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- Instagram/Snapchat filter game (catch the falling Pixi products)

- Makeover game (Use Pixi makeup products to give customers their desired makeover)

- Tea Ceremony game (Combine the correct ingredients to combat particular skincare problems)

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"pixibeauty.co.uk" top keywords and related page links

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"pixibeauty.co.uk" top keywords and related page links

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"Pixi Beauty Skincare Routine" Youtube Results

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"Pixi Beauty Skincare Routine" Youtube Results

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Makeup To Wakeup

Creator Petra Strand has 20+ years experience as a makeup artist & product developer.

Created over 20 years ago and launched in our flagship boutique in Soho, London, Pixi has a loyal worldwide following thanks to its pure, awakening & skin-loving products that create a naturally radiant "just had a good night's sleep" look.

Passionate about skincare, Petra creates innovative formulations that are infused with botanicals and beneficial ingredients. Petra has real-world experience as a busy working mother of four, therefore Pixi is truly about multitasking, flaw-fixing, youth-enhancing products for women on-the-go with no time to spare.

Pixi's mission is the same now as it was on the first day the Pixi store opened: simply to bring out the natural beauty in all women - to make women look like themselves, only better.
Flawless in a few fuss-free minutes - that's what Pixi is all about!

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Makeup To Wakeup Creator Petra Strand has 20+ years experience as a makeup artist & product developer.

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I love the mod look! The mod look does not love me (at left). But the coral lipstick at right is nice, oui?
A few months ago, I stumbled across a website that promised a "virtual makeover." You'd upload a photo of yourself, then apply various "looks" with all manner of makeup colors and hairstyles; you could even "borrow" a celebrity's entire look, pasting her makeup and hair onto your image.

I'd seen similar tools before, of course, but they were always comically bad-more along the lines of my friend Lindsay Goldwert's awesome collection of horror-makeover images than anything you'd actually use to evaluate whether you'd look good in, say, coral lipstick. On a whim, though, I decided to give it a try, figuring that the technology must have changed since I'd last given them a whirl.

I was right. Though the results were obviously computerized, the tech had developed so that you could align your face more precisely in the application frame, meaning that lipstick actually landed on your lips instead of where the computer wanted your lips to be. More important, it was actually useful. I was surprised to find that I actually might look good in coral lipstick; I confirmed that, sadly, the mod look makes me look just wrong; I found a half-up, half-down hairstyle that looked great on me, and when I tried it out on terra firma, it was indeed flattering.

The site linked out to other sites that had features besides makeovers-you could digitally slim yourself down, or plump yourself up. You could get a breast lift, breast augmentation, or both, which served as a complement to the rhinoplasty and face-lift features on the makeover site.

Do I even need to tell you what happened? I went down the rabbit hole. Making adjustment after adjustment, I manipulated my face and body- just to see, of course. Learning what I'd look like with Gwen Stefani's hair (absurd) led to seeing what I'd look like what Penelope Cruz's hair (not bad), which led to me trying on dozens of brunette celebrity styles to see which might suit me best (Ginnifer Goodwin?). I plumped my body out 20 pounds to see if it would resemble how my body actually looked when I was 20 pounds heavier (it did), then trimmed myself down 10 pounds to see if it echoed my erstwhile 10-pounds-lighter frame (it didn't, which didn't stop me from going on to drop another 15 virtual pounds, because, hey, this is just a game, right?). I narrowed my nose, went up three cup sizes, ridded myself of my deep nasolabial folds, and alternated between digitally tanning and digitally "brightening" until I realized I was aiming for pretty much the skin tone I actually have. And then, a good two hours after I'd sat down to try on Gwen Stefani's hair for a lark, I went to bed.

Now, there's plenty to say here about the nature of that rabbit hole, and how it relates to self-esteem and dissatisfaction. (Is it any surprise that after inflating my breasts three cup sizes, clicking back to the photo of myself au naturel left me feeling deflated?) But in truth, after spending an evening creating a slimmer, bustier, better-made-up version of myself, the most pervasive feeling I had was not of self-abasement but of extraordinary fatigue. It was like I'd spent 12 hours proofreading a dissertation on, I don't know, dirt, printed out in 7-point font. I felt the brain-drain not only of sitting in front of the computer for too long, but of doing crap I don't actually feel like doing. Which is to say: I felt like I'd been working.

In fact, I sort of was working, even if I tricked myself into thinking I was doing it just for fun. It made me think of gamification, the use of game elements and digital gaming techniques in non-game situations. The idea, in part, is that by lending the benefits of gaming to more tedious tasks (like work), the tedium is lessened because it feels more like play. Perhaps you'll be more likely to, say, complete online training courses if you earn "points" or "badges" for each segment you finish. It seems silly that something essentially imaginary would motivate people-but one peek at the popularity of programs like Foursquare that allow you to gamify your own life shows that it works. The term more broadly applies to any sort of game thinking that applies to non-game situations-like interactive features (that annoying Microsoft Word pop-up dude) and simulation (think 3-D modeling à la SimCity), though most of the critiques of gamification that I've read focus on its reward aspects.

The beauty apps I was mucking around with aren't exactly examples of gamification, strictly speaking. There's no points system for coming up with the "best" makeup look, and though sites like the one I used let you share your results on social media, there's no competitive aspect-just you cycling alongside the beauty machine. (The exception I found was iSurgeon, which allows you to play surgeon on preprogrammed faces and earn points for each "successful enhancement" you make The site also encourages users to "perform plastic surgery on your family and friends right on your i-phone [sic]," but you can't play a scored game on images you upload yourself.) Still, there are undeniable similarities between beauty apps and gamification: The swiftness with which you can wipe the slate clean, much like the neverending lives of video games; the toolkits you use to update your image, which are reminiscent of the palette of options presented to you in traditional video games when choosing whether your avatar is the spiky-haired kickass blonde or the artillery-laden robot, or whatever. (Can you tell I haven't played a video game since

Super Mario Brothers?) And most of all, it shares the addictive quality that kept me playing just one more game (one more hairstyle, 10 more pounds).

One of the more salient critiques of gamification has it that when employed in labor situations, it robs work of its true value, turning employees into soulless-but entertained!-lab rats. As Rob Horning put it in Jacobin magazine, "[Gamification] cheerfully assumes from the start that most of life's tasks are inherently not worth doing...and contrives a motivational system that precludes the possibility of working from inspiration in accordance with some intrinsic personal desire, some self-conceived goal." That is, gamification takes the drudgery out of work (at least, that's its goal), which in turn makes work not something one does with a larger aim in mind -say, developing new skill sets, or learning how to focus and collaborate-but something one does in a Pavlovian way, hoping for the quick-hit reward of games.

Now, beauty apps aren't employed in a structured labor situation, and as much rhetoric as I can spew about the beauty imperative, the fact is, for most women wearing makeup is a choice (that is, until you get fired for not wearing it). Certainly the types of beauty labor being mimicked in these games is optional; even if you feel you must wear concealer to leave the house, chances are you don't need to try on 12 different lipstick shades too. But the very existence of apps designed to let us see the "rewards" of makeovers, or weight loss, or plastic surgery before we make the commitment any of them require indicates that to some degree, beauty is labor , and that we do appreciate incentives (free eyeshadow cybertrials, for example) that help make that labor more productive as well as more fun.

Yet it's not until we contextualize beauty gamification within the larger frame of leisure games-which, at day's end, is what makeover apps really are-that its true significance becomes clear. Horning again, this time on the video game Guitar Hero, which lets people pretend to play guitar as opposed to, you know, actually learn how to play guitar: "Novelty trumps sustained focus, whose rewards are not immediately felt and may never come at all. ... [O]ur will to dilettantism develops momentum." By giving pretend shortcuts to a skill that, in the real world, brings benefits that go beyond simply being able to bang out a decent "Leavin' on a Jet Plane"-the joy of witnessing your own progress, the deeply felt satisfaction of mastery, the mental acuity that comes with learning a new "language"-Guitar Hero lets its players trade the long, slow process of learning a skill that you're pursuing for the sheer fun of it for the dopamine hit of getting a high score. (Certainly I had more fun the two times I played Guitar Hero than I did the two times I held a guitar and awkwardly plucked out a few errant sounds-but it couldn't compare to the afternoon I spent teaching myself to play "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" on ukelele.)

Enter beauty apps, which mimic acts that fall somewhere between leisure and labor. Now, I'm hardly worried that makeover sites are taking away our collective proficiency at eyeliner application, but the Guitar Hero argument applies anyway: I can spend half an hour in Sephora trying on various eyeshadows and lipsticks, but 30 minutes staring at my visage onscreen never really winds up feeling like leisure. Gamifying beauty combines gamified play's curtailment of actual playfulness with gamified labor's trivialization of actual work, forming a neither-nor zone robbed of both the joyful possibilities and the political significance of beauty work. It seeks to place beauty squarely in the "isn't this fun?!" camp-and yes, it is fun to dabble in dozens of makeup looks without having to wash your face a zillion times, and it's even fun (or especially fun) when the computerized results are ridiculous. As an activity in and of itself, it might be just fine.

But I wonder about the fallout of this reinforcement of the false notion that beauty work is strictly for play. It takes an act fraught with meaning-personal, cultural, political, gendered, class-oriented, expressive meaning-and turns it into something as consequence-free as Farmville. It renders beauty work as kittens' play. And if beauty work were more fully recognized as the work it is, this wouldn't be so bad; after all, Navy SEALs play Black Ops II, and civic engineers play SimCity. But beauty work largely isn't recognized as work, isn't recognized as (unpaid and costly) labor. Gamifying it, instead of actually lightening beauty's labor load, only makes it appear evermore weightless. And unlike with the avatar of myself I created 30 pounds lighter-impossibly long-limbed and slim-hipped instead of the awkward, bony mess I'd likely be were I to actually lose that amount of body mass-weightlessness can't be our goal.

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I love the mod look! The mod look does not love me (at left). But the coral lipstick at right is nice, oui? A few months ago, I stumbled across a website that promised a "virtual makeover."

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Implications - The adoption of gamification in the application and/or selling of makeup is increasingly common as cosmetic brands seek to engage consumers in an oversaturated market. The adoption of gamified ads, pop-ups and apps in the cosmetic industry caters to consumers seeking brand experiences, rather than only the products or services being offered.

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cosmetic brands adopt gamification into their campaigns to boost engagement

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Cosmetic brands adopt gamification into their campaigns to boost engagement

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Implications - The adoption of gamification in the application and/or selling of makeup is increasingly common as cosmetic brands seek to engage consumers in an oversaturated market. The adoption of gamified ads, pop-ups and apps in the cosmetic industry caters to consumers seeking brand experiences, rather than only the products or services being offered.

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As the second-largest beauty market in the world, China's skincare and cosmetics industry is massive and there is no slowdown in sight either. China's beauty market is expected to grow to 60 trillion RMB ($53 billion USD) by 2025, and with the increase in disposable income amongst Chinese consumers, the biggest opportunities in 2020 lie in natural skincare, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and male beauty.

Trend #1: Natural is in

"Natural", "green", "clean" - these words are spreading profusely amongst Chinese influencers and KOLs nowadays to promote "green beauty" on Chinese platforms. With Chinese consumers' upsurge in household income, there is a stronger demand for skincare products with natural ingredients as these consumers are able to pay for a premium to derive the benefits of organic beauty products. According to market research firm Kantar, 54% of Gen-Z consumers say they value plant-based skincare when asked about skincare concepts.

The two main reasons behind the trend towards naturalism and organic beauty products are the increasingly health-conscious mentality of Chinese consumers and the alluring concept of new, niche beauty that natural, green products carry. In a landscape where counterfeit cosmetics plague the market, "the list of horrendous ingredients and harmful bacteria tested positively on counterfeit cosmetics will make [consumers] shudder: cyanide, mercury, lead, animal feces, rat droppings, horse urine and loads more ingredients that [consumers] don't want to put anywhere near [their] skin." The cheap cost of cosmetics with counterfeit contaminated ingredients comes with a much higher price - damage to people's faces, resulting in a growing demand for pure, natural products. Even well established and highly trusted pharmaceutical company, Bioderma, was a victim of counterfeit products when 1,100 bottles of the French beauty brand's top selling cleansing water were confiscated for being fake back in 2015.

Furthermore, according to the brand manager of the highly successful luxury beauty retailer, SpaceNK, "one strongly growing trend in beauty in China is niche - customers look to explore new brands and products, especially those that are less known and even less available." Given the exclusivity and lavishness organic products exude, Chinese consumers especially succumb to these trendy purchases to satisfy their cravings for freshness and newness.

The future of beauty and skincare is green in China. Brands that can align their products and values with these target consumers will be able to gain traction in this blooming segment.

Trend #2: Increasing popularity of traditional Chinese ingredients

Native Chinese beauty brands are gradually gaining more market share, as Chinese consumers are looking towards more preventive health properties and benefits, which has translated to the resurgence of traditional Chinese medicine. Dating back to ancient times, Chinese culture and philosophy is deeply rooted in the tradition of Chinese medicine and ingredients as it demonstrates the powerful effect that nature has on one's health. Infusing Chinese values with French savoir-faire, home-grown brands such as Cha Ling are gaining traction amongst Chinese consumers by utilising the cherished Pu'er teas in their products for powerful anti-aging, moisturising, and skin-healing attributes.

There is also a favorable shift in Chinese consumer behaviour and perception towards domestic products as " consumers are no longer obsessed with anything that is tagged with foreign labels and are more confident in their own culture." Another prominent skincare player taking inspiration from TCM is Shanghai-based Inoherb, which has rebranded itself to be a brand that makes TCM-themed skincare products, that are proven to be scientifically effective. Inoherb's strategy on promoting Chinese herbal cosmetics successfully carved itself a place in the Chinese organic skincare market, further demonstrating consecutive double-digit growth rates from 2013 to 2018.

Beauty brands can learn from these domestic market players by incorporating Chinese herbs or TCM-inspired therapies to products in order to gain the winning edge in both the Chinese and global beauty market.

Trend #3: Men's skincare is on the rise

Beyond promoting natural ingredients as a strategy to appeal to organic consumers, beauty brands can also ride the wave of men's skincare and explore China's male-dominated demographics. In an environment where there is a traditionally skewed gender ratio and preference towards the males, cosmetics that target men have seen remarkable growth in the Chinese beauty market in the recent years. According to Tmall's data, the growth rate of men's-only brands jumped 56% from 2017 to 2018.

Men's willingness to use skincare and make-up products and consequently spend on such products has surged due to their growing consciousness about their appearances and looks. In a recent HKTDC survey of Chinese beauty consumers, 63 per cent of male respondents reported using cleansing milk, lotion or face cream. Although their skincare routine is getting more sophisticated, males' education and awareness of beauty products are still lacking. Hence, their purchasing behavior highly revolves around the perception that the most expensive products are typically the best. This puts luxury and expensive brands in a prime position to target male beauty, especially organic and natural brands that carry premium-priced collections.

Initially skeptical of buying beauty products, Chinese men now embrace them and are investing in skin maintenance, self-hygiene, and improving style. Although the share of cosmetics products for men in the overall market is still relatively small compared to that of women's, there is undoubtedly an opportunity for natural beauty brands to brand themselves as unisex products or take it one step further by specifically targeting men.

Connect and Engage with Chinese Beauty Consumers

As one of the most notable beauty markets in the world, China is not only attractive for global cosmetics companies but also to small niche brands looking to enter. We've given you the top trends in the beauty market in China, but how can you connect and engage with your ideal customers while riding these hot, upcoming trends in China? No matter how big or small your brand is, it is all about brand positioning and scalability of reach - which is exactly the solution OrgHive gives to brands.

OrgHive is a unique content & social platform that connects your brand directly with China's largest online community of organic consumers! You can reach consumers with your branded microsite, be featured on our banners, showcase your products, provide direct links to your e-commerce stores, and post branded content to your ideal customers, all thanks to advanced technologies using AI algorithms and machine learning that matches your products with ready consumers - and vice versa!

Learn more about how OrgHive can empower your brand to dominate these trending consumer behaviours in China at www.orghivemarketing.com!

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The Top Beauty Trends that will Dominate China in 2020 | Orghive Marketing

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As the second-largest beauty market in the world, China's skincare and cosmetics industry is massive and there is no slowdown in sight either. China's beauty market is expected to grow to 60 trillion RMB ($53 billion USD) by 2025, and with the increase in disposable income amongst Chinese consumers, the biggest opportunities in 2020 lie in natural skincare, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and male beauty.

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Burberry has launched its first online game called B Bounce, bringing the gaming experience to customers globally on Burberry.com for the first time.

In this engaging and playful game, players race a deer-shaped character to the moon, using supercharged Thomas Burberry monogram puffer jackets. Once the player has selected a puffer jacket for the character, they bounce upwards between platforms to reach the moon, gaining extra speed by collecting Burberry's gold TB logos and drones along the way.

Players will compete for special B Bounce prizes, with winners awarded custom made GIFs and virtual Burberry puffer jackets edited onto a digital picture of their choice. The first prize is a real jacket from the new Burberry puffer collection, available to players in UK, US, Canada, China, Japan and Korea.

B Bounce will also be available to play on the super-size screen inside Burberry's flagship store on Regent Street in London.

Mark Morris, Senior Vice President of Digital Commerce at Burberry said: "We have experimented with gaming in China, but B Bounce is our first playful extension into this format to entertain and connect with our new, younger consumers around the world. We know that they are living in an increasingly gamified environment both online and offline and we are excited that they can join the Burberry community - and explore our new puffer collection - in this way"

B Bounce launches together with Burberry's new puffer jacket collection and will be available to play on Burberry.com from Monday 21 October.

Link to game: www.burberry.com/B-Bounce

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Race to the moon with Burberry's first online game B Bounce

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Burberry has launched its first online game called B Bounce, bringing the gaming experience to customers globally on Burberry.com for the first time. In this engaging and playful game, players race a deer-shaped character to the moon, using supercharged Thomas Burberry monogram puffer jackets.

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"Pixi Beauty Best and Worst" Youtube Results

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"Pixi Beauty Best and Worst" Youtube Results

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"Pixi Beauty" Youtube semantic keyword search

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"Pixi Beauty" Youtube semantic keyword search

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"Pixi Glow Tonic" Youtube semantic keyword search

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"Pixi Glow Tonic" Youtube semantic keyword search

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"Pixi Makeup" Youtube semantic keyword search

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"Pixi Makeup" Youtube semantic keyword search

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Chinese Tea.

Tea plays a significant part in both engagements and weddings for Chinese people.

A tea tree cannot be transplanted; it only sprouts and grows from a seed. Thus, people took tea to symbolize loyalty, love, and the expectation of a happily married life.

An Essential Dowry Item

Tea was an important part of the betrothal in Chinese pre-wedding traditions. Before the wedding, the groom's family presents the bride's family with betrothal (or engagement) gifts. Tea is an important element of this dowry.

If the bride's family receives the dowry, they are expressing consent to the marriage. Then the bride's family presents a set of gifts to the groom's side.

How Tea Become Part of Chinese Weddings

Ancient Chinese Bridal Accessories.

It's hard to know the exact time when tea became a routine part of Chinese dowries. The earliest written record of tea ceremonies is from the Tang Dynasty (618-907). When the Tang princess Wencheng married the Tibetan emperor, Songtsän Gampo, in 641 AD, tea was on her dowry list.

Ever since the Song Dynasty (960-1279 AD), tea-giving has been an indispensable part of the marriage process. Even for needy families, tea has been an essential component of betrothal gifts.

Furthermore, since tea-drinking was prevalent during the Song Dynasty, tea was also necessary for entertaining guests on the wedding day.

The Meaning of Chinese Wedding Tea

Since tea symbolizes people's wishes for loyal love and a happy marriage, it continued to play a part in the institution of marriage during the Yuan (1271-1368 AD), Ming (1368-1644 AD), and Qing (1644-1912 AD) dynasties.

Chinese Wedding Tea Ceremony.

Since the early 1990s, weddings have become modernized and now partly imitate Western practices. However, the tradition of tea ceremonies at Chinese weddings has remained, and is still highly valued today.

Tea Means Respect

The tea ceremony is one of the most significant events at a Chinese wedding. It's called jing cha in Chinese, literally meaning, 'to respectfully offer tea'. It incorporates a very formal introduction of the bride and groom, and expresses respect to their families.

How Chinese Wedding Tea Ceremonies Are Performed

Kneeling or Bowing to Serve Tea

Chinese Wedding Decoration.

In the distant past, the young couple was required to kneel while serving tea as a sign of respect.

Nowadays, most modern families only require the couple to bow.

Who Tea Is Served To

Generally, the couple should serve their parent first, then their grandparents, and then other relatives. However, sometimes grandparents are served first, then parents.

In addition, the bride used to serve tea to all the close relatives on the groom's side; but today this custom is rarely followed and only by more traditional families.

