_The power of China’s hyper-influencers
If you think you understand the dynamics of influencer marketing, you probably need to think again. China’s Key Opinion Leaders, or KOLs, are taking the influencer economy to a stratospheric new level, both in Asia and increasingly in the West.
Consider Mr Bags, the 26-year-old influencer whose passion is his namesake. When he launched a collection with Tod’s last summer to his 3.5 million WeChat followers, he sold 3.24 million RMB’s worth in six minutes, beating his own 2017 record of 1.2 million RMB’s worth of Givenchy handbags in 12 minutes.
Or how about Becky Li? The news journalist turned fashion blogger, with 3 million Weibo followers and 4.5 million WeChat followers, who sold 100 Mini Coopers in less than four minutes.
The vast numbers of followers can be explained, in part, by China’s population size, and the fact that Western social media platforms, like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter are technically banned.
But according to Lauren Hallanan, a Chinese social media marketing expert and co-author of Digital China: Working with Bloggers, Influencers and KOLs, there’s another reason that KOLs can build such mind-boggling followings: ‘Word of mouth is very important in China.
"Across the four biggest social media apps – Weibo, WeChat, Douban and Red – incredible levels of in-app mobile integration mean the social and sales experience effortlessly merge together. In a few simple taps, consumers can see a recommendation by an influencer, purchase it and share the purchase with friends"
Consumers place a lot more trust in recommendations from friends, family and people that they trust online, which would be influencers, than an article in the press, an advertisement or description on a brand’s website.’ Plus, it is worth noting that in 2017 the Chinese spent around 225 billion hours using apps, which is 4.5 times longer than the second highest market, India.
Coupled with that, Hallanan suggests that e-commerce sites in Asia are overwhelming because of the huge amounts of choice. China’s army of consumers “need guidance that they can trust”, she says.
Above: Mr Bags has a staggering 5 million followers on Weibo
Alongside the mammoth following is the fact that compared to Western influencers, KOLs are selling machines (Li is even dubbed ‘the goddess of shopping’).
Hallanan believes this is because of the way they work. ‘In the West, for example, a YouTuber can earn a portion of their income from ads, whereas there is no real model like that in China and there aren’t really affiliate models, either, things like rewardStyle (a monetisation platform based on personal curation), which is popular with Instagram users.’
Instead, Hallanan says, they are all about working directly with a brand to shift product in order to make money. ‘KOLs earn money from sponsored posts directly from brands which means they have to be able to show they are getting high engagement or they are helping drive sales.’
"That circle of social, sale, share is a powerful cog in China’s influencer economy. So powerful that 70 per cent of Chinese born after 1995 will turn to social media to directly purchase products, as opposed to other channels."
Social media features a heavy e-commerce element in China - which also works to reinforce that all-important message of trust. Across the four biggest social media apps – Weibo, WeChat, Douban and Red – incredible levels of in-app mobile integration mean the social and sales experience effortlessly merge together. In a few simple taps, consumers can see a recommendation by an influencer, purchase it and share the purchase with friends.
That circle of social, sale, share is a powerful cog in China’s influencer economy. So powerful that 70 per cent of Chinese born after 1995 will turn to social media to directly purchase products, as opposed to other channels.
By comparison, globally this number is around 44 per cent. ‘Things move so quickly in China,’ says Hallanan, which makes the influencers exceptionally powerful, even to some of the most established heritage brands in the world, from Chanel and Louis Vuitton to Montblanc and BMW.
Above: Former fashion editor of Elle China - Leaf Greener
Now, livestreaming on platform Taobao is the next big thing taking the market by storm, where KOLs are influencing – and, crucially, selling – in real time, producing ‘incredible figures’, according to Hallanan. And with sectors from travel to education and even farming having their influencing boom, China’s KOL revolution looks like it is here to stay.
Leaf Greener
WEIBO: 400,000
WECHAT: 20,000
Despite smaller numbers, Leaf Greener is considered one of China’s leading arbiters of style, and seen by many as a connection between East and West.
The former fashion editor of Elle China has appeared in The New York Times, The Daily Telegraph and WWD. She launched her own magazine, LEAF, on WeChat in 2015 and has collaborated with Chanel, Chloe and Loewe.
Gogoboi
WEIBO: 10 MILLION
Gogoboi, or Ye Si, is believed to be the most influential fashion KOL. His rise to fame came from poking fun at the style of Chinese celebrities. He has collaborated with Louis Vuitton and creates and sells luxury goods via his WeChat shop. Additionally, he founded China’s premier influencer representation agency, Missionary, in 2014.
Mr Bags
WEIBO: 5 MILLION
WECHAT: 850,000
Tao Lang is a 26-year-old blogger who loves handbags, offering his followers advice and reviews. He has collaborated with Fendi, Burberry and Louis Vuitton and created his own range of bags with Tod’s, Longchamp, Givenchy and Montblanc.
Lang has a legion of Western fans and a healthy Instagram following of 47,000 . He plans to launch a jewellery and watch range later this year.
Papi Jiang
WEIBO: 28.47 MILLION
Papi crosses into the celebrity stratosphere of Chinese actresses and boy-band members whose digital reach is eye-watering. After gaining fame for her viral comedy videos, the self-proclaimed ‘left-over woman’, who uses biting humour to attack social issues, made history charging 22 million RMB for her first ever advert in 2016.
She has worked with Jaeger-LeCoultre, BMW, SK-II, Max Factor, New Balance and Huawei.
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This article appears in International View 2019 - Knight Frank's annual compendium of the world's best real estate. To view more of the properties that inspire incredible lifestyles: