Special report: Digital China

Welcome to Campaign Asia-Pacific’s annual ‘Digital China’ report, in which we bring to light the most recent developments in the online tools, platforms and practices that have the greatest potential to shape the marketing landscape in the future.

We look at the brands, both large and small, that are pushing into rural China in their hunt for new e-consumers. We turn up the best practices of those succeeding in the flourishing livestreaming space, and ask how they’re converting audience views into cash. We dive into the newly digitised luxury market, where heritage brands are experimenting with ways to make a new, web-savvy generation of customers fall in love with their goods.

Finally, we cast a critical eye over the murky — but unrelenting — world of advertising fraud in China, defining the main elements of the problem; analysing what progress is being made on ad-tracking by the recently-formed China Media Assessment Council; and asking whether there might ever be a largely fraud-free future for marketing. 

The digitisation of luxury
High-end labels eye up new audiences

Live streaming turns profitable
As the ‘see now, buy now’ trend takes off, we offer top tips and best practice for brands

E-brands extend rural networks
Ad saturation in the big cities is driving companies to seek new markets elsewhere

Anti-fraud heat boils over
Fighting bogus ads and clicks in China is a challenge unlike that in any other country

Olivia Parker is deputy editor at Campaign Asia-Pacific