Traditional Arrangements

Originally, tea ceremonies for relatives of the bride were usually convened in the afternoon. The bride would have served tea privately to her own family, before she was married.

The tea ceremony for the groom's side was usually in the morning, and should be conducted after the couple were married and had settled down.

Tea Ceremonies Nowadays

Chinese Wedding.

Today, many couples choose to show respect to both the bride's and groom's families by hosting a tea ceremony for both sides at the same time, instead of hosting two separate ceremonies as in the past. Most families nowadays will organize a common wedding banquet in a hotel or restaurant.

Both the bride and groom are expected to serve tea to both sets of parents. When they do, it's an important moment, making the point when members of the two families become relatives.

After the couple serves tea to both sets of parents, the parents respond by presenting the new couple with red envelopes containing money and sometimes even gold jewelry. At the same time, many parents will also give the couple some advice and blessings, expressing their love and best wishes.

Kinds of Tea Used at Chinese Wedding

Green Tea.

In the past, people normally used lotus seed and red date tea or longan and red date tea. In Chinese tradition, lotus seeds and longan fruit represent heirs and red dates represent sweetness, the combination of which symbolized that the couple would have a sweet married life and bear children quickly.

Now, however, there's no strict rule about it. People normally use green tea or even just boxed beverage.

The ingredients once used for wedding tea were rich in best wishes for newlyweds.

Red Dates

Red Date Tea.

There's a customary saying for all Chinese newly married couples: "早生贵子。"(Zǎo shēng guì zǐ. /dzaou shnng gway dzrr/ 'Soon give birth to precious child(ren).'). This refers to the traditional wish that the couple have a child (or children) as soon as possible.

Red dates have two meanings. Firstly, red dates taste sweet, and Chinese people believe the sweetness symbolizes a happy life. Secondly, "dates"(枣 zǎo) sound the same as "soon"(早) in the Chinese saying above.

Lotus Seeds

"Lotus seeds"in Chinese are "莲子"(liánzi /lyen-dzrr/) and children in Chinese is "子". Also the Chinese character "莲"looks like and sounds the same as "连", meaning 'in succession'. So it may be seen as a wish for several children!

Lotus.

In China, people consider the lotus as the representation of holiness and purity, since, though it lives in the mud, the plant rises up and is not stained by it. It is usually used to symbolize innocent and true love.

In addition, people thought the lotus was the only plant to present both flower and seed together at the same time, which was taken to mean 'inheritance'.

Furthermore, there's a very popular type of lotus in China called the bingdi lotus, (并蒂莲) with twin flowers on one stalk. Chinese people think it stands for a devoted married couple.

Longans

Longans in Chinese have the less-popular name "桂圆"(guìyuán). "桂圆"is a homophone of "贵", meaning precious in the saying above. "圆"is also a popular character in Chinese culture, meaning round and full (like the moon).

Travel to China and Experience Chinese Tea Culture

We have designed tours especially for tea lovers to have an in-depth tea culture experience in China. Here is one of our most popular tours, for inspiration:

If you are a tea fan, this tea culture tour will thoroughly satisfy your thirst.

Our tours are very flexible. If you would like to make any modifications, please feel free to let us know and we will be glad to tailor-make your tour for you.

Related Reading

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Chinese Wedding Tea Ceremonies, Chinese Tea Culture

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Chinese Tea. Tea plays a significant part in both engagements and weddings for Chinese people. A tea tree cannot be transplanted; it only sprouts and grows from a seed. Thus, people took tea to symbolize loyalty, love, and the expectation of a happily married life.

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Chinese tea culture

Chinese tea culture ( simplified Chinese: 中国茶文化; traditional Chinese: 中國茶文化) ( zhōngguó chá wénhuà, 'Chinese tea culture') includes all facets of tea, both physical and spiritual, that significantly influenced Chinese culture throughout history. Physically, it consists of the history of tea cultivation, brewing, serving techniques, methods of consumption, arts, and the tea ceremony. Tea culture is to take tea as a carrier, and through this carrier to spread various arts. Tea culture is an integral part of the excellent traditional Chinese culture, and its content is very rich. Tea culture is the organic fusion of tea and culture, which contains and embodies the manifestation of a certain period of material and spiritual civilization. Tea culture is the combination of tea art and spirit, and the expression of tea art through Spirituality. It emerged in China in the Tang dynasty, flourished in the Song and Ming dynasties, and declined in the Qing dynasty.

Tea culture in China was the source of influence on tea cultures in neighboring East Asian countries such as Japan and Korea since the ancient and medieval times, with each country developing a slightly different form of tea ceremony throughout the history; nevertheless, this difference is small when compared to countries that were late adopters to tea, such as the United Kingdom, United States, and Russia, who have developed vastly divergent tea cultures from China, especially in terms of preparation, taste, and occasion when it is consumed. Tea is still consumed regularly, both on casual and formal occasions in modern China. In addition to being a popular beverage, it is used as an integral ingredient in traditional Chinese medicine as well as in Chinese cuisine.

A tea house in Shanghai, China

A tea house in Presidential Palace Garden in Nanjing, China

The concept of tea culture is referred to in Chinese as chayi ("the art of drinking tea"), or cha wenhua ("tea culture"). The word cha ( 茶) denotes the beverage that is derived from Camellia sinensis, the tea plant. Prior to the 8th century BCE, tea was known collectively under the term 荼 (pinyin: tú) along with a great number of other bitter plants. These two Chinese characters are identical, with the exception of an additional horizontal stroke in the Chinese lettering 荼, which translates to tea. The older character is made up of the radical 艸 (pinyin: cǎo) in its reduced form of 艹 and the character 余 (pinyin: yú), which gives the phonetic cue.

The spirit of the tea ceremony is the core of the tea culture. The connotation of the spirit of tea ceremony is harmony, peace, happiness and truthfulness, of which happiness is the most important point. Tea has a health effect, and regular tea drinking can strengthen the body. Physical health is the prerequisite for "pleasure and nourishment", and only by enjoying oneself can one get the sublimation of the realm of life and improve the quality of life. In general, after familiarizing ourselves with the spirit of the tea ceremony, we can better inherit and promote the tea culture.

Tea was identified in Southwest China over four thousand years ago. Most scholars credit Shen Nong, considered the father of medicine and agriculture, as the first person to discover the effects of tea. He was known to have tasted numerous leaves to determine if they could be used as food or medicine. According to legend, there are two different accounts telling how he discovered tea's beneficial attributes. First, it is said he had a transparent stomach where he could see how his stomach was reacting to what he ate. After a long day of picking leaves, he was tired, and when he was boiling water, some leaves fell in. It was sweet when he drank the water, and he enjoyed the taste. Soon after that, he became more energized. In the second accounting, Shen Nong tasted 72 poisonous leaves and became very sick, and was close to death. When some leaves fell beside him, he put them in his mouth and chewed them. Before long, he was feeling better and more energized, so he ate more leaves. Soon after, the poison left his body. The first book written about the medical effects of tea was the Shen Nong Herbal. It is believed the people of ancient China ate tea leaves throughout history. However, the development of tea as a cultural aspect of China was developed over time.

In the beginning, tea was a luxury item used mainly by nobles and royalty. The elite began to drink tea to energize the body and clear the mind instead of only for medical purposes. Teas were boiled with other plants to make a tea soup which was considered a combination of medicine, food, and drink. The consumption of the soup did not become popular among the masses due to its bitter taste. Records also indicate that ritual worship during the Zhou dynasty included tea ceremonies led by officials. Tea was considered an exotic plant from southern China, so it was offered as tribute to the emperor and was served to the nobles.

Improved picking and processing of wild tea refined the taste of tea. It became a pleasant source of refreshment popular with the nobles.

As the tea culture developed, it is mainly concentrated in the upper class among literati, monks, the monarch, and his officials. Tea was set against wine as a beneficial drink, with wine being 'violence and intoxication' and tea 'freshness and purity.' During this period, tea became the backdrop to deep philosophical discussions and a part of religious thought among Buddhists and Taoists. Buddhists believed it helped prevent dreariness, and Taoists believed it kept a person young and led to immortality. Before the Tang dynasty, tea was used and consumed mainly by the upper classes for medicine, sacrifice, tribute, or ceremonial purposes, yet not enjoyed and appreciated by the masses.

During the Tang dynasty, tea culture or 'the art of tea' began to spread widely throughout China. A method of processing tea known as 'green stemming' was developed, making it more pleasant to drink, adding to its popularity. At the same time, a new tea-making technique, known as roasting and baking, was invented during this period. The Ancient Tea Horse Road development matured trade routes between Southern and Northwest China, and Tibet. The completion of the Grand Canal established a cost-effective method of transporting goods in China, making tea less expensive. Opening up trade routes and new processing techniques was vital to establishing tea as a national drink throughout China.

Artisans produced hundreds of examples of tea art, such as poems, drawings, songs, and literature. Tea houses and tea shops were also established during this time.

The Classic of Tea (780) A significant contribution to the evolution of tea culture during the Tang dynasty was an important work of literature by tea connoisseur Lu Yu, in which he analyzed every aspect of tea. The Classic of Tea was the first monograph regarding the study of tea, which consisted of ten chapters ranging from the history of tea, its cultivation, and how to prepare, serve, and drink it. Lu Yu also provided an overview of Chinese tea culture. He encouraged commoners to drink tea by including a section on what tea utensils could be omitted if one could not afford them. Lu Yu is known as the 'Sage of Tea' and the 'God of Tea' because of his profound influence on tea culture. His classic book tied drinking tea to spiritual matters, the arts, the Chinese way of life, morals, and philosophy. Though the majority of the Chinese population did not read it, intellectuals, nobility, and spiritual leaders embraced it. Confucian teachings indicated that the world should be managed, improved, and taught morals through classical learning. According to Liu, "Chinese intelligentsia regarded culture, or all literature and knowledge, as the carrier or instrument of human morality serving to carry out the civilizing function of the Tao (the way that the universe functions)." Lu Yu's classic writing helped transform an enjoyable beverage into an art woven into Chinese culture.

The tea culture flourished during the Song dynasty. In the Song dynasty, detailed standards emerged for judging the color, aroma, and taste of tea. Tea art, the tea ceremony, and tea houses continued to increase in popularity. "By the Song, a reputation for elegance required mastery of go (weiqi), zither, calligraphy, painting, shi and qu poetry, and tea." These were considered the polite accomplishments of gentlemen. Some examples of tea literature, which was prolific at this time, are Record of Tea by Cai Xiang, and General Remarks on Tea, by Emperor Huizong, Zhao Ji.

