In mid-2020, a new influencer popped up across social channels. She amassed a large following in just a couple of months, thanks to her interest in League of Legends – but she isn’t real, she’s one of an increasing number of avatars being used by companies to promote their products.

An online community for Gen Zers, Bilibili’s offering centres around anime, comics, and gaming – a low-cost membership grants early access to anime releases. With an interactive interface and the likes of karaoke live-streams, the network provides a niche platform for young people to connect.

Younger Chinese consumers are no longer turning to advertisements to help them shop – they’re listening to each other instead. Shanghai-based app Xiaohongshu (Little Red Book) is harnessing social commerce and changing the way luxury consumers learn about products online.

Chinese consumers are known as the driving force behind the success of numerous European business sectors, but have been slow to show the same support to home-grown Chinese brands. However, as the quality improves so does trust, creating new opportunities for local brands.