(Source: https://pltfrm.com.cn)
Introduction Every year, overseas brands spend millions on large-scale surveys in China—yet many still launch products that quietly fail. The reason? Numbers show “what,” but only deep qualitative research reveals the “why” behind Chinese consumer behavior.
1. In-Depth Interviews with Cultural Decoding
1.1 Ladder-up Interviews Starting from product attributes and gradually revealing deeper values and beliefs. Two to three sentences: Consumers rarely say “I buy this brand because it makes me feel I belong to the new middle class,” but skilled interviewers can ladder up from functional benefits to emotional and self-expressive benefits in 45 minutes.
1.2 Family Decision-Making Mapping Understanding who really influences the purchase in multi-generational households. Two to three sentences: A premium infant formula brand learned that grandmothers—not mothers—were the final decision-makers in 68% of Tier-2 households, completely shifting their messaging strategy.
2. Social Listening 2.0: From Keywords to Emotional Narratives
2.1 Sentiment Journey Mapping on Xiaohongshu Tracking how consumer sentiment evolves from awareness to repurchase across thousands of user-generated notes. Two to three sentences: This reveals emotional turning points (e.g., the exact moment trust is built or lost) that traditional social listening tools completely miss.
2.2 Meme and Emoji Analysis Modern Chinese consumers often communicate through memes, emojis, and short video stickers instead of text. Two to three sentences: A European cosmetics brand discovered that the “crying cat” meme was being used positively when consumers achieved perfect makeup looks—information that shaped a highly successful Douyin campaign.
3. Sensory and Experiential Research
3.1 Multi-Sensory Product Testing Chinese consumers evaluate products through sight, sound, smell, touch, and even the unboxing “soundscape.” Two to three sentences: A luxury chocolate brand changed its foil wrapper because the original crinkle sound was perceived as “cheap” by focus groups in Shanghai.
3.2 Pop-up Immersion Labs Temporary experiential spaces that replicate real-life usage contexts. Two to three sentences: One overseas fragrance brand created “scent memory rooms” that recreated childhood smells—triggering emotional connections that led to a 300% higher purchase intent.
Case Study: Australian Health Supplement Brand That Discovered the “Parents-First” Insight Through 120 in-depth family interviews across five provinces, PLTFRM uncovered that middle-class Chinese parents prioritize their own health supplements before buying for children—a complete reversal of Western behavior. This led to a “Gift to Parents First” campaign launched during Double Ninth Festival. The campaign generated 400% ROI in the first month and established the brand as the #1 imported collagen brand on Tmall Global within one year.
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!