China's monopoly on tea allowed them to use it as a powerful diplomatic tool. The Song established 'Tea and Horse Offices' ( 茶马司) to oversee the trading of tea for horses along the Tea Horse Road with Tibet and Northwest China. They required large numbers of warhorses to fight battles with invading northern nomadic Liao, Jin, and Xixia. When disputes arose, the dynastic government would threaten to cut off the tea trade and close of the 'Tea and Horse offices.'

The traditional tea culture with the elite and scholars became more complex, with the addition of numerous rules, tea culture continued to spread to the masses. Regional variations of tea culture formed throughout China. Tea cultivation moved from wild tea plants to established farming, leading to tea being traded worldwide. 'Tribute tea' was the gifting of high-quality tea to the emperor to honor him. It was developed into a large government bureaucracy that managed tea cultivation on rural farms and transported it to the dynastic government. The officials who oversaw the work often wrote poetry regarding their experiences and the intimate knowledge of the tea harvesting process. Picking began before dawn and stopped once the sun had risen. The poem by Southern Song tea expert Xiong Fan reads, "'Throngs tussle, trampling new moss. I turn my head toward first blush over the dragon's field. A warden beating a gong to urge haste, they carry baskets of tea down the mountain. When picking tea, one is not allowed to see the sunrise.'" The poem looks at the appreciation of tea as it acquired cultural significance throughout China. It also revealed how tea was harvested by studious pickers and focused on the official's personal experience, which was often described as a beautiful scene.

Tea was traded or produced worldwide. Under Chinese Communist Party chairman Mao Zedong's rule (1949-1976), China was mostly isolated from global markets. In the 1960s, under Mao's leadership, during the period known as the Great Leap Forward, tea production was significantly limited, and tea houses and shops were for the most part closed. The Cultural Revolution was also a period in which China's tea culture suffered.

Under the leadership of Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping China has experienced double-digit economic growth, which has spurred a rebirth of the tea industry and the traditional aspect of tea culture. "A sense of self and nation has coalesced around tea." China is the leading producer of tea once again.

China currently offers various ways to experience cultural tea tourism, such as museums, tea trails, guided tours, tea houses, tea shops, tea markets, and tea tastings. There is one tea museum in mainland China and another in Taiwan. The National Tea Museum on the mainland can be found in Hangzhou in Zhijiana province, which maintains a variety of Chinese tea culture exhibits.

A revitalization of the traditional tea house throughout China has been spurred on by the introduction of new designer tea houses that cater to the young urban population.

The tea ceremony or 'Cha Dao' (茶道) is a typical Chinese activity involving the ceremonial preparation and presentation of tea. It has held great cultural significance in China for over a thousand years. The important role of ceremony in Chinese culture is exemplified by the claim of the authors of Tea and Tea drinking: China's outstanding contribution to the mankind that, "The word 'ceremony' (Li, 礼) is the basis or gene of Chinese culture and the first syllable of Chinese civilization, as it says 'Of all things, courtesy comes first' (万事礼为先)."

The tea ceremony grew in popularity in the Tang dynasty reaching its peak in the Song dynasty. The basic steps of a tea ceremony include: prepare tea, offer or serve tea, appreciate tea, sniff tea, savor and drink, and taste tea.

The concept of fine tea is required in both the formal tea ceremony and the tea competition. It begins with high-quality tea that "embodies the soul of the mountains and rivers, the essence of heaven and earth, and the loving care of man." The second essential element is high-quality water. The highest quality water is 'Tiashui,' rain or snow water collected in bamboo tubes or crocks, with natural spring water coming in second. Lu Yu set 20 different levels of water quality. The next important part of fine tea is an esthetically pleasing tea service allowing for the fragrance of the tea to be appreciated. The Book of Tea described 24 different tea apparatus and methods of preparing the tea. Where the tea is taken is also a part of the fine tea experience. Tea is considered special if served on hills with mist or cool breezes and in the moonlight. "The Chinese emphasize the harmony between humans and nature in tea drinking." During the Ming dynasty, there were specific rules surrounding when, where, and what environment was appropriate for the drinking of tea. A person should be relaxed and not too busy when taking tea. He should be in a peaceful setting, such as a courtyard, bridge, the forest, or a pavilion with lotus in the background. The weather should also be nice, rainy, or in moderate sunshine. Tea should be taken in a peaceful, tranquil setting, not a tense, noisy one. Tea should be experienced with only a few people at a time. As Cai Xiang states in his book, A Record of Tea or Cha Lu in 1051, "The fewer guests when drinking tea, the better. A crowd of guests is noisy, and noise detracts from the elegance of the occasion. Drinking tea alone is serenity, with two guests is superior, with three or four is interesting, with five or six is extensive, and with seven or eight is an imposition."

"It is believed that a tea-drinking process is a spiritual enjoyment, an art, a means of cultivating the moral character, and nourishing the mind." The tea ceremony is a tradition that exemplifies Chinese culture that has spread throughout the world, including in Japan, Korea, and Great Britain.

Tea competitions began in the Tang dynasty but became popular during the Song. These competitions would represent high levels of tea-tasting where contestants, usually men in the imperial palace, presented their most refined tea. Emperor Song Huizeng was a tea competition enthusiast. The quality of tea, tools used, and the water condition were of great importance in winning a tea competition. This game was known as 'fighting tea' (doucha) or 'tea war' (mingzhan). The competition involved the entire process of tea preparation. An emphasis was placed on whipping the tea. The tea was stirred vigorously with a wooden whisk to create a foam on the surface called 'Tanghua.' The foam was made by pouring the boiling water over the tea leaves and whisking the water; this is known as dian ( 点) and fu ( 副). This process can be repeated up to seven times. If the tea is seen through the foam, the competitor would lose the competition. "Because they considered tea making an elegant pursuit, skill at whipping up bubbles became a sign of refinement, and the man with the best froth could enjoy the cries of admiration from his peers." Displaying one's manhood was important during this time, and tea fighting was one way for men to prove themselves. During the Tang and Song dynasties, showing elite manhood was tied to their refined values. It was associated with high cultural pursuits, so winning the tea competition allowed the winner to display their successful masculine image.

During the Tang and Song dynasties, literati produced poetry, calligraphy, and paintings to show their cultivated minds and express themselves. They became enthusiastic tea drinkers as they worked on their art. "Talented drinkers also raised the general tone of tea drinking by associating it with other refined pursuits such as art, music, and literature." Lu Yu, the author of The Classic of Tea, was also an accomplished poet and calligrapher. Following is an excerpt of a famous tea poem written in the 8th century CE when tea art and literature were just emerging.

The first bowl sleekly moistened throat and lips;

The second banished all my loneliness;

The third expelled the dullness from my mind,

Sharpening inspiration gained from all the books I've read.

The fourth brought forth light perspiration,

Dispersing a lifetime's troubles through my pores.

The fifth bowl cleansed ev'ry atom of my being.

The sixth has made me kin to the Immortals.

The seventh is the utmost I can drink

This poem was a thank you note from Yu espousing the virtues of tea after receiving it as a gift. Giving gifts of tea was a common practice at this time and usually was reciprocated with a note and high-quality tea given in return. Often artists would send a poem along with the gift of tea, and the recipient would send another poem with a return gift of tea. From the gifts the term 'benevolent tea'( huicha) was coined.

Writing poetry was extremely popular during the Tang and Song dynasties and was considered a requirement to be among this group of scholarly men. According to Hinsch, "... readers today can still enjoy more than forty-eight thousand surviving poems written by two thousand poets from the Tang dynasty alone... Song writers continued to use tea as a stock poetic theme, and some of the greatest literary figures of that era, such as Su Shi, wrote enthusiastically and repeatedly about tea."

Calligraphy is another art form that was very popular among the artisans of the Tang and Song, in which they integrated tea culture. Some of the calligraphy considered masterpieces of this era are centered around tea. For example, a casual note from Su Shi to a friend inviting him to tea housed at the National Palace Museum in Beijing, is considered an artistic treasure because of its beauty.

A set of equipment for drinking tea

A hostess serves tea at a traditional Chinese tea house.

Tea customs vary amongst different groups of people, regions, lifestyles, and religions. "Chinese tea arts include Confucianism tea, Taoism tea, Buddhism tea, and vulgar tea (俗茶) 'tea of the public,' which conform to the corresponding religious morals and behavior standards." Drinking tea for the Taoists represents how the body and soul are regarded as one and improving oneself through self-cultivation; tea helps the Buddhist understand the meaning of Zen; while the Confucians believe tea and drinking tea are used for hospitality representing their humanistic views.

China's national minority cultures have their own tea customs. In the words of Li Xiousong, "The Tibetans put tea before food." A gift of brick tea is considered the most valuable gift. They give butter tea to the most distinguished guests, salt tea to regular guests, and plain tea to people of Han nationality. Mongolian herdsmen drink milk tea. When a guest visits, they are invited in and presented with a cup of tea from the host, prepared by the hostess. Not accepting the tea would be considered extremely rude and offensive.

There are several special circumstances in which tea is prepared and consumed in Chinese culture, and is preserved completely in mainland China and Taiwan.

Hospitality is important in Chinese culture, and offering tea to a guest is considered customary practice. A guest is expected to accept the tea and take at least a sip as a sign of appreciation.

According to Chinese tradition, members of the younger generation should show their respect to members of the older generation by offering a cup of tea. Inviting their elders to restaurants for tea is a traditional holiday activity. Newly married couples serve tea to their elder family members. In the past, people of a lower social class served tea to the upper class in society. Today, with the increasing liberalization of Chinese society, this rule and its connotations have become blurred.

In Chinese culture, tea may be offered as part of a formal apology. For example, children who have misbehaved may serve tea to their parents as a sign of regret and submission.

In the traditional Chinese marriage ceremony, the bride and groom kneel in front of their respective parents, as well as elderly relatives such as grand parents and serve them tea and then thank them, together which represents an expression of their gratitude and respect. According to the tradition, the bride and groom serve both families. This process symbolizes the joining of the two families.

China is a big tea country, which pushes the way of drinking tea to the extreme. Drinking tea is a kind of enjoyment, focusing on the process. People in ancient times researched different ways of drinking tea to taste the taste of tea all over.

The tea was cooked directly in the kettle. This was the most common tea method in China's Tang dynasty. Before boiling the tea, crush the tea leaves, boil the water, and put in the seasoning, then sprinkle the tea powder into the pot. When drinking, the tea dregs and tea soup together while hot, called "eat tea." Tang people cooking tea once like to add seasoning to the tea soup, such as salt, onion, ginger or orange peel, and so on.

