Marketing will be back on track in 2024, not 2023 – Ashley Dudarenok

Ashley Dudarenok

Economic recovery in China has been modest since the country emerged from the Zero-Covid crisis, and marketing will only be on track in 2024, rather than 2023, says marketing expert Ashley Dudarenok at CNBC. 

CNBC:

 Businesses in China are spending cautiously on advertising this year as local consumption isn’t expected to bounce back for a while yet.

Marketing revenue rose in the first three months of 2023 for several Chinese internet giants — but not Alibaba, the largest of them all by dollar value. That’s on a year-on-year basis.

Heading into the 618 shopping festival this month, brands remain cautious.

“For 618, generally of course brands will be trying, but compared to before it’s a bit more tired,” said Ashley Dudarenok, founder of ChoZan, a China marketing consultancy.

“We know it takes exactly the same amount of money to bring the customer into your shop today versus 2021, but the customer is going to spend about 30% less in your shop,” she said…

In the first quarter, the median disposable income of urban residents in China was officially 12,175 Chinese yuan ($1,739), up 3.9% from a year ago. Education, health care and travel were the top three categories for planned spending, a central bank survey found.

“The general consensus in the industry is that 2024 is going to be the year of growth and rebound,” Dudarenok said. “2023, let’s just get out of the downturn, stay connected with the platforms, with the customer,” she said.

Dudarenok noted that ad agencies are also spending just to experiment with search engines. Baidu and Microsoft’s Bing have both been working with new generative artificial intelligence technology.

More at CNBC.

Ashley Dudarenok is a marketing expert at the China Speakers Bureau. Do you need her at your meeting or conference? Do get in touch or fill in our speakers’ request form.

Are you looking for more marketing experts at the China Speakers Bureau? Do check out this list.

China cruise industry: what are its perspectives – Ashley Dudarenok

 

Ashley Dudarenok

China launched its first homemade cruise ship, as this part of the tourist industry struggles to stay afloat. But consumption expert Ashley Dudarenok sees a bright future for cruises from China, as this industry is still in its infancy in a country where many look for alternatives, she tells at state-owned broadcaster CGTN.

Ashley Dudarenok is a speaker at the China Speakers Bureau. Do you need her at your meeting or conference? Do get in touch or fill in our speakers’ request form.

Are you looking for more experts on consumption at the China Speakers Bureau? Do check out this list.

Fifteen years of innovation and marketing in China - Ashley Dudarenok

 

Ashley Dudarenok

Andrew Gaule discusses with marketing expert Ashley Dudarenok how China leapfrogged over the past 15 years in innovation and marketing, leaving many of the Western competitors behind, often forcing them to leave China.

Ashley Dudarenok is a speaker at the China Speakers Bureau. Do you need her at your meeting or conference? Do get in touch or fill in our speakers’ request form.

Are you looking for more innovation experts at the China Speakers Bureau? Do check out this list.

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5 Tactics for AI and virtual branding – Ashley Dudarenok

 

Ashley Dudarenok

Marketing veteran Ashley Dudarenok dives into the tactics for branding in China, using AI and virtual technology. Those technologies define increasingly the success of brands in China, she explains in the Jing Daily.

Ashley Dudarenok:

Brand marketing in China that deploys virtual and AI technology is exerting an increasingly large impact on purchasing decisions, with consumers seeking new and exciting experiences.

The rise of AIGC (artificial intelligence-generated content) and other virtual marketing methods has drawn the attention of investors, producers, celebrities, and social platforms. Brands can expect to see more innovation and creativity in this space, led by the rapidly developing gaming, cartoon and avatar spaces in China.

Marketers and brands stand to benefit from having a firm grasp on how virtual and AI-led marketing in China will develop through this year. ChoZan’s China E-commerce Marketing And Digital Space 2023 Mega Report outlines five tactics that brands can use to unleash the technologies’ potential.

More at the Jing Daily.

Ashley Dudarenok is a speaker at the China Speakers Bureau. Do you need her at your meeting or conference? Do get in touch or fill in our speakers’ request form.

Are you looking for more branding experts at the China Speakers Bureau? Do check out this list.https://www.china-speakers-bureau.com/branding-experts/

Exploring the metaverse for business in China and elsewhere – Ashley Dudarenok

 

Ashley Dudarenok

Innovation expert Ashley Dudarenok dives into the metaverse for business and Web3 in China and elsewhere, and introduces her book Digital China: Metaverses For Business: How Companies In China And The Rest Of The World Are Exploring Web3.

Ashley Dudarenok is a speaker at the China Speakers Bureau. Do you need her at your meeting or conference? Do get in touch or fill in our speakers’ request.

Are you looking for more innovation experts at the China Speakers Bureau? Do check out this list.

