies, in line with the upcoming COP15 conference to be held at Kunming, China on 11 to 24, October 2021.

Known as the ‘UN Biodiversity Conference’, COP15 will convene governments from around the world to agree on a new set of goals for nature over the next decade through the Convention on Biological Diversity post-2020 framework process. 

The framework sets out a global plan to implement broad-based action to bring about a transformation in society’s relationship with biodiversity and to ensure that, by 2050, the shared vision of living in ‘harmony with nature’ is fulfilled.

Through the newly-launched services, H+K China encourages the fact that effective communication will be essential for businesses and NGOs to gain recognition from key stakeholders, establish their positions in the global movement for biodiversity conservation, and deliver real impacts both within and outside of their organizations.

Furthermore, H+K Strategies has developed the H+K Better Impact™ offering in response to the challenges that companies and NGOs encounter while pursuing sustainability. Services under this new offering will empower brands and organizations to deliver timely and enduring impacts around COP15 through a holistic approach, which involves a unique score, act, consulting, or partnering process that zooms in on the best areas for targeting sustainability endeavors.

“H+K Strategies encourages all organizations to join in the global movement for safeguarding the natural world. At H+K Strategies, we’re dedicated to empowering and enabling brands and businesses to have a better impact on people and the planet. As a once-in-a-decade biodiversity conference, COP15 offers a fantastic platform for us to help them formulate a performance strategy that will deliver a better impact before, during and after the event,” said Jun Xu, CEO of H+K China.

Beijing, China – With an interest leaned towards strategic growth sectors and practices, the Chinese arm of global public relations company Edelman has recently completed its new roster of leaders by hiring three more senior specialists, namely Justin Teo as chief digital officer for China, Nelson Ren as head of corporate for China and managing director for the Shanghai office, as well as Mark Pinner as the head of technology sector for Greater China.

The recent appointments finally come full circle as Edelman recently expanded its creative lineup in APAC, which includes the appointment of Wendy Chan joining as chief creative officer for China and Cici Wang taking on the role of head of HR for China. In addition, Edelman China has also seen the recent appointment of Pully Chau coming onboard as president for Greater China.

In their respective roles, Teo is tasked with elevating the firm’s agenda for digital transformation, building up key capabilities in social commerce, performance optimization, B2B demand generation and content production. Meanwhile, Pinner will serve as part of Edelman’s global Tech Centre of Excellence, exploring tech intersections with sectors like health, finance and energy. Lastly, Ren brings over 20 years of communications experience to his new role and joins from ophthalmic optics company Essilor, where he previously served as head of communications.

“I believe communicators write the first draft of history. In a world flooded with uncertainties, communications can and should play the vital role of engaging and building trust. Edelman is a world leader in building meaningful connections and narratives that help organizations navigate complex environments. I am excited to be joining a team of dynamic communications experts in breaking new ground and exploring new horizons,” Ren commented.

Meanwhile, Teo brings over 20 years of digital experience, having worked with various players – from start-ups as an entrepreneur, consultancies and the large advertising networks – across Greater China’s digital marketing landscape. He joins Edelman from VMLY&R Commerce which was previously Geometry, where he served as chief digital officer for China, responsible for accelerating growth of the agency’s digital practice.

“To win in the China market and compete at the speed of digital, trust plays a critical role. As the experts in studying trust and advising clients on how to develop and safeguard it, Edelman is strongly placed to help clients win big in an increasingly digital world,” Teo said.

On the other hand, Pinner’s career has focused on advising corporate clients, particularly those in the tech sector, on Chinese inbound and outbound investments. He joins Edelman from public affairs consultancy Interel where he was Managing Director for China, and his previous roles include helping Chinese brand Lenovo with its international expansion.

“The tech industry in Greater China is an exciting and fast-growing one; it has the potential to improve the lives of people in this market and around the world. I look forward to being a part of this growth journey with the rest of our growing team,” Pinner said.

All three new hires will report to Mark Wang, CEO of Edelman China.

Hong Kong – Beauty standards have long been the subject of various strict opinions about what constitutes being ‘beautiful’. In the case of women across China, data from Sina China shows that six out of ten females in China say they lack confidence in their appearance and feel anxious about how others may perceive them if they don’t fit into what is considered to be normal.

Foraying into this societal dilemma of setting up beauty standards, the China arm of global beauty brand Olay recently launched a new campaign, titled ‘No Fear of Judgement, My Own Beauty’ which centers around the brand’s vision to empower women to express beauty in their own way by stating that beauty has many faces and should not be defined by social standards

Said campaign is leveraged by La Mu Yang Zi, a Chinese actress who is not usually seen as conforming to the traditional definition of beauty. In the film, she questions: “If I want to see it for myself-which face would I choose?” After contemplating the changes, she then tells her personal story of how she deals with social judgement and chooses her own appearance – a message the brand believes will resonate with women in China.

The campaign was conceptualized by the team at Grey Hong Kong, and is the first part of a series under Olay China’s newly launched brand idea ‘Pursuit of Fearless’.

“This is a time we think it is necessary to walk further with Chinese women on the journey to becoming fearless,” said Hyoeun Kim, vice president of P&G Greater China, Skin Care – Olay.

Meanwhile, Duffy Lau, general manager at Grey Hong Kong, commented that they will continue to tell heartfelt stories to consumers and make Olay a meaningful brand.

