I was in the perfect position to observe our target market firsthand. Feeling refreshed to not to be in a crowd of expats, I was mind blown by how much the local scene has developed, mesmerized by the crowd’s energy, dance moves, chic attire, and especially their confidence. In the beginning, I was just interested because the Nengmao store-owner our street team interviewed last week was half-hosting the show and I really wanted to check out his 80′s China retro chic shirts designs.

As I arrived at about half past ten, a Taiwanese band named Go Chic was playing. On vocal was a sassy lady with short blonde hair jumping across the stage trying to hype up the crowd, but I was not too impressed.

Mao was the most packed I’ve ever seen it. Looking around, I wondered where all these trendy types are hiding during day time. It was the most hip/indie Chinese kiddies I have seen gather in one place, (guess I’ve been going to the wrong places…) Many of them were sporting Nengmao clothing, especially a lightning shirt that came free with the first 200 purchased tickets, good marketing strategy…

After a bit of wandering and chatting with strangers I seem to repeatedly encounter on the weekends, it was time to go back in and watch the main act- New Pants from Beijing. At first, it seemed a lot quieter than Go Chic, seducing the audience with a sweet little lullaby called “Being together.”

Then, out of nowhere, the keyboarder took off his bug-eye glasses, put on a Mao cap, and took over the center of stage, channeling a whole new vigorous atmosphere to the crowd. Their eccentric dance moves and rich instrumental sounds were driving the crowd and I was utterly surprised by their incredible performance. In fact, at that point I realized that I was a virgin to local Chinese acts and was astonished by how creative and musically talented Chinese bands could be. It was really refreshing to see such a passionate and energetic crowd, made up of 90% Chinese youngsters, basking in the glory of the lush sounds, rhythmical movements, and vibrant attires.

The fans at the front started mosh pits, a few attempted stage dives, and towards the end some even bravely climbed on stage, dancing madly with the band. It was a very “很HIGH” moment as the Chinese would say.

Finally, after a few encores, fans were satisfied, caught in the moment, and many rushed to the product booths to purchase more Nengmao shirts and other New Pants products. New Pants’ very own singer Peng lei wrote and illustrated one of the books for sell (Peking Monster). Its raw verse, childlike drawings, and imaginative content stand out as a great symbol of Chinese pop culture. When asked his opinion on the future of art in China, he explained,

“The Chinese government recently realized that investing in creative industries is much cheaper than subsidizing oil and coal. So they started to give money to young people to encourage them do the creative projects that might turn profitable. However, in China, the government still puts limitations on those of us who are “too” creative. For example we had some music performances that were shut down by the government because we were doing punk music, which those politicians thought was evil or something. So I would say there is still a long way to go before I can say that China is a country that supports its artists.”

Fortunately, from what we have seen on Friday night, even without the support from the Chinese government, the creative arts and music scene in Shanghai is thriving and doesn’t see a sign of stopping… yet.

A key question to first think about is:

How do you use social media to market your brand, get your customers to love you and talk about you?

As the number of digital agencies worldwide grows exponentially, companies will constantly be trying new and different social media strategies resulting in documented successful (and unsuccessful) case studies.

Any brand executing social media campaigns is somewhat trying to build customer advocacy for their brands. If they’re interested in having people talk about how good their brand is, then this is advocacy. Moreover, brands are interested in activating customers to push their friends and family to buy a product.

So how do we integrate consumer advocacy and brand advocacy? Let’s first look at a definition for brand advocacy:

“Brand Advocacy, is the active sharing of one’s beliefs, interactions, stories, experiences, thrills, and disappointments in regards to all products and brands.”

Brand advocacy in the social media world is built up by consumers clicking on a brand’s “fan” button on Renren or Facebook, sharing an online product review, setting your status message to things like, “Brand X is amazing!” and so forth.


So what are the essentials to building strong youth brand advocacy in the growing China social media landscape?

1. Product, product, product!

To make your customers love you, you have to put out good products. It’s as simple as that. Don’t expect to change consumer opinion by putting out a social media campaign if your product does not meet consumer standards. If you know your product is bad, social media cannot fix it.