How brands can deal with the new e-commerce landscape in 2023 – Ashley Dudarenok

 

Ashley Dudarenok

China’s e-commerce landscape is changing fast and branding expert Ashley Dudarenok explains how brands can deal with the new big five: Alibaba, JD, Pinduoduo, Douyin, WeChat, for Technode. Here are her top-5 tips.

Ashley Dudarenok:

1. Adopting an overall e-commerce strategy and repositioning flagship stores on Douyin and Pinduoduo

E-commerce platforms need to adopt a comprehensive layout and reposition their flagship stores on Douyin and Pinduoduo. Douyin is focusing on developing its digital shelf e-commerce, while Pinduoduo is leveraging its advantage in high-frequency consumer goods categories to become a comprehensive platform that meets diverse needs. For brands, as the digital shelf e-commerce landscape becomes evenly matched, Douyin/Pinduoduo flagship stores will play an equally important role as their Tmall/JD flagship stores.

2. Building a stronger cross-platform synergy and seizing the opportunity to enhance bargaining power with e-commerce platforms

As e-commerce platforms become increasingly mature, the overlap of their consumer groups will inevitably continue to increase, making it more difficult to expand user increment. However, it is a good opportunity for brands to increase their bargaining chip with e-commerce platforms in terms of traffic, product promotion, and consumer data transparency. Stronger cross-platform collaboration between brand and e-commerce platforms is worth exploring on both sides, especially in category differentiation, pricing, and promotion.

3. Reducing the reliance on livestream e-commerce influencers and strengthening content co-creation

The role of e-commerce live streaming, especially influencer live streaming, in “transactions” will be further weakened. Most influencers may find that selling standard or common products are losing their appeal to the public. Influencer live streaming will reach a critical crossroads, and influencers will need to attract consumers through better content. Currently, “selling-only” influencers who lack content will lose their competitiveness and gradually be phased out. Patterns may emerge where common goods are sold more through digital shelf e-commerce and influencers will focus on more niche products with strong digital content potential like trendy goods.

4. Developing innovative supply chain solutions

Innovative supply chain solutions such as direct sourcing and supply chain financing can help brands reduce costs and improve efficiency. Brands need to optimize their organizational structure, develop cross-platform e-commerce capabilities, accumulate universal key capabilities to support multi-platform development, and lay a foundation for other e-commerce models with future development potential, such as instant retail.

5. Improving consumer experience through data analytics and personalized marketing

Brands need to use data analytics and personalized marketing to improve the consumer experience. It can help brands better understand consumer behavior and preferences, and provide tailored products and services to meet their needs. With the convergence of platform models, the profit levels of brand flagship stores on various platforms are expected to gradually converge. In order to improve efficiency, brands need to optimize their organizational structure, develop cross-platform e-commerce capabilities, accumulate universal key capabilities to support multi-platform development, and lay a foundation for other e-commerce models with future development potential, such as instant retail.

More in Technode.

Ashley Dudarenok is a speaker at the China Speakers Bureau. Do you need her at your meeting or conference? Do get in touch or fill in our speakers’ request form.

Are you looking for more branding experts at the China Speakers Bureau? Do check out this list.

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Change in China, AI, social media and business – Ashley Dudarenok

 

Ashley Dudarenok (right)

Marketing expert Ashley Dudarenok discusses change in China and her career in the world’s fastest-moving economy with Greg Mustreader.

Ashley Dudarenok is a speaker at the China Speakers Bureau. Do you need her at your meeting or conference? Do get in touch or fill in our speakers’ request form.

Are you looking for more e-commerce experts at the China Speakers Bureau? Do check out this list.

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How to win over the female consumer – Ashley Dudarenok

 

Ashley Dudarenok

Women account for 70% of the purchases in China’s households, and marketing expert Ashley Dudarenok looks into the 2023 trends for the female consumer at China’s Women’s Day, for the Jing Daily. Most of China’s platforms dive deep into this important segment of consumers.

Ashley Dudarenok:

These business opportunities are set to expand as China’s “she economy” thrives, driven by financially independent young women, particularly those from the millennial and Gen-Z generations, spending on themselves for their own happiness rather than fulfilling traditional roles.

This growth has propelled the emergence of female-centric businesses catering to women’s preferences and needs, making China the world’s third-largest consumer market for women, equivalent to the combined retail markets of Germany, France, and the UK, reports the South China Morning Post. The shift has also prompted other businesses to target female consumers and promote gender equality in their workforce.

The COVID-19 pandemic both positively and negatively impacted China’s “she economy.” E-commerce and digital platforms accelerated, benefiting female consumers who shop online, and female representation in companies improved, while women in the workforce, particularly in the service sector, have lost jobs or experienced reduced hours.

These dynamics are fueling the rise of trends that brands must master to succeed.

