Digital media becoming the focus of advertising
November 20, 2018 Category China News Round-up, Weekly
Advertisers and marketers are increasingly focusing on digital media as online searches and microblogs have assumed immense potential in terms of access to the consumer mind, and are now more effective compared to print and broadcast media. Within the digital space in China, the mobile channel is something that brands simply cannot do without, experts said. Over 95% of the online population use mobile devices to access the internet, according to the China Statistical Report on Internet Development, which was published in August.
The rise of e-commerce has brightened the allure of the digital medium, said Iris Chin, General Manager of media agency MediaCom China. The country is a hub for digital innovation, thanks to the contributions of Baidu, Alibaba and Tencent (BAT) and a bunch of new players. In the last three years, the percentage of mobile ads in terms of overall internet spending jumped ten-fold to over 60%, according to consultancy iResearch. It forecast the number will eventually grow to 80% by the end of next year. People spend 76 minutes per day on Tencent’s iconic messenger WeChat on average, the company said last year, while time spent on fast rising rival short video app Douyin reached about 60 minutes, according to its parent Bytedance. “It’s no wonder companies are spending big on digital given that marketing dollars follow consumer behavior,” Chin said.
Fixation with mobile means that consumers in China are now utilizing apps to make purchase decisions, said Jacky Tang, General Manager of Neo Communications, a Shanghai-based agency dedicated to digital marketing solutions. “To navigate through the highly complex and segmented digital landscape, the safe bet is to start with WeChat and Weibo, which we deem as the ‘twin pillars’ of China’s social media,” Tang said. Probably China’s most popular mobile app, WeChat has become a default way of life for the Chinese to pay bills, access news, book taxi rides or even make a doctor’s appointment. The troves of data generated through this all-in-one killer app has given Tencent a leg up in the digital marketing landscape, the China Daily reports. Domenica di Lieto, CEO of Emerging Communications, recommended companies start by building up an audience on Chinese microblogging site Weibo before pouring money into a WeChat marketing campaign. “We say that Weibo is an acquisition platform and WeChat is a retention platform,” she said.
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