Marketing expert Ashley Dudarenok dives into China’s virtual influencers in 2022 and discusses how brands can work with those successful marketing tools and avoid trouble like with the human influencers, on her vlog.
Ashley Dudarenok is a speaker at the China Speakers Bureau. Do you need her at your (online) 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.
Many brands got into hot water in China after the government started to crack down on online influencers and other celebrities. There is a way to avoid those influences and the risks they pose, says branding expert Arnold Ma in the Jing Daily. Also, non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and gamification should be avoided at this moment, Ma adds.
Jing Daily:
Arnold Ma, the founder and CEO of Qumin, told Jing Daily brands can grow without influencers. He argues that brands should “start building their own channels, leveraging content from creators or using virtual characters to represent the brand and provide audiences with a personality to connect with that is brand owned — taking the risk out of working with influencers and celebrities.”
Some brands have avoided the pitfalls of influencer marketing by building engaging marketing campaigns without celebrity testimonials. For example, some brands have replaced influencers with trained sales associates in their live-streaming sessions, and some labels have preferred to feature user-generated content (UGC) to promote product campaigns…
Considering how much young consumers care about global warming and climate change, it is clear that they will prioritize brands that are reducing greenhouse gas emissions. And even luxury shoppers who are less receptive to climate goals are susceptible to peer influence. Therefore, brands should stay away from such endeavors that bring questionable results.
“NFTs and gamification are red herrings here – no brand needs it, especially not in the present,” said Ma. “Gamification is a great campaign mechanic, but it is not the only one. NFTs will be useful in the future as we become more metaverse ready.”
In Ma’s opinion, brands could use metaverse instances “to scale customer service for VIPs” or employ NFTs to design “unique loyalty schemes that are non-fungible for each individual customer.” However, he rightfully argues that these concepts are “very theoretical, and it is certainly not needed for success in China right now.”
Arnold Ma is a speaker at the China Speakers Bureau. Do you need him at your (online) 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.
China’s economy is booming and foreign brands see engaging influencers as the ideal way to enter the market. But those influencers do no come cheap, says marketing expert Ashley Dudarenok at Marketing-interactive. “You can’t enter China with $10,000 US and expect to succeed,” she says.
Marketing-interactive:
With China’s rapid economic and social bounceback amid the ongoing global pandemic, more and more brands are feeling a sense of urgency when it comes to breaking into that market — one with a completely different set of rules and platforms when it comes to social media and how influence works.
Ashley Galina Dudarenok is the founder of Alarice & ChoZan, specializing in digital marketing and strategy for brands in the Chinese market. Her 500+ page quarterly report on all things marketing in China is highly respected, and offers insights for brands who want to do exactly that.When it comes to breaking into China’s influencer market, Dudarenok is firm: It won’t be cheap.
“You can’t enter China with $10,000 US and expect to succeed,” she says. Brands are playing a whole different ballgame with influencers there, many of whom have even launched their own brands to control all elements of the business in-house…
Influencer marketing has evolved quickly in China, and with influencer incubators becoming a regular step to a career in the country,, there is a larger crop of “micro-KOLs” available for brands who wish to sell themselves across platforms like WeChat, Douyin, and Taobao.
In her book, Working with Bloggers, Influencers and KOLs, Dudarenok notes that micro-KOLs are “attractive to younger consumers who see themselves as more independent and less prone to the influence of commercial interests and personalities.”
However, it’s true in China as it is elsewhere that it’s a combination of top-tier, mid-tier and micro-KOLs that offers the best solution, so, be prepared to spend.
More at Marketing-interactive.
Ashley Dudarenok is a speaker at the China Speakers Bureau. Do you need her at your (online) 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.
Influencers are an emerging force in branding, but in most of the world they are lagging compared to China, explains marketing guru Ashley Dudarenok. Audiences, culture, and platforms are ideal for influencers, she tells at her vlog.
Ashley Dudarenok is a speaker at the China Speakers Bureau. Do you need her at your (online) 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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| Ashley Dudarenok |
Ashley Galina Dudarenok, author and China marketing expert explains, "Influencer marketing is such a focal point of brand strategy because it's a lot more powerful than many other methods." She continues, fresh from the stage at the Palais de Festival speaking about culture, technology and advertising at Cannes Lions, "In China, we say that Chinese KOLs (key opinion leaders) are the only influencers globally that actually sell. No matter whether you are a big or a small brand, in 2019 you can’t market in China without investing 20-70% of your marketing budget into influencers."
Dudarenok points out that the bridge such KOLs serve for cultural connection is invaluable. She adds, "According to PWC’s report, 29% of Chinese consumers, as compared to 13% globally, actually use social media to see what brands or products KOLs and celebrities are endorsing now, so it's a phenomenon that just continues to balloon." ...
Indeed, Dudarenok predicts, "Platforms will change, influencers will stay. There will also be more and more self-brands launched by KOLs. In fact, big global brands, by cooperating with KOLs, are actually in the process of creating their own future competitors ."More in Forbes.