Apart from the film, which is released on several online platforms including Dou Yin, Weibo & WeChat, Olay has also teamed up with the Xiao Kou Stand-up comedy show inviting Yang Li, a famous female comedian, to talk candidly about facial anxiety. More celebrities and actresses, key opinion leaders (KOLs), writers and bloggers, were also featured in this movement.

“It was rewarding working with the brand team to create a campaign that will help women to gain confidence in how they perceive their own standard of beauty,” added Joe Yue, creative partner at Grey Hong Kong.

Guangzhou, China – As complexities within the Chinese business landscape and the shift in consumer behavior toward e-commerce continues to increase, Nativex, the mobile-first advertising platform that helps brands drive sustainable growth through universal access to digital channels across the east and the west, has launched its revamped ‘XploreChina’ initiative – a one-stop mobile marketing solution.

‘XploreChina’ initiative is designed to help clients achieve success in the Chinese market, offering acquisition, monetization, and creative services at scale and across multiple verticals. It provides a wide range of transparent tools and solutions tailored to all lifecycle stages. 

Under the ‘XploreChina’ umbrella, Nativex offers three distinct solutions for brands including China Top Media, KOL Marketing, and Android Solutions, as well as customized marketing solutions for public relations, and social media, among others.

The China Top Media solution grants advertisers instant access to premium inventory across China’s closed mobile ecosystem through strategic partnerships with ByteDance, Tencent, Baidu, and Alibaba, as well as Kuaishou, while the Android solution provides clients with the required documentation for launching their app in China’s Android ecosystem. It also includes support for app management and monetization on China’s mainstream Android app stores.

And lastly, the KOL Marketing solution helps brands run successful influencer campaigns in China by connecting them with over 40,000 Chinese influencers and more than 200 Multi-Channel Networks, including XingTu (Douyin), Magnet (Kuaishou), and HuaHuo (Bilibili). 

According to Nativex, the country’s US$14.28T economy continues to present a broad range of business opportunities for companies, especially those from emerging markets such as SEA, but without a strong understanding of market characteristics and knowledge around consumer preferences, companies seeking to enter China may encounter difficulties in building brand awareness and engaging with local audiences. As a result, leveraging the expertise and connections of a partner such as Nativex will help brands across various industries scale quickly and effectively in China. 

Irene Yang, the managing director at Nativex, shared that breaking into the Chinese market can be incredibly complex for marketers who do not have boots on the ground or localized expertise to lean on, due to its unique media ecosystem that’s dominated by domestic tech giants and its fragmented mobile audience. 

“Here at XploreChina, our unrivaled understanding of the Chinese market and strong connections to China’s top media platforms allow us to make the transition into this unique media ecosystem for brands seamless and effective. As more brands look to break into China, we are able to guide marketers every step of the way,” said Yang. 

Nativex has also announced that as part of the ‘XploreChina’ rebrand, advertisers also have access to ‘Nativex XMP Media Buying’ tool, which allows companies to reach hundreds of millions of users across the country’s leading ad platforms such as Wechat, Douyin, and Bilibili, as well as Nativex’s in-house creative studio TopWorks, which offers premium creative services. 

In addition to XploreChina’s three distinct solutions, brands will also have access to public relations, search engine optimization, and social media services to ensure brands of all shapes and sizes have the right online presence in China’s massive mobile market.

Beijing, China – With China becoming more and more open to exploring new trends and strategies within the retail and commerce market, Asia-Pacific and Western brands ought to take better attention in order to succeed in tapping the Chinese consumer market, a new report from Wunderman Thompson Intelligence shows.

Citing data from market research firm eMarketer, who notes that 52% of total retail sales globally originate from China, the report unveils how China is ‘opening’ itself to the world in terms of commerce. For Chen May Yee, APAC director for Wunderman Thompson Intelligence, Chinese tech giants and global brands alike are trying new ideas first in cities like Shenzhen, from where they spread across China and its borders, hence no global brand can afford not to pay attention. 

Statistics-wise, 27% of Chinese consumers shop online four to six times a week, compared with 19% of Indians, 14% of Thais, 12% of Australians and 11% of Indonesians. Despite the regularity, 9% of Indian consumers say they shop online every day, compared to 7% in China.

In terms of spending power, Chinese consumers are willing to spend the most on online purchases, averaging to US$1,507 though Australia is not far behind, with an average of US$1,177.

While there has been a significant rise of the Gen Z demographic in the consumer space, the older generation are not to forget as well. China’s seniors are the last untapped demographic when it comes to commerce, but not for long. Post pandemic, 81% of Chinese consumers that are aged over 55 years old are now more comfortable using digital technology.

The report also notes that the pandemic and accompanying lockdowns have pushed record numbers online, often through sheer necessity when shops were shut down. This is evident by the fact that even in China, which already boasted a high level of digital literacy before the pandemic, 62% state that they have become more comfortable using digital technology post-pandemic.

In China, the country that created the mega-influencer capable of moving millions of dollars of merchandise in a single livestream, a degree of influencer fatigue is setting in. About 24% of Chinese say friends and family are now their biggest influence on buying decisions, versus 16% who cite social media influencers and 4% who say celebrities. In China, some online marketers are tapping into this shift by promoting friend recommendations, micro-influencers and peer-to-peer networks.

The report also notes that the Chinese market has pioneered various strategies and new demographics to tap into, including launching of live commerce as well as venturing into the gamer market, where eight in ten among Chinese respondents are playing games on mobile phones. Surprisingly, 91% of respondents who are over 55 years old say they do gaming as well on mobile.