Online identities in China vs the West – and implications for brands

Online identities in China are very different to those in the West – marketers should consider media consumption patterns, compartmentalised identities and individualism vs collectivism.

Chinese people are significantly more invested in their online identities than their Western counterparts, the latter’s Snapchat and Instagram fixations notwithstanding. Marketers in China, therefore, have an opportunity to harness this energy by creating experiences that deepen the emotional relationship between consumers and brands.

Digital love

The off-the-charts engagement amongst Chinese people with all things digital manifests itself in many ways. On average, people spend more than three hours per day on WeChat, the multi-functional social platform. Americans spend 20 minutes a day scanning our Facebook feeds. In Prophet’s Brand Relevance Index (BRI), Alibaba’s Alipay, a virtual transaction app,...

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