Beyond Advertising How Douyin Turns Stories into Sales
Live commerce used to be one of the easiest ways to sell on Douyin. Now, its grip is starting to weaken. Average viewing time for livestream shopping sessions
The rise of “affordable alternatives,” the prominence of emotional appeal, and the normalization of reviews and comparisons are all signs that Chinese consumers are redefining their relationships with brands through new values. Among the surveyed group, “higher-quality product upgrades” is the most important factor when choosing products (49.0%), followed by a good service experience (43.5%). Excellent quality and service help brands succeed in the present.
Looking to the long term, brand affinity is more closely tied to emotional and psychological appeals. The top three sources of brand affinity, as chosen by the majority, are customer service (53.1%), reflecting one’s personal lifestyle or attitude (38.9%), and a sense of social responsibility (38.0%). Chinese consumers are now connecting with brands more proactively, expecting them to symbolize their lifestyle and values. Only by fulfilling these deeper psychological needs can brands enhance affinity and support long-term brand development.
Information dissemination has entered a decentralized era, where the active participation of content creators is driving a flourishing content ecosystem. Everyone can now build their own digital content world. With the support of algorithmic recommendation systems, this rich supply of content allows brands to accurately match with Chinese target audiences.
Key opinion leader (KOL) marketing not only enables quick Chinese audience targeting but also enhances brand affinity by leveraging the trust that KOLs have already built. A creator’s influence begins with quality content, and meaningful dialogue between brands and consumers also relies on quality content; it is the foundation for winning over Chinese consumers.
Among the surveyed population, 80% recognized the value of KOL promotional content they had viewed (believing it provided useful information or was of high quality). Additionally, 95% of Chinese consumers did not reject promotional content from KOLs, and of these, 91.6% believed that KOL recommendations were helpful in their purchase decisions.
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Live commerce used to be one of the easiest ways to sell on Douyin. Now, its grip is starting to weaken. Average viewing time for livestream shopping sessions
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