Xiaohongshu wields ‘grassplanting’ power | WARC | The Feed

Xiaohongshu wields ‘grassplanting’ power

Xiaohongshu, the Chinese app which describes itself as a ‘lifestyle bible’, continues to attract brands thanks to its ‘grassplanting’ appeal. 

Why it matters

Zhongcao means ‘planting grass’ and is Chinese internet slang for the experience of seeing a product owned by others and immediately wanting it too. It’s a trend that preceded livestream shopping and that is still relevant on a platform like Xiaohongshu, which has successfully fused social media and e-commerce.

In fact, the model has proved so successful it’s been copied by TikTok owner ByteDance and launched overseas: the Lemon8 app was soft launched in the US and UK earlier this year and is reported to be paying creators to post on it.

Takeaways 

• Xiaohongshu presents an idealised urban lifestyle, covering everything from skincare routines and weekend brunches to foreign holidays. It’s the “ the go-to guide on how to live better by buying more”, according to Rest of World. 
• Xiaohongshu has 200 million monthly active users, with around 70% being women under the age of 30. Around half its users come from first- and second-tier cities. 
• For many of these users, Xiaohongshu is their primary search engine. 
• Some observers are concerned about the level of expectations and consumerism being generated by influencers.
• An expanding user base has meant communities have formed around interests other than just shopping. 

Key quote

“At first, Xiaohongshu was about showing off a privileged life, and making everyone else want that. As more creators join, they are bringing new hobbies and styles to the app” – Luo Kai, co-founder of Shanghai-based influencer agency Tomatogo.

Sourced from Rest of World, Gizmodo

[Image: Xiaohongshu]