FfashionON
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When PARKLU asked me to edit a magazine about influencer marketing in China, I knew it would be a challenge. The KOL world changes fast, especially over here. Learn one thing if you want to see how you’re clueless about twenty others. An article written today might be irrelevant in a couple of months. So you’re probably thinking: Why not digital? Digital is surely a better medium for this kind of magazine, many would say. You can revise, compile, edit and update content when facts on the ground change. If something turns out wrong altogether, well... just delete it. Or is digital better? When we read (or perhaps more accurately, browse) content online, we see information we know we want to know. For example, you search a topic and probably click a link on Google’s first page, or read an article from a writer you already follow on social media. Going through a magazine end-to-end forces you to discover things you never knew you wanted to know. There are thousands of influential KOLs in China, but you’d only know a couple by Google searching. Content recycling means info about the top 10% of Chinese influencers is easy to find, relink and digest. These are the KOLs large outlets invariably cover when they write about the topic. Researching the other 90% Is much tougher. (And just try doing so without being able to read Chinese.) theINSIDER brings together 500 KOLs from five different niches. They all have unique styles and audiences because at the end of the day — and many marketers forget this — they’re real people with preferences and worldviews that can’t be circumscribed in a single sentence. I hope you find the catalog useful and impressive and the articles punctuating it entertaining and informative. And I hope you find it worthwhile to go through the whole thing as you would content from bygone days — page-by-page and cover-to-cover.
Daniel Boltinsky EDITOR IN CHIEF
editor‘'s words
PARKLU connects brands with China’s top influencers. When we tell people what we do, they often want to know more. How do we work with KOLs on a day-to-day basis? Where can I find a big list of influencers? Where’s the industry going? While we can answer all these questions, we thought it would make more sense to finally present KOL marketing with one complete package. theINSIDER was born from this idea. theINSIDER includes a catalog with 500 influencers in fashion, beauty, fitness, travel, and parenting. Each KOL has a QR code that directs to an online page with more info, including how to connect with them for your next campaign. Furthermore, the magazine’s articles aim to help you understand the influencer marketing industry in China. From everyone at PARKLU, we hope you enjoy reading theINSIDER.
Kim Leitzes CEO OF PARKLU
parklu
China's Premier Influencer Marketing Platform
content fashionON Scatalog
Article: The Dark Side of Being an Influencer
beauty catalog Article: A Day in the Life
fitness catalog Article: The Unlikely Runner
travel catalog
Article: Pacific Crest Trail - 2880 Hours
parent catalog
Article: Mommy KOL Q+A
18 50 80 108 142 p
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contributors Elijah Whaley / CMO Lea Mao / Art Director Daniel Boltinsky / Editor-in-Chief Yufang Liu / Illustration Artist Yunying Zhang / Illustration Artist Lauren Hallanan / Writer & Editor Joel Backaler / Writer Josh Steimle / Writer Stella Yuan / Writer Mini Lu / Catalog Curator Sarah Hanegan / Catalog Curator Christine Jiang / Intern Joshilyn Kwan / Intern Theresa Yu / Intern
special thank you
@funä˝
Independent illustrator. Love drawing people, love painting weird things. Each of them has a different story. Painting can express one’s innermost feelings.
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Get the Latest China KOL Insights
CAN BRANDS
GET LOYALTY FROM INFLUENCERS Online influencers have a billion-dollar industry behind them, but it wasn’t always this way. Now brands are asking if they can lock-down high-performing KOLs just for themselves. However, many brands forget that KOLs want to be treated like people, not commodities.
by
Kim Leitzes
Hiring a KOL for a campaign used to be revolutionary — now it’s necessary. Some marketers are starting to hire influencers for their brands year-round. But not everyone has caught up. Many marketers don't maintain their relationships with KOLs after campaigns finish. In a sense, they use them temporarily as a tool. Basically, brands don’t — and often can’t — treat KOLs like regular partners. They're seen more like lone-wolf hired-guns. Since KOLs, by definition, are in the business of creating their own content first, this categorization makes some sense. However, can brands and KOLs find a middle ground? Or will KOLs continue being a new, distinct cultural phenomenon unbound by the constraints of traditional advertising? The inaugural issue of theINSIDER will try to answer these questions. Let’s start by asking the question marketers are all asking: Can brands get loyalty or exclusivity from online influencers?
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Internet Consumer Influence Index Data shows micro-influencers, bloggers, WeChat and video streaming are surpassing movie stars, athletes, TV ads and billboards in day-to-day influence.
杨幂 128.5 权志龙 125.5 鹿晗 110.5
Top 10 Celebrities
范冰冰 104.0 余文乐 103.5 古力娜扎 98.0 迪丽热巴 88.0 周冬雨 84.0
In China especially, minor video bloggers are much more likely to convert to purchases than actresses you may’ve seen once per year on the big screen. However, minor is a relative term. Take a look at these stats from some leading KOLs.
马伊琍 83.0 吴亦凡 81.0 0 雪梨 97.9 张大奕 94.8 于 momo 93.6
Top 10 Influencers
林珊珊 93.2 ANNA 89.9 赵大喜 88.4 阿希哥 87.4 金蘑菇菇 87.2 Lin (张超林） 86.3 美美的夏夏 86.2 0
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Influence Rating Source Alibaba 2017.7- 9
It’s unsurprising that marketers are starting to want longer, more developed relationships with KOLs. But are they doing enough to foster them? Here are two things to consider. Exclusivity fundamentally fills influencers out. While most traditional celebrities get paid to act, sing, or play sports, many KOLs’ bread-and-butter is product reviews. While it's possible to rep one product without having your fans stop trusting you as a consumer goods gatekeeper, long-term partnerships are definitely tricky for KOLs. And with marketers generally managing KOL campaigns from an arms-length distance, this kind of relationship seems unlikely. On the other hand, we're seeing a boom of online influencers launching their own brands. Lin Forever, who leveraged her 4 million Weibo and Yizhibo fans to drive traffic to her own brand, Lin Edition, is just one example and can be found in the fashion section of the catalog. It’s clear this is not just about money for them, but also about the personal fulfilment of running a business. And KOLs like Lin continue being popular live-streamers, reviewers and bloggers after becoming tied to one product-line forever — that is to say, their own. In theory, why can’t brands who work hard to earn loyalty — not just buy it — work with influencers long-term as well? Without further ado, I’m happy to have a panel of experts open theINSIDER by tackling this question.
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"Smaller brands would likely need to provide more than simple brand association." 16
Josh Steimle is the founder of Influencer Inc, a publishing, training, and events company that helps executives, entrepreneurs, and working professionals become influencers and thought leaders. He is the author of Chief Marketing Officers at Work and over 300 articles in publications like Forbes, Fortune, Inc., Mashable, and Time.
