(Source: https://pltfrm.com.cn)
As programmatic buying now accounts for over 88% of China’s digital display and video ad spend in 2025, understanding the latest real-world benchmarks has become non-negotiable for overseas brands. CPMs, CTRs, viewability rates, and ROAS expectations vary dramatically across platforms and formats. This article reveals the exact numbers top-performing brands are hitting right now and shows how to apply them immediately.
1. CPM & CPC Benchmarks Across Major Platforms
1.1 Douyin Information Flow & Search Ads Average CPM for overseas brands ranges from RMB 38–68, with premium interest-e-commerce placements reaching RMB 90–120 during peak hours. CPC for branded search terms sits between RMB 2.8–6.5, while generic category keywords can climb above RMB 12.
1.2 Tencent Advertising (WeChat + QQ + GDT) WeChat Moments CPM stabilized at RMB 65–95, delivering 85%+ viewability and 2–3× higher brand recall than traditional display. CPC for Video Accounts feed ads averages RMB 1.8–4.2, making it one of the most cost-effective awareness channels.
2. CTR & Conversion Rate Benchmarks That Separate Winners from Average
2.1 Short Video & Livestream Feed Ads Top 10% of overseas brand creatives on Douyin achieve 2.8–4.1% CTR (vs. industry average 1.1%). Conversion rates from click to purchase now hit 12–18% when using shoppable short videos with strong CTA overlays.
2.2 Display & Native Programmatic on Alliance Networks Tencent + Alibaba + ByteDance alliance networks deliver average CTRs of 0.45–0.78% for overseas brands using dynamic creative optimization (DCO). Best-practice retargeting campaigns push CVR above 8% with personalized product feeds.
3. Viewability & Anti-Fraud Standards in 2025
3.1 Minimum Acceptable Viewability Leading overseas brands now enforce 80%+ viewability clauses in all programmatic deals (up from 70% in 2024). WeChat Moments and Douyin consistently exceed 90%, while some smaller DSPs still fall below 60%.
3.2 Fraud Rate Benchmarks Average invalid traffic (IVT) rate across Tier-1 DSPs dropped to 3.8–6.2% thanks to stricter verification partners like MIAOZHEN and AdMaster. Contracts now routinely include 100% refund clauses for fraud above 8%.
4. ROAS Benchmarks by Industry Vertical
4.1 Beauty & Personal Care Overseas beauty brands achieving 1:6–1:9 ROAS on programmatic channels dominate Tmall International rankings. The key lies in combining Xiaohongshu organic seeding with Douyin retargeting layers.
4.2 Health Supplements & FMCG Top performers hit 1:4.5–1:6.5 ROAS by allocating 60%+ of programmatic budgets to lower-funnel search + shopping feed ads on Baidu and Taobao Alliance.
Case Study: Canadian Skincare Brand The Ordinary From Jan–Sep 2025, The Ordinary ran a full programmatic stack across Tencent GDT, Douyin, and Alibaba Momedia with strict benchmarks (CPM ≤ RMB 72, CTR ≥ 2.3%, viewability ≥ 88%). The campaign delivered average ROAS of 1:8.3 and helped the brand secure #2 ranking among overseas clinical skincare on Tmall Global.
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. With over a decade of experience optimizing programmatic campaigns for overseas brands, we turn benchmarks into predictable growth. Contact us, and we will help you find the best China e-commerce platform for you. Search PLTFRM for a free consultation!