This method of drinking tea was used in the Song dynasty, and tea people ate from this method. Song dynasty tea drinking method rose to the height of aesthetics and reached the ultimate. They decorated the tea cake with many dragon and phoenix patterns, very delicate, called "dragon and phoenix group tea." When drinking tea, first, the cake tea is crushed into a fine powder, with boiling water, to brew some tea. To make the tea powder and water into one, with a tea brush quickly hit, the tea and water fully mingle and make a lot of white tea froth. This is where the Japanese matcha ceremony originated.

By the Ming dynasty, the tea-making and drinking method was simplified again and again. Zhu Yuanzhang vigorously promoted loose tea, which led to tea alienation, before only green tea, and then slowly appeared other tea types. The tea brewing method continues today, brewing tea without any seasoning, drinking the original taste of tea, the authentic flavor, while the tea tools and techniques used to brew tea also simplified a lot, more conducive to the spread of tea culture.

Light finger tapping is an informal way to thank the tea master or tea server for tea. While or after one's cup is filled, the receiver of the tea may tap the index and middle fingers (one or more in combination) to express gratitude to the person who served the tea. This custom is common in southern China, where meals are often accompanied by many servings of tea.

This custom is said to have originated in the Qing dynasty when the Qianlong Emperor traveled in disguise throughout the empire and his accompanying servants were instructed not to reveal their master's identity. One day in a restaurant in southern China, the emperor poured tea for a servant. To that servant it was a huge honor to have the emperor pour him a cup of tea. Out of habit, he wanted to kneel and bow to express his thanks to the emperor, however he could not do this since that would reveal the emperor's identity. Instead, he tapped the table with bent fingers to represent kneeling to the Emperor and to express his gratitude and respect. In this sense, the bent fingers supposedly signify a bowing servant.

In formal tea ceremonies nodding the head or saying "thank you" is more appropriate.

Four Chinese tea cups

The different ways of brewing Chinese tea depend on variables like the formality of the occasion, the means of the people preparing it, and the kind of tea being brewed. For example, green teas are more delicate than oolong teas or black teas; therefore, green tea should be brewed with cooler water. The most informal method of brewing tea is to simply add the leaves to a pot containing hot water. This method is commonly found in households and restaurants, for example, in the context of dim sum or in Cantonese restaurants. Another method for serving tea is to use a small lidded bowl called a gaiwan. The Hongwu Emperor of the Ming dynasty contributed to the development of loose tea brewing by banning the production of compressed tea.

A Yixing clay teapot

Gongfu cha, meaning "making tea with skill", is a popular method of tea ceremony in China. It makes use of small Yixing teapots holding about 100-150 ml (4 or 5 fl.oz.), the size being thought to enhance the aesthetics and to "round out" the taste of the tea being brewed. Small tea cups are being used along with Yixing teapots. Gongfu tea is best consumed after meal to help digestion. Brewing tea in a Yixing teapot can be done for private enjoyment as well as to welcome guests. Depending on the region of China, there may be differences in the steps of brewing as well as the tools used in the process. For example, Taiwanese-style gongfu cha makes use of several additional instruments including tweezers and a tea strainer. The procedure is mostly applicable to oolong teas, but it is some used to make pu'er and other fermented teas.

Roughly since the Tang dynasty, drinking tea has been an essential part of self-cultivation. Chinese Chan (similar to Japanese Zen) philosophy is also linked with drinking tea.

Different teawares can affect people's expectations of tea. First of all, different teaware will affect how people feel about drinking tea. When tea is drunk with a tea set that looks ornamental, people's mood will become pleasant; when the teaware is not so ornamental, people's pleasure in drinking tea will be reduced. Secondly, the visual effect of the teaware affects people's expectations of the bitterness of the tea. The better the teaware, the more bitter people will think the tea is, and the more bitter the tea is, the better the tea is. So the teaware also influences people's judgment of the value of tea when no price information was provided. The practice of drinking tea was considered to be an expression of personal morality, education, social principles, and status. The price of tea ware varies depending on the material and quality of it. A set of jade tea ware can cost hundreds of thousands dollars whereas a set of low quality tea ware may only cost less than a hundred dollars. Increased enthusiasm for tea drinking led to the greater production of teaware.

Ancient Chinese scholars used the teahouse as a place for sharing ideas. The teahouse was where political allegiances and social rank were said to have been temporarily suspended in favor of honest and rational discourse. It is a paradise for tea lovers, but also a place for people to rest, recreation and socialization. Likewise, the teahouse is a microcosm or window of society, Chinese teahouse has a long history, as early as the Tang Emperor Xuanzong period, only then not called the teahouse called "tea store". The leisurely consumption of tea promoted conviviality and civility among the participants. The teahouse is not only a minor by-product of Chinese tea culture; it offers historical evidence of Chinese tea history. Today, people can also sense a humanistic atmosphere in Beijing's Lao She Teahouse and other East China cities like Hangzhou, Suzhou, Yangzhou, Nanjing, Wuxi, Shaoxing, Shanghai, and other places. The teahouse atmosphere is still dynamic and vigorous.

Large teahouses can be equipped with stages performing traditional arts

In modern China, virtually every dwelling has a set of tea implements for brewing a cup of hot tea. They are symbols of welcome for visitors or neighbors. Traditionally, a visitor to a Chinese home is expected to sit down and drink tea while talking; visiting while remaining standing is considered uncouth.[citation needed ] Folding the napkin in tea ceremonies is a traditional act in China performed to keep away bad qi energy.[citation needed ] In Taiwan, tea ceremonies are held not only in daily life but also on important occasions.[citation needed ]

Tea was regarded as one of the seven daily necessities, the others being firewood, rice, oil, salt, soy sauce, and vinegar. There are many different types of tea such as: green tea, oolong tea, red tea, black tea, white tea, yellow tea, puerh tea and flower tea. Traditionally, fresh tea leaves are regularly turned over in a deep bowl. This process allows the leaves dry in a way that preserves their full flavor, ready for use.

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Chinese tea culture Chinese tea culture ( simplified Chinese: 中国茶文化; traditional Chinese: 中國茶文化) ( zhōngguó chá wénhuà, 'Chinese tea culture') includes all facets of tea, both physical and spiritual, that significantly influenced Chinese culture throughout history. Physically, it consists of the history of tea cultivation, brewing, serving techniques, methods of consumption, arts, and the tea ceremony.

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2019年3月4日 | 新闻稿
China's Generation Z - an emerging borderless tribe, hungry for uniqueness and characterized by growing spending power, according to the widest geographical study of Gen Z conducted by OC&C

A comprehensive study of Gen Z spanning nine countries reveals distinct consumption patterns for a generation that will soon account for one third of all consumers worldwide

Gen Zers are more likely to be influenced by friends, family and celebrities compared to older generations

The desire to be unique sets Generation Z apart from their predecessors, with Chinese Gen Z known to seek one-off, limited edition products

Gen Z are pro-social consumers, meaning they are willing to put in extra effort to support brands that adhere to high ethical standards

The study also presents specific actions brands must consider when targeting this distinct group of new consumers

As the oldest member of Gen Z turns 21 this year, global strategy consulting firm OC&C has conducted an in-depth survey of 15,500 respondents spanning four generations and nine countries to help businesses and retailers understand this new and ever-changing generation. Broadly defined as those born in 1998 and after, Gen Z already makes up 30% of the global population and around 20% of China's population.

OC&C's research, on one hand, demonstrates that Gen Z carries forward certain trends established by the Millennials, suggesting the socially conscious, experience-led consumer is here to stay for a while.

On the other hand, it identifies several key trends particular to this demographic. Gen Zers across the globe are resembling each other more than any other generation, from attitudes to spending to their outlook on the future. This generation is also subject to higher levels of influence from celebrities and friends, but at the same time, they want to stand out as individuals. Driving these seemingly contradictory forces is, most likely, the irrefutable influence of social media.
Will Hayllar, Partner at OC&C, commented:
"Gen Z is a complicated but vitally important set of consumers for brands and retailers to understand as they will make up a huge proportion of global consumers in just over 10 years. Gen Z is changing the face of consumer industries with distinct behaviour patterns and now is the time for businesses to start thinking about how they can shape their products and services to cater for this younger generation and their needs.

"As our research shows, Gen Zers are different from Millennials, Gen X and Baby Boomers; their social network is informing decisions and shaping exposure to brands, posing evolving issues for retailers and brands seeking to access Gen Zers. Businesses should take note of this generation's increased consciousness and ethical standards both when supplying products and services and attracting Gen Zers to their workforce. As such, reviewing supply chain, CSR initiatives and company values should be at the forefront of business marketing."
Chinese Gen Z account for the highest household spend by country
"With consumption power growing steadily in China, Chinese Gen Z are emerging as a distinctively new consumer segment that brands want to learn more about and target," said Veronica Wang, Associate Partner, OC&C Strategy Consultants. "In fact, China accounts for the highest share of Gen Z household spend at 13% compared to only 3% for the UK and 4% for USA. Further data reveals that Chinese Gen Z are spending more in the categories of technology (e.g. mobile phones and media subscriptions) and clothing compared to their Western counterparts. These statistics are enough to urge brands to rethink their business strategy if they want to capitalize on China's booming market."

Chinese Gen Z are more willing to spend, fuelled by their increased sense of security and optimism for the future.

As we see the country transitioning from investment to consumption, China ranked the lowest among other surveyed countries for "having savings" (72% compared to 89% for France), revealing Chinese Generation Z are more willing to spend and less willing to save. This trend is largely fueled by Chinese Gen Z's increased sense of security compared to their Western counterparts, with 41% of respondents agreeing that they are optimistic about their futures compared to only 19% for Italy.
A generation without borders
Compared with older generations, Generation Z share the greatest similarities in behaviours and attitudes among all nine countries surveyed. This suggests a homogenising effect that is almost certainly being driven by technology - the internet and social channels make it ever easier for this online Generation to share ideas and access the same information and media.

"China's Generation Z are the first Chinese generation to be born in a fully digital age," said Adam Xu, Partner, OC&C Strategy Consultants. "They are an extremely tech-savvy crowd, willing to share their feelings and experiences in forms of online reviews, blog posts and other means of self-expression. Chinese Gen Z are more likely to make their social media public compared to their Western counterparts who prefer to limit their social media audience to people they know in real life. This suggests that information sharing extends even further beyond their immediate circles for Chinese Generation Z, a trend that presents immense marketing potential if leveraged appropriately."