2. Bring something new to the table.

Youth in China are becoming increasingly experimental. This is reflective of a maturing youth consumer. For example, a recent McDonald’s campaign utilized the specific demographic of Douban and created a unique “Bring your toys to life campaign” that involved uploading photos of your nostalgic McDonald’s toys acting out storylines. This was innovative and fresh. The Douban youth applauded McDonald’s for this campaign.

3. Create an interactive environment.

If you are going to create a mini-site (or a not so mini-site) for your campaign, then it’s best to create an interactive environment so that your brand advocates actually have something to do there. Ask them to participate, create something, interact with the brand, and share with friends.

4. But make sure it’s easy to do.

Provide clear guidelines, intuitive instructions, and create an easy to read and navigate user interface. The easier it is, the more your customers are enticed to interact with you.

5. Sharability.

Make sure if a customer endorses your brand, it is visible within his or her friend circle. This is why it’s best to utilize existing popular Chinese social networks such as Renren, Kaixin, and QQ. Of course it’s important to keep in mind that in China you must work directly with these social media networks and strike an exclusive deal. It’s highly important to involve platforms if you want to run social media campaigns in China, engaging in discussion early on with these folks can save you some time. (Not necessarily money though!)

6. Measure quality over quantity.

Instead of looking at the number of of impressions/clicks/comments you receive from the campaign, make sure to actually read what customers are saying about your brand. Just because your page generated millions of clicks, it doesn’t mean this has any effect on sales or brand advocacy.

If you’re unsure about entering into the social media foray and are still unclear about creating youth brand advocacy, it’s best to make sure you’re staying true to your brand ideals and not jumping on board a trendy social media campaign. Measure your options carefully, look at successes AND failures, and let us know if you need some actionable ideas.


Extended Reading:

• Fast Company Influence Project Fail
• Old Spice Success

When the sun is out, most of Changsha’s youth escape the overbearing heat, but come nightfall, everyone emerges from their air-conditioned sanctuaries. Restaurants turn sidewalks into dining rooms as collapsible tables stretch as far as the eye can see. McDonald’s and KFC compete for attention in downtown areas, while the new kid on the block, Papa John’s, starts to develop it’s own fan-base.

Fortunately for the myriad mom and pop restaurants, local dishes are still the favorite for Changsha youth. Given the choice between a Big Mac and Kou Wei Xia (a heap of spicy prawns), most youth would choose the latter.

After dinner it’s time to take a stroll down Changsha’s broad walking avenue – Bu Xing Jie. If you’re into athletic apparel, you’ll have an excuse to pop into a shop or two, but most people go there to stroll hand-in-hand with friends or romances.

On weekends, creative and alternative types check Douban for event listings, then head to 4698 Livehouse or the chilled-out Freedom House in hopes of a good live show. Indie and alternative music are most welcomed, while electronic music draws much smaller crowds.

Hordes of other youth take over rooms in KTVs, or get tables at their favorite club (Soho seems to be the most popular). Once in the KTV or club, it’s time to throw down some cash on whiskey. If you are not drinking Chivas, you’re probably not going to have the most attractive girls sitting with you (mind you, most girls here don’t like whiskey). In the club, groups generally keep to themselves. There isn’t much dancing since your typical Chinese club has no dance-floor. Dice games decide who drinks. The more the guys drink, the more they chat up accompanying girls — although talking over the loud Korean electro-pop that’s been on repeat for the last two years can be quite difficult.

Come two or three in the morning, most are in a cab headed home. Still, some refuse to call it a night, but rather, they gather up the pals to go for round 2 of Kou Wei Xia accompanied by a round of Changsha’s local beer: Bai Sha.

Below are some shots I took around Changsha’s downtown. Click to enlarge.

Chandler is a recent university graduate, with dreams of traveling the world and eventually settling down in Japan. His room is littered with tokens past travelers have gifted him: a Canadian flag on his bed, maps in his closet, posters, t-shirts, and framed photos on his desk. During the week I spent at his place, we attended live shows, hung out with China’s old school punks, ate xiao kao with college students, and even went for a late night swim in the Yangtze.

During the day, we would escape Wuhan’s ferocious heat in a local coffee-shop, and talk for hours about everything and nothing. Since CouchSurfing (CS) is a crucial part of my trip, and an indicator of the changing mentality of many Chinese youth, I thought I’d share Chandler’s thoughts on the CS project.

