Why Top Brands Can Sell Anything in China
đĄ The Power of Branding in China
In China, brand > product.
Top international and local brands â from Louis Vuitton to Perfect Diary â can sell across categories (even products outside their original niche) because:
- They carry image, trust, and prestige
- Chinese consumers often equate brand with identity
- Word of mouth, KOLs, and peer validation drive desire more than technical specs
đ In China, branding = social currency.
đ Why Brand Matters More in China Than Elsewhere
- High Competition: Chinese consumers are flooded with choices. A strong brand simplifies decision-making.
- Status-Driven Culture: Branding is about face (é˘ĺ) â a good brand is a safe and stylish choice.
- Trust Issues: Consumers lean on reputation because of concerns about quality, safety, and authenticity.
- Speed of Trends: Top brands set trends, others follow.
- Ecosystem Commerce: Tmall, Douyin, and Red rank products based on engagement and recognition, not just price or specs.
đ How to Develop a Strong Brand in China
Hereâs how to use Marketing to build trust, image, and desirability so your brand can sell anything â not just one product.
đ˘ Step-by-Step Brand Development Strategy
â 1. Build Brand Awareness â Everywhere They Search
- Be active on:
- Xiaohongshu (Red) â for lifestyle content and trust
- Douyin â for virality and visual identity
- Zhihu â for deep explanation and expert credibility
- WeChat â for community and CRM
- Launch with KOL content + ads + organic UGC
- Use SEO tactics in Chinese-language search (Baidu, Red, Douyin search)
â 2. Create a Brand Image That Resonates
- Align with aspirations, not just functionality:
- Prestige, minimalism, health, confidence, âmodern Chineseâ
- Be clear visually:
- Premium fonts, subtle packaging, luxury or clean color tones
- Localized design that respects Chinese taste (e.g. red, gold, or cultural references)
â 3. Leverage KOLs for Social Proof
- Work with tiered KOLs:
- Top-tier for big awareness
- Micro-KOLs/KOCs for trust and conversion
- Choose influencers who align with your values: skincare experts, moms, fashion girls, wellness coaches
- Let them tell your story in their voice, not just post product shots
â 4. Cobrand with Trusted Names
- Partner with Chinese niche brands, cafes, fashion lines, or even influencers to:
- Drop limited editions
- Create Red-worthy products
- Tap into existing fanbases
Examples:
- Beauty x Tea Brand = gift set
- Fitness Gear x Local Gym = community event
â 5. Run Events â Then Relay Online
- Organize:
- Product launch parties
- Micro influencer meetups
- Pop-up sampling events
- More important than attendance: how it looks on social.
- Have KOLs post clips to Red + Douyin to create FOMO
â 6. Create a Strong Local Community
- Use WeChat groups + Red comments + mini-programs to:
- Invite loyal users
- Reward referrals
- Share exclusive tips or behind-the-scenes content
- Think: âbrand as tribeâ â not just product seller
â 7. Use Smart Product Placement
- Place your product in:
- Red influencer vlogs: âwhatâs in my bag,â âskincare routineâ
- Douyin lifestyle content: âday in the lifeâ reels
- Livestreams: behind influencer setups
- Make it feel aspirational and natural, not staged
In China, You Donât Just Sell â You Signal
Selling in China isnât about convincing people what your product does.
Itâs about showing:
- Who your product is for
- What kind of lifestyle it fits
- What kind of future self your customer can imagine with it
Thatâs why top brands can sell anything â theyâre not selling products, theyâre selling identity and aspiration.
Li-Ning, a Chinese-owned sportswear company, is set to gain popularity in the booming coffee market.
Li-Ning, the Chinese sportswear brand that gave birth to the Guochao fashion trend at Paris Fashion Week 2018, has now woken up China’s booming coffee market with its application to register its own coffee brand “NING COFEE”. According to records on Tianyancha (a data technology company that provides information on Chinese companies), this is the most recent move.
According to Dahe Cube, a Chinese financial media outlet, on 6 May, a Li-Ning staff member quickly confirmed the news and also said that “customer experience in retail shops is increasingly important to the brand” and that a coffee service would be part of efforts to optimize the in-store experience.
This is partly due to the increasing competition in the Chinese sports industry. The fierce rivalry between global brands such as Nike and the rise of local players such as Anta, which in 2021 generated annual sales of RMB 49.3 billion ($7.34 billion). This is more than twice the amount recorded by Li-Ning. It also trails Nike China (RMB 51.1 billion or $7.60 billion).
The Chinese coffee market is growing rapidly, with the market value reaching RMB 381.7 billion ($56.86 million) in 2021. The market value is expected to reach one trillion RMB ($148.98 million) by 2025. This market has been a new arena for the growth of local coffee experts like Luckin Coffee and Manner Coffee. It is also attracting brands from outside the beverage sector, such as China Post for beauty or luxury.
Li-Ning has more than 5,800 outlets in the country that could easily be converted into coffee shops, making it an attractive player in this new market. Li-Ning’s private traffic and physical presence could challenge market leaders Starbucks, which has 6,189 outlets in China, and Luckin Coffee (5,323).
It remains to be seen whether Li-Ning coffee will win over Chinese consumers, but its current market clout is certainly an advantage for the brand’s expansion into other areas. The brand will be able to improve its market position in its niche through a better consumer experience and potentially open up a new market in China if the advantages are used skillfully.
The reason for Li-Ning’s success is the rise of the Guochao trend
Li-Ning released its annual financial report on April 11. Li-Ning’s revenue in 2021 was RMB22.5 billion ($3.54 billion), an increase of 56% over the previous year. Net profit reached RMB 4 billion ($630 million), an increase of 136% compared to 2020.
2021 is the best performing year since the company was listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in June 2004.
The main reason for the massive increase in revenue is the rise of Guochao China. Li-Ning has become one of the few brands to lead this trend. The popularity of the company has attracted a lot of public attention.
Guochao was first established by Li-Ning in 2018. It was also the first Chinese brand to participate in Tmall China Day the same year at New York Fashion Week. They launched a sub-brand, which is Li-Ning’s sports fashion brand. Through this sub-brand, Li-Ning was able to increase its market share in the Chinese sportswear market and began to attract a younger generation.
After suffering from an inventory crisis, Li-Ning has been able to improve its brand and has been very successful with the younger generation over the past four years thanks to two key trends (sports fashion and Guochao).
Li-Ning has a lot of work to do against global sports fashion giants like Nike and Adidas. Anta is also a big Chinese competitor. As all Chinese sportswear companies are following the Guochao trend, maintaining this competitive advantage in the long term remains a challenge for Li-Ning.
We can see how Nike has developed over the years that it is important to choose the right marketing platforms and strategies for sportswear brands. This is something that Li-Ning must prioritize at this stage of its business in order to compete with the big global brands.
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