I've seen multiple cases in the B2B space where brands have successfully implemented long term, exclusive relationships with KOLs, so I know it can be done, and I expect to see more such programs in the future. One example is IBM's "Futurist" program. IBM reached out to business book authors, social media experts, and other business KOLs and invited them to participate in events and activities where they are interviewed and provide insights relevant to IBM's customer base. IBM's genius move was to give these KOLs a title, Futurist, that the KOLs were proud to advertise in their bios and often as a key part of their own titles on LinkedIn, bylines in articles, etc. Futurists get the credibility that comes by being associated with a well known brand like IBM, and IBM gets their insights and the credibility that comes by being associated with industry leaders at the forefronts of their respective fields of expertise. Huawei also has a KOL program, with selected KOLs being "published experts reaching audiences via online blogs, academic papers, media titles and other relevant industry reports." One unique aspect of Huawei's KOL program is that they are not paid engagements. Huawei pays for travel accommodations when KOLs participate in Huawei events, but nothing more. Huawei KOLs have expertise in internet communications technology (ICT), with a focus on business-to-business (B2B) ICT. Rather than targeting hundreds of KOLs, Huawei has recruited 30 advocates, utilizing tools like Klear to evaluate and track the social media presence of their KOLs. Klear provides real-time monitoring and analysis of Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and blogs worldwide, and is the foundational tool that provides the program with an Influencer Score to quantify KOLs’ influence. Obviously these brands are well known and can leverage that recognition in place of payment. Smaller brands would likely need to provide more than simple brand association to create an incentive strong enough to attract reputable B2B KOLs, but these programs need not be terribly expensive and may not require any cash payment. If you are considering a B2B KOL program, some incentives you can offer include: • Travel. • Events at which KOLs can meet and network with other KOLs. • The opportunity to speak to your company. For example, if a KOL is an expert on social media marketing, invite her to give a presentation to your marketing team. She can add this to her speaking CV. If you record video and allow her to use this video in her promotional materials this is one more way both she and you win together with greater exposure. • VIP access to other events your company may host, such as an annual customer event. Promote these KOLs at these events by having them speak so they can benefit from the exposure. Some common mistakes companies might make implementing a B2B program include: • Controlling the message. KOLs should be free to be honest in their opinions, otherwise they will become frustrated and their audiences won't believe them and you lose the value of the relationship. 10 positive mentions become more believable when mixed with one negative comment. • Don't overschedule KOLs at events. They need time to blog or take video, mix with other KOLs, and do what you want them to do as KOLs. • Treating it as short term. If you treat the relationship as a long term investment, rather than a short term transaction, the KOLs will respond in kind.
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It is possible for brands to get loyalty or exclusivity from KOLs, but it isn't easy. When you think about it, an influencer is a brand – a personal brand. Therefore, when a corporate brand wants to collaborate with an influencer, it's really two brands trying to come together. Those two brands could have very different values or ways of engaging their target audience, which can complicate things. For example, a corporate brand may want too much control over the influencer's content, which can be a serious source of friction. The moment an influencer produces content that is inauthentic to his or her personal brand, their audience will turn on them. There's a good case of this from a few years back when Volvo Cars collaborated with fashion and motherhood influencer Chriselle Lim to promote a new eco-friendly carwash solution. Her audience immediately attacked Lim for "selling out", referencing recent posts that highlight Lim's non-eco-friendly lifestyle. For a long-term exclusive partnership to work, the corporate brand needs to provide the influencer with: substantial freedom and autonomy to produce content, exclusive experiences that build the influencer's natural affinity toward the brand, as well as financial compensation (where appropriate) to ensure the influencer does not forsake potential earnings from missed opportunities to collaborate with a competitive corporate brand. Another major consideration that will impact an influencer's likelihood to remain loyal/exclusive to a corporate brand is the influencer's long-term goals. As influencers gain more and more influence and learn about the likes and dislikes of their loyal followings, some influencers choose to develop their own branded product lines. There are already plenty of case studies out there that provide influencers with a blueprint to forge their own path rather than rely on a corporate brand's existing platform. Some examples include: • US: Michelle Phan's Ipsy • Italy: Chiara Ferragni's The Blonde Salad • China: Zhang Dayi's Taobao Store “The Wardrobe I Like” However, not every influencer aspires to develop their own line of branded products. For starters, operating a cosmetics or clothing e-commerce store, for example, is another full-time job that comes with all sorts of challenges that many influencers may not want to deal with. Influencers may simply prefer to continue to focus on their passion – creating engaging content for their loyal audiences. This is where a long-term partnership with a brand that an influencer genuinely enjoys could be a good fit. But again, it won't be easy.
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Joel Backaler is the Managing Director of international marketing at Frontier Strategy Group, a global business advisory. He is author of the forthcoming book, Digital Influence: Unleash the Power of Influencer Marketing to Accelerate Your Global Business (Palgrave Macmillan, Spring 2018), and China Goes West (Palgrave Macmillan, 2014).
Businesses have been increasingly trying to leverage the personal influence of KOLs, but as far as I'm concerned, high-value KOLs must ensure their personal image is independent.
Therefore, I don’t think it’s even necessary for brands to acquire KOL loyalty. Influencers must maintain a positive image. That means personal confidence, sincerity, and the ability to increase followers. Many of these aspects entail uncertainty, so it’s difficult for brands to sign up for the long-term as well. Uncertainty is the key word here. The fourth wave of the Chinese consumer goods industry has no fixed template for success. Global companies increasingly set their aim for China with plans to enter. Consumers increasingly demand personalization. Brand attachment is going down.
Stella Yuan is the Eastern China Senior Retail Manager of Estee Lauder. She has 10 years of experience working with Chinese influencers and is based in Shanghai.
As consumers themselves, KOLs feel emotional connections to brands, and like regular people, their emotions evolve. Imagine any industry where brands and KOLs all have established loyalty. The independent, objective professional image of influencers will vanish. In other words, KOLs risk a lot by being tied to one company. However, as is often the case, success talks. Brands with active positions in their market can be enticing. It’s easier for brands with stronger backgrounds, more capital and more market operations to acquire KOL loyalty. KOLs can use the brand’s positioning, influence, and market activity to enhance the value of their own personal brand. If a brand really wants to work closely with a KOL, they have to understand the serious commitment involved. That means good public relations, a dedicated influencer marketing team, and — of course — great communication. A sincere relationship can foster loyalty, and building one is a long-term task.
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The Dark Side of Being an Inf luencer in China In the West, influencers trumpet body positivity. In China, it’s the exact opposite, with 10% of internet celebrities having gone under the knife. Body positivity is a massive trend in the fashion and cosmetics industries in the US, UK, and Australia. Western women are fighting back against unrealistic advertising, and brands are listening. They are in turn changing their messaging to uplift consumers instead of taking advantage of their insecurities. Much of this change comes from the power of online influencers who have grown their audiences around the ideals of confidence, diversity, and acceptance and who have incredible sway over their fans’ purchasing decisions. In China, the exact opposite is happening Idealized beauty still holds sway as women aspire to be the perfect, airbrushed models and celebrities they see around them. And unlike their Western counterparts, many online influencers in China feel that being conventionally beautiful is a prerequisite for success. Nearly 10% of current online celebrities have undergone plastic surgery.
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Body positivity and advertising While body positivity has been building momentum for a long time, it has skyrocketed over the past few years with the growth of social media. Women want brands to uplift them instead of tearing them down. And advertisers are listening to consumers, using images that haven’t been airbrushed, incorporating models of all shapes and sizes, and changing their messaging. They have reoriented their advertising to tell women that the purpose of buying nice clothes and using makeup is to enhance their natural beauty. Influencers have played a crucial role in this movement, developing robust consumer communities committed to diversity, acceptance, and confidence. Brands have had no choice but to heed these changes.
In China, not so much Body positive messaging does not resonate in China. Unlike in the West, where influencers are rebelling against beauty industry norms, influencers in China are feeding into these standards and increasing the pressure for average people to conform to idealized beauty standards. The Wall Street Journal published an article recently about the many Chinese women undergoing facial reconstruction in their pursuit of online stardom. According to iiMedia Research, about 10% of internet celebrities have undergone surgery to boost viewership. One of the influencers interviewed for the WSJ article remarked, “If you’re not pretty, nobody will care about you, and nobody will follow you online.”
Why do so many influencers feel that plastic surgery is the only way to become beautiful?
Written by Lauren Hallanan
Lauren Hallanan is a digital marketing expert, travel influencer, and host of the China Influencer Marketing Podcast.
The answer lies in the lack of diversity in beauty standards. In China, people idealize one type of beauty, which has become known as the Wang Hong Face. It refers to doe eyes, a high nose, light skin and a very pointy chin. On top of that, women are also expected to be slim, have large breasts, and long, thin legs. With a conception of beauty that often requires more than exercise and makeup alone to attain, it’s no wonder China has become the world’s third-largest market for cosmetic reconstruction.
In China, people don’t necessarily view plastic surgery negatively as we might in the West. Many feel that the celeb or influencer is bettering themselves — it’s just what they have to do to stay in the game.
What this means for brands While brands should stay true to their core values, it is essential to be aware of these cultural differences if you want to be successful in China. Brands who typically focus on body positive messaging will need to rethink their approach in China. Being "real" will not always obtain the positive reaction you seek.
Photos by Unnell
Melilim Fu is one of China's leading makeup artists and ranked Weibo's fourth-highest beauty KOL in terms of engagement. Besides a unique Western style, her appeal to followers is the promotion of natural beauty. Melilim teaches fans makeup techniques that make surgery uneccesary.
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4. SavisLook Overseas Public account Top platform 2.5M 85K
5. Fil小白 Beijing Public account Top platform 2.1M 2.0M
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3. 苏小豪SUHAO Shanghai Top platform 1.2M 48.4K
4. CherryGun陈星如 Beijing Public account Top platform 1.1M 1.1M
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5. Mog不是蘑菇 Beijing Public account Top platform 978K
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3. Miss沐夏 Beijing Public account Top platform 902K
4. 胡逸尘 Shanghai Top platform 821K 311K
5. Naomikyx Overseas Top platform 812K 643K
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2. hello-咪ci Guangdong Public account Top platform 407K
3. WENJUNLAU Public account Top platform 379K 25K
4. RIGELDAVIS程颖婕 Shanghai Public account Top platform 369K
5. MV-Michelle Shanghai Public account Top platform 368K 106K
6. lordsavesG 03 Top platform 364K
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5. SecretChan陳嫣 Top platform 236K
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2. HZIRISXY Beijing Top platform 210K 200K
3. PinKyyyy_Y_A_N_G Shanghai Top platform 209K
4. Fiona蘇暢 Jiangsu Top platform 209K
5. HelloDance马晓龙 Sichuan Top platform 209K
6. 鸢尾金子 Beijing Top platform 207K 42K
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1. 屮巾屮巾 Beijing Top platform 199K
2. 野人珊YEREN3 Shanghai Top platform 198K 54K
3. Constence刘彦池 Shanghai Top platform 198K
4. 檀智雄TAM Overseas Top platform 197K
5. 喵喵Chan Guangdong Top platform 197K
6. _张梦戈 Fujian
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2. Sugar你苏哥儿 Inner Mongolia Top platform 189K
3. 阿惹妹妹 Shanghai Top platform 188K
4. 你吳老板娘_ Hangzhou Top platform 187K
5. 我是美伢美伢 Guangdong Top platform 180K
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4. ChenEstelle陈瑜 Overseas Top platform 174K 93K
5. 白雯Vivienne Beijing Top platform 170K
6. Manty_Yin Beijing Public account Top platform 170K 165K
7. 裴洁Jessie Shanghai Top platform 169K
8. 费启鸣 Liaoning Top platform 169K
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1. DJ林琳 Guangdong Top platform 169K 4K
2. ZY_Christie Top platform 167K
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4. 奢侈的大侠 Shanghai Top platform 160K
5. ColorBlocker USA Public account Top platform 159K 16K
6. 影子-vicky Zhejiang
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7. 伍萬萬萬萬萬 Overseas Top platform 158K
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5. AlissaViolet 2. 秋陌Cheyenne Overseas Top platform 154K
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4. 李文鱼大哥哥 Overseas Top platform 145K 82K
6. 朱宦霖Peter 5. Top platform 110K
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a day
in the life
On Oct. 2nd, theINSIDER followed Yu Yang for a day while he prepared for a presentation and photoshoot for Kiehl’s. It focused on daily skincare routines.
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I LOVE BRINGING
wonderful
to people
things
Yang is a 33-year old make-up expert from Sichuan. On Weibo and WeChat, he shares make-up tips, his photography, and snapshots from his life. He worked for Estee Lauder before becoming a full-time content-creator for his 50K followers and fans. His hobbies include ballet and meditation.
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Overseas Top platform 980K
4. 萌主啾小啾 Shanghai Top platforms 979K 977K
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2. 米米小兰兰 Tianjin Top platforms 600K 20K
3. 汐子花园 Qingdao Top platforms 572K 511K
4. 爱睡觉的小小QI Beijing Top platforms 572K 570K
5. 李彬赫 Beijing Top platform 572K
6. Ma_Suki Jiangmen
08
Top platform 542K
7. 赵小朵918 Shanghai Top platform 541K
8. 桃子carol Shanghai Top platforms 540K 309K
03
beauty CATAlog 67
05
04
01
08
02
1. Lydia_Makeup Shanghai Top platform 540K
2. 张小媛_vivi Shanghai Public Account Top platform 539K
3. 柳雪冷 Hangzhou Public Account Top platform 538K
4. 黎梨ViVi Harbin Top platforms 537K 19K
5. 楠公子_鸿 Beijing Public Account Top platform 519K
6. 孟颖Michelle_梦梵 Shanghai
06
Top platform 519K
7. Yumi玉米酱_ Shenzhen Public Account Top platform 467K
8. 美梦ss Wuhan Top platform 460K
03
07
beauty CATAlog 69
02
06
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01
08
1. 小乔帮主-Michelle Beijing Top platform 460K
2. 錢尼_CHANEY Qingdao Top platforms 456K 450K
3. 宝儿bowry 03
Guangzhou Top platforms 456K 403K
4. Cgirl小咪_沈思豪 Shanghai Top platform 456K
5. -Yuk1no Shanghai Top platform 385K
6. Vimber正熙 Beijing Top platform 340K
04 7. 专属挑款师 Guangzhou Top platform 332K
8. Vivekatt Sweden Top platform 327K
05
beauty CATAlog 71
04
01
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05
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1. Jiaying_fashion Shanghai Top platform 199K
2. 凄凄惨惨柒柒 Zhejiang Top platforms 196K 138K
3. Rumi糯米 02
Top platforms 196K 29K
4. 米儿姐姐 Guangzhou Top platforms 193K 149K
5. 姜皓然Quentin Shanghai Top platform 191K
6. SanSan-3Shanghai Top platforms 191K 188K
7. Rainology Singapore Top platforms 191K 183K
8. 栗子八颗_ Top platform 131K
08
beauty CATAlog 73
06
03
08
01
04
1. 魔术精love Beijing Top platform 130K
2. 玛丽塔mareta Beijing Top platforms 128K 120K
3. 大佬甜er 07
02
Top platform 128K
4. Luci_Han Hangzhou Top platform 128K
5. 小瑞西_RICCI Shanghai Top platform 126K
6. GQ-GILL Shanghai Top platforms 126K 60K
7. 石小小sisely Shanghai Top platform 125K
8. 熙游记SeeTrip Top platform 123K
05
beauty CATAlog 75
06
01
04
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1. 沙小擦caca Korea Top platform 123K
2. 我是关子子 Top platform 123K
3. Amazingzzz
02
Top platform 123K
7. Lily_小白 Fujian Top platform 122K
5. Soldier苏大毛 Shenyang Top platforms 121K 14K
6. 岳晓琳 Beijing Public Account Top platform 120K
07
08
7. 66姨太太 Zhuhai Top platforms 120K 52K
8. 袁晓艳Amanda Beijing Top platforms 120K 119K
03
beauty CATAlog 77
05
07
01
02
1. 婷小妞不想改昵称 Taizhou Top platforms 120K 85K
2. superman文文 Top platform 119K
3. 郑力行 04
03
Top platform 119K
4. 兔大爷也是阳巧玥 Shanghai Top platforms 119K 117K
5. 青橙circle Zhejiang Top platform 118K
6. 王玲mandy Shanghai Top platforms 117K 116K
7. 刘晨_CiCi Liaoning Top platform 117K
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beauty CATAlog 79
01
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1. Takuma-J Shanghai Top platform 117K
2. 郭梦瑶Yuki Sichuan Top platform 117K
3. 孙大岛 Beijing Top platforms 117K 7K
4. instyle孟和 Sichuan Top platform 117K
5. Alvin雪峰 Beijing Top platforms 116K 115K
6. 张旅菲 Top platform 115K
07
02
7. 化妆师荷玛 Nanjing Top platform 115K
8. 星级化妆导师Yenki Gaungdong Top platform 102K
08
beauty CATAlog 81
FITNESS 友 朋 小 陶慧
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ta n g 88
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Written by Lauren Hallanan
I
r e n
n u r
was scanning through my Wechat Moments one day when I saw my former co-worker Tracy had posted some photos of her and two colleagues running together. “Team building run!” the caption said. I was a little surprised. During my two years working with the three of them, I never heard them express any interest in exercise whatsoever. I figured it was a one-off thing until I noticed all three of them regularly posting running photos on their Moments. Then they started competing in races. Then running marathons. But they weren’t the only ones picking up this new hobby. It was becoming increasingly harder to claim a treadmill at the gym, and every weekend the 10k running path at the Olympic Park in Beijing was so crowded you would have thought there was a race going on. What really caught my attention, though, was when my housing complex, on the southwest edge of the city, built a 1k running loop inside our neighborhood. That never would have happened several years ago. Running has exploded in popularity in China. Six years ago, China hosted 22 races nationwide. According to the Chinese Athletics Association (CAA), that number skyrocketed to 328 in 2017. A total of 2.8 million runners took part in these races, nearly doubling from 2016. A large proportion of this expanding group of runners are from the country's exploding middle class. They are young and well-off, living in the mega-cities where the pace of life is extremely fast and the pressure high. Here, growing numbers of young professionals want to work off the stresses of a hard day at the office. Many of them have turned to running. My friend Tracy, a mid-level manager at an international PR firm, happens to be one of them. “Running helps me release pressure and keeps me energetic,” she said. They choose running because it does not require specific facilities or equipment and can be done at any time, giving it very low entry barriers for ordinary consumers. It is also social. “Nowadays there are many running clubs and events. Sometimes I join the Nike Running Club running session," Tracy said. "For many of us, running has become a social activity where you can meet different people and share your running stories with each other." But in the age of social media and smartphones, we are never really alone. Just like gym selfies posted all over Western social platforms, Chinese runners eagerly share their workouts via WeChat and other social accounts, showing off to their friends and giving themselves a sense of accomplishment.