How did you get introduced to couchsurfing?
My friend Linda — a former teacher from Canada living in Wuhan — told me about the concept. I’ve always loved travel and meeting new people, so I immediately joined the community!

Have you met many people since joining CS?
I haven’t yet had the chance to stay with other people, but I’ve hosted quite a few — people I never would have met otherwise. So far I’ve hosted 2 Polish guys, 2 Canadian guys, and you. I’ve also met up with local Wuhan people or travelers for drinks or a CS-organized party. Good times!

So were they all positive experiences?
In different ways, yes. Communicating with the Polish CSers was tough since their Chinese was non-existant, and their English wasn’t very good. But, we got along very well. Body language, spicy food, and beer goes a long way!

On the other hand, there was one surfer who had a hard time coping with the lack of AC in my living room, but when I offered my room with AC, he complained my bed was too hard and that there were too many mosquitos. I guess it’s harder for some people to adjust to more local living standards.

Any crazy stories?
[laughs] Not until you came to stay, but I suppose those stories are for another time!

Do you think CouchSurfing is too foreign of an idea to really catch on in China?
Not necessarily. When I first learned about it, I brought it up to my parents before hosting travelers. They didn’t love the idea, but they accepted it. When I speak to my friends about it, most of them are intrigued by the idea. Many people see it as a way to practice english, and learn about other cultures.

So it can catch on?
Yes, absolutely. Just look how many Chinese join CS every year… [The numbers are indeed growing rapidly. Check out figures here]

Besides foreigners, what kind of people use CS in China?
The travel community in China is growing very quickly. You have leisure travelers as well as more adventurous travelers. Adventurous travelers, like backpackers, seem especially keen on the idea. Many university students are also accepting the idea, since it’s a great way to save some money while making new friends in new places.

There are also people who don’t travel, but use CS to meet people to chat over a drink. In Wuhan and Changsha, you’ll find loads of local students who may not be able to offer a couch, but are very willing to meet new friends.

It seems most local CSers share one trait: curiosity. They’re curious to go to a new place; curious to meet people from different cities or countries.

Future of CS in China?
I think it’s bound to grow in popularity. On the one hand, CS provides a great way to meet foreigners — something many Chinese youth want to do. As we become more confident in ourselves, and our ability to communicate with the internatinonal community, CS provides a great platform for cultural exchange.

On the other hand, all forms of domestic travel are booming. Chinese are exploring their country like never before. Most of us youth dread the idea of traveling in groups — you know, the kind where we all wear the same hat, and follow the person holding a megaphone. We want to escape our studies or  jobs for a couple days, or even take advantage of a vacation to go somewhere new. CS makes it at once more affordable and more interesting.

I’ll be regularly posting articles to enovate while on the road. Check here for more stories, photos, and videos. I’ll also be posting content to my blog thesinoists.com/baronburns, and actively tweeting (@MrBaronBurns)

With no further ado, we bring you enovate’s Weekly Weibo Roundup:

“Lovely young couple with great hearts, their love will last forever!”

2. LG’s “Sweet” Weibo Campaign





In April 2010, LG launched their Sina Weibo page featuring the latest LG Lollipop GD580 phone to target the post 80’s and 90’s Chinese youth. Over 8400 Chinese netizens followed the page. Their most recent campaign “ 甜蜜ME,” translates into “Sweet Me,” a collaboration with Guo Jingming (a pop idol and writer popular amongst post 80’s Chinese youth) along with his team who recently launched China’s supposedly “sweetest youth novel.” Exclusive videos of the “Sweet Me” book signing event attracted many of Guo’s fans at Sina Weibo. LG also released the pictures of “ Sweet Star” campaign to better target young consumers.


3. Han Han’s Magazine “Party” Released




On July 7th, China’s most popular blogger and best-selling writer, Han Han released his new magazine Party. Han argued that underpaid jobs for Chinese writers directly leads to the low quality of writing in China. To make a point as the main editor for Party, he promised higher pay for better quality output. He hopes this will help young writers explore and develop their unique writing styles as well as personal character. Many netizens have posted pictures of their copy of the magazine on Sina Weibo and are saying that they enjoyed the content and are excited to see what happens next with the project.


