In July 2021, Xiaohongshu CMO Zhiheng gave a keynote speech titled "Craftsmanship Appreciation, Brand Cultivation" at the " From the Heart— 2021 Founders & Investors Conference on China’s Consumer Brand Innovation." Xiaohongshu is China’s lifestyle-oriented social sharing platform, with nearly 300 million monthly active users. The speech outlined how Xiaohongshu supports companies and brands. Below is a summary of the content.
Internet advertising has evolved from broad targeting to precision targeting, integrating CRM (Customer Relationship Management) to help innovative companies reach the right audience based on their user base and algorithms. There's a saying that if a concept is repeated six times, the consumer will remember it. But building a brand goes beyond awareness—it also requires favourability and purchase intent. With the rise of short-form, mini, and long-form video content, brands have more ways to communicate their message and touch consumers emotionally. As a result, marketing has shifted from emphasizing reach frequency to focusing more on content—this is what we mean when we say “content is king.”
The typical growth path for new brands on Xiaohongshu follows three stages:
Stage One: Let your product of craftsmanship be accepted and loved by users.
This can be achieved through brand-generated content on Xiaohongshu, user-generated content from the platform’s community, and content created by Xiaohongshu KOLs (Key Opinion Leaders) and KOCs (Key Opinion Consumers). Authentic and high-quality content shared on Xiaohongshu helps products connect with consumers more effectively.
Stage Two: Break through in "niche mindshare."
Xiaohongshu enables brands to identify new lifestyle scenarios and solve user pain points through KOLs and KOCs. It also allows brands to use search to precisely match with users who are both willing and able to pay.
Stage Three: Brand building.
Xiaohongshu supports brands with data insights, user mindset extraction, and communication strategy design. For brand entrepreneurs aiming to increase transaction volume, strengthen mindshare, and build brand identity, Xiaohongshu’s accumulated capabilities can offer substantial support.
The entrepreneurial journey is extremely challenging. When it comes to transaction volume, user perception, and brand tone, one must face the world-class challenge of wanting “this and that and more.” Xiaohongshu hopes to use its platform’s accumulated experience and capabilities to help brands cross one chasm after another.