@colatasty 83
Whether they run alone or in groups, the social aspect seems to be very important for Chinese exercise enthusiasts. Codoon, a popular Chinese running app, was created so runners could not only track their workouts, but also find a community of other runners. Codoon has more than 100,000 running groups in hundreds of China’s first- and second-tier cities. Similar apps include JoyRun, Nike, and the social workout app Keep.
Another important aspect of the sport is the gear. Like athletes all over the world, the more Chinese runners enjoy their sport, the more they want to spend on it. I asked Tracy if she had purchased any running gear. “Definitely," she answered. "Part of the fun comes from learning about the gear. I've bought a belt bag, Nike and Asics running shoes, a hat, and other things too. I am planning to get a watch too.” Highly educated and increasingly health conscious, China's upper middle class are driving the growth of the fitness industry. Many are going so far as to reallocate their spending from luxury goods to sports apparel, equipment and fitness classes. Reuters reported earlier this year that "GPS sport watches, compression leggings, and hydration packs are the new must-haves for wealthy Chinese.” Data from Euromonitor International revealed that the sportswear market in China is expected to grow to 43.1 billion dollars by 2020, surpassing luxury goods.
Rrunning is Oonly the bBeginning
According to a survey by marketing research firm Nielsen, an average Chinese runner spends 3,601 RMB ($556) a year on their hobby. Meanwhile, experienced runners tend to spend more, averaging 4,594 RMB ($711) with the aim of improving performance. Li Ning, one of the largest sportswear companies in China, revealed that 26 percent of its revenue is generated in the running sector of the business, which significantly outperforms other sectors.
It’s not only the government who is interested in supporting these races. Marathons have become a sought-after platform for companies to promote their brand image and appeal. While the majority of race sponsors are sports apparel and auto companies, companies like United Airlines are also getting involved. They were the main sponsor for the inaugural Rock 'n' Roll Chengdu Marathon and 1/2 Marathon.
Sportwear sales in Greater China - Adidas and Nike Sportwear sales in US billion dollars per financial book year * "Great China" includes Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan.
2011
2.1
2012
2.6
2013
2.5
1.8
2014
2.5
2
2015
3.1
2016
3.7
0
1.7
The running trend is also a boon for China’s tourism industry. Last year, races took place in 133 cities in 30 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities. Nielsen’s data shows that veteran runners traveled about four times per year on average and spent 6,935 yuan on expenses (excluding transportation fees). Ninety percent of veteran runners travelled to at least one race, with 9% travelling overseas.
1.7
2.2 2.8 2
4 Nike
6
Adidas
Source: Euromonitor international
The Trend Didn’t Happen by Accident
To combat an increasingly sedentary and illness-ridden population, the Chinese government has launched nationwide health and fitness campaigns. In June 2016, the country’s State Council unveiled a five-year fitness plan that aims for 1.5 trillion yuan ($225 billion) in national spending on sports and fitness by 2020. With the government’s support, races are popping up everywhere. Out of the 328 events recorded last year there were 125 marathons, 128 half marathons and 75 other races. Marathons and half-marathons tend to be the most popular. Maybe it's because they come with the most bragging rights. Even novices such as Tracy agree. “Nowadays there are lots of running events, big and small, all over China. And many people tend to join the events. Since I started running a-year-and-a-half ago I have already run in four marathon and half marathon events.”
Not Even Pollution Can Slow Down Runners
It’s incredible that the running industry has been able to grown at this speed even with the horrible levels of air pollution found in many Chinese cities. Runners admit the air makes planning complicated. Often, they just have to adapt their training schedules to the conditions. “I just run whenever the air is good. In general, if the PM 2.5 level is under 80, I will run outdoors, but if I am training for a race then I’ll run as long as the PM 2.5 level is under 120,” said Tracy.
Running is Only the Beginning
As the most basic and accessible form of exercising, running is one of the first sports in China to experience such exponential growth, but it sure won’t be the last. Running is a gateway drug. Once someone is hooked, they become more confident in their athletic abilities and more willing to try other sports. China’s health and wellness market is will experience massive growth over the next decade, and running mania is only the beginning.