4. New Reality TV Show Targets Young Female Professionals




A new reality TV show “Looking for Dulala” debuted on July 12th on the Shanghai Dragon TV station. The show aims to assist young graduates in understanding themselves and setting career goals. Companies including L’oreal, COSMOPOLITAN, One foundation and China Life have lined up to recruit the best candidates to fill their vacancies through the show. Their Weibo page has attracted over 4000 followers. One viewer commented,

“I watch the show even though they play it really late at night. It’s worth it- I have learned a lot.”

5. The Cutest Cosplay Ever!




A mother who is a big fan of Arale, a Japanese cartoon character, dressed her daughter up like Arale and posted pictures on her blog. Creative factory reposted it at Sina Weibo where it received over 9000 retweets as netizens expressed their wishes to have a daughter as cute as her!

This week a music video called “So Close, So Far” captured the attention of Renren users. The MV ignited the post 80′s generation’s passion for discussing their personal experiences with and perspectives on love. It was shared 73309 times and viewed 510686 times. With vocals by Supergirl Jane Zhang, “So Close, So Far” became the theme song for the popular movie “Post 80′s.” Both the magnificent footage of Hangzhou’s West Lake and Zhang’s beautiful voice helped make the movie popular. In turn, the movie’s success has pushed this MV to viral status.





“Post 80′s” tells a story of three 80′s-born Chinese each on a quest to find enduring love.  Without famous movie stars or a well-known director, the movie aimed to capture the audience by connecting the characters’ experience with the generation’s own nostalgic memories and sentiments. The movie features events familiar to the post 80′s generation (most of whom are only children). It includes big events such as Beijing winning the Olympics bid, the suicide of Leslie Cheung, as well as little things like old toys. In the film’s background, problems all too familiar for the 80′s babies– troubled relationships, unaffordable housing prices, and unemployment are highlighted but, the main characters’ emotional struggles provide the main focus.

I felt a sense of connection to my generation after watching both the MV and the movie. These feelings are strong because we all experienced being locked at home alone when our parents were working during summer vacations, were criticized more than encouraged by teachers and parents, and grew up with more importance placed on academic achievement over happiness. In spite of this emotional scar tissue, our generation has grown up. We have bravely chased our dreams and loves. We have taken responsibility for our nation, families and ourselves. Post 80′s makes me feel as if all my efforts to grow up have been justified. It makes me feel that our generation is not dispirited, absent-minded, or nerdy but rather that our voice is strong and connected.

Beibei will be following her online shopping passion with a bi-weekly report on new online shopping trends in the market. This week’s topic explores the online shopping trends of new mothers and the un-sustainability of this habit.

As an expecting mother, 9 months of pregnancy is an both an exciting and exhausting period of time. In 2009, over 16 million Chinese mothers endured this child bearing passage to give birth to their wondrous bundles of joy. This 9 month period of time often represents 9 months of relative isolation and rest time for Chinese mothers, sparking what has become an unbelievable growth in online purchasing power.

This period of time for expecting Chinese mothers is a traditional period known as 坐月子 (Zuo Yuezi), which translates to “sitting the month”. Chinese people recognize “Zuo Yuezi” as a period when the mother’s body, including hormone levels and uterus size, returns to pre-pregnancy conditions. It usually lasts 30 days, but regional variants may last 60, 90 or as many as 6 months. Tradition specifies a restricted diet and puts limitations on activities considered to be harmful. During Zuo Yuezi, the mother is expected to spend all of her time indoors, much of it in bed, and is prohibited from numerous activities such as bathing, hair-washing etc. Online Chinese shopping sites have come to the rescue for antsy moms-to-be. Because of its convenience, new mothers increasingly go online both to look for necessities and entertainment.

New moms like meeting other moms with a baby of the same age. The BBS of Liba.com, a locally-based white collar household guide, has proven itself as the top online spot for moms to exchange various information including baby education, postpartum recovery etc. Moms post link recommendations in their online groups when they find good-quality baby items online. In addition, they often organize or join certain MSN /QQ online groups which provide another method to share resources and information. Fengli, a 30 year-old new mom who works as an editor at Shanghai Foreign Language Education Press shared the list of items she usually purchases online: early education books as well as other books she enjoys, snacks, toys, a baby seat & desk, diapers, imported milk powders, and other early education tools. Many moms confessed buying clothes and cosmetics for themselves on Taobao.com as they spend more time on their computers.

