(Source: https://pltfrm.com.cn)
Introduction
China’s consumer trends move faster than anywhere else on earth. Overseas brands that win are the ones armed with real-time, hyper-local data — not last quarter’s reports. Here are the five most powerful market intelligence platforms that top agencies and brands use daily to stay ahead in China.
1. CBNData – Alibaba’s Consumer Big Data Center
1.1 First Insight Reports & Category Deep Dives CBNData releases “first insight” reports 30–60 days before anyone else, covering consumption upgrades, new categories, and generational shifts. Brands receive detailed demographic breakdowns (Gen Z vs. silver generation) and city-tier penetration data.
1.2 Custom Data Orders You can order bespoke datasets (e.g., “sales of imported craft beer in lower-tier cities 2023–2025”) delivered within 72 hours.
2. iClick iAccess & Aurora Mobile
2.1 Device-Level Audience Mapping These platforms own device-ID databases covering 95%+ of China’s smartphones. Overseas brands use them to build lookalike audiences across WeChat, Douyin, and Toutiao with pinpoint accuracy.
2.2 Cross-App Journey Tracking See the exact path from seeing an ad on Douyin → searching on Baidu → purchasing on Tmall.
3. Kantar Worldpanel China & CMR
3.1 Offline Purchase Panel (80,000 Households) The only reliable source for actual offline fast-moving consumer goods purchase data scanned from receipts in real time. Essential for imported food, beverage, and personal care brands.
3.2 Quarterly Brand Health Tracker Measures share of wallet, penetration, and loyalty across 300+ categories.
4. Trustdata & Sensor Tower China
4.1 App Economy Intelligence Track downloads, revenue rankings, and update frequency for every app in China. Overseas gaming and tool apps use this to decide launch timing and feature prioritization.
4.2 Churn & LTV Prediction Models Built-in models forecast 30/90/180-day retention before you even launch.
5. YipitData Alternative Data for China
5.1 Credit Card Transaction Panels Aggregated, anonymized transaction data from millions of Chinese bank cards — the closest thing to “Amazon sales data” for offline and online combined.
5.2 Satellite + Foot Traffic Intelligence Monitor store traffic for your own and competitors’ flagship stores in every major city.
Case Study: Australian Health Supplement Brand – From 0 to Top 3 in 18 Months
An Australian collagen brand used CBNData + Kantar Worldpanel to identify that women 30–45 in Tier-2 cities were 4× more likely to buy imported collagen than in Tier-1 cities. We combined this with iClick device-level targeting and Tmall transaction data to dominate the category on 9.9 and Double 11, achieving the #3 imported brand position within 18 months.
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!
