Detoxification is probably the oldest medical modality known to man. And today vitamins and supplements are a big part of it. All Indigenous Medical Traditions begin their healing processes with detoxification, cleansing, or purification. According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, It is believed that health is based on keeping the body elements in ‘balance’ and that certain kinds of diet, lifestyle, treatments, and external factors can influence this balance. Maintaining the balance of the Life Force is essential for good health.
A trending buzzword in the health industry
Whether it’s coconut water or detox cleanse, there’s no denying China’s appetite for anything perceived to be healthy and natural. Spending on health and wellness has seen tremendous growth over the last decade – the market is poised to reach nearly $70 billion by 2020 – a result of both rising incomes and awareness about wholesome living among a growing middle and upper class.
Financially independent and with a high level of food sophistication, Chinese urbanites are increasingly showing a penchant for “all-natural,” a keen eye for food labels, and, as a result, the willingness to pay a premium for healthy food. The country is already the world’s most health-conscious, according to a 2014 BCG survey.
Major Chinese cities – Shanghai and Beijing leading the pack – have seen detox, juice cleansing and health food companies sprout over the last few years. According to new research from Mintel on plant protein drinks (PPD) in the country, nearly nine in ten (87 percent) Chinese consumers now drink plant-based concoctions, be it soybean drinks, juices, or grain drinks. Consumption of coconut water, the report also shows, has grown by 30 percent over the last year, no doubt because of the beneficial properties the drink has been touted with.
How to properly market detox products in China?
An official website based in China
Most Internationals Brands have their own official website that’s set up out of China. This makes it easy for the brand to manage and maintain.
However, this option has several major drawbacks. First, as the servers are not in China, it may be difficult for users to access. Also, another huge disadvantage is the challenge of delivering customer service. As all the services are located outside of China, it is difficult for brands to provide quality after-sales service, refunds, and product exchanges.
As shown, it is a requirement to host your website in China, by using Baidu SEO for example. Otherwise, your website will experience slow loading and display delays.
An outlet on a popular online mall
There are large online malls that have been developed in China such as Taobao, Tmall, and JD.com which are extremely well known. They seem like a simple option, let’s have a look at how they work.
There’s a common misconception in the West that Taobao and Tmall are the same platforms but that’s not really the case. Taobao and Tmall are both operated by the Alibaba Group but they use different unapparent models. Taobao is a C2C (Customer to Customer) platform for individual vendors while Tmall is B2C (Business to Customer) platform for official manufacturers brands or organizations that have a legal entity in China.
To open an online store on Taobao, Tmall, or JD.com, you need to be a Chinese national or have a legal business entity in China. As an option for foreign brands and manufacturers who want to sell to China, both Tmall and JD.com have developed new platforms for cross-border e-commerce – Tmall Global and JD Worldwide. They are also the most popular cross-border e-commerce platform in China. Other platforms include Suning Global and Amazon China Global Store.
These platforms can provide a great deal of access, but online stores on these malls require costly setup fees and commissions. Brands may also need to pay extra advertising and marketing costs.
Using Chinese social media
The most popular and used social networks in China are WeChat and Weibo. Therefore you can promote your detox product business through these two platforms which can push your business reputation online to a new high level if the methods are appropriate.
WeChat, developed by Tencent has more than 800 million active users every day. The social media platform is more than only a social media app. Tencent developed a lot of other services to adapt their content to users’ needs.
It’s also very convenient for brands to communicate with their target. The platform is known for its communication services in which users can send messages, share images and videos, voice call and video call other users on a closed network. Having an account on WeChat enables you to promote your brand via mobile or tablet.
Weibo is the second-most mass-used social networking site in China, with around 82% penetration rate across the country and more than 50 million active users per day in 2016. Weibo is very popular because it’s the first place where Chinese users can express themselves without suffering from the government’s censorship. For the first time, Chinese people can speak about every subject and they love it.
The social microblogging network has also attracted more than 130,000 companies. It’s very important for detox products brands to create their own Weibo Official Account, and get their account verified. If your account is signed as verified, you will have more followers because it’s legitimacy proof for Chinese users who know that the Weibo process to have a verified account is complicated and long but ensure the legitimacy of a brand.
More than 56% of Weibo users follow at least one brand on Weibo. In addition, on Weibo, you don’t need to be connected first to follow a brand.
KOL Promotion
Engaging influencers, known as KOLs (Key Opinion Leaders) in China, is one of the most effective ways to promote an official account, content, or campaigns on social media.
KOLs have their own follower bases that see their opinions and suggestions as credible and influential. Many also excel in driving online sales. Sharing brand information or launching campaigns with bloggers can help to raise brand awareness, attract new followers and contribute to a brand’s credibility.
The price of KOL cooperation differs primarily based on their industry, interest category, follower base, content quality, and the prominence of their posts. The more followers, the higher the content quality, the higher the cost of a contract.
While WeChat is a semi-opened platform that has pea personal or private purposes for users, Weibo has a simple working model with entertainment at its heart. That can explain why Weibo KOLS are cheaper than WeChat KOLs.
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