Aiyingshi.com was frequently mentioned by new Shanghai moms; it is a comprehensive online store selling baby items ranging from toys, formula, food, clothing and accessories.

One Chinese mom says,

“My baby is growing fast and quickly loses interest in his old toys. He has already outgrown his baby bed and now his baby seat too. I have to keep buying new items for him even though I think it’s wasteful and bad for the environment. China lacks second hand websites or markets for baby items, so it is inevitable for us to buy new things”.

Yihaodian.com is where moms go for snacks and imported food. Most expressed contentment with their “buy 100rmb, get free door-to-door delivery service” policy. Sometimes they can even get a better discount than they can shopping at supermarkets. Dangdang.com is another popular site with a wide variety of books to meet the mother’s needs.

Online shopping has certainly made preparing for a baby more convenient and sometimes it’s even cheaper. For these reasons new parents will buy more and more products online. Without a price incentive to create a market for used baby products or disincentive for buying new off the internet, sustainability is taking a back seat. With this increase in online shopping habits during the Zuo Yuezi period, we will be tracking whether or not the recycling habits of new mothers is increasing as well.

Can new mothers be the catalyst for actual sustainable change in China? Time will tell.

“I’d rather be crying in a BMW than smiling on the back of a bicycle” said one woman (Ma Nuo) on If You Are the One, the most popular in a new crop of Chinese dating shows. The show has since come under government censorship for polluting the malleable minds of Chinese young people with open gold-diggers or bai jin nu.  (Confession: I listened to Kanye West to set the mood for writing this article.)

Many think that Chinese marriage is becoming more and more materialistic. I’ve been told that despite all other qualifications a woman will lose face if her boyfriend or husband doesn’t have a house, car, AND a promising job. They must not be right out of college… With more young people and more competition for jobs come longer hours and less time for dating. One recent post on Baidu cuts to the chase,

“I’m 25 years old, looking for a boyfriend. I want you to have an apartment and car. The apartment has to be built after 2000 and the car has to be better than a minivan.”

Another popular TV reality program is just called “Don’t Bother Me Unless You’re Serious.” And let’s not forget Miss Luo’s demanding leaflets. Michael, a 26-year-old freelance artist, says he has given up on Shanghai girls because he doesn’t “have any sugar.”

The ‘marriage market’ in People’s Square provides another prime example of frankness about relationships that many Westerners find crude (and sometimes appalling). Grandparents and parents of busy career men and women gather at the park on weekend days and post papers with their progeny’s height, weight, education level, monthly salary, and dating history for females and the same minus weight and plus the ownership of a car and house for males. I think the papers look sort of quaint decorating the bush branches with hand-written characters. Quaint and efficient. We don’t even have to waste time talking if your son makes under 3000 RMB/month.

A concerned mother collecting information for her son's potential wife.

This past week, I attended author Mina Choi’s book talk at Garden Books in Shanghai. Her presentation of Shanghai Girls: Uncensored & Unsentimental roused an international audience with nearly equal gender representation. Girlfriend Lanlan told Choi and Choi told us stories upon stories of Shanghai girls marrying foreign men thirty years their senior and the quick transformation observed by their friends from an 800RMB/month lifestyle to perfect spoken English, perfect hair and makeup, and a foreign passport. When her ambition outgrew the starter boyfriend or starter husband, the Shanghai girl upgraded. The Western men in the audience were the most outraged by the book, citing true love and ethics. Most of them were married to or dating Shanghai girls. One American girl said she didn’t think that gold digging was a new thing she just thought Shanghai girls were “much better at it.” Choi seemed to take the stance that these girls were simply being practical, using their best assets to move up in society.

While hair color no longer gives away financial status in major Chinese cities, money seems to matter as much or more to girls as they think about marriage. One student worries that his college girlfriend won’t marry him if he doesn’t land a certain salary right out of college while another’s family disapproved of their daughter dating someone with a major that wasn’t Econ. At first exposure these ideas sound shallow (and somewhat ridiculous) to the romantic Western ear but in all honesty we talk about the same things. We just whisper. Maybe we’d be happier if we were more transparent about what we wanted, like a Shanghai girl.

