User Motivation Is Key to Social Engagement for Brands in China [Study]
OMD China's "Dive Social" report takes a deeper look at the motivations behind social media usage among users in China.
Brands’ social media campaigns in China should be based around user motivations rather than platform numbers, according to a report from media agency OMD China.
The recently published “Dive Social” report, groups China’s social media users into four categories based on their usage motivations: pleasure seekers, smart controllers, social integrators, and self affirmers. It found that 56 percent of those surveyed are “social integrators” who maintain relationships on social media platforms for the main purpose of keeping connected with “friends” and “followers.” Rarely do they engage with brands. Meanwhile, 19 percent of those surveyed are “pleasure seekers” who seek immediate satisfaction and fun, and shop online to cater to those needs.
The social media landscape in China is continuously changing and consumer behavior is changing with it, says Ali Kazmi, head of social at Omnicom Media Group China. More and more, numbers are meaning less while the intent behind purchasing decisions is meaning more.
“Understanding the mindset of audiences that ultimately move the needle on selling product [is essential]. Understanding the drivers of social media usage helps marketers give their brands a more crystalized role to play in a customer’s life, be it entertainment, utility, productivity, or a combination of the above at any given time,” comments Kazmi.
The report also found that 13 percent of those surveyed were “smart controllers.” This group is highly pragmatic and uses social to manage their lives, as well as to ensure efficiency in their online relationships. The remaining 12 percent were “self-affirmers,” and use social media to showcase their lives and strive for more.
“[The research] illustrates that brands should be thinking less about ways to garner likes and shares and thinking more about developing sophisticated campaigns that offer an element of value exchange interaction…Where social equals behaviors, marketers should be agnostic to the platform.
“The challenge for brands is going to be embracing this complexity and simplifying this into fun, engaging content and services accessed in real time,” says Kazmi.
OMD’s research study also explored the difference in brand engagement according to gender type. While men are more driven by functional needs like life maintenance, women seek fun and entertainment.
IFOP Asia was the research partner used to conduct OMD’s study, which interviewed 490 people aged between 18 and 40, covering seven tier one, two, and three cities across China, including Beijing (T1), Nanjing (T2), and Quanzhou (T3).
