The R3 February List: The Rise of the Chinese Celebrities Fighting COVID-19

 /  Entertainment Marketing  / 
Despite some initial controversy, the top-ranked celebrity Han Hong built a positive public image with her charity foundation by acting quickly in response to COVID-19. Read More

Fan-Fiction Site Blocked in China After Celeb’s Stans Complain

 /  Chinasplaining  / 
Fans of Chinese actor Xiao Zhan had mobilized to protest their idol being portrayed as a woman with a thing for teens on the popular content-hosting platform Archive of Our Own, leading to the site being blacklisted in China. Read More

CBI News Wrap: Spring Festival Collaborations, WeChat Paywalls

 /  CBI  / 
Gift boxes are big business during the Spring Festival, and collaborations with popular IP can help brands stand out in a crowded field.  Read More

R3 Nov: Would Actress Yang Zi’s Onscreen Popularity Translates to Commercial Success?

 /  Entertainment Marketing  / 
Yang has differentiated herself from other popular actresses like Yang Mi, Angelababy, whose commercial success in fashion overshadowed their acting career. Read More

CBI Case Study: Male Celebrities Give Beauty Marketing a Makeover

 /  CBI  / 
Young male stars are playing an increasingly important role in the marketing of beauty products in China. So far this year, 24 brands have signed 26 male celebrities to promote their goods, with the majority born after the mid-1990s. Read More

R3’s July List Reveals the New Brand Ambassadors to Look Out For

 /  Entertainment Marketing  / 
Ever since Versace’s t-shirt gaffe this week, the list of Chinese ambassador defections seems to grow daily. R3’s June list sheds some light on newcomers. Read More

Counting Stars: How Fake Data Distorts the Celebrity Landscape

 /  Chinasplaining  / 
Young Chinese are overestimating the importance of social media traffic to stardom — and underestimating talent. Read More

The Search for China’s Next Big Boy Band is Emphasizing “Social Responsibility” Over Sexiness

 /  TV  / 
As the authorities get increasingly nervous about the rise of the “Fan Economy” and the influence of the stars at its center, show creators are having to come up with new ways for light entertainment to meet the heavier demands of the widely-touted “New Era”. Read More

Celebrity Weddings: A (Renewed) Opportunity for Luxury Product Placement

 /  Celebrity  / 
Two weeks ago, a highly-anticipated celebrity wedding ceremony in Vienna, Austria took China’s social media by storm. Luxury brands like Chloé, Roger Vivier and Ermenegildo Zegna, plus destination marketing agency Vienna Tourism Board, which sponsored the newlyweds, received great social media exposure. Read More

In China, Peppa Pig Is a Street Couture Icon

 /  News  / 
Chinese audiences have loved Peppa Pig, a British cartoon character with a face shaped like a hair dryer, since the animated series first screened in the country in late 2015. But it’s not just children who are swooning over the swine. Read More