Secrets of successful PR of Chinese goods in Russia

How to build effective communications between Asian brands and the Russian audience. What are the specifics of promotion and what tools work?

The 2L communication agency has been promoting techno brands since 2002. Over the years in PR, we have accumulated significant experience in campaigns with Chinese products, including numerous projects with Aerocool, Anker, and Mio. Today we are actively working with Dreame, Amazfit, discussing the tasks of Oppo, Vivo and other industry giants.

What Chinese brands order in 2L

Chinese companies most often come to us with requests for special projects – individual campaigns with a limited validity period. This does not mean that customers apply on a one–time basis — many brands have been working with us for years, we regularly do campaigns for them to support new products and seasonal activations. The agency’s portfolio also includes, for example, a case study aimed at updating the brand in the information field after the PR was put on pause. Once upon a time, we developed a long-term campaign for Mio to stimulate sales in an environment of high competition and stagnation.

Mainland China prefers classics in PR

Maria Oleinikova, 2L Project Manager:

«The specifics of working with mainland Chinese brands are determined by their conservative approach to PR. They prefer traditional, proven tools that are consistently effective in the Chinese information space: publishing news, press releases, and media articles.»

Therefore, experiments with formats and bright, unusual campaigns with Chinese customers are rare, and they are preceded by lengthy negotiations with convincing arguments. But they do happen. An example is the case of the Amazfit brand, when we tested their smart watches in the Arctic itself. This project became the second winner of the LOUD 2024 award in the nomination for a creative PR idea. It took place thanks to the proactivity of the 2L team and the support of the brand’s regional manager from Russia, whose opinion was taken into account by the management. If the decision had been made exclusively by Chinese top managers without taking into account the recommendations of their local representative, most likely, we would not have been able to agree on such a format.

Another striking case brought Amazfit millions of viral views. To support the launch of a new smartwatch model, we proposed creating a comic strip. We had to put in a lot of effort to convince the client to agree to such an experiment. Although already in the process of work, their doubts were dispelled: the concept and visual effects were agreed upon from the very first sketches.

Separately, it is worth mentioning about Telegram. In China, everyone is on WeChat (their local, very developed ecosystem with a messenger and a bunch of other functions). They have no idea what our Telegram is, so it is very difficult to explain its value to Chinese partners as part of PR campaigns. And sometimes it is wiser to immediately abandon this tool.

But Taiwan respects creativity

Conservatism and a love of classics are typical of mainland Chinese brands. Taiwan is another matter. These guys are open to new things, they are happy to consider creative PR options.

The 2L team has repeatedly collaborated with Taiwanese Mio and Aerocool. We launched a cartoon, developed quests with interactive bloggers, New Year’s activations with bright landing pages, and arranged the assembly of computers with influencers.

The discrepancy between the expectations of Chinese companies and the realities of PR in Russia

Let’s go back to the gold standard – releases and articles that are actively used in mainland China. These methods have proven to be effective and reliable. However, it is important to consider:

In China, barter practices in PR and content provision are widely used, while in Russia such schemes are practically absent. In addition, every Chinese media outlet has a standard for the release of materials, so most press releases receive wide coverage. This makes this method much easier and more effective in China than in Russia, where the distribution of press releases requires considerable effort and does not guarantee a certain result. The situation is similar in influencer marketing: Chinese opinion leaders ensure a high level of views and engagement. In comparison, Russian bloggers have lower CTR rates.

Thus, Chinese brands’ confidence in the effectiveness of traditional PR can turn into disappointment when reality does not meet expectations. Realizing the differences between the two markets, we explain in detail to our Chinese partners the specifics of the Russian information field. The classics work here too, but not in the same way as in China. At the same stage, we usually suggest considering non-standard formats, experimenting with the presentation of the material, or adding interactive elements to achieve better results.

Cultural aspects and nuances of interaction

Successful cooperation with Chinese business partners goes beyond overcoming the language barrier. Even with English as a common working language, a deep understanding of cultural characteristics is a cornerstone of effective communication:

• What is considered directness, openness, and friendliness in Western culture can be interpreted as rudeness in China. To build a successful dialogue with Chinese partners, respect for the interlocutor, strict adherence to hierarchy and maintaining a business style of communication are critically important.
• It is worth paying special attention to the adaptation of plans, concepts, letters with professional terms. This will help to avoid distortion of meanings and ensure the correct perception of important work information.
• Communication through a local employee (when the Chinese brand has a Russian manager) greatly simplifies and speeds up the interaction process. With a deep knowledge of both the language of both sides and culture, such a person creates a kind of bridge.
• The decision-making system in Chinese corporations is often collegial. You may encounter several contact persons, and you need to clearly understand their roles, areas of responsibility, and position in the hierarchy. In this case, the last word may be with the top management, for example, the president of the company, who does not participate in current discussions and operational correspondence.

Chinese brands in Russia: challenges and opportunities

Attitudes towards «Made in China» labeling are changing in Russia. The skepticism characteristic of the early noughties is becoming a thing of the past. Chinese manufacturers are purposefully improving quality, introducing new technologies, investing resources in promotion, and these efforts are yielding results. Chinese goods are especially confidently conquering the niches of electronic devices and household appliances, where their price attractiveness often surpasses the offers of Western competitors.

But the struggle for the attention and loyalty of the customer was, is and will be. Western companies that have maintained their presence are still strong due to their recognition and loyal audience. Russian players are also gaining momentum. In these circumstances, a competent PR strategy for Chinese brands is critically important. It is necessary to consistently create a stable image, reputation, and confirm the high quality and compliance of the products and values of the Chinese brand with consumer expectations in Russia.

How we build PR for Chinese business in Russia

We deeply understand the specifics of cooperation with Chinese brands. At the same time, the PR strategy is based on our universal, proven principles of customer interaction. We create a bridge between the brand and the Russian consumer, guided by the following values and rules:

1. Analytics as a foundation. Any successful PR campaign starts with a deep dive. We carefully analyze your business, set clear goals, paint a portrait of the client, and conduct a full analysis of competitors.
2. Cultural bridge. We act as a reliable link, adapting brand messages for accurate, correct perception in Russia.
3. Partnership and trust. We establish strong, respectful and trusting relationships with the customer’s team. Eco-friendly, open communications allow us to easily resolve current issues and achieve our goals together.
4. Flexibility. The market is constantly changing, and competitors are also active. Therefore, we adjust strategies and tactics, explaining to the client each change and its potential for achieving results.
5. Transparency. We not only track the effectiveness of each step, but also provide detailed, clear reports with all the numbers.
6. Localization. We don’t just translate the brand’s message into Russian. Our task is to create or deeply adapt materials to the specifics of the Russian audience and its consumer preferences, ensuring relevance and response.
7. Working with opinion leaders. We are building strategic partnerships with Russian bloggers, choosing authors with the most targeted audience of subscribers. Their influence becomes a powerful catalyst for increasing brand awareness and loyalty.
8. All facets of PR. We apply a comprehensive approach: from media interaction and content marketing to active work on social networks and event PR. We are not afraid of difficult challenges and are ready to experiment in order to ensure real success for the client’s business in our market.

Expertise, attention to detail, including in communications, as well as flexibility and openness, are what help us build warm partnerships with Chinese customers and meet their expectations regarding our PR campaigns.