“Before I started running I would never consider myself to be an athletic person, but now I would.” 85
04
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1. amandaeliselee Overseas Top platform 11M
2. 母其弥雅 Overseas Public account Top platform 3.6M
3. 贡一 Shanghai Top platform 2.8M
4. 健身氧吧 Beijing Top platform 2.6M
5. 李乔丹go Overseas Top platform 2.0M 1.9M
6. 雨僑AVA HK Top platform 2.0M 8K
09 7. 朱信宗Daniel Taiwan Top platform 1.3M 133K
8. 全民跟我学健身 Guangdong Top platform 1.3M
9. 陈暖央 Hangzhou Public account Top platform 1.2M
07
08
FItness CATAlog 87
02
07
03
08
09
05
1. MikeLingFitness Shanghai Top platform 1.1M
2. 潘那白 Zhejiang Public account Top platform 991
3. 穆杉伯男 Beijing Public account Top platform 895K 861K
4. 侯伊荻 Beijing Top platform 830K
5. 易易紫Nikiii Beijing Top platform 824K 68K
6. 倪腾TonyNicholson Beijing
04
Top platform 762K
7. 宋昱欣Hitomi Beijing Top platform 740K
8. 谢晖 Beijing Top platform 706K
9. 赵威霖Wes Beijing Top platform 697K 49K
06
01
FItness CATAlog 89
06
03
05
01
1. 赵雨菲Flora Shanghai Top platform 679K
2. TOPsuper小虎 Yunnan Public account Top platform 664K 16K
3. 杜珺D-Mars 08
Beijing Top platform 606K
4. Tiffany的瑜伽世界 Shanghai Top platform 565K
5. 阔少_申旭阔 Jiangsu Public account Top platform 558K
6. 咚起大起
04
09
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7. 南京王宁健身-王宁 Jiangsu Public account Top platform 526K 50K
8. 宅七slyva Jiangsu Top platform 511K
9. F-kk Zhejiang Top platform 452K 65K
02
07
FItness CATAlog 91
06
07
01
1. 洋洋Yoga? Beijing Top platform 447K
2. 淡定的李浩轩 Beijing Top platform 432K
3. 毛大庆 Beijing Public account
06
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4. 郎叔健身 Beijing Top platform 414K
5. 姜黎明Momo Beijing Top platform 393K
6. 麦大湿 Beijing Top platform 370K
08
02
7. sylvia杨老师
Top platform 370K
8. XOXO粉红霏菲 Beijing Public account Top platform 369K
04
03
FItness CATAlog 93
01
03
05
06
07
1. 任性哥刘佳勇 Overseas
Top platform 368K
2. 康顾琦 Jiangsu Top platform 366K 68K
3. LIAKIMhappy Top platform 360K 178K
4. 工科型男Alex Overseas Top platform 349
5. 姚伟涛Shanghai Top platform 349K 66K
6. 安维维维 Shanghai
08
Top platform 341K
7. 女王爱健身 - 嫻哥 Hangzhou Top platform 335K 49K
8. JackyLiang Shanghai Top platform 328K
02
04
FItness CATAlog 95
03
04
02
05
06
1. morgana牟丛 Beijing Public account Top platform 327K 8K
2. 喵大人_Claire Beijing Top platform 319K 241K
3. 刘静怡sexycat Beijing Top platform 311K 34K
4. 林小达_ Top platform 305K
5. 瑜伽天后Lulu老师 Taiwan Top platform 288K
6. wenanhong洪文安 HK
08
Top platform 284K
7. 倪慕斯倪承艾 Beijing Top platform 277K
8. 辣妈小石榴 USA Top platform 257K 107K
01
07
FItness CATAlog 97
02
06
03
04
07
1. ___长腿菇凉 Shanghai Top platform 257K
2. model-丁宝鹏 Beijing Top platform 255K
3. Kimiko奇米果 Taiwan Top platform 248K
4. 张乐Cameron Overseas Top platform 224K
5. Lily吉丽 Overseas Top platform 224K 50K
6. 谢梓秋 Shanghai Top platform 214K
05
7. 陈思豆 Beijing Top platform 213K
8. 葡萄宁Grape Beijing Top platform 200K
08
01
FItness CATAlog 99
07
02
08
06
01
1. 晏妮_Yanny Jiangsu Top platform 199K 30K
2. 喵小颖的喵 Beijing Top platform 199K
3. 曾令旭 Shanxi Top platform 190K
4. 吴庆庆-平衡美 Beijing Top platform 172K 17K
5. Bada_C彦熹 Shanghai Top platform 159K 38K
6. 爱云游的小卡 Shanghai Top platform 159K
05 7. SportyBitch_ Shanghai Public account Top platform 158K
8. 软爷 Ningbo Top platform 145K
03
04
FItness CATAlog 101
04
02
07
05
06
1. it-7 Hangzhou Top platform 143K 86K
2. 叶周YeZhou Beijing Top platform 135K
3. 梁晟源Kevin Guizhou Top platform 133K
4. _Arisa娃娃
Top platform 132K
5. 代代代婷钰 Chongqing Top platform 128K
6. 的欢-gladys Shanghai Top platform 128K
01
7. 侯宇涵Lesley Beijing Top platform 122K
8. 亓航启航 Beijing Top platform 122K
08
03
FItness CATAlog 103
07
02
04
08
03
05
1. 山兔子小宝 Overseas Top platform 121K
2. 兔殿KB Beijing Public account Top platform 121K
3. 北京健一 Beijing Top platform 121K
4. AdrianneHo_流汗女神 Overseas Top platform 119K
5. 大胃王Ninana Shanghai Top platform 114K 10K
6. 邹杉Shawn Shanghai
01
Top platform 114K
7. Rainbow-齐
Top platform 113K
8. cassy_luu Beijing Top platform 111K
06
FItness CATAlog 105
01
05
03
07
04
1. Rainbow_Yushi Macao Top platform 111K
2. 健助师_小珂 Overseas Top platform 111K
3. 戴帽子的ace Hangzhou Top platform 107K
4. 思凯乐曾花 Beijing Top platform 105K
5. zhazha厨房 Shanghai Top platform 104K
6. Bob了 Shanghai Top platform 103K
06
7. jessie被注册了 Shandong Top platform 102K
02
FItness CATAlog 107
07
03
04
02
05
1. 筱祺Yoyo Beijing Top platform 102K
2. 李霄雪 Beijing Top platform 98K
3. L雨凡_ Beijing Top platform 98K
4. Sushi_Queen Beijing Top platform 95K
5. 周六野Zoey USA Public account Top platform 91K 2K
6. Berlin阳光 Beijing
01
Top platform 89K
7. SOCO真 Beijing Top platform 84K
8. miniie嚒小妮 Shanghai Top platform 82K
07
06
FItness CATAlog 109
Pacific Crest Trail::;;;;;;;;/":
2880 hours
110
Bridget Dennison is an adventure tourguide based in New Zealand. She was born in Taipei and moved to Auckland in 2014 for high school. She left for the California-Mexico border last April to begin hiking the 2650-mile Pacific Crest Trail. She reached Manning Park in British Columbia four months later.
Eric Chen is the project manager at Zanadu, a leading Chinese travel agency and lifestyle media channel. He oversaw the marketing campaign which utilized Bridget’s trek to encourage more people to pursue adventure travel. He coached Bridget, edited her videos, and published them on Chinese social media. They garnered roughly 10 million views across more than 10 platforms.
111
Bridget: It was exactly my last day
at work at my old job as a guide. I took Zanadu and their founder onto the glacier, they happened to be doing a tour that day. We were just talking and I told him I was leaving. He asked what I’m doing and why I’m quitting. After all, guiding tours on glaciers is a fun job. I had saved up enough money and I was gonna go travel, go hike the Pacific Crest Trail. Then he told me I should film it. “There’s this whole thing that's very popular in China right now,” he said. “And you should film it.” Why not, I thought. So that’s what I did. It’s funny how things work out. Eric: The Zanadu team was so surprised to find a guide who could speak Chinese. During the glacier tour, Bridget was very professional, had a great personality, and great communication skills. They discussed that maybe they could do something together in the future. Bridget shared the idea of the Pacific Crest Trail with us. We thought that was pretty cool — that kind of content is exactly what we need. So we started talking about how to do it together. I took charge of communicating with Bridget, editing the videos, and finding the distribution channels to promote the content.
Bridget: I’d never used Chinese social media before. I didn’t know about the whole live-videos thing everyone’s doing now. I didn’t even know there was such a thing as a wang hong. I didn’t even know about Weibo or Weixin, Kaixin, or Mafengwo. No idea. After moving to New Zealand I got totally disconnected from the Chinese world. I was so focused on learning English and studying, I basically disconnected myself from Chinese media and Chinese everything.
Eric:
We were worried about her experience. Actually, the shooting skills were the biggest challenge for her. If you rewatch the videos, the first two episodes are not that good. She’s quite smart and learned quite quickly. Soon she understood what she needed to shoot, and how to tell the story via video. After three episodes, she figured things out and everything ran perfectly.
Bridget: “Just film it with your iPhone,” they said. “And talk about how you feel.” That was basically all the instruction. I’d never filmed anything like that before, so at first it was really weird. What am I going to say to the camera, everyone’s gonna be looking at me. I was awkward in the beginning, but over time — it’s been four, five months now — it just gets more natural. Zanadu said my filming got better every time I sent videos.
112
2880 hours
113
Eric: The most attractive thing
is not whether you’re crying or smiling, it’s authenticity. What attracted us to Bridget the most is that she’s so natural. If she's in a bad mood, she’ll cry. If she feels happy, she’ll smile. Those kinds of things made the videos feel real. In the world of travel content, lots of things are not so real. Even if a host isn’t enjoying their experience, they still have to say everything’s great.“Wow! You guys have to come here." But in Bridget’s case, everything was so real— the crying, the smiling. People enjoy this, to see the real thing. The real thing attracts people, and people started caring about Bridget.
