(Source: https://pltfrm.com.cn)
Introduction
China’s fast-moving consumer landscape requires international companies to go beyond brand awareness—to build emotional relevance. Success in brand development hinges on local immersion, digital fluency, and culturally sensitive storytelling. The brands that win are not those with the biggest budgets, but those with the most localized strategies. This article explores how international brands are rethinking their approach to brand building by leveraging specialized development services in China.
1. Rethink Brand Purpose for the Chinese Context
1.1 Translate Brand Values Into Local Relevance
Don’t just localize language—localize meaning. Align your brand’s global mission with values that resonate in China, such as collective success, family, or social mobility.
1.2 Reposition Offerings Around Local Use Cases
Adapt your product narrative to everyday scenarios familiar to Chinese consumers—this might mean emphasizing home use, giftability, or community benefit depending on your category.
2. Run Brand Testing and Positioning With Local Insights
2.1 Conduct Regional Market Testing
Use focus groups, A/B creative testing, and short-form feedback surveys on Douyin or Xiaohongshu to validate messaging resonance across tiers and city clusters.
2.2 Refine Messaging Based on Cultural Response
Be prepared to adapt your positioning if reactions vary by audience. What works in first-tier cities may require adjustment for consumers in lower-tier or inland markets.
3. Activate Multisensory Brand Touchpoints Across Ecosystems
3.1 Visual and Audio Branding in Mobile Contexts
Mobile-first users need memorable sensory assets. Localized jingles, startup sounds, or animation logos improve brand stickiness across Douyin, Bilibili, and livestream environments.
3.2 Physical Experience Enhancements
Where relevant, develop offline pop-ups or sensory activations—scent bars, audio rooms, or mini exhibits—to deepen emotional connections, especially in beauty, F&B, or tech categories.
4. Integrate Influencer Voices Into Brand Identity
4.1 Long-Term KOL Partnerships for Brand Ambassadorship
Move beyond one-off campaigns. Partner with influencers to co-create brand stories that unfold over time—this builds brand credibility and community through trust.
4.2 Use Creator Feedback to Refine Brand DNA
Invite key KOLs and top customers to give feedback on branding decisions—from packaging to storytelling themes—to keep the brand grounded and culturally in tune.
Case Study: Swiss Babycare Brand Builds Trust Through Brand Co-Creation
A Swiss babycare company partnered with Chinese parenting influencers to co-create a visual storytelling campaign around “安心成长 (grow safely).” They tested logos, names, and imagery with family-focused audiences and adjusted packaging for shelf appeal and gift-giving moments. Brand storytelling ran on Xiaohongshu and WeChat, with customer feedback loops informing product improvements. Result: a 67% jump in brand recall among new parents in Tier 1–2 cities.
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!
