What we get wrong about China & the Chinese consumer

When brands are preparing to enter Chinese markets, Ashley Dudarenok tells them to “assume nothing.”

Ashley, the founder of China-based social media marketing firms Alarice and ChoZan, reminds companies to not underestimate the complexity of the nation’s market. When it comes to reaching consumers in China, she suggests that foreign KPI’s, benchmarks and even best-selling product lines are left behind.

In this episode of The Voice of Retail podcast, I sit down with fellow RETHINK Retail Top 100 Global Influencer Ashley Dudarenok to talk about the vast and digitally-centred niches within China’s retail market.

Ashley sheds light on how the pandemic has shaped the retail marketing space, from ageing populations to revenge consumption. We explore digital marketing calendars that are oriented around multi-day festivals, livestreaming in retail and insights on trends that might cross over to North American markets. Ashley notes that large markets like that of China’s, can be a double-edged sword. As the potential to reach new customers increases, so does the opportunity for failure – especially if your marketing strategy is out of touch.