As a Western marketer seeking to build a successful brand in China, there are many factors to consider for effective Chinese digital marketing.

Product, place, price, promotion… the original marketing mix needs constant assessment. Yet, China brings added layers of complexity into the mix, due to the vast size, disparate nature, and technologically advanced nature of this huge and exciting market.

Why Audience Segmentation Matters in China

Because China is so vast and varied, Western marketers must work hard to segment their audiences accurately, and then target them carefully.

This means factoring in various demographic factors, including the generation of customers. Generational differences greatly affect the purchasing behaviours of Chinese customers, in the same way they do in the West.

For example, baby boomers love nostalgia, family values and quality, whereas Gen Z buyers focus on unique and personalised experiences, sustainability and brand values that align with personal beliefs.

That’s not to say that the generations don’t align on certain key areas; they do! For example, all Chinese customers want quality, reputable products from excellent brands, regardless of their age!

However, by understanding generational differences, Western marketers can become far smarter about how they think about their Chinese digital marketing campaigns to meet the specific needs of generational groups.

Generational Differences and Chinese Digital Marketing

Each generation and age group in China has its own values, priorities, spending habits and preferred marketing channels, particularly when it comes to digital engagement.

For marketers, this means carefully tailoring campaigns to reach each generation in the way that will resonate with them.

For example, older generations may prefer a focus on quality, heritage and value, rather than passing trends.

Gen Z may prefer unique experiences and online platforms, over traditional marketing approaches.

What to Know about Each Chinese Generation

Here are some of the main things to consider about the different generations and their needs, before planning your marketing strategy in China:

Chinese Baby Boomers (up to mid-1960s)

Baby Boomers value tradition and family, prefer established brands, and may require more straightforward messaging.

They love quality, established brands, craftsmanship ship and heritage. In terms of interests, they enjoy self-improvement in retirement, health and comfort, and are less interested in social media trends.

In terms of spending power, baby boomers have significant leverage, particularly when it comes to discretionary spending. They like to buy luxury items as a reward.

For baby boomers, Western marketers can consider targeting this market with a portfolio of products, and using more traditional Chinese digital marketing channels such as email, newsletters, websites and carefully chosen social media channels, with content delivered simply and without gimmicks.

Gen X (mid-1960s to early 1980s)

Gen X in China shares many characteristics with Gen X customers in the West. They are practical, love value and quality (often translating to luxury products), and they aren’t necessarily won over by digital tactics alone. For example, they also still enjoy physical stores.

For marketers, it’s worth tailoring a Chinese digital marketing strategy to include more ‘traditional’ methods such as PR and physical events, where appropriate. For high-involvement products (education and training, premium skincare, automobiles and jewellery for example), other forms of marketing, such as print, are also still be relevant.

Chinese Millennials (early 1980s to mid-1990s)

Chinese Millennials are very active online and respond highly to social media. They are focused on achieving a healthy work-life balance and love shopping online. Chinese millennials also value high-quality, luxury products and experiences and place a premium on brand recognition.

This generation greatly values influencer marketing, and personalised, unique experiences they can share online. They love apps and technology, and are interested in sustainability, ethics and the value propositions of brands.

Bear in mind that millennials may not be particularly loyal to brands, so work harder with engagement strategies such as loyalty schemes, private online communities, rewards and so forth.

Gen Z (Born after 1996)

Gen Z customers are true digital natives and they love personalised, exciting and authentic online experiences. They love interactive content, value sustainability and want brands that support their own values and beliefs.

As with older Chinese customers, younger Chinese customers trust recommendations from their own network. Gen Z also trust influencers, and KOL marketing can be extremely effective for this group. They also love fun experiences such as pop-up events, gamification, live streaming and anything that offers a sense of community.

What does this mean for Chinese Digital Marketing strategies

As Generation Alpha (more on these to come!) says – flex! Western marketers must tailor and adjust their Chinese digital marketing strategies to meet the needs of each generation of customers.

This needn’t be as daunting as it sounds, as there are crossovers in any omnichannel marketing strategy. For example, customers of all ages want slick, carefully optimised websites that work perfectly and look great. Similarly, all customers want to shop with brands who offer great customer service and quality products, at the right price. The original marketing mix still applies!

Beyond this however, these are important factors to consider for your multi-generational Chinese marketing strategies:

Research first and do it well

Good research is always time and money well spent, particularly for audience segmentation and targeting. For example, in China, other demographics such as city tiers and disposable affect target markets as well as customer age. The right research can help you pin down accurate customer groupings for your products.

Tailored research also allows you to create customer personas. These are highly valuable, intuitive models that make it so much easier to target your marketing messages and tactics.

Consider Omnichannel Marketing

It’s sensible to consider a broad range of marketing channels and select those which will work best for your target audience. This doesn’t mean doing everything, but it does mean offering several options, where appropriate, to groups that value them (for example, Baby Boomers and Gen X customers.)

Consider too, all the ways to reach Chinese customers. Yes, Gen Z loves social media, but your results will be amplified if you are also thinking about Baidu PPC marketing, SEO, ePR, website optimisation and KOL relationships.

Get the Basics Right

Invest time in creating an excellent, smartphone friendly, optimised and locally-hosted Chinese website for your products. (Yes, you can also create apps and Mini Program versions, but start with your main site.)

Clarify your messaging, ensure your customer service function is excellent (ChatBots can be useful) and check the basics are in place before you begin to branch out. Remember that Chinese customers of all generations love to refer and share brand experiences to their network. Work hard to gain trust and loyalty!

Measure!

The beauty of Chinese digital marketing is that China’s technologies are so incredibly sophisticated. For marketers, this means that campaigns can be constantly adjusted and optimized for better results, without any need to wait.

With the right Chinese language skills and digital marketing know-how, vital metrics are always available. It’s important to leverage these metrics to keep improving your results.

Use a Chinese Digital Marketing Agency

An experienced Chinese digital marketing agency can be a huge asset for your Western brand. At Market Me China, we offer the services of highly-skilled Chinese digital marketing professionals with native language skills.

We are here to amplify your results and make everything easier; from managing Baidu PPC campaigns (which are run in Chinese), to negotiating the right KOL relationships for your brand.

Contact us to find out how we can help you maximise your ROI for even better results in China!