Industry Watch 19 April 2013

I recently had the opportunity to participate in a show on Thoughtful China about WeChat. Below is the video as well as transcript for my part. Check out the full episode here.

You might also want to check out our infographic for Weibo vs. WeChat and our updated social media landscape for China.

You can also follow CIC’s WeChat here:

My part starts at 10’33” and finishes at 12’50” .

Transcript: 

WeChat is the first Facebook of China to achieve such a massive scale of over 300 million users, hitting that mark 4 months faster than Sina Weibo did.

Tencent has given Chinese netizens, especially white collar netizens, a Facebook type strong link social link network that not only allows you to keep tabs of your real friends, which also brilliantly gets them addicted to the app with a WHAT’S APP walkie talkie function.

It also has a ‘LOOK AROUND’ which acts more like a ‘hook up’ function, INSTAGRAM imaging and a GROUP CHAT function which is a natural extension QQ groups and BBS forums which have long been the backbone of mainstream Chinese social web.

It’s a mobile, it’s social, it’s private and it’s fun.

And it’s not ‘EITHER/OR’ for Weibo vs. WeChat. Weibo is still the water cooler of China, the Zeitgeist, where netizens and observers of China can take the real time pulse of popular culture and sentiment and where you can show off to the world.

WeChat is the private social network where you hang out with real friends, who are found in your mobile phone address book and share personal moments with them,

While WeChat is more ‘SOCIAL’ and Sina weibo is the more ‘MEDIA’, they are both social media and in the end netizens will use both for different reasons, although the jury is still out about which one they will use the more than the other.

While it is unclear how or when Tencent will monetize WeChat, if anyone can do make it happen, the company who has been successfully monetizing social media in China for over a decade can make it happen.

Something to keep in mind is that while it is easy to pigeonhole WeChat as the next big social media app, it is in fact, much more than just ‘social’

WeChat is changing the way millions of consumers use voice, text, email and how they find information.

It can very easily link to Tencent’s massive Internet properties like weibo, Qzone, Pengyou, and QQ.

As a mobile app, its ability to provide Online to Offline functionalities is not being lost on retailers which can now enable them to join a loyalty club with simple scan of a QR code and eventually make payment right from Tencent’s payment system.

Are the credit card companies paying attention?

WeChat is certainly the new social media powerhouse on the block.

But what is really exciting is that WeChat’s the potential to change not only how consumers communicate and socialize, but ultimately how they do business with the companies.

Welcome to Social Business, China style.

 IWOM Reports 2 April 2013

It’s been an explosive 5 years since CIC articulated the 1st ChinaSocial Media Landscape in 2008 and today. We’re honored to release the most up to date version of this iconic industry infographic, the CIC China Social Media Landscape 2013.

This diagram has portrayed China’s social media platforms in 4 categories, based on stage of maturity  and functional dependency.

1. Functional Networks

Functional networks provide basic support for other platforms, or have been integrated into other platforms. So, they include Q&A, Wiki, Blog, Doc-Sharing and LBS.

2. Core Networks

Core networks can be considered the campaign battlefield; including Micro-Blog, SNS, IM, Mobile Social, Video & Music, BBS, Rating & Review, and e-Commerce. It’s worth mentioning that “Mobile Social” is a new core network in landscape, as Wechat, with its 300 million users, has become a social phenomenon in China. More and more brands are becoming aware of the real value of marketing and engagement through mobile social platforms.

3. Value-Added Networks

Value-added networks are based on core networks and other platforms but aim to provide additional service. These include things like Social Commerce, Social Aggregators, Social Gaming and Social Search.

4. Emerging/Niche Networks:

Emerging/Niche Networks are those platforms that perform a relatively independent function, or specifically target niche groups. This includes Online Travel, Light Blogs, Dating Networks, Business Social, Enterprise Social, Photo Sharing and Social TV. These are the emerging platforms to which brands need pay special attention.

As the social media landscape in China evolves ever fast and with unparalleled dynamism, CIC strive to remain at the cutting edge. Any suggestions or questions about this infographic, or the wider landscape it represents, are warmly welcomed.

A brief history of the China Social Media Landscape

CIC made the very first Chinese Social Media Landscape infographic in 2008, inspired by the conversation prism made by a famous social media marketing expert, Brian Solis. We have adapted that initial model in relation to the unique environment presented by social media and the digital space in China.

2008-2009, the 1st version: IM, BBS, video sharing and e-Commerce were the major components of the landscape.

2010, the 2nd version: micro-blog, LBS and group-purchase became popular.

2011, the 3rd version: light blog and business social enter the landscape.

2012, the 4th version: we began to sort China’s social media platforms into 4 categories and integrate Mobile Social, Personal Networks, Enterprise Social, Online Travel and Dating Networks.

2013, the 5th version: Social Search, Social TV and Photo Sharing have been added, and mobile social platforms become a core network.

To see the development of China social media, you can view here

Download ‘CIC China Social Media Landscape 2013′ : Click here.
More details, please keep your eyes on our website, blog, and SINA weibo.