As a result of these dynamics, retailers and brands should look to target these cross-border tribes and segment their customer base by similar attitudes rather than - or as well as - traditional demographics.
Gen Z are more demanding and see shopping as a holistic 'experience'
Brands need to work harder and smarter to retain their customers. While price and quality are still important criteria for choosing retailers, Generation Z have a wider set of purchase criteria as compared to older generations. This group places high importance on other factors beyond price, such as product range, convenience and stylishness. In other words, a brand would have a higher chance of appealing to a Gen Z consumer if it carries wider product offerings (in terms of styles and SKUs) and provides for a pleasant shopping experience (including convenience, speed of delivery, platform functionality).
Under the influence vs. the need to stand out
Generation Z are prolific social media users. They have more profiles, check their accounts more frequently and spend longer periods of time browsing feeds. As a result, they're more likely to be influenced by friends and celebrities, follow brands, source purchase inspiration and make transactions.

This online sphere of influence is directly disrupting traditional purchasing journeys - Gen Zers are more likely to purchase through mobile apps, social media, and blogger-s than Millennials, Gen X and Baby Boomers. This younger generation diverges from traditional sources of brand discovery too. Just 6% of Gen Z selected seeing new brands when out shopping compared to 8% of Gen X and 18% of Baby Boomers.

Despite it seeming that Gen Z find inspiration and identity through friends and celebrities, a core group of Gen Zers (25%) believe it is important to have a unique view on style and creativity. Retailers should look to provide more personalisation and customisation services to satisfy this generation's appetite for exclusivity. Limited edition mainstream ranges are another tactic that businesses can employ to reach this generation.
Conscious consumption
As socially conscious consumers, Gen Zers expect brands to adhere to high ethical standards. In fact, Gen Zers are willing to take extra steps to research brands' supply chains and employment practices before making purchase decisions. While issues surrounding animal welfare, equality and diversity are most important to Gen Z overall, the data reveals national differences that appear to directly reflect the political climate of the country. In China, Gen Z are more concerned by environmentally-friendly consumption (25% vs 13% for Gen Z across the globe), while American Gen Zers (the most racially and ethnically diverse generation in the US) are most committed to solving diversity issues.
For the full report please see here.

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china’s generation z an emerging borderless tribe

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hungry for uniqueness and characterized by growing spending power

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according to the widest geographical study of gen z conducted by oc&c

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China's Generation Z - an emerging borderless tribe

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2019年3月4日 | 新闻稿 China's Generation Z - an emerging borderless tribe, hungry for uniqueness and characterized by growing spending power, according to the widest geographical study of Gen Z conducted by OC&C A comprehensive study of Gen Z spanning nine countries reveals distinct consumption patterns for a generation that will

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6 things to know about China’s Gen Z – and how they can afford luxe brands

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According to global insights and data firm Agility, Chinese Gen Z have deep pockets, even those in their teens, and put individuality and self-expression first when deciding which luxury brands best represent them

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Believe it or not, if you own a smartphone and have even touched Candy Crush, you're a video game player. Contrary to what Reddit threads say about "dirty casuals" who dabble in mobile games for fun, you stand with us, a perfect and fully formed Gamer™. Welcome to the club.

Sure, there are few gaming markets that are as controversial when it comes to microtransactions and over-saturation than the mobile gaming market. But that issue aside, you can find quite a lot of stellar downloads for your handy palm pilot in the App Store and on Google Play. These titles range from free, to flat rate, to, yes, a few with microtransactional systems that ask you to pay for stuff in-game, which is not always a terrible model. And now more than ever, you probably need a reason to take your mind off the world.

If you're stuck in place, looking to do something other than read horror stories online, or itching for a distraction during a commute, here are 15 of the best mobile games that you can play in 2020, from retro titles to new releases.

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This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io

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15 Engrossing Games for Your Phone to Help You Escape the Everyday

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Believe it or not, if you own a smartphone and have even touched Candy Crush, you're a video game player. Contrary to what Reddit threads say about "dirty casuals" who dabble in mobile games for fun, you stand with us, a perfect and fully formed Gamer™. Welcome to the club.

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Pixi Limited is an active company located in London, Greater London. View Pixi Limited profile, shareholders, contacts, financials, industry and description.

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Key Performance Indicators = measurables that are used to determine the success of a particular strategy

Key Success Factors = factors that are considered within a strategy and contribute to it's success

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Advertising on WeChat is a booming trend: the platform has a long history of protecting users and forbidding entry from advertisers, but it is now slowly opening up. This is a huge opportunity for marketers trying to advertise in China.

Here are the ways you can get started with WeChat ads.

What is WeChat Advertising?

WeChat advertising is the Tencent program enabling companies to display promotional messages on user's timeline, in WeChat Official Account articles, or even in 3rd party Mini-programs. WeChat ads enable brands to grow WeChat Official Account followers, drive traffic to the official website or mini-program, and generate App downloads.

There are 3 major types of WeChat advertising:

For all types of WeChat ads applications, you can reach out via info@walkthechat.com or by filling this form.

Method 1: WeChat moments advertising

The first and most familiar method of WeChat advertising for Western marketers is to promote on WeChat moments. They are the equivalent of Facebook ads appearing on the timeline.

Let's dig deeper into this method.

Who can advertise on WeChat Moment?

WeChat advertising on moments is restricted to two major cases:

Companies registered in Mainland China (either local companies or Wholly Foreign Owned Enterprises - WFOE) willing to invest at least 50k RMB (~8,000 USD) per campaign (reservation method), or starting from 50 RMB (~8 USD) per day (bidding method).

Foreign companies willing to invest $1,500 - $8,000 USD (updated on April 2017)

Chinese companies can follow the following link to apply: http://ad.weixin.qq.com/

For foreign companies the process goes through a dedicated Tencent team, you can reach out for questions (info@walkthechat.com). As of the writing of the blog, Tencent does not permit advertising from the real estate, drugs, tobacco or electronic cigarettes, and financial industry.

What is WeChat Moments advertising?

WeChat moment ads were launched in early 2015, when 25 brands including Coco-Cola and Mercedes-Benz took part in the first testing campaign.

Even before this official launch, the WeChat "timeline" had been a target for advertising companies who relentlessly tried to find ways to access user's Moment. They usually used forwarded messages via a network of personal accounts (a practice forbidden by Tencent terms of use).

For example, a WeChat advertising company created a scheme for advertising on personal WeChat Moments. In Shanghai and Beijing, they leveraged 600 individual accounts, each with at least 500 friends. The price of posting on individual's moments ranged from 10 RMB to 400 RMB per post. Advertising through such a network enabled to reach over 300,000 WeChat users. However this was a very manual process.

What Tencent Moment ads bring is a much more sophisticated way to reach the user timeline by directly buying access from WeChat.

How does it work?

Moment ads can have the following component:

1. Brand name and profile picture

2. Up to 40 character ad description

3. Link to a html5 webpage that's hosted on Tencent's server

4. Up to 6 pictures or 6-15 seconds short videos

You can target users according to their location, interest, age, gender, device and phone network.

Location:

You can target Chinese residents by province, city, or any area of 0.5 - 5km within a customized location.

Since April 2017, Tencent starts to offer WeChat Overseas Advertising to target Chinese users traveling overseas, which is attractive for foreign brands looking for Travel Retail. However in 2021, due to changes in data protection law and regulations, the WeChat Overseas Advertising capacity for overseas residents and tourists has been paused.

As WeChat's advertising capacity is constantly changing, in case of doubt please reach out to info@walkthechat.com for the most updated version.

Gender & Age:

Gender and age from 14 to 60 years old

Industry specific:

Companies can choose to advertise to 18 industries and 122 sub-categories. The 18 core categories include education, travel, finance, cars, real estate, furniture, fashion, F&B, personal services, professional services, cosmetics, home electronics, sports, health, child education, bags, watches, shoes, jewelry, politics and law, luxury goods, drinks, Internet, entertainment.

Marital Status:

Single, married, newly married, or raising a kid

Education level:

PhD, master, bachelor, high school, primary school

WeChat behavior / Remarketing:

You can choose to either retarget or exclude users who: are currently following your official account; collected a WeChat coupon from ads within the past year; showed interest in your previous ads during the past year; and remove users who are not interested in your content.

Individual users can see up to one Moment ad every 48 hours. The ad will disappear within 6 hours if the user did not like, comment or click on the link. If the user interacts with the ad, this will increase the likelihood of his/her friend receiving the same ad. This viral effect will increase the number of target users.

How much does it cost?

WeChat Moment Advertising:

Minimal entry price (both foreign companies and Chinese companies): 50,000RMB per campaign

CPM (cost per 1,000 impression):

City size Text Video ads CPM & Pictures Ads CPM

Core city
150

180

Large city
100

120

Others
50

60

Core cities: Beijing, Shanghai

Large cities: Guangzhou, Chengdu, Shenzhen, Hangzhou, Wuhan, Suzhou, Chongqing, Nanjing, Tianjin, Xi'an, Guiyang, Changsha, Qingdao, Ningbo, Zhengzhou, Dalian, Xiamen, Jinan, Harbin, Fuzhou

WeChat Overseas Advertising： targeting Chinese tourists

Minimal entry price:

50,000 RMB for the following countries/regions:

Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, United States, Australia

10,000 RMB for the following countries:

Germany, France, England, Italy, Canada, New Zealand

Text Video ads & Pictures Ads

CPM (1,000 impression)

150

180

How to apply?

Chinese companies:

1. Verify your WeChat Official Account. Step by step guide for WeChat Official Account verification.

2. Apply for the right to advertise on WeChat by going to the backend of your official account, and click on 广告主 to apply

3. Once you got approved for 广告主 (right to advertise on WeChat), you can then create campaigns via the WeChat Official Account backend.

Note you will need to provide industry specific certificates when applying for the right to advertise. If the first application didn't go through, you can try to apply again by selecting another industry category.

Foreign businesses:

Need to manually submit application request to WeChat advertising team. Contact info@walkthechat.com to apply.

Is WeChat Moments advertising right for you?

WeChat Moments Advertising program is not for everyone. Compared to Tencent's other advertising channel, Q-zone and Tencent Weibo have CPM between 0.2-1RMB; WeChat banner ads has CPC (cost-per-click) of between 2-5 RMB; KOL campaign has a CPC of 0.5-1 RMB, WeChat Moment ad is comparatively much pricier.

Moment ads tend to be a better choice for well-known brands with visually attractive products. It is great to build brand awareness and encourage user engagement. For small and medium companies or companies in service or B2B industry, other advertising channels such as KOL, WeChat banner ads, and Tencent ads on QQ and Q-zone could be a better choice.

