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So how different is Social Media in China? Our team in China have put together a nice piece together (based on research, case studies and in-house insights from the Middle Kingdom’s social hotpot) to consider how it is different, identifying several key elements which underline and explain why media agencies/buyers and clients should consider China an extremely unique climate for social media marketing.

As well as describing the background facts and figures surrounding each featured element unique to China, we also provide possible implications into how they may better instruct future social media campaigns here and how it will affect the gender gap in China.

Contents
-A Huge Social Media Community
-The Netizen
-Social Anonymity & Avatars
-Archaic Social Media Prevails: BBS

A Huge Social Media Community

Background

BBS (Bulletin Board System) was launched in 1994, marking the beginning of the Chinese Internet Community. Today the Chinese internet population is the largest in the world with over 298 million users (Source, iResearch). Astonishingly this may only reflect an internet penetration within the country of 15-22% (Source, CNNIC). Figures suggest next year may see a massive increase yet again in internet population to over 389 million users (Source, BDA).

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I’d have to say we had one of the strangest closings, not that I’ve been to many, but it was definitely unbelievable! The buyers’ bank representative had to be on some sort of drugs because he was acting like he was on speed. As the buyers signed, they didn’t put the year for the date and when the banker noticed, he had a fit! He started talking under his breath and shaking his head and twitching like he has some serious OCD issues and one of the buyers and I were on the verge of saying something to him. He was a ticking time bomb.

Besides that, the bank had just moved into the office and there were barely any office supplies, so when it came time to make photocopies of documents, it took an hour for them to find copy paper! Our attorney was in disbelief of the whole situation as were we! We were thrilled when it was finally over. As we left the parking lot, we had such a sense of relief and elation even–that old door had finally closed and we were ready for the next to open! Almost a whole year of stress was finally over. Or was it..now we just had to secure a mortgage!

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Multiculturalism

Multicultural (or intercultural) education focuses on endeavors which deal with the rich diversity of cultures within the United States. According to the American Council on International Intercultural Education, we tend to approach multicultural education with a set of predispositions. There is an aspect of our nature that keeps diverse peoples from living in harmony.

Some attribute this to the limits of our comfort zone, our attraction toward the familiar, our fear of the unknown, family pressures, our lack of knowledge of others and limited opportunities to interact.

The intensified desire for peace and international understanding in this post-9/11 world has validated efforts to incorporate multicultural education in academia. Yet multicultural issues can be intensely personal, challenging and, in many ways, threatening to us as individuals and institutions. This topic clearly deserves attention and deliberation. Through this case study, students and educators will look critically at these issues and possible solutions.

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