Bridget:
I am the worst person at faking it — when shit was bad, I would just record. There’s this one video after my boyfriend and I broke up. I was just bawling my eyes out… And I filmed that. And they made a video out of that. There were really though times in the High Sierras. Everything just got to me. I was so sunburned. I looked horrible. I was just crying, and saying how much pain I was in. And still, I posted everything, really. The good and the bad. And I only got reception in town, which was once a week or so. When I’d get to town, that’s when I’d send them footage. There were stretches without any towns, no reception, and just tiny places with no cellphone service. There was this one time I couldn’t send anything for about a month and they were running out of things to post. But that’s how it worked.
Eric: The Pacific Crest Trail is quite a hardcore project. The story is outdoors. It’s all about hiking, and nature, and that kind of stuff. But we didn’t focus on this. We didn’t focus on the “outdoor” topic. We used a different perspective to understand one person’s story. For us, travelling has different levels. The first is to explore the world.
These are the normal tourists. You visit Paris, London, see different sights, and spend a week visiting 10 different cities. We call those kinds of things first-level. The second level is “enjoying well”. If you’ve already been to many cities and countries, what now? What’s the next thing that draws you around the world? It’s about your passions. For example, I’m a photographer. I love to shoot street photography. So the culture of a city attracts me. The second-level traveller totally understands what they’re going to do and what they want by travelling. There are different “catalogs”. For example, outdoors-focused, scuba-diving, culture and history, and so on. Bridget’s story is a very good example for outdoor-lovers. She doesn’t want to win a game, get any reward, or shoot pictures. She just wants to enjoy the journey. We want to know what’s behind this drive. What kind of journey can we share to second-level travellers to encourage more people to enjoy themselves? That’s the strategy. In the end, we got what we wanted.
Bridget: I was totally surprised by how many people followed me.
It turned out better than I expected. Now, it’s totally mind-blowing to think there are 30,000 people following me on Weibo. I never, ever expected that. When I was hiking I got limited reception. I got reception once a week for a couple of hours. When Eric would update me on what’s going on, he’d be like, “Now you have this many fans following you.” I didn’t see it grow every day, so every week it was sort of a surprise.
Eric: The results were actually pretty good. We got 38 videos from the whole trip, and around 10 million views across all platforms. Youku, Weibo, Tencent, Eyepetizer — all those video platforms. We learned that the most attractive thing in travel video content is storytelling, and it’s not about how expensive’s the hotel you stay at. It’s not even about any particular destination. A lot of travel content has just pictures or footage, but not a story. That’s not attractive for us. For the next step, we will focus on travel stories, to find the travellers who have the most attractive story ideas for travel content.
Bridget: It’s just so much fun,
because what I do really blows people’s minds. They’re like, “What?! You’re only 18 and you just did what?” It’s so out of the norm for the average Chinese person. And it’s fun to see all the comments from fans.
www.zanadu.cn 114
"Trail angels" are people who help hikers on the trail. That includes opening their homes to hikers for the night, providing showers, and cooking dinners.
Bridget:
I think I want to work towards being a KOL. And you know, it’s not like you just get famous overnight, and get money in your pocket. And I don’t think it’s the money that attracts me. Money is pretty good — if I get money I go travelling. It’s just to share my story, to inspire people.
SCAN FOR MEDIA KIT
03
02
07
01
06
1. 王子强 Beijing Top platforms 4.3M 1.2M
2. 踏马行者 Beijing Top platform 4M
3. 貓力molly Zhejiang Public Account Top platforms 3.6M 3.5M
4. 神威 Beijing Public Account Top platform 3.6M
5. Janice简妮 Shenzhen Public Account Top platforms 2.8M 2.5M
6. 兔子糖糖公主Rinrin 05
Overseas Top platforms 2.3M 1M
05
7. 柳小御 Beijing Public Account Top platform 2.1M
04
travel CATAlog 117
01
06
03
1. 凯德印象 Guangdong Top platform 1.7M
2. Claire小爱 Overseas Public Account Top platforms 1.4M 1.1M
3. 周若雪Patty 05
Beijing Public Account Top platform 1.4M
4. 北京小风子 Beijing Public Account Top platform 1.1M
5. 背包客小鹏 Lijiang Top platform 1.1M
6. 龚静Tippi Shanghai
07
Top platform 1M
7. 素走世界 Dongguan Top platform 967K
04
02
travel CATAlog 119
03
07
01
04
1. 榛美去呐 Overseas Public Account Top platforms 857K 816K
2. 燕子PHOTO Beijing Top platform 850K
3. 飞雪静静 05
Shanghai Top platforms 836K 830K
4. 刘铮-行走的二次元 Beijing Top platform 834K
5. PhoneyChan Public Account Top platforms 823K 12K
6. 大卫行摄 02
Guangzhou Public Account Top platform 815K
7. 旅行家小小莎 Shenzhen Public Account Top platforms 807K 762K
8. 靓雅雅vivian Top platforms 780K 762K
06
08
travel CATAlog 121
01
05
03
06
07
1. KiKiWiWi看世界 Shanghai Top platform 735K
2. 无须豆蔻 Top platform 727K
3. corain君 Shanghai
02
Top platform 724K
4. 蘑菇张-NKU Beijing Top platforms 718K 713K
5. 日子很无聊小姐 Shanghai Top platforms 716K 716K
6. 风同学 Beijing Public Account Top platform 714K
7. 跟着老高去旅行 Shanghai Top platform 700K
04
travel CATAlog 123
04
05
08
1. 葛荟婕Ge Beijing Top platform 694K
2. 桃巫奇edie Shanghai Public Account Top platforms 668K 658K
3. 潇潇的简约厨房 0202
01
Beijing Public Account Top platform 667K
4. 野千寻 Beijing Top platform 666K
5. clover张三 Shanghai Top platforms 660K 645K
6. 徐铁人 Beijing
06
Top platform 648K
7. 鱼鱼众生liluo France Public Account Top platform 598K
8. notjessfashion Mexico Top platform 597K
0707 07
03
travel CATAlog 125
06
05
08
04
03
01
1. 刘小阳yaka Beijing Public Account Top platform 565K
2. 早橙旅行 Shenzhen Top platform 561K
3. ziska招招 Shenzhen
02
Top platform 561K
4. YanLeeC腌鱼 Shenzhen Top platform 559K
5. 添喜lucklily Zhejiang Top platform 556K
6. 黑米粒 Public Account Top platforms 554K
7. 哈先生旅行 Beijing Top platform 547K
8. 谷岳 Beijing Public Account Top platform 541K
07
travel CATAlog 127
07
03
08
1. 任紫玉ziyu Beijing Top platform 530K
2. Im_ayu Guangzhou Public Account Top platform 520K
3. Miss-沈小娴 05
01
Tongxiang Public Account Top platform 518K
4. 郑能量姑娘Goya Beijing Top platform 510K
5. 牛奔走天下 Beijing Top platform 496K
6. 托斯卡纳TSKN Top platform 476K
04
7. Yukiko眼里的世界 Beijing Public Account Top platform 465K
8. 北石同学 Beijing Public Account Top platform 455K
0606
02
travel CATAlog 129
02
06
04
01
1. 行者橙子 Beijing Top platform 400K
2. 达人J Guangzhou Public Account Top platform 373K
3. 鸢尾 08