For more information, please contact:

Chander Guo
CIC
Marketing Director
chander.guo@cicdata.com
Info@cicdata.com
+86-21-52373860

About CIC

CIC is China’s leading social business intelligence provider, enabling enterprise to fully leverage the power of social media and Internet Word of Mouth (IWOM) intelligence across the organization. Since 2004, CIC has pioneered IWOMized technology, research and consulting. Firstly, by coining the term IWOM and then being the first to raise the concept of “social business” in China. As the industry thought leader, we have always been at the forefront of China’s internet and social business revolution.CIC is China’s largest integrated 3rd party provider of technical IWOM solutions, social media studies and social business intelligence. In order to help companies effectively leverage this social business intelligence, CIC provides customized research, consulting services, syndicated reports, and industry trend watches, rich in actionable insight. In addition to helping brands accomplish their social business aims, CIC is also monetizing the social business industry in China, creating an integrated social business support system (IWOMmaster), powered by our proprietary technical solutions and platforms.Recent acquisition by WPP’s Kantar Media, the media research and insight division of Kantar, has strengthened CIC’s position and is a step towards expansion of its social offering across Asia Pacific. CIC will continue to provide social business intelligence from an objective, third-party perspective, to the world’s leading brands and agencies. Other language services are now available through the Kantar network. For more information please visit www.ciccorporate.com.

 Industry Watch 6 July 2012

As new members of the Kantar family, we were honored to be invited to contribute to Kantar Media’s Momentum Review, and provide the Chinese element to their international perspective on media, monitoring and marketing.

When asked to contribute to the 10^th edition, which is titled “The Screen Age and the Future of TV”, our own Senior Marketing Manager, Chander Guo, answered a few questions on how Chinese broadcasters use Sina Wiebo to interact with their viewers.

The piece is called, “Creating a Buzz on Chinese TV”, and we invite you to think about the following questions, then check your answers against ours in Momentum Review #10.

1.       How are TV channels creating online buzz about their shows?

2.       How exactly do such TV shows engage with their audience?

3.       What kind of TV shows generate the most tweets and comments?

4.       How are you tracking social data about TV?

 The Weekly Buzz 18 April 2012

 [1] Parody of a Poet

“Du Fu is busy” is the meme of the moment amongst Chinese netizens. Du Fu is a famous Tang Dynasty poet and his portrait is well known from textbooks, so there’s a nice element of nostalgia. It’s just a bit of good natured lampooning; not too deep and no offence intended for Du Fu. So, brands are getting in on it too…

[2] Tmall’s Video Recognition for Virtual Modelling

As announced on Tmall’s official weibo, they have launched a kind of virtual modeling, augmented reality system, using video recognition technology. The tech has been in use for a while elsewhere (like the Ray-Ban Virtual Mirror, for example) for quite a while, but netizens are loving it.

[3] Pinterest Ready for “Private Pinboards”

Pinterest recently updated their Terms of Service and in so doing, removed mention of direct monetization; they say it will use contents “for the purposes of operating and providing the Service(s) to you and to other Users.” They also mentioned the introduction of a Pinterest API and Private Pinboards.

[4] “Draw Something”

“Draw Something” is the game of the moment, in which you… draw something, then have your friends guess the thing that you’ve drawn. The developer, OMGPOP, was recently bought by Zynga for 200 million dollars.

[5] Qunar and Youtianxia Share Short Term Leases

Qunar have announced a deal with Youtianxia, a short-term rental website, which will allow Qunar users to search Youtianxia’s database of properties available for short-term lease.

[6] IBM’s Micro-Movie Premier

IBM has released a micro-movie called, “College Folks”（not official translation）, which is a story of competition and cooperation, featuring IBM’s latest products. The movie has been praised for its dialogue, including lines like, “Enemies are just reflection of self-lust” and “Perhaps animals that like chaos and killing have gone to cities, that’s why the nights here are so peaceful.”

 The Weekly Buzz 9 April 2012

[1] Brands’ Weibo Response to Consumer Day 315

In the wake of CCTV’s Consumer Day exposé of several brands, including McDonald’s, Carrefour, China Telecom and China Merchants Bank, they have responded via their owned social media presence on Sina Weibo, pledging their determination to take such consumer complaints seriously. Will this mean a genuine step towards approachable, Social CRM? Time will tell.

[2] Ctrip Embraces Top-End Tourism

Ctrip’s new, top-end tourism brand, ‘The Swan Plaza Tour’, aims to target 10 million specialized services for high-end tourists, capitalizing on the booming tourism market amongst wealthy mainland Chinese. They’ve kicked off the project with an “Around the World in 80 Days” campaign.

[3] Guokr.com Revitalize Q&A

Guokr.com have intensified the social aspect of their Q&A network, incorporating group functions, themes, blogs and other social elements. Essentially, Guokr is pretty similar to Quora. Indeed, Thirteen Ji, Guokr’s founder, spoke of his study of Quora in a public letter prior to Guokr’s original launch in 2010. Such is the uniqueness and dynamism of China’s digital landscape though, Guokr’s updated social elements allow it to keep in step with the behaviors of China’s voracious netizens.

[4] The Ben-Nana Show

Netizens are going ape for frozen treat “Ben-Nana” (pictured). Showing off yours via Sina Weibo has become hot behavior, even though it’s still pretty chilly in much of China. “No one can stop the trend of eating Ben-nana! Some say it’s hard to peel?! Come and show me your Ben-nana!”

[5] Tencent’s “White Paper on the Internet Open Platform”

Tencent’s “Open Platform for Chinese New Year” was recently held in Beijing. In conjunction, the Tencent produced a white paper on “the Internet open platform”. Data shows most downloaded apps are “social”, at 41%, with more than 23% of apps downloaded via Tencent’s platform ads. Interestingly, the data also suggests that 74% of paid-app users are male.

[6] Huawei Launches “Vmall”

Huawei, China’s leading tech supplier, has recently launched an online mall, “Vmall”. Bo Zhu, president of Internet Business at Huawei, revealed the news on weibo. Registered users can log in with their existing information. In an interesting side note, just as netizens have nicknamed Taobao’s Tmall “Tian Mao” (mao meaning cat), some are now calling Vmall “Wei Mao”.