More trends at the Jing Daily.

Ashley Dudarenok is a speaker at the China Speakers Bureau. Do you need her at your meeting or conference? Do get in touch or fill in our speakers’ request form.

Are you looking for more consumer experts at the China Speakers Bureau? Do check out this list.

Luxury brands should focus on their Very Important Clients – Ashley Dudarenok

 

Ashley Dudarenok

Marketing expert Ashley Dudarenok picks five 2023 trends for luxury brands in China, from its ChoZan’s 2023 Mega Report. The first one: focus on your VIC’s, Very Important Clients. this and four more trends from the Jing Daily. Among them: expand the duty-free ecosystem, and adopt global pricing strategies.

Ashley Dudarenok:

Globally, the top 2 percent of luxury customers make up about 40 percent of luxury sales, according to Bain’s luxury goods market study. In China, the concentration of very important clients (VICs) has been on the rise and has further expanded in 2022. The economic slowdown has affected entry-level luxury consumers more than high-net-worth individuals, and the decline in mall traffic has led to fewer new customers entering luxury stores.

Consequently, sales have tilted towards VICs in 2022, with some Chinese luxury brands achieving higher concentrations of VIC sales than the global average. VICs have also played a significant role in online luxury sales, with shoppers who buy more than three times a year accounting for over 50 percent of sales and being the fastest-growing segment, according to Tmall Luxury Pavilion.

These high-net-worth individuals (HNWI) are ready to travel as the pandemic restrictions are lifted. They can be categorized into two profiles: those that shop domestic and those that shop overseas (Peihuo phenomenon). The overseas VICs travel to other countries to purchase luxury goods at the “regular” price and not the “China” price, whereas domestic VICs prefer the local experience of shopping in boutiques regardless of the item’s price.

Brands can get ahead of the overseas VICs by offering additional incentives to their products. As for domestic VICs, brands need to invest in travel retail opportunities, especially in areas like Hainan.

More at the Jing Daily.

Ashley Dudarenok is a speaker at the China Speakers Bureau. Do you need her at your meeting or conference? Do get in touch or fill in our speakers’ request form.

Are you looking for more experts on luxury goods at the China Speakers Bureau? Do check out this list.

The future for foreign FMCG in China – Ashley Dudarenok

 

Ashley Dudarenok

Domestic competition for foreign fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) in China is growing, but branding expert Ashley Dudarenok expects there will still be a market for those foreign brands, she writes in Dao Insights. “To sum it up, the FMCG market in China in 2023 is very fluid,” she writes.

Ashley Dudarenok:

FMCG brands have had a difficult journey in China since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic has resulted in wide-ranging disruptions to the FMCG industry in China, from supply chain disruptions down to decreasing demand for products and services. While the pandemic has harmed foreign FMCG brands in China, the good news is that the market is beginning to recover in 2023 and is projected to continue to do so in the years ahead.

In 2023 the Chinese government seems to also start encouraging foreign investment and brands to enter the country to cater to its rapidly growing market. While there is an ongoing rise of the national wave or “Guochao,” one simply cannot deny the value and quality that foreign goods can still offer.

Despite the challenging environment, foreign FMCG brands in China adapted to the changing market conditions quickly. Companies such as Unilever, Nestle, and Procter & Gamble were able to quickly ramp up production and introduce new products to meet the changing consumer needs.

Additionally, they expanded their online presence via virtual shopping experiences and delivery services, as well as offering discounts. This allowed them to continue to reach consumers and maintain their market share despite the pandemic. Foreign FMCG brands are still often seen as premium and appealing to Chinese consumers seeking high-quality products…

To sum it up, the FMCG market in China in 2023 is very fluid. The market itself, ever-changing consumer preferences and trends, and domestic or foreign competitors are always changing. You can learn more about the Chinese market and how the market has changed during the pandemic in the recently released 650-page-long 2022 Mega Report: China E-Commerce & Digital Space. International brands must watch and monitor the relevant trends in the Chinese consumer market to have a baseline on what sticks or what doesn’t. Foreign FMCG companies will remain a strong player in the Chinese FMCG scene, and it’s on its way to steady recovery.

Much more in Dao Insights.

Ashley Dudarenok is a speaker at the China Speakers Bureau. Do you need her at your meeting or conference? Do get in touch or fill in our speakers’ request form.

Are you looking for more branding experts at the China Speakers Bureau? Do check out this list.

How luxury has become huge in China – Ashley Dudarenok

 

Ashley Dudarenok

Marketing expert Ashley Dudarenok explains how luxury purchases became rooted in China’s complicated market and developed over the past decades. And what trends she expects for 2023.

Ashley Dudarenok is a speaker at the China Speakers Bureau. Do you need her at your meeting or conference? Do get in touch or fill in our speakers’ request form.

