Weblog with daily updates of the news on a frugal, fair and beautiful China, from the perspective of internet entrepreneur, new media advisor and president of the China Speakers Bureau Fons Tuinstra
Showing posts with label Ashley Dudarenok. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ashley Dudarenok. Show all posts
One of the key factors causing global coffee prices to rise is the massive growth of consumption in China. Marketing expert Ashley Dudarenok explains how Chinese consumers took on the coffee market over the past decades, a growth that is now yet finished, despite the rising prices, she tells in her vlog.
China’s toy company Pop Mart has become an instant domestic and international success for a new generation of consumers. Marketing guru Ashley Dudarenok explains in Time how Pop Mart was able to read the hearts and minds of a new brand of consumers. Pop Mart understands those consumer needs, according to Dudarenok, and the Chinese domestic market lets companies “fail fast and succeed fast” to figure out what consumers really want.
Time:
Where Pop Mart distinguishes itself from both domestic and international competitors is in reading the mood of its consumers, Ashley Dudarenok, who runs a China and Hong Kong-based consumer research consultancy, tells TIME. Whether it’s rebelliousness, a desire to escape, or exhaustion from work or school, Pop Mart customers are buying more than just a toy, they’re buying a symbol of themselves…
Dudarenok, the consumer research consultant, sees Pop Mart’s global success as more than just an ebbing of stigma against Chinese manufacturing; instead it’s a direct result of the company’s ability to navigate and succeed in the Chinese market. “It’s not a surprise that this kind of company comes out of China,” says Dudarenok. That’s because “China is the world’s most competitive digital market, with maybe the most spoiled consumer in the world that wants things fast, cheap, and good.” Pop Mart understands those consumer needs, according to Dudarenok, and the Chinese domestic market lets companies “fail fast and succeed fast” to figure out what consumers really want.
One way Pop Mart distinguishes itself from Japanese competitors is through its stores. By contrast, Dreams Inc. largely sells its toys online or through distributors like Kiddy Land, Kinokuniya, and Urban Outfitters. Pop Mart, on the other hand, turns its own stores into an experience—with each modeled after one of its characters—fuelling customers like Carillo and Leow to plan travels around visiting different Pop Mart stores. They’ve also capitalized on the blind box craze through their roboshops vending machines that make buying their blind boxes all the more accessible.
William Bao Bean (right), interviewed by Ashley Dudarenok
Global VC William Bao Bean, Managing General Partner at Orbit Startups, tells how the lessons learned in China helped him now to invest in emerging markets, and how he moved 2018 from China into those emerging markets. In a wide-ranging interview with marketing guru Ashley Dudarenok.
China’s 310 million retirees (60 and over) are embracing technology, wellness, and premium experiences. Unlike previous generations, they prioritize health and longevity, driving demand for fitness devices, dietary supplements, and digital health platforms.
They are increasingly tech-savvy, using e-commerce platforms and mobile payments. Trust is paramount, so brands must focus on transparency, high-quality assurance, and personalized services. Retirees are also fueling China’s pet economy, treating animals as family and spending heavily on premium pet care.
Travel and leisure remain high on their list, with a focus on wellness retreats and historical tourism. Messaging that emphasizes active aging, intergenerational connections, and user-friendly technology will resonate. Brands should simplify digital interfaces, invest in trust-building, and highlight community engagement.
Born between 1981 and 1996, China’s 320 million millennials are digital natives and major economic drivers. Their focus has shifted from affordability and status symbols to quality and sustainability. Eco-consciousness is now a purchasing prerequisite, with electric vehicles, smart home devices, and biodegradable packaging in high demand.
Millennials research extensively before buying, favoring platforms like JD.com and Taobao. Social media and green influencers play a crucial role in their choices. Brands that clearly communicate sustainability initiatives — such as carbon offset programs and ethical sourcing — gain their trust. However, greenwashing can damage brand credibility.
Luxury brands must integrate sustainability into their identity, providing tangible proof of commitment. Millennials are willing to pay for experiences that align with their values, such as eco-tourism and farm-to-table dining. By aligning with this mindset, brands can build long-term loyalty.
China will start to delay its current retirement age from the start of 2025 in monthly steps for the next 15 years. But business analyst Ashley Dudarenok wonders if changing the country’s very low retirement age is a good idea, for example now the youth unemployment rate is already very low. This and other arguments in her vlog.
Most visitors to China know the larger cities, but marketing expert Ashley Dudarenok dives into Yunnan, this time the community-based agricultural markets that are so different from the cities.
China is a complicated market, where consumers know what they want and what they do not want, tells marketing expert Ashley Dudarenok. She says that finding the right channel is the start of a complicated process.
The Chinese opinions on Elon Musk might still go to extremes in both directions, but his mother Maye Musk did win many Chinese hearts and souls. Marketing expert Ashley Dudarenok explains why Maye Musk did so well in NBC News.
NBC News:
Much of her popularity stems from her 2019 memoir, “A Woman Makes a Plan,” which was translated into Chinese the following year, said Ashley Dudarenok, the founder of ChoZan, a China-focused digital consultancy based in Hong Kong.
The book traces Musk’s “unconventional career path,” Dudarenok said, as well as her struggle to provide for her three children as a single mother after divorcing their father, Errol Musk, at age 31.
“She basically did it her way,” Dudarenok said. “That was one message that resonated very strongly.”
