This month, we talk about the widespread issue of fake web traffic in China, and we take a look at the importance of China’s nightlife in the country’s COVID-19 recovery. Also, we highlight articles about the affect COVID-19 has on Chinese international students in the UK and Canada and why students might start leaning towards China and Malaysia for international education. Finally, we discuss how companies are taking advantage of online sales to boost their revenue and improve the flow of their products.
1. Almost one third of online traffic in China is fake or invalid
A study by technology company Miaozhen Systems has found that nearly one third of all online ad traffic in China last year was fake or invalid. In an industry first, report, the China Digital Advertising Invalid Traffic Report 2019 examined fraudulent traffic through advertising and media. Researchers hunted for invalid traffic across all forms of media ad formats, digital TV, online consumer leads, and KOL marketing to name a few. Data from 65,000 campaigns by 2,000 brands across 1,200 platforms were collated to form the research.
Read more at WARC
Learn more about driving traffic to your Chinese website
2. Night lights: Culture driving China's urban consumption
Government promotion of Chinese nightlife culture is nothing new, but it has gained a fresh importance in the wake of COVID-19. While Shanghai’s has long held a reputation as the country’s financial hub, the city is now counting on its museums, art galleries and bookstores to stimulate consumption. To encourage citizens to participate in the “Night Festival” the government has extended subway hours, created pedestrian zones, and added temporary parking areas. Furthermore, cultural attractions are giving out promotions, discounts and additional events to draw in visitors. Although the government is pushing to improve the economy, the health and safety of the population still remains a priority. Visitors must preregister for events, wear a mask while practise social distancing upon arrival.
Read more at Jing Travel
Learn more about ways to target domestic Chinese visitors in tourism marketing
3. Asia may compete with UK on international students post-COVID
The COVID-19 pandemic may lead to a rise in student mobility within Asia. Countries such as China and Malaysia can potentially become major competitors to English speaking countries in international education. Speaking at the British Council’s virtual Going Global event, Mr. McNamara stated that emerging trends present before the pandemic will be more prevalent in the foreseeable future. There may be trends towards “short periods of mobility” such as a semester abroad compared to a full academic year. In addition, with the quick transition due to the pandemic, there will be a greater adoption of online learning.
Read more at Times Higher Education
Learn more about Chinese international students
4. Will China's shopping festivals save the luxury market?
Recently, JD.com created an online shopping festival known as 618. This festival is created as an opportunity for brands to offset losses incurred during COVID-19. With the limited product movement during this time, the festival gave brands a chance to clear out their inventory at a discounted price. Although a great opportunity, some brands remained a high degree of caution due to discounted items having a negative impact on brand equity and value.
Over the first hour of the event, luxury brand sales grew 400%, and all-day sales increased by 100% year on year. At the same time, sales in third tier cities have doubled even though JD does not have any physical stores in these locations.
Kevin Jiang, JD’s president of international fashion and lifestyle business, believes that the combination of online and offline has become an effective strategy for luxury brands. He also believes that the platforms high quality user and buyer base has been the main attraction point for luxury brands. JD consumers on the platform primarily have high incomes and are highly educated. The platform prides itself in a with a zero-tolerance policy on counterfeit good.
Read more at Jing Daily
Learn more about how foreign brands can successfully position themselves in China
5. Number of Chinese students in Canada decreases
The number of students from China obtaining a Canadian study permit has decreased by 44% in the first 4 months of this year due to COVID-19. Due to the switch to online teaching and border restrictions, there has been a significant downturn in Chinese study visas which in turn has created massive job losses in labour sectors usually filled by foreign students. To battle this drop, Canada has come up with several incentives designed to limit the drop in study visas. This includes eliminating the cap on the number of hours foreign students can work while studying and allowing foreign students and refugees workers in Canada to apply for the government’s Canada Emergency Response Benefit of $2,000 a month.
Read more at the Vancouver Sun
Learn more about developing digital content strategy for Chinese international students
