(Source: https://pltfrm.com.cn)
Introduction
China’s digital world is not one market – it’s dozens of micro-cultures living inside different apps. Overseas brands that crack the code don’t rely on global social listening tools; they deploy platform-native qualitative research that captures emotion, language, and unspoken rules. These are the five methods winning in 2025.
- Cross-Platform User Journey Reenactments
1.1 Recreate Real Purchase Paths in Lab Settings Process: Users verbally and physically reenact how they discovered, researched, and bought an overseas product across apps. Discovery: 68% of high-value purchases begin with an anonymous Xiaohongshu search, not brand advertising. - Livestream & Short Video Co-Creation Labs
2.1 Consumers Direct Their Own 60-Second Videos Result: Revealed that Chinese users want overseas brands to feel “有烟火气” (human warmth) – not perfect production value. - Private Traffic Pool Deep Dives
3.1 WeChat SOP (Standard Operating Procedure) Audits of Top Groups Finding: The most valuable communities ban direct selling but allow “soft planting” through personal stories. - Emoji & Hashtag Semiotics Workshops
4.1 Decode the Emotional Meaning of Trending Symbols Example: The folded-hands emoji now signals “quiet luxury” among 30+ white-collar women.
Case Study: Canadian Outdoor Brand’s WeChat Video Channels Explosion A premium Canadian outdoor apparel brand had zero presence on WeChat Video Channels. PLTFRM ran 100 journey reenactments and 50 co-creation labs in Chengdu, Wuhan, and Xi’an. Breakthrough insight: Chinese urban consumers wanted “city-to-mountain” transitional pieces for weekend escapes, not hardcore expedition gear. The brand launched the “Weekend Escape” capsule with soft-shell jackets in trendy morandi colors and shot all content using real employee weekend trips. First three months achieved 28 million organic views and RMB 66 million GMV through Video Channels + Mini-Program.
PLTFRM is an international brand consulting agency that works with companies such as Red, TikTok, Tmall, Baidu, and other well-known Chinese internet e-commerce platforms. We have been working with Chile Cherries for many years, reaching Chinese consumers in depth through different platforms and realizing that Chile Cherries’ exports in China account for 97% of the total exports in Asia. Contact us, and we will help you find the best China e-commerce platform for you. Search PLTFRM for a free consultation!