Chengdu Public Account Top platform 371K
4. 羽子偕老 Guangdong Top platform 360K
5. 莎莎爱旅行321 Shanghai Top platform 358K
6. 潘潘三条子Pandy Shanghai Public Account Top platform 358K
03
7. 猴菇旅行历险记 Harbin Public Account Top platform 339K
8. 诗诗小菲 Macao Public Account Top platform 321K
07
05
travel CATAlog 131
06
02
03
08
1. 龙先生旅行日记 Haikou Public Account Top platforms 198K 198K
2. 探险家闪米特 Shanghai Top platform 194K
3. thetiafox 05
Australia Top platform 194K
4. 花甲背包客 Beijing Top platform 191K
5. 陈宇欣 Beijing Top platform 185K
6. PandaNicole Shanghai Top platform 181K
01
07
7. 吴晖 Weinan Top platform 179K
8. 一路南风 Guangzhou Top platform 179K
04
travel CATAlog 133
06
07
01
05
02
04
1. 猫之茶的小幸福 Chengdu Top platform 178K
2. AnnieQuinn England Top platform 177K
3. 王馨艺sophia Beijing
03
Top platforms 177K 177K
4. 牵着小手去旅行de宝月 Beijing Top platform 175K
5. 我就是八爪 Overseas Top platform 174K
6. 香香花猫 Beijing Top platforms 172K 157K
7. 觉非行记 Tianjin Top platform 167K
8. 筱娇娇爱旅行 Yunnan Top platform 166K
08
travel CATAlog 135
03
02
06
07
1. 俺是芜野 Jinan Top platform 165K
2. 韩文龙 Liaoning Top platform 163K
3. 一只马叔 Shanghai Top platform 163K
4. 常跑跑 Beijing Top platform 162K
5. 滢萱yingxuan Nanjing Top platforms 162K 145K
6. jazzland Guangdong Top platform 162K
04
7. 沧末Leila Guangzhou Top platforms 159K 152K
05
01
travel CATAlog 137
03
06
02
05
1. Miss猫大人 Public Account Top platforms 156K
2. TarinaGuangzhou Top platform 156K
3. 旅行摄影师冉静 Chongqing
04
Top platform 153K
4. 羊小羴 Beijing Top platform 150K
5. 小巴黎XIAOYU Shanghai Top platform 149K
6. 摄影师小狮 Beijing Top platform 155K
7. 阿福游天下 01
Huainan Top platform 153K
07
travel CATAlog
139
04
08
03
05
1. Mimo夏未末 Guangdong Top platform 306K
2. 小熠爱旅游 Shanghai Top platform 303K
3. 小美艾丽莎
07
Top platform 302K
4. 路灯摄影 Shijiazhuang Top platform 300K
5. 冒险雷探长 Shanghai Top platform 278K
6. 紫笛依扬 Chengdu Public Account Top platform 277K
7. 蔡石
02
Beijing Top platform 260K
8. CKverymuch HK Public Account Top platform 259K
06
01
travel CATAlog 141
04
01
02
06
1. 马玛丽旅行志 Top platform 257K
2. 喜琳 Beijing Public Account Top platform 238K
3. 羊咸咸Y Shanghai
05
Top platform 218K
4. 李玄Lily Shanghai Public Account Top platform 215K
5. 我罪珍贵 Wenzhou Top platforms 213K 199K
6. 小宇Sylvia Beijing Top platform 203K
07
7. 丁丁-旅行 Beijing Top platform 203K
03
travel CATAlog 143
q& +&& aa q& + +a
Fang Xiao Ye or 方小叶 on social media, is the community director at PARKLU and an experienced influencer in her own right. She has 224k followers across Weibo and WeChat who know her for high-quality and useful posts about parenting, yoga, and fashion.
Q: How did you get started with social media blogging?
Q: How do you, as a KOL, get inspired to make great contents.
A: I was the social media manager of Mei.com, and I wanted to learn more about social media up-close. From analyzing data, it was clear that customers we got through KOLs had more loyalty, more orders, and higher order prices than other channels. So I wanted to learn more. How do they post great content to attract the right customers?
A: I follow many overseas Instagram KOLs and look at their content. For example, I follow some yoga KOLs to see what they’re posting on Instagram, and also some fashion KOLs. Who wears what? That kind of stuff — I look at lots of KOLs. Some fashion, some mommy & baby, some yoga.
Q: That was all the way back in 2011. How was the world of KOL marketing different back then? A: At that time you could just seed products to KOLs, and they would post content for you. The prices were much lower, and the conversion rate was higher.
Q: What big changes have you seen in how brands work with KOLs? A: At that time, the percentage of brands working with KOLs was not nearly as high. And KOLs didn’t hold such a high position. But now, KOLs are more important in brand marketing and also for Weibo itself. There were not so many rules on Weibo. Now, when you add a brand or have a link on your web post, just a few of your followers can see your content. So you need to spend money on the platforms to get more exposure for your posts.
Q: How have KOLs reacted to these changes? A: They charge the increased costs to the brands they work with. For Weibo, this change was OK. But now, for each category, more and more KOLs are showing up. So, KOLs have more competitors in their field, so they need better content for brands.
Q: Do you think it’s going to keep getting more and more expensive? A: Yes, definitely. I would say, in these last two years, the increase in prices has been crazy. But more and more small KOLs are coming up with great content. So, I think brands will need more good content, but they’ll also have more choices for different KOLs.
Q: We opened theINSIDER with a question I'd like you to answer too. Can brands ever expect loyalty or exclusivity from KOLs? A: I think the first reason why my fans follow me is because I always try new things. I always share new brands and new products and new things with my followers. The second thing is that they can get good information from my posts. So, for brands: You should keep good relationships with KOLs, let them know what the brand is doing, and what new things you’re creating. But I think, for KOLs, they always need to try new things. They have to try new brands, especially fashion, beauty, and makeup KOLs.
Q: Why has live-streaming suddenly become so popular? A: Each person goes to it for different reasons. For me it’s just a tool. It depends more on what kind of content you create for your followers. The most important thing about live-streaming is it’s in real-time. People can engage with these KOLs in real-time. On other mediums, even when you post text, pictures and videos, it’s still not real-time engagement. With live-streaming you can ask questions, and you can see what others are asking.
Q: Many niche platforms are getting more attention from marketers, like Little Red Book for example, or Douyin. How is working with these kinds of platforms different than with bigger ones? A: In general, they’re more real — so far — than bigger platforms. They’re not so commercial. I started with Little Red Book because partner brands, after seeing you’ve already created great content and pictures on Weibo and WeChat, like you to take this one further step. It’s good for KOLs to post the same content on Little Red Book — it’s another resource for brands.
Q: How can brands foster better relationships with KOLs? A: They could have one-year co-operations. They could schedule how much content to post within the next year for the brand. Also, it would be good for brands to talk face-to-face with the KOLs to improve understanding — to let KOLs know the brand better and to let the brand better know the KOL. Each KOL is unique, so you need to think about what kind of content or angle is suitable for them to improve results.
