(Source: https://pltfrm.com.cn)
Introduction
Short video is now the most powerful content format for building brand awareness in China. Platforms like Douyin, Kuaishou, and RED are more than entertainment apps—they are engines for viral discovery and emotional connection. For overseas brands looking to grow visibility in China, aligning with the latest short video trends is essential. This article outlines the most impactful content formats, creator movements, and cultural shifts shaping brand visibility through short video in today’s Chinese market.
1. Lifestyle Micro-Dramas: Storytelling That Builds Emotional Recall
Mini skits and serialized content humanize brand values
Brands are increasingly using short-form narrative arcs—mini-dramas about relationships, daily life, or aspiration. These create emotional resonance and embed product placement naturally.
Multiple-episode formats increase retention and UGC spin-offs
Serialized storytelling encourages repeat viewership and duet formats. Brands benefit from both content depth and virality across reposts and remixes.
2. “Aesthetic Routine” Videos: High-Visual Impact Meets Authenticity
Clean, calming visuals in beauty, fashion, and home categories
Chinese Gen Z favors short videos that are visually satisfying yet relatable. Think “get ready with me,” “unbox and style,” or “Sunday reset” routines shot with moody lighting and ambient sound.
Subtle brand integration works best in these formats
Products should appear as part of a seamless routine, not a forced promotion. This encourages organic saves, shares, and trust-based recognition.
3. Transformation and Reveal Edits: Tapping Into Surprise and Curiosity
Before-and-after videos, quick makeovers, or time-lapse DIYs
Videos that promise a visible change within 15–30 seconds consistently drive higher completion and comment rates. Fashion and F&B brands use these to visually demonstrate product value.
Hashtag trends around transformations invite UGC
Joining popular transformations like #GlowUp or #HomeRefresh allows brands to ride existing momentum while introducing their twist.
4. Creator Collaboration Around Hyper-Niche Themes
Collaborate with creators in niche circles: tech, parenting, wellness
Short video isn’t just for general awareness. Collaborating with niche influencers allows brands to seed awareness in tightly bonded communities that drive peer influence and authority.
Co-branded series or challenges increase authenticity
For example, a skincare brand may co-launch a challenge with a RED creator around “morning rituals for screen-heavy days”—a theme that’s relatable, targeted, and trend-aligned.
Case Study: Japanese Minimalist Brand Goes Viral With “No-Talk” Video Series
A Japanese lifestyle brand launched a series of 20-second “silent morning” routines featuring products in real-life settings—coffee, wardrobe setup, and journaling. Each video used natural lighting and ambient noise, trending under the #HealingMornings tag on Douyin. Within three weeks, the series drove over 8.2 million views and 300,000+ engagements, including over 9,000 shares to WeChat Moments and Mini Program traffic growing by 46%.
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!