Method 2: WeChat banner advertising

There is another form of advertising on WeChat called "banner advertising". These banners are very much like the ad banners you would see on a website. Except that in the context of WeChat, they will be featured at the bottom of a message written by a WeChat Official Account, or while browsing in a WeChat Mini-program.

There are two types of WeChat banner ads:

Standard WeChat Banner Ads

Launched in August 2014, this type of WeChat ads has notoriously low performance (most people don't click on them). Advertisers can pick some rough targeting (gender, location, age, and type of account in which the banners are displayed) and the ads will be shown to the target group of users. The targeting is the same as the WeChat Moment advertising, see above for detail. Advertisers can't control on which specific account their ads appear.

WeChat banner ads has three component:

1. WeChat article: WeChat banner ads appear at the bottom of a WeChat article written by another WeChat Official Account

2. Ad banner: the banner contains a logo, account name and headline. If clicked, it takes the users to a page containing additional information about the brand/product

3. Action call: the action call takes users to another landing page, see below for detail.

The banner ads can drive users to follow WeChat Official Account, download an app, claim coupons, buy a product, enter a mini-program, signup link, or enter a customized landing page. Compared to other objectives, this placement is more efficient for follower acquisition (by simply one click) or coupon collection, where users enjoy a clear benefit.

KOL banner version: launched in October 2016, these new WeChat banner ads enable the advertisers and the WeChat official account to enter into an agreement about the ad. They must both agree on the cost paid per view by the advertiser, and a range of views which will be accounted for (for example, if the first article of the account has an average of 100k views, the promised view rate will be limited to 80k to 150k views). Here is an example:

How much do WeChat banner ads cost?

Standard WeChat Banner advertising:

Minimal entry price (both foreign companies and Chinese companies): 1,000 RMB (around 160 USD)

CPM (cost per 1,000 impression):

City size CPM CPC 2 1

Core city
35

Bidding system

Starts at 0.1 RMB / click

Large city
30

Others
25

Core cities: Beijing, Shanghai

Large cities: Guangzhou, Chengdu, Shenzhen, Hangzhou, Wuhan, Suzhou, Chongqing, Nanjing, Tianjin, Xi'an, Guiyang, Changsha, Qingdao, Ningbo, Zhengzhou, Dalian, Xiamen, Jinan, Harbin, Fuzhou

The WeChat KOL Banner version:

The KOL banner version is much more expensive. Although the payment is also performance-based, it still depends on the KOL to determine the price. You can inquiry price from the specific KOLs.

Who can use WeChat banner ads?

WeChat banner ads are mostly restricted to Chinese companies. Unlike Western systems like Facebook and Google, there is a large amount of oversight about who can publish ads on Tencent platform. For the most part, you will need:

A registered company in China

All the licenses to justify the fact that you can advertise in the specific industry that your ads are associated with (ex: if you want to advertise food, you will have to provide all the licenses allowing you to sell food to China)

It is also possible for foreign companies to apply for banner advertising. You will have to go through a manual application process. Contact info@walkthechat.com to learn more.

Are WeChat banner ads a good choice for your WeChat advertising?

WeChat banner advertising is the most predictable way to grow your WeChat followers with stable ROI. We suggest running a few test campaigns with different content to calculate the CPA. A WeChat follower can cost between 8 RMB - 20 RMB depending on your targeting and how well you optimize the campaign. It's a good method to get started on WeChat. However, the quality of the followers tends to be lower compared with WeChat Moment advertising. Brand should not neglect the importance of posting original and useful content on WeChat to organically grow WeChat followers.

The "KOL version" is much more promising, but take it on a case-by-case basis. The way it works is very similar to a traditional Key Opinion Leader campaign, with pros and cons:

Pros: performance based pricing, and easier to drive users to your website

Cons: few KOLs have this feature available today. Very pricey. Tencent gets part of the money.

If your budget permits, these new banner ads are likely a better choice for your brand.

Method 3: Key Opinion Leaders

Collaborating with Influencers is another way to market your brand on WeChat. It means paying a popular WeChat blogger (either through a flat fee, a result-based fee or by giving away products) in exchange for a promotional post on their WeChat official account.

The push message can be either a fully customized article talking about your brand, or a banner ad at the end of a content piece (of course, the first option is usually much pricier).

Here's an example of banner ad at the bottom of a WeChat influencer message:

Some KOLs would even work with brands on an affiliate sales model. These KOLs usually have a great number of followers (usually more than 500,000). And they can drive more than a couple of hundreds of unit sales within posting of one article. Instead of charging for advertising costs, these KOL charges on a commission basis, usually between 20-40% commission. If you can find such KOL to work on a commission basis, it will always be great for market and sales. The drawback is it's very difficult to find the right KOL. Large accounts tend to be extremely picky about the quality, price and type of your product.

Why should you use Key Opinion Leaders?

Key Opinion Leaders are a truly efficient way to market on WeChat for several reasons:

WeChat is a social network first, and endorsement from trusted sources can be a huge source of conversion

Key Opinion Leaders enable you to get started with all types of budgets

KOL aren't subject to as much red tape as the ads bought directly from Tencent: vendors selling cross-border will have a much easier time using KOL rather than WeChat native ad program

Because WeChat has been only recently opening up to advertisers, there is a rich network of Key Opinion Leaders you can tap from on WeChat, and users are already used to receiving ads from them

Where can you find KOL for WeChat advertising?

There are a few platforms enabling you to find influencers for your WeChat ads:

http://newrank.cn/ is the leader in the field

http://www.parklu.com/ is a great platform as it provides a bilingual interface and access to influencers across WeChat, Weibo, Instagram, Youku and Meipai

http://wemedia.cn/ is a platform with a mix of accounts their run by themselves and influencers they represent. Quality is uneven though, so have a careful look.

We conducted a more in-depth study of some of these platforms in this article:
https://walkthechat.com/3-best-platforms-find-wechat-kol/

How much do influencer cost for WeChat advertising?

The cost of using WeChat influencers for advertising can vary widely:

On the low-end, you might find some advertisers willing to put up a banner for as low as $100 USD

On the high-end, there is no real upper limit, with large KOL regularly charging as much as $50,000 USD for one push message

Are influencers the right approach for your WeChat advertising?

There are plenty of good reasons to advertise through influencers: they enable targeted, flexible and (sometimes) affordable ad campaigns. They are particularly suited to new brands with little existing recognition in China, for which the endorsement of KOL's will prove to be an invaluable asset. And for established brands to drive up sales.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Advertising on WeChat: a Step by Step Guide

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Key Opinion Leaders, WeChat moments, there are plenty of methods for WeChat advertising. But which one to pick, how much to spend, and how to get started?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Advertising on WeChat is a booming trend: the platform has a long history of protecting users and forbidding entry from advertisers, but it is now slowly opening up. This is a huge opportunity for marketers trying to advertise in China.

Here are the ways you can get started with WeChat ads.

What is WeChat Advertising?

WeChat advertising is the Tencent program enabling companies to display promotional messages on user's timeline, in WeChat Official Account articles, or even in 3rd party Mini-programs. WeChat ads enable brands to grow WeChat Official Account followers, drive traffic to the official website or mini-program, and generate App downloads.

There are 3 major types of WeChat advertising:

For all types of WeChat ads applications, you can reach out via info@walkthechat.com or by filling this form.

Method 1: WeChat moments advertising

The first and most familiar method of WeChat advertising for Western marketers is to promote on WeChat moments. They are the equivalent of Facebook ads appearing on the timeline.

Let's dig deeper into this method.

Who can advertise on WeChat Moment?

WeChat advertising on moments is restricted to two major cases:

Companies registered in Mainland China (either local companies or Wholly Foreign Owned Enterprises - WFOE) willing to invest at least 50k RMB (~8,000 USD) per campaign (reservation method), or starting from 50 RMB (~8 USD) per day (bidding method).

Foreign companies willing to invest $1,500 - $8,000 USD (updated on April 2017)

Chinese companies can follow the following link to apply: http://ad.weixin.qq.com/

For foreign companies the process goes through a dedicated Tencent team, you can reach out for questions (info@walkthechat.com). As of the writing of the blog, Tencent does not permit advertising from the real estate, drugs, tobacco or electronic cigarettes, and financial industry.

What is WeChat Moments advertising?

WeChat moment ads were launched in early 2015, when 25 brands including Coco-Cola and Mercedes-Benz took part in the first testing campaign.

Even before this official launch, the WeChat "timeline" had been a target for advertising companies who relentlessly tried to find ways to access user's Moment. They usually used forwarded messages via a network of personal accounts (a practice forbidden by Tencent terms of use).

For example, a WeChat advertising company created a scheme for advertising on personal WeChat Moments. In Shanghai and Beijing, they leveraged 600 individual accounts, each with at least 500 friends. The price of posting on individual's moments ranged from 10 RMB to 400 RMB per post. Advertising through such a network enabled to reach over 300,000 WeChat users. However this was a very manual process.

What Tencent Moment ads bring is a much more sophisticated way to reach the user timeline by directly buying access from WeChat.

How does it work?

Moment ads can have the following component:

1. Brand name and profile picture

2. Up to 40 character ad description

3. Link to a html5 webpage that's hosted on Tencent's server

4. Up to 6 pictures or 6-15 seconds short videos

You can target users according to their location, interest, age, gender, device and phone network.

Location:

You can target Chinese residents by province, city, or any area of 0.5 - 5km within a customized location.

Since April 2017, Tencent starts to offer WeChat Overseas Advertising to target Chinese users traveling overseas, which is attractive for foreign brands looking for Travel Retail. However in 2021, due to changes in data protection law and regulations, the WeChat Overseas Advertising capacity for overseas residents and tourists has been paused.

As WeChat's advertising capacity is constantly changing, in case of doubt please reach out to info@walkthechat.com for the most updated version.

Gender & Age:

Gender and age from 14 to 60 years old

Industry specific:

Companies can choose to advertise to 18 industries and 122 sub-categories. The 18 core categories include education, travel, finance, cars, real estate, furniture, fashion, F&B, personal services, professional services, cosmetics, home electronics, sports, health, child education, bags, watches, shoes, jewelry, politics and law, luxury goods, drinks, Internet, entertainment.

Marital Status:

Single, married, newly married, or raising a kid

Education level:

PhD, master, bachelor, high school, primary school

WeChat behavior / Remarketing:

You can choose to either retarget or exclude users who: are currently following your official account; collected a WeChat coupon from ads within the past year; showed interest in your previous ads during the past year; and remove users who are not interested in your content.