Mushroom hair

Name: Xi Xi
Age: 29
Loves to: Collect old toys
Favorite brand: His own brand- NengMao store (能猫商店)
Outfit highlights: Mushroom haircut, the same old framed glasses, shirt with his own name, cut offs

Chanel bag in yo face

Name: Cindy
Age: 23
Favorite TV show: America’s Next Top Model
Wants to live in: NYC
Outfit highlights: Cute bowtie hairband, Chanel bag show off, matching gold chains on wrist, suffocating rainboots

The Summer looks

Name: Chen Wei
Age: 18
Likes to: draw and shop
Loves to watch: Disney movies
Outfit highlights: Straw hat (Simon was right!), floral top, jean shorts, cool sandals, the regular summer outfit

Name: Athena
Age: 21
Likes to: play guitar and sing
Favorite TV show: The Big Bang Theory
Outfit highlights: Cute hair, cute heart belt buckle, cute blazer, cute shoes, cuteness all around

Work formal

Name: Gu Zi
Age: 23
Favorite celebrity: Zhou Bichang
Personal dream: To make enough money to provide for her family
Outfit highlights: Layers of black, harem pants, puff sleeve white blazer, bowtie shoes, nicely put together young professional appeal

The Couple

Outfit highlights (girl): Straw hat (once again!), intriguing animal graphic tank, matching necklace and anklet with bf
Outfit highlights (boy): Long hair, ink drips Elmo shirt, hip canvas shoes, manklet

Name: He Zhen Age: 21 Loves to: Play board games Wants to: Travel abroad Ideal career: Creative director

Name: Huang Juan Age: 21 Loves to: Shop Favorite brand: Dolce&Gabbana Ideal career: Editor for a cosmetic magazine

I’ve been on the road for a week, and what a week it’s been: playing fooseball with China’s original punks, following a local graffiti crew as they tread along a foot-wide ledge to leave their mark on a bridge, a late night swim in the Yangtze river with a group of students, and ultimate frisbee with Changsha’s team, City Storm.

Fortunately, that’s just the start. This lucky enovater will be traveling the mainland for 3 – 4 months. The purpose? Offer a glimpse into the evolving nature of China’s youth cultures. More specifically, I intend to track the growing subcultures of 2nd, 3rd, and 4th tier cities. Tourist attractions will be forsaken in favor of coffee with creatives, bumping shoulders at markets, skateboarding with locals, campus visits, and evenings at music venues. It will be a full cultural immersion.

During my travels I’ll be staying with local youth, most of whom I’ll meet through CouchSurfing.com. For those unfamiliar with CouchSurfing, it’s an international social networking site that connects travelers with hosts in cities all over the world. Already popular throughout Europe and the Americas, it’s catching on in China. Before arriving to a city, I simply search for a host, send a request to crash on their couch, and voila. It’s a great way to meet locals, get a taste of their lifestyle, and see their city through their eyes.

Despite two comfy fast-train rides — one from Shanghai to Wuhan, the other Wuhan to Changsha — I’ll be getting around almost exclusively by hard seat. Again, it’s a great way to meet people. When you’re seated for 20+ hours with the lights on all night, you get friendly with your neighbors. Hours fly by as you cheer cheap beers, play poker, and succumb to the occasional cigarette handed to you. Once people get past the “where are you from; wow, your Chinese is good; are you studying or working” stage, people are eager to tell you their stories, and ask you yours. Without fail, I am offered stays and personal tours of people’s cities, towns, and villages. The hard seat section is where you’ll find the most generosity.

The route? Below is a rough plan. However, it’s subject to change as chance encounters and recommendations may throw me off course. It also fails to account for the occasional forays into rural areas and little-known low-tier cities.

View Rough Plan in a larger map

While traveling, I’ll be frequently updating the enovate website with stories, findings, tidbits, photos, and occasional rants; so make sure to check back frequently. I’ll also be actively tweeting from @enovate and my personal account @MrBaronBurns.

And of course, if you’re in any of the above cities, don’t hesitate to drop me a line on twitter or email (nick@enovatechina.com). If you have any suggestions of people to meet, places to go, things to do, or things you’d specifically like to hear about, feel free to tweet or leave a comment below.

’til next time,

Nick