(Source: https://pltfrm.com.cn)
Introduction
In China’s highly dynamic digital environment, passive ad consumption is no longer enough. Today’s mobile-native audiences expect immersive, interactive experiences that invite participation, not just attention. For overseas brands entering this competitive space, leveraging interactive ad formats is key to building emotional connection and boosting campaign performance. This article outlines proven strategies to design, deploy, and optimize interactive ads for Chinese audiences.
1. Building Interaction into Every Stage of the Ad Journey
1.1 Pre-Engagement Tactics
Interactive pre-rolls, such as quizzes or countdown sliders, invite the user to participate before the main ad plays. These tools increase attention and prime the user for deeper engagement.
1.2 Mid-Ad Prompts
Features like “tap to reveal more,” swipeable galleries, and embedded polls allow the ad to become a two-way interaction zone. This shifts the user from passive viewer to active participant, improving recall and time-on-ad.
2. Leveraging Platform-Specific Interactive Formats
2.1 Douyin & Kuaishou Challenges
These platforms enable brands to launch viral challenges—inviting users to create their own content based on a theme. The best-performing campaigns provide easy-to-replicate visuals and incentives such as coupons or product giveaways.
2.2 WeChat Mini Game Ads
WeChat allows brands to integrate game-like ads within mini-programs, increasing average session length and deepening brand engagement. These are particularly effective in product education and brand storytelling.
3. Enhancing Personalization Within the Interaction
3.1 Customizable User Flows
Interactive ads can offer branching paths—such as “choose your skincare concern” or “what’s your fashion mood today?”—which guide users to customized product suggestions, increasing relevance and conversion probability.
3.2 Location and Preference Targeting
Using real-time user data, interactive ads can adapt content (e.g., local dialect, weather, or events) to resonate with the viewer’s immediate context. This real-time relevance often boosts interaction rates by over 30%.
4. Metrics That Matter in Interactive Campaigns
4.1 Engagement Over Impressions
Key success metrics include interaction rate, average time spent, and click-through on engagement elements—not just impressions or reach. Platforms like Baidu and Bilibili provide dedicated dashboards for these advanced metrics.
4.2 Retargeting Based on User Inputs
Users who engage with certain ad features (e.g., selecting “oily skin” in a skincare quiz) can be retargeted with tailored follow-up ads. This post-engagement targeting significantly improves ROI.
Case Study: French Skincare Brand Engages Users with WeChat Mini Game
A leading French skincare company launched a WeChat mini game where users diagnosed their skin type through a short quiz, then received personalized product recommendations and a discount code. By combining gamification, personalization, and coupon incentives, the brand achieved a 68% interaction rate and grew its official WeChat followers by 35,000 in just two weeks.
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!
