Posts tagged: media

Greater China Fast-Forwards Into Fashion

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By Angie, August 26, 2010 10:15 am

The rankings for the 2010 Top Global Fashion Capitals have just been released and Greater China has put in a strong showing.  While it’s no surprise that New York was once again named the top fashion capital of the world, sitting pretty at number 2 is Hong Kong.  This is the highest ranking ever for an Asian city and is the first time that the number two spot goes to a city other than the classic four – New York, Paris, London and Milan.

Shanghai also fares well, rising two spots from last year to sit in 12th place, outpacing even Tokyo (#14).

For full list of results, click here.

What is a Global Fashion Capital?

A fashion capital is a city which wields great influence in the world of fashion.  It is the home of many top designers and modeling agencies and is decided by the amount of business generated.  The Top Global Fashion Capitals rankings are based upon non-profit group Global Language Monitor’s Predictive Quantities Index, a proprietary algorithm that tracks words and phrases in print and electronic media in relation to their frequency, contextual usage and appearance in global media outlets.

This year the list was expanded to forty cities (from thirty in previous years) to reflect the growing number of emerging and diverse players affecting the industry.

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“The importance of the emerging regional fashion capitals demonstrate a major global re-alignment in the multi-trillion dollar global fashion industry.  This year’s list of the Top Fashion Capitals shows the global fashion industry to remain in flux, with the relative decline of some of the previously leading players and formerly regional players emerging as significant new influences.”

- Rebecca Payack, fashion correspondent for the Global Language Monitor

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China Blossoms

Is this a harbinger of things to come?  With fashionistas eyeing the East, is it possible that one day New York will be dethroned and replaced by China as the top fashion spot in the world?  Shanghai is becoming widely recognized for its art, architecture and design scenes.  It has a vibrant and dynamic energy led by youth embracing a new China.  In previous years, China was known for its copycat designs, but as Chinese talent grows in knowledge and in confidence, supported by the Chinese government and breaking free of past shackles, we see a well of strength and creativity springing up.

What This Means To You As Marketers

We’ve been talking a lot about the digital space in this blog because, frankly, that’s been a hot-topic (and very relevant topic) concerning China.  We’ve also mentioned music, as indie and rock music are emerging scenes here, not to mention a well-established pop scene (Mando-pop anyone? And of course, the adored K-Pop and J-Pop).  Many brands have already jumped onto the music bandwagon, structuring their strategies and messaging around the music culture.  Coke did a great job owning ‘food’, with their extremely successful “Coke with Food” campaign.  Now, how about fashion?  Can non fashion-related brands convincingly enter into the fashion space?  I see fashion as being similar to music; that it’s something consumers are passionate about or can relate to.  It also has positive image associations. Brands likely won’t want haute couture, but what about ‘up and comers’?  Indie fashion labels or designers? Collaborations to design a new spin on, or a new look for, a tired product?  The fashion scene in China is young, trendy, blossoming, chic … these are definitely great images to associate with your brand.

categories Brand Sirens, China Youth Trends, East vs. West, Japan, Online, Values & Beliefs, World, trends | tags , , , , , , , , ,

Handsome Beggar Is Current Chinese Internet Sensation

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By Angie, March 3, 2010 1:32 pm

I am finding this SO fascinating, and I’m not sure why exactly!
Perhaps because it’s so rare that beggars are so publicly recognized.  Perhaps it’s because the Chinese internet community has gone totally and wildly berserk about this man.  Perhaps because it’s just incredible to see the lightening-fast speed information travels online in China.  I think it’s all of the above.

“Brother Sharp”, as Chinese netizens have dubbed him, is a beggar.  But with a smoldering, disheveled, handsome look that clearly appeals to netizens all over China.

On January 23, 2010, photos of Brother Sharp were taken by a passerby in Ningbo and posted on a Chinese forum.  Overnight, Brother Sharp became an internet phenomenon.   A video discussing the beggar was posted on Youku on February 25, 2010, and within 24 hours, the number of views approached one million.

Pretty hunky, no? ^_~

Chinese netizens have even started putting his photos on mock magazine covers and performing Human Flesh Searches on him, hoping to find him and see him in person.  (Note: through Human Flesh Searches, netizens have indeed located him and scores have been trying to meet him, which has actually frightened the man considerably…)

Netizen-produced mock magazine cover

What’s a Human Flesh Search?

Human Flesh Search (Chinese:人肉搜索) is an internet phenomenon originating from MOP, a popular Chinese BBS, where the term was coined by Chinese netizens.  It is an action of mass cooperation and research via all kinds of social media, including blogs, forums, BBS, SNS, etc. to search and locate a human anywhere in the world.  People conducting these searches are commonly referred to as “Human Flesh Search Engines”.

The beauty of this is the collaboration and real-time aspect of it, which makes it easier to acquire information usually difficult or even impossible to find via conventional means (e.g. library, or simple search engines).

The successes and continuation of Human Flesh Searches, unique in China, can possibly be attributed to many factors. Some of these include:

- The sheer number of Chinese netizens, which exceeds the population of the United States.
- The openness at which Chinese netizens have embraced the internet.  At Starcom, we have conducted research talking to internet users from youth to mums, in China and around Asia.  In no other country does the scope and scale of internet usage compare to Chinese users.  Their love for all things online – posting, commenting, shopping, streaming, searching, etc. – is astounding.
- Their need for information.  Chinese netizens are information-hungry and will not be satisfied with simple search-engine searches.
- Their inherent culture of community.  This enables netizens to form bonds with others online and to speak and cooperate with people they may not know nor have met before.
- The seamless integration of their offline and online lives.
- Their strong sense of right/wrong and upholding justice.  Many Human Flesh Searches are a product of netizens sharing acts by others that violate public morality.  For example, there are cases where netizens have cracked down on individuals found to harm animals, or to have hurt others, or bullies, etc.   Though cooperation by many, these individuals are tracked down via information shared in real-time online.  The target will find his/her personal information posted for all to see online and will even find themselves confronted by netizens in person.
- Their love for sensationalism.  Aside from tracking down those who do wrong, Human Flesh Searches are also done on celebrities or people who have done good.  Chinese netizens love a good, juicy story (case and point: Brother Sharp).
- Their youth.  Over two-thirds of internet users in China are 30 or under (Source: China Internet Network Infomation Center, 2008), this leads to a culture of netizens who are naturally curious, enthusiastic, and energetic.

What does this all mean?
In today’s society, where time is scarce and people just want to find information as quickly as possible, searches powered by people and not programs will become the way to go. Google’s search engine will not tell me where to find Brother Sharp, but Sunnygirl01 from Tianjin might be able to.

Also, no one in this world, not even an unassuming beggar, is immune to the seeking eyes of millions upon millions of curious Chinese netizens.

categories Online, Social Media, Values & Beliefs, World, Youth, trends | tags , , , , , , , , , ,

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