Are you looking for more consumer experts at the China Speakers Bureau? Do check out this list.

Health awareness profoundly influences sport branding – Ashley Dudarenok

 

Ashley Dudarenok

Health awareness has a profound influence on the requirements of consumers, and brands should pay notice, says marketing expert Ashley Dudarenok tells the Jing Daily.“Women’s athleisure needs to be both fashionable and professional,” she says.

The Jing Daily:

Growing health awareness,government initiatives, and major sporting events such as the Olympics have also contributed to the desire for an active lifestyle. In April 2022, 67 million Chinese people were using fitness apps to work out at home.

“Driven by the fast-paced life, people desire to get rid of the shackles of stress and want to have a relaxed and dynamic living atmosphere,” states Ashley Dudarenok, founder of Chinese marketing agency Chozan and Alarice. “Athleisure wear has become one of the fashion choices for young people because of its comfortable wear, both functional and casual, and can easily cope with multiple scenes in work and life.”…

The booming sector indicates a lucrative opportunity for activewear, but brands need to be aware of women’s diverse demand. “Women’s athleisure needs to be both fashionable and professional,” remarks Dudarenok. “Nearly 65 percent of female sports consumers prioritize the need for dressing. And functionality, design, and quality are also the main factors considered.”..

Premium players are also foraying independently into elite sports. Given China’s skiing boom, brands like Max Mara, Prada, and Fendi have all ventured into alpine collections, creating fashionable ski looks and astonishing pop-ups near resorts. Besides skiing, upper class lifestyle sports like golf, tennis, snowboarding are becoming a new outlet for fashion luxury items. “By investing in these trendy categories, luxury brands can find and connect with their targeted audience quickly and effectively,” points out Dudarenok.

More at the Jing Daily.

Ashley Dudarenok is a speaker at the China Speakers Bureau. Do you need her at your meeting or conference? Do get in touch or fill in our speakers’ request form.

Are you looking for more marketing experts at the China Speakers Bureau? Do check out this list.

China consumer sentiment is slowly improving – Ashley Dudarenok

 

Ashley Dudarenok

Domestic tourism in China saw a jump, and consumer sentiment is improving more slowly after the zero-Covid policies ended, says consumer expert Ashley Dudarenok at CNBC. Brands are relucted in spending their marketing budgets. Dudarenok said that heading into 2023 and the Lunar New Year, some smaller brands had turned more conservative on China and cut their marketing budgets for the country in half.

CNBC:

More recent data show Chinese consumers are starting to open their wallets again, especially for travel.

During the seven-day Lunar New Year holiday that ended Friday, national tourism revenue surged by 30% from last year to 375.84 billion yuan, according to official figures. But that was still short of 2019 spending.

“Consumer sentiment is better. Spending power is kind of back,” Ashley Dudarenok, founder of China digital consultancy ChoZan, said Friday. “But I don’t think that suddenly from one month to the next things are back … to 2019 or double 2019.”

Dudarenok said that heading into 2023 and the Lunar New Year, some smaller brands had turned more conservative on China and cut their marketing budgets for the country in half.

“Consumer sentiment was really down, nobody knew what was actually coming, and a lot of marketing budget and dollars went into 11.11 [Singles Day] and it was also not successful, so brands did not earn a lot over 11.11” and another shopping festival in December, she said. “Then suddenly China opened. Many people did not expect that [and were] quite startled by this swift development.”

Dudarenok does expect overall consumer trends to continue, whether it’s people in larger cities spending more “on feeling better” or people in smaller cities paying for higher-quality products.

Many analysts expect high levels of savings among Chinese consumers during the pandemic will translate to greater spending this year.

At the policymaker level, Chinese authorities say they’re prioritizing consumption. Premier Li Keqiang led the first post-holiday executive meeting of the State Council on Saturday, and “called for efforts to expedite consumption recovery and keep foreign trade and investment stable,” according to a readout. The meeting said policies to promote the consumption of cars and other big-ticket items would be “fully implemented.”

More at CNBC.

Ashley Dudarenok is a speaker at the China Speakers Bureau. Do you need her at your meeting or conference? Do get in touch or fill in our speakers’ request form.

Are you looking for more consumer experts at the China Speakers Bureau? Do check out this list.

3 steps for China digital marketing in 2023 – Ashley Dudarenok

 

Ashley Dudarenok

Marketing guru Ashley Dudarenok looks at steps to take in 2023 for the digital marketing of your brand in China. How are we doing, what is our vision and how do we get there, these are the key questions Dudarenok dives into in her vlog.

Ashley Dudarenok is a speaker at the China Speakers Bureau. Do you need her at your meeting or conference? Do get in touch or fill in our speakers’ request form.

Are you looking for more marketing experts at the China Speakers Bureau? Do check out this list.