VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / November 24, 2021 / The pandemic has accelerated the digitalization of people's lives. According to a recent report by UNCTAD, in 2022, global internet traffic is expected to exceed all previous internet traffic combined up to 2016. Around 80% of this traffic is associated with video sharing platforms, social media and gaming. The future success of companies will depend on the success of their digital marketing.
Ashley Dudarenok, founder of China-focused digital marketing agency Alarice and China insights and trend watching company ChoZan, believes "the most important resource in the world right now is data and China is the biggest resource of data." She started her business in 2011, when Chinese messaging social media app WeChat had just been released and many other Chinese social media apps did not exist. Ten years later, WeChat is a super app with over 1 billion active users and social e-commerce platforms have created billions of USD in sales.
China's economy has already recovered after the pandemic, and its GDP growth is expected to be 8% in 2021. More companies are recognizing the opportunities for international growth in the Chinese market. The high level of digitalization in China provides marketers with the opportunity to easily connect and find loyal customers. This also makes China one of the most competitive markets globally.
Understanding the Chinese Market
Dudarenok started her complementary companies in 2011 and 2016 because she saw the need to help businesses of all sizes improve their online presence, specifically in China, the largest consumer marketing and e-commerce giant in the world. According to McKinsey, even before COVID-19, China accounted for 45% of global e-commerce transactions.
While COVID-19 has triggered digital changes globally, for China, it fueled pre-existing processes. Most companies today don't realize how quickly China is adapting and how its tech giants are changing retail and e-commerce globally.
Dudarenok says, "In China, there's no business but digital business. It doesn't matter whether you are selling soup noodles on the corner of that block, next to the laundromat, you are in the digital business. You're doing live streaming. You are placing orders. You're accepting digital payments. You have robots in your kitchens that are washing, that are serving, etc."
According to data released in spring 2021, China's total population reached 1.41 billion, with two-thirds (64.5%) of Chinese citizens online, and 79.1% of those shopping online. In 2019, one-third of all e-commerce users were from either the United States or China, with over 3.2 billion people shopping online. Of that number, about one-third (855 million) were from China. In comparison, 247 million were from the United States.
Global companies and international brands need businesses like Alarice and ChoZan to give them a window into China and the necessary information, tools and resources to tap into this lucrative market. That is why so many are turning to Dudarenok to gain an understanding of new consumer demographics and markets.
Why e-Commerce and New Retail Matters Now
China's digital economy grew by 15.6% in 2019. According to the 14th Five Year Plan, by 2035 China will become one of the leading countries of innovation. Digital presence in China has become the key to success in this market. And it's no longer just about e-commerce. In 2016, founder of Alibaba, Jack Ma, introduced the concept of the New Retail, and with the rapid development of technologies, the complete merging of online and offline makes it possible to create digital ecosystems.
The total impact of 5G on China's GDP is expected to reach $220 billion by 2030. This mass application will help companies organically integrate the opportunity to purchase where it did not previously exist for consumers.
At the heart of any ecosystem is user data and processing algorithms, which provide all the company's services with information about past purchases and reactions to them. As a result, shoppers get a hyper-personalized approach. Chinese consumers are used to this level of personalization and expect foreign companies to adapt to their digital lifestyle. Companies must learn how to create as many diverse physical and virtual points of contact as possible in order to provide potential customers with offers and recommendations when they are most receptive to them.
The Chinese consumer is accustomed to getting access to everything they want and need quickly, thanks to this type of expansion of their e-commerce market. It's not easy to break into this market, but there are numerous advantages to doing so.
What Ashley Dudarenok Does to Help Companies Thrive in This Market
In addition to marketing agency services, such as China marketing strategy development and social media management, Dudarenok's companies provide consulting, training and trend watching services on the Chinese market itself.
There are more than 60 social media platforms that are only available in the Mainland China market. Ashley Dudarenok says, "One of the most important aspects of your business in China right now is social media marketing. At the core of it is content and how connected it is with the consumers and their daily life and hot topics. It's virtually about building word of mouth and a strong community and creating a social + metaverse."
China's e-commerce market began in 2005-2006. The country was tapping into social media and digital marketing long before the rest of the world, which has led to the trends we are seeing right now across the globe.
Ashley Dudarenok foresees upcoming trends within the industry. "When I set up a company in 2011, through my consulting services, I was helping companies succeed in China. When I first started seeing the importance of social media, many companies worried about the ROI and were rightfully skeptical of using digital marketing," she states. Recognizing the opportunity here, her contributions to the companies she works with have led to success.
Dudarenok has worked with large international brands, such as Disney, BMW, Coca-Cola, Colgate Palmolive, P&G, and numerous others, and has accumulated 73,000 followers on LinkedIn with her China insights. She helps marketing professionals around the globe by illuminating trends in China that might not be visible yet in the West, but will have significant impact in the future. The impact Ashley Dudarenok offers, from improving brand marketing assets to building brand presence, exceeds expectations.
Consider Her Companies and the Work They Do
Alarice is a digital marketing company based in Hong Kong and Shenzhen that supports marketing operations in China and manages the entire process for businesses. This has proven to be one of the most important investments for many companies. Alarice is focused specifically on Mainland China. They develop strategies, build brands, and help connect companies with the consumers who need their services or products the most. Alarice's team of mainland Chinese professionals first looks at consumer sentiments about a company. The team then applies their market knowledge to analyze the existing brand image and reputation and build strategies to help reposition the company for success using industry insights. Utilizing these services, companies are able to crack the China digital space faster.
Dudarenok's second company, ChoZan, focuses on trend watching for companies with teams based in China. This supports their upskilling for the digital world, their understanding of the market, and helps them learn how to manage their own digital marketing and e-commerce plan for the China market on their own. Most of the world's largest companies are already there, but they need help watching trends evolve and to keep moving forward.
Ready to Learn More?
Ashley Dudarenok advises that now is the window of opportunity for companies wanting to break into the China market. China will only get more expensive and complex; there's no better time than now.
Want to elevate your digital presence? Connect with Ashley Dudarenok on LinkedIn. Now is the time to get in touch with Alarice or ChoZan.
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SOURCE: ChoZan