Why Marketing To Chinese Millennials Matter

This interview was published on 4th May, 2016 through Launch Pilots. Read the full interview here.

1. So, why should marketers care about millennial marketing?

2. What's the most common mistake people make when marketing to millennials in China?

3. How does China’s education system influence the way brands should communicate and engage with millennials?

China is still a very traditional society as a whole. Before university, most teenagers’ purchasing decisions are made by their parents. If your audience are very young Chinese (15-19 years old), make sure that whatever product you are marketing has a strong relevance to self-enhancement, education, and/or provide an international perspective.

Chinese parents love their kids to excel and become better. They are happy to pay for something that will give their kids a better chance to succeed in life ( like education and unique experiences).

If you target university students, make sure you understand their budgets, buying habits, and reasons for these purchases. Pay attention to the school holidays and university registration time, which is when promotion will not work. Instead, try to utilize student communities and engage the school as a whole to help you promote.

In general, the Chinese education system is focused on repetition and passing exams. Kids have less free time compared to their European counterparts. These ”hardships” shared by millennials breed a very special kind of adults. Once the education pressure and parental supervision is gone, they really care about the following:
- experiences and quality time ( they relax, cherish life, and travel)
- becoming good at something of interest ( they have cool hobbies, like photography or writing)
- treasure time ( they try to eliminate the wasted time and focus on something fun, educational or meaningful)

4. Millennials are notoriously hard for marketers to engage. Which channels have you been disappointed with when reaching them?

The most impressive AND the most dangerous way to promote to Chinese millennials is to use Key Opinion Leaders, or KOLs. Some KOLs are great and, what’s even more important, real. Others, however, are more of a ‘money burning exercise’. We had our most successful campaigns launched and promoted through KOLs, however we did get a few unpleasant surprises.

5. What would you say is your most successful millennial campaign in China? 

6. What are the key success factors?

This interview was published on 4th May, 2016 through Launch Pilots. Read the full interview here. You can reach Ashley at [email protected]