The other appeal, she said, “was that people wanted to figure out, how do you actually give birth [to] and raise billionaires?”
“A must-read for all girls! Thank you for showing us the resilience and strength of women,” one Xiaohongshu user wrote.
Though much of the initial interest in Maye Musk came because of Elon, “she is really becoming kind of her own personality,” Dudarenok said.
Older Chinese, who in the past would have devoted all their spare time and money to their grandchildren and other family members, have in recent years realized “that they have this whole life ahead of them, 20, 30 years ahead,” Dudarenok said.
“They have hobbies, they look after themselves in terms of fashion, nutrition, skin care and whatnot,” she said. “And they love to see those role models of somebody who is aging gracefully.”
For Musk, that means appearing on magazine covers and lots of opportunities to endorse products. She has walked the runway for Chinese apparel brand JNBY and appeared at an event in Shanghai this year for the sportswear brand Fila.
She is also a global brand ambassador for Chinese mattress brand AISE Baobao, attending a store opening in Shanghai this month, and has appeared in smartphone advertisements for Chinese consumer electronics manufacturer Oppo…
Maye Musk’s positive image, Dudarenok said, “helps to make Elon’s future political career and business success in China even more human.”
Marketing expert Ashley Dudarenok explains on her TikTok channel that drones have become a common feature in China and will change the country even more in the next two to three years.
Increasingly global brands not only look at China as a potential market but also as a guide on how they can use the country’s digital transformation for their global ambitions, writes marketing expert Ashley Dudarenokon her website Chozan. “By this year, China’s digital transformation sector is expected to reach $221.95 billion. It is forecasted by Mordor Intelligence to expand to $410.67 billion by 2029, with an annual growth rate of 13.1% over these years,” she writes.
Ashley Dudarenok:
Companies everywhere are looking to China for digital transformation lessons. It is now common knowledge that companies need digital transformation in order to cut costs and run efficiently in the modern age. It involves streamlining processes and the adoption of new technologies. But why China specifically?
By this year, China’s digital transformation sector is expected to reach $221.95 billion. It is forecasted by Mordor Intelligence to expand to $410.67 billion by 2029, with an annual growth rate of 13.1% over these years.
China’s digital transformation involves adopting advanced technologies like AI, 5G, IoT, and big data to modernize its economy and society. This includes integrating these technologies into traditional industries to create efficient and innovative business models.
The transformation focuses on building digital infrastructure, enhancing services, and fostering tech-driven innovation across sectors like finance, healthcare, and urban management, aiming to drive economic growth and establish China as a global tech leader.
Over 50% of thriving global companies incorporate outsourcing into their delivery strategies, according to Deloitte. 72% prioritize digital transformation, and 55% utilize unified enterprise platforms like ERP3 or SAP/4HANA.
Data migration and generative AI are becoming major growth areas. Remarkably, 80% of global business leaders believe generative AI will boost their business efficiency.
Last year, China announced its comprehensive plan for digital development, aiming to make significant strides towards building a “Digital China” by 2025 and to lead globally in digital innovation by 2035.
In 2023, China’s total data output hit 32.85 zettabytes, marking a 22.44% year-on-year increase. Additionally, core digital economy industries contributed 10% to the GDP, as highlighted in the latest Digital China development report from the NDA released last Friday.
With 3.8 million 5G stations China is leading the world in 5G, explains marketing expert Ashley Dudarenok on TikTok. Alibaba already uses technology to replace workers, she adds.
Now the USA has elected Donald Trump as its next president, traders in China are bracing for another backlash, reports trade expert Ashley Dudarenok on its LinkedIn page. “Trump’s proposed 60% tariffs on Chinese imports + 10-20% on other global goods would set US tariff levels at their highest since the 1940s,” she writes.
Ashley Dudarenok:
It’s official. Trump wins the US election. 🙈 Before the win was official, “Trump announces win (特朗普宣布胜选)” and related hashtags had already racked up 420 million views on Douyin. Many likened the election to a gender reveal party, with one comment saying, “Congratulations USA, it’s a boy!” Meanwhile, many are focused on real impacts, asking, “Will gold prices drop?” 👇 More below.
With Trump back in office, China’s economic policymakers are bracing for a new wave of trade policy challenges.
📊 According to China Economist, a Trump victory could require China to increase fiscal stimulus by 10-20%. This is more than what might be needed under a Harris administration.
📊 Trump’s proposed 60% tariffs on Chinese imports + 10-20% on other global goods would set US tariff levels at their highest since the 1940s.
📊 Out of 27 Chinese exporters with at least 15% of sales in the US that Reuters spoke with, 12 plan to speed up relocation if Trump returns to the White House.
📊 Four other companies, still based entirely in China, would open factories overseas if Trump raised tariffs. The remaining 11 had no specific plans but were concerned about losing US market access.
✔️ China’s approach will be crucial for its export sector and global supply chains as it navigates this new chapter in US-China trade relations.
✔️ The China’s National People’s Congress Standing Committee is meeting in early November to finalize a stimulus plan size, likely making a decision by Friday, November 8.
🙈 Before the win was official, “Trump announces win (特朗普宣布胜选)” and related hashtags had already racked up 420 million views on Douyin. Many likened the election to a gender reveal party, with one comment saying, “Congratulations USA, it’s a boy!” 
Meanwhile, many are focused on real impacts, asking, “Will gold prices drop?” 👇 More below.