Individual users can see up to one Moment ad every 48 hours. The ad will disappear within 6 hours if the user did not like, comment or click on the link. If the user interacts with the ad, this will increase the likelihood of his/her friend receiving the same ad. This viral effect will increase the number of target users.

How much does it cost?

WeChat Moment Advertising:

Minimal entry price (both foreign companies and Chinese companies): 50,000RMB per campaign

CPM (cost per 1,000 impression):

City size Text Video ads CPM & Pictures Ads CPM

Core city
150

180

Large city
100

120

Others
50

60

Core cities: Beijing, Shanghai

Large cities: Guangzhou, Chengdu, Shenzhen, Hangzhou, Wuhan, Suzhou, Chongqing, Nanjing, Tianjin, Xi'an, Guiyang, Changsha, Qingdao, Ningbo, Zhengzhou, Dalian, Xiamen, Jinan, Harbin, Fuzhou

WeChat Overseas Advertising： targeting Chinese tourists

Minimal entry price:

50,000 RMB for the following countries/regions:

Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, United States, Australia

10,000 RMB for the following countries:

Germany, France, England, Italy, Canada, New Zealand

Text Video ads & Pictures Ads

CPM (1,000 impression)

150

180

How to apply?

Chinese companies:

1. Verify your WeChat Official Account. Step by step guide for WeChat Official Account verification.

2. Apply for the right to advertise on WeChat by going to the backend of your official account, and click on 广告主 to apply

3. Once you got approved for 广告主 (right to advertise on WeChat), you can then create campaigns via the WeChat Official Account backend.

Note you will need to provide industry specific certificates when applying for the right to advertise. If the first application didn't go through, you can try to apply again by selecting another industry category.

Foreign businesses:

Need to manually submit application request to WeChat advertising team. Contact info@walkthechat.com to apply.

Is WeChat Moments advertising right for you?

WeChat Moments Advertising program is not for everyone. Compared to Tencent's other advertising channel, Q-zone and Tencent Weibo have CPM between 0.2-1RMB; WeChat banner ads has CPC (cost-per-click) of between 2-5 RMB; KOL campaign has a CPC of 0.5-1 RMB, WeChat Moment ad is comparatively much pricier.

Moment ads tend to be a better choice for well-known brands with visually attractive products. It is great to build brand awareness and encourage user engagement. For small and medium companies or companies in service or B2B industry, other advertising channels such as KOL, WeChat banner ads, and Tencent ads on QQ and Q-zone could be a better choice.

Method 2: WeChat banner advertising

There is another form of advertising on WeChat called "banner advertising". These banners are very much like the ad banners you would see on a website. Except that in the context of WeChat, they will be featured at the bottom of a message written by a WeChat Official Account, or while browsing in a WeChat Mini-program.

There are two types of WeChat banner ads:

Standard WeChat Banner Ads

Launched in August 2014, this type of WeChat ads has notoriously low performance (most people don't click on them). Advertisers can pick some rough targeting (gender, location, age, and type of account in which the banners are displayed) and the ads will be shown to the target group of users. The targeting is the same as the WeChat Moment advertising, see above for detail. Advertisers can't control on which specific account their ads appear.

WeChat banner ads has three component:

1. WeChat article: WeChat banner ads appear at the bottom of a WeChat article written by another WeChat Official Account

2. Ad banner: the banner contains a logo, account name and headline. If clicked, it takes the users to a page containing additional information about the brand/product

3. Action call: the action call takes users to another landing page, see below for detail.

The banner ads can drive users to follow WeChat Official Account, download an app, claim coupons, buy a product, enter a mini-program, signup link, or enter a customized landing page. Compared to other objectives, this placement is more efficient for follower acquisition (by simply one click) or coupon collection, where users enjoy a clear benefit.

KOL banner version: launched in October 2016, these new WeChat banner ads enable the advertisers and the WeChat official account to enter into an agreement about the ad. They must both agree on the cost paid per view by the advertiser, and a range of views which will be accounted for (for example, if the first article of the account has an average of 100k views, the promised view rate will be limited to 80k to 150k views). Here is an example:

How much do WeChat banner ads cost?

Standard WeChat Banner advertising:

Minimal entry price (both foreign companies and Chinese companies): 1,000 RMB (around 160 USD)

CPM (cost per 1,000 impression):

City size CPM CPC 2 1

Core city
35

Bidding system

Starts at 0.1 RMB / click

Large city
30

Others
25

Core cities: Beijing, Shanghai

Large cities: Guangzhou, Chengdu, Shenzhen, Hangzhou, Wuhan, Suzhou, Chongqing, Nanjing, Tianjin, Xi'an, Guiyang, Changsha, Qingdao, Ningbo, Zhengzhou, Dalian, Xiamen, Jinan, Harbin, Fuzhou

The WeChat KOL Banner version:

The KOL banner version is much more expensive. Although the payment is also performance-based, it still depends on the KOL to determine the price. You can inquiry price from the specific KOLs.

Who can use WeChat banner ads?

WeChat banner ads are mostly restricted to Chinese companies. Unlike Western systems like Facebook and Google, there is a large amount of oversight about who can publish ads on Tencent platform. For the most part, you will need:

A registered company in China

All the licenses to justify the fact that you can advertise in the specific industry that your ads are associated with (ex: if you want to advertise food, you will have to provide all the licenses allowing you to sell food to China)

It is also possible for foreign companies to apply for banner advertising. You will have to go through a manual application process. Contact info@walkthechat.com to learn more.

Are WeChat banner ads a good choice for your WeChat advertising?

WeChat banner advertising is the most predictable way to grow your WeChat followers with stable ROI. We suggest running a few test campaigns with different content to calculate the CPA. A WeChat follower can cost between 8 RMB - 20 RMB depending on your targeting and how well you optimize the campaign. It's a good method to get started on WeChat. However, the quality of the followers tends to be lower compared with WeChat Moment advertising. Brand should not neglect the importance of posting original and useful content on WeChat to organically grow WeChat followers.

The "KOL version" is much more promising, but take it on a case-by-case basis. The way it works is very similar to a traditional Key Opinion Leader campaign, with pros and cons:

Pros: performance based pricing, and easier to drive users to your website

Cons: few KOLs have this feature available today. Very pricey. Tencent gets part of the money.

If your budget permits, these new banner ads are likely a better choice for your brand.

Method 3: Key Opinion Leaders

Collaborating with Influencers is another way to market your brand on WeChat. It means paying a popular WeChat blogger (either through a flat fee, a result-based fee or by giving away products) in exchange for a promotional post on their WeChat official account.

The push message can be either a fully customized article talking about your brand, or a banner ad at the end of a content piece (of course, the first option is usually much pricier).

Here's an example of banner ad at the bottom of a WeChat influencer message:

Some KOLs would even work with brands on an affiliate sales model. These KOLs usually have a great number of followers (usually more than 500,000). And they can drive more than a couple of hundreds of unit sales within posting of one article. Instead of charging for advertising costs, these KOL charges on a commission basis, usually between 20-40% commission. If you can find such KOL to work on a commission basis, it will always be great for market and sales. The drawback is it's very difficult to find the right KOL. Large accounts tend to be extremely picky about the quality, price and type of your product.

Why should you use Key Opinion Leaders?

Key Opinion Leaders are a truly efficient way to market on WeChat for several reasons:

WeChat is a social network first, and endorsement from trusted sources can be a huge source of conversion

Key Opinion Leaders enable you to get started with all types of budgets

KOL aren't subject to as much red tape as the ads bought directly from Tencent: vendors selling cross-border will have a much easier time using KOL rather than WeChat native ad program

Because WeChat has been only recently opening up to advertisers, there is a rich network of Key Opinion Leaders you can tap from on WeChat, and users are already used to receiving ads from them

Where can you find KOL for WeChat advertising?

There are a few platforms enabling you to find influencers for your WeChat ads:

http://newrank.cn/ is the leader in the field

http://www.parklu.com/ is a great platform as it provides a bilingual interface and access to influencers across WeChat, Weibo, Instagram, Youku and Meipai

http://wemedia.cn/ is a platform with a mix of accounts their run by themselves and influencers they represent. Quality is uneven though, so have a careful look.

We conducted a more in-depth study of some of these platforms in this article:
https://walkthechat.com/3-best-platforms-find-wechat-kol/

How much do influencer cost for WeChat advertising?

The cost of using WeChat influencers for advertising can vary widely:

On the low-end, you might find some advertisers willing to put up a banner for as low as $100 USD

On the high-end, there is no real upper limit, with large KOL regularly charging as much as $50,000 USD for one push message

Are influencers the right approach for your WeChat advertising?

There are plenty of good reasons to advertise through influencers: they enable targeted, flexible and (sometimes) affordable ad campaigns. They are particularly suited to new brands with little existing recognition in China, for which the endorsement of KOL's will prove to be an invaluable asset. And for established brands to drive up sales.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Advertising on WeChat: a Step by Step Guide

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Key Opinion Leaders, WeChat moments, there are plenty of methods for WeChat advertising. But which one to pick, how much to spend, and how to get started?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Weibo Advertising Guide 2019 | China Social Media Marketing | EuroPass

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This blog will give you a full introduction of Weibo advertising in China including Weibo definitions, Weibo Business Account setting, Weibo Advertising.

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Weibo Advertising Guide 2019 | China Social Media Marketing | EuroPass

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
This blog will give you a full introduction of Weibo advertising in China including Weibo definitions, Weibo Business Account setting, Weibo Advertising.

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Quick & Easy Glowy Skin Tutorial |Pixi China

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Quick & Easy Glowy Skin Tutorial |Pixi China

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- Brand Research
- SWOT
- PESTLE
- 7Ps

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- Market Research
- Chinese Beauty Trends
- Chinese Consumer Trends

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- Creative Concept
- 5 Ws and H
- Product Designs
- SEO Keyword Research
- SEO Backlink Research

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- Go-to strategy
- Hofacker's 5
- Porter's 5
- Gamification Research
- Youtube Research
- Youtube Keyword Research

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- Game Design
- 4 Fs
- SAPS
- YT Channel Design
- Social Media ADs

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- Gamification KPIs
- Create Youtube videos
- Create Youtube Thumbnails

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- Gamification KPIs
- Youtube KPIs
- RACE Model
- Risk Assessment
- Strategy Canvas
- 4 Actions
- 6 Paths

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- SOSTAC
- Go-to plan
- Web Design
- Retention Marketing
- Executive Summary
- Conclusion