Against the backdrop of globalization, more and more small and medium-sized overseas brands are exploring the Chinese market and seeking new growth opportunities. However, entering the Chinese market is not an easy task. Brands need to fully understand the Chinese market’s culture, consumer behavior, competitive environment and many other factors, and market research plays a crucial role in this process. However, there are many difficulties and challenges that overseas brands encounter when conducting market research in China.
There are four major difficulties for overseas brands entering China to conduct market research.
Firstly, it is difficult to access data, as China’s Internet environment is significantly different from the rest of the world, and foreign brands cannot rely on tools they are familiar with to collect market data. Meanwhile, industry data in China may be scattered across multiple channels such as government agencies, industry associations, research institutions, media, e-commerce platforms, etc. There is no unified platform for data dissemination, which makes collection even more complicated and time-consuming for foreign brands unfamiliar with China’s online environment.
Secondly, there is a language and cultural communication barrier between overseas brands and the Chinese market. Market research often needs to deal with a large amount of Chinese text data, which constitutes a language barrier that is difficult to cross for foreign companies that are not familiar with Chinese. At the same time, market research also requires deep cultural interpretation of the data, and the cultural background and values of Chinese consumers may be very different from those in the original market of the foreign brand, which undoubtedly constitutes an intricate problem.
The third point is the difference between Chinese and foreign research tools. Chinese consumers widely use specific online research platforms, such as Questionnaire Star and Tencent Questionnaire, which are different from overseas research platforms, and it is undoubtedly an urgent challenge for foreign brands that are new to the Chinese market to quickly master and flexibly utilize these localized research tools.
Finally, there are differences between Chinese and foreign digital platforms and social media ecosystems. China has unique digital platforms and social media ecosystems, such as WeChat, Jittery, Xiaohongshu, etc., which are important marketing and research channels, but are localized, diverse and complex and require special learning and adaptation.
Therefore, overseas brands need to work with a Chinese market research team that is familiar with Chinese conditions and proficient in local research, in order to overcome all the obstacles in the process of Chinese market research and improve the effectiveness of market research for overseas brands. So, how can a good Chinese marketing company help overseas brands start their journey to success in China with its strengths in market research?
Case 1: A medium-sized European smart wearables brand plans to enter the Chinese smart health market, but faces data access problems. China’s complex Internet environment and decentralized information sources made it difficult for the brand to accurately capture market dynamics and consumer needs. To break through this bottleneck of data acquisition, the brand partnered with ByondNext, where we used big data analysis and AI algorithms to collect and analyze key information on Chinese consumers’ health concepts, wearable device preferences, and purchasing behaviors through multiple channels, including social media, e-commerce platforms, and health forums. At the same time, through in-depth research on competitors, we identified market vacancies and potential opportunities, and tailored a differentiated product strategy and market positioning for the brand. After implementing the strategy, the brand quickly emerged in the Chinese smart wearable market, with products warmly welcomed by young consumers and fitness enthusiasts, sales continuing to rise, and brand awareness and market share growing significantly.
Case 2: A mid-sized outdoor equipment brand from Canada planned to expand its business in China. However, the brand encountered multiple obstacles when trying to conduct market research on its own, including language communication, unsuitable research tools, and unfamiliarity with China’s digital platforms and social media ecosystem. Realizing that it would be difficult to overcome these hurdles on its own, ByyondNext helped the mid-sized Canadian outdoor gear brand not only overcome the challenges of market research in China, but also successfully establish a foothold in the Chinese market, increasing both brand awareness and market share.
ByondNext has the following advantages in helping overseas brands conduct market research
1. We are familiar with how the Chinese Internet works and can effectively use Chinese search engines, social media listening tools and other local data sources. We also use AI algorithms and big data analytics to process and interpret large amounts of unstructured data to extract valuable information and insights.
2. ByondNext first provides brands with a bilingual market research team that is not only proficient in handling Chinese text data, including social media posts, consumer forum discussions and news reports, but also in interpreting the cultural background and values of Chinese consumers, breaking down cultural barriers and providing brands with a detailed analysis of their target customers’ needs and preferences.
3. Leveraging local online research platforms, ByondNext designed and executed a series of customized online research projects for the brand, collecting a large amount of detailed data on Chinese market segments and target consumers, providing strong support for subsequent product development and market positioning.
4. Familiarity with digital platforms and social media ecosystems: ByondNext guided the brand on how to build its brand presence on digital platforms and social media in China, which helped the brand to attract the attention of Chinese consumers, build its brand image, and increase product sales.
This proves that when small and medium-sized overseas brands intend to enter the Chinese market, by working closely with ByondNext, overseas brands can overcome the obstacles, not only solve the difficulties in the market research process, but also find their own place in the Chinese market, and realize a significant increase in brand influence and steady growth in market share.
ABOUT BEYONDNEXT
BEYONDNEXT，a full-service agency dedicated to solving the challenges of overseas brand communication. We provide professional social media management services for brands going global. Our results-oriented approach leverages media resources worldwide to achieve brand objectives.