SCAN FOR MEDIA KIT
145
05
02
04
07
03
1. 快乐宝宝 Beijing Top platform 3.1M
2. Ciny心霓儿 Beijing Top platform 2.8M
3. 姚姚Rebecca Shanghai Public account
01
Top platform 2.1M 1.1M
4. 超级无敌小葡萄 Guangdong Top platform 2.1M 743K
5. 小山竹 Liaoning Top platform 1.6M 157K
6. LemonT_柠檬提 Shanghai Top platform 1.5M 1.4K
7. 我家的小蛮 Shanghai Top platform 1.5M
06
parent CATAlog 147
05
03
06
04
07
1. 檀圆舞 Shanghai Public account Top platform 1.1M 1M
2. 董完了 Sichuan Top platform 1.1M 669K
3. 王潇_潇洒姐 01
Beijing Top platform 980K
4. 小鱼儿Frances Beijing Top platform 979K
5. 孕味 Jiangsu Top platform 973K
6. 小刚几 Top platform 953K 818K
7. 榕榕童鞋 Shanghai Top platform 928K 15K
02
parent CATAlog 149
02
05
01
1. 九尾狐美妈 Shandong Top platform 880K
2. 久久妹妹 Beijing Top platform 810K 758K
3. 乌兰托雅 Beijing Top platform 773K 773K
4. 闫晓苹 Hebei Top platform 757K 354
5. 造型师淳子 Shanghai Public account Top platform 753K 727K
6. Love优闲 03
Guangdong Public account Top platform 711K
04
06
parent CATAlog 151
01
07
05
06
04
1. 酸酸嘀柠檬 Sichuan Top platform 665K 665K
2. 恩小恩和爱小爱 Jiangsu Top platform 659K
3. 夏夏小二娘 Zhejiang Top platform 657K 30K
4. 天真萌宝贝 Shanghai Top platform 604K
5. 辣妈手记 Jiangsu Top platform 603K
6. 晶莹冰片妈咪 Beijing Top platform 550K
02 7. 快乐宝贝Eva-杨雅涵 Public account Top platform 525K 276K
03
parent CATAlog 153
03
02
06
01
05
04
1. 佟方妤 Beijing Top platform 510K 49K
2. 朱茱树大表姐 Beijing Top platform 495K
3. 安安蔷薇 Guangdong Public account Top platform 495K
4. Copper武艺博 Beijing Top platform 468K
5. 夏天的陈小舒 Beijing Public account Top platform 452K
6. 深海贝类的围脖 Shanghai
07
Top platform 446K 59K
7. 李丹妮 Beijing Top platform 402K 3K
8. 小多妈Yuki Guangdong Public account Top platform 384K
08
parent CATAlog 155
08
04
05
01
06
03
1. 蔡露露3lulu Shanghai Top platform 399K 299K
2. 杜诗博 Beijing Top platform 384K 2K
3. 刘冬jocelin Beijing Top platform 381K
4. Suki妮 Overseas Top platform 378K
5. 许小丫iamya Shandong Top platform 357K 354K
6. LollipopLulu Shanghai
07
Top platform 356K 19K
7. jessie丹丹 Yunnan Top platform 342K
8. 陆石慧LS Shanghai Top platform 320K 10K
02
parent CATAlog 157
05
01
07
03
02
09
1. 小新和贝塔 Guangdong Top platform 308K
2. 南白妈妈 Beijing Top platform 302K
3. 咪Mia Taiwan Top platform 299K 18K
4. 乃乃乃乃乃乃曦 Hangzhou Top platform 294K 290K
5. MommyRun_ Top platform 288K 103K
6. 昔昔萌萌哒 Hangzhou
04
Top platform 286K 197
7. 目目滨 Top platform 267K
8. MAMA制造 Top platform 258K
9. 宝贝小象掌门人 Hangzhou Top platform 255K 249K
08
06
parent CATAlog 159
07
02
05
03
04
1. 缘宝公主 Beijing Top platform 251K
2. 十月331 Beijing Top platform 244K 235K
3. 小冯妹子ru Beijing Top platform 242K 79K
4. kkzilla Shanghai Top platform 242K 5K
5. 混血baby_shaishai Overseas Top platform 241K 12K
6. 方小叶 01
Shanghai Public aacount Top platform 224K 205K
7. Tinytoadstool Japan Top platform 208K
06
parent CATAlog 161
03
05
04
01
02
1. 熙熙熙小七 Beijing Top platform 196K 187K
2. 二少小小葡 Guangdong Top platform 194K
3. 和小丢在一起的每一天 Beijing Top platform 193K
4. 无敌粥妈 Shanghai Top platform 188K
5. niccco Shanghai Top platform 181K
6. Beste_Apple_王木木 Overseas
06
Top platform 178K
7. mrshoeppner Overseas Top platform 167K
07
parent CATAlog 163
03
07
05
06
01
02
1. 年年Jacky Top platform 166K 159K
2. 阿拉斯加baby的日记 Shanghai Top platform 154K
3. 菟Jeoann Shanghai Top platform 149K
4. 煮土豆儿 Jiangsu Top platform 148K
5. 贾妍 Beijing Top platform 146K
6. 林牧潔Jennifer Taiwan Top platform 143K 82K
08
7. 嘟嘟宝妈咪 Shanghai Top platform 141K
8. 莊寜華
Top platform 136K
04
parent CATAlog 165
01
05
04
06
02
1. TOKYOPANDA Shanghai Top platform 132K 130K
2. VI大宝 Overseas Top platform 132K
3. 大猪这头妈 Guangdong Top platform 130K 41K
4. 爱莲莘麻麻 Overseas Top platform 127K
5. Kiks823 Taiwan Top platform 127K 7K
6. 陈小暖成长记 Beijing
07
Top platform 123K
7. 甜心兄妹玩转地球 Overseas Top platform 122K
03
parent CATAlog 167
01
08
06
03
05
02
1. 鱼京鱼京 Beijing Top platform 121K
2. 小晖xiaohui USA Top platform 119K 114K
3. 24k24k Shanghai Top platform 117K
4. 多鸽小朋友 Beijing Top platform 116K
5. 笛子爱吃 Shandong Top platform 111K
6. 刘甜逸sweet Beijing Top platform 111K
04
7. 居里小王子 USA Top platform 110K
8. 青青向上 Fujian Top platform 110K
9. 德国小兄妹 Overseas Top platform 109
09
07
parent CATAlog 169
01
06
07
02
03
09
1. popolee李泡泡 Guangdong Top platform 109K
2. KaneDennis丹尼斯凯恩 Korea Top platform 107K 23K
3. 小鑫小花猫 Guangdong Top platform 106K
4. 面包婶 Shanghai Top platform 106K
5. 叫我陈大美 Shanghai Top platform 102K
6. 刘芊妤Justine Shanghai
08
Top platform 100K
7. 猴小萌么么哒 Hangzhou Top platform 100K
8. 无敌宥先生 Zhejiang Top platform 96K
9. 柑之饴 Shandong Top platform 96K
05
04
parent CATAlog 171
a sed mis ocial s f s ith nd w eo bra ny the ag nnect alue a m v o n i c e ing ing iev ot ity bel ortun did n provid ertain t p n by op ey de big ia. Th mers al an t gap. n o d a t o e i h ed s t t m r cu eat uca lled i p-s ndae the via ed OLs fi e d ou ent t e f t is firs tent. K firs nd th ing w ron e o c alu ure a vertis ve p d i t gv din e cul As ad to g gift an d i v uil Pro hines anxi. ailed rtual f t o b C u vi in f g ands ers a nce t fit. Bu o r tion tal, b stom e cha bene u l i h dig tive c lost t mutua c e f e p o r s ips refo the tionsh . a rel s did L O K
I
elijah whaley CMO OF PARKLU
r e v e w
Not
ho all is lost.
You can still provide value first because the range of human interests are limitless. You can always find people in social environments congregating around niche interests, and every interest vertical will have a few experts or entertainers. They lead by creating written, visual, or audio content for the community’s pleasure. It does not make sense for any single brand to try and serve the limitless range of interests their customers might have, but it does make sense to support the people that do. Forget how you — a company — want to present your brand. Re-strategize by asking how you want people, real individuals with names, to introduce your brand to their circles of influence. I implore brands not to miss this incredible opportunity to communicate with people the way they want to be communicated with. It’s not about being on top of people’s minds or being mentioned by a KOL, but about building relationships founded on reciprocity.
KOL marketing is a human experience. So much of “social" media marketing is just interactions with ones and zeros, but influencers can help us go beyond that. Marketers and KOLs are people, and when they engage with one another, there is a physical world synergy that takes place. I wanted to take the online offline and create a tactile experience to bring KOL marketing to life. I hope you found the articles entertaining and the catalog extremely useful for your business. theINSIDER is an endeavor to create something memorable. I hope this magazine will be something you hold on to, and that, at least for a while, it becomes a centerpiece on your office coffee table. I am overwhelmingly proud of the core team that gave birth to this project. When I first described the concept to Lea, our Art Director, I told her one thing: I want you to create a work of art. She has far surpassed all expectations. It’s not only her visual design skills I respect, but her work ethic. To say she put in long hours would be a monumental understatement. Our Editor-in-Chief, Daniel Boltinsky, is the most talented editor I have ever worked with. His ability to distill a subject down to the most interesting and useful form astonishes me every time. The articles in this magazine are no exception. I thank you both. I also want to thank everyone at PARKLU that made this magazine possible. That includes a huge thank you to all the contributors.