China Media Landscape - White Paper

Navigating China’s Complex Media Landscape

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2Copyright © 2012 PR Newswire Association LLC. All Rights Reserved.

No one can deny the potential of doing business in China. Its economy continues to enjoy strong growth, the growing middle-class is spending more of their disposable incomes and Chinese businesses continue to expand overseas to compete with their western and fellow Asian counterparts as they search for new business to continue China’s rapid expansion.

There are many international companies that have conquered the China market. The

likes of Wal-Mart, adidas and Accenture are just a few of the stars that have excelled as

a result of their dedication, understanding and respect of the Chinese media landscape.

The annual survey of the US-China Business Council in 2011 provides some insightful

information about how their members see the future of their businesses in China. A

market that is worth US$200 billion to US companies, 71% stated that China was a top

five priority in the coming year, while 60% noted that profits from China operations were

higher than their other global operations. The US-China Business Council survey also

pointed out that a massive 88% expected to see greater profits from their China operations

as compared to the previous year.

Those that know and understand China, clearly recognize the huge potential that is

available, and more importantly, are confident that their businesses will continue to be

profitable, despite the onset of yet another global recession.

Of course, for every successful business, there are many more that have failed. Perhaps

the biggest reason for this failure is the belief that a company can simply come in, set-up

Navigating China’s Complex Media Landscape

White PAPeR

The media landscape in China is quite complex and constantly evolving, as attitudes and policies continue to change. China can offer incredible business opportunity, if you are willing to embrace the differences and adapt accordingly.


shop and be profitable. A lack of consideration for local market contexts and adaptation of

business models also leads to an unsuccessful program.

This white paper provides useful and usable information about the media landscape in

China, the importance of a strong marketing and communications strategy and how best

to use it to your advantage.

The primary takeaway of this paper is simple. Chinese media and influencers will be vital

to your business success in China and the ability to understand and engage with both the

media and your customers will almost certainly lead to failure. Enormous opportunity

awaits provided you are willing to put in the time and effort to effectively communicate

and engage with your target audiences.

China’s Media Landscape

The media landscape in China can be very confusing and contradictory at

times, but it can also be summarized by its fast transformation. A number of

commercial media and cutting-edge internet platforms have gained presence

amidst state-run media that once controlled all aspects of print and broadcast

media. The new media empires have seen aggressive growth in recent years,

despite continued attempts from authorities to keep a tight grip on the type

of content being produced, and has even spurred state-run media increasing

their own efforts to appear more fresh, modern and relevant.

This new hybrid landscape, however, still needs to be carefully navigated.

Broadcast, print and digital media are closely monitored, and editors

and journalists alike are under government pressure to ensure content is

suitable for public consumption.

This section breaks down the media landscape in China, looking at the key

components of China’s traditional media, online portals and new media, to help ensure

that you are prepared with the knowledge and tools to expand your marketing and

communications efforts in China.

Traditional Media

As the world’s third largest advertising market, traditional media in China continue to play

the all important role in a burgeoning media landscape. Despite considerable growth in

online news sources and communities, they remain the most trusted sources of information.

Any marketing and communications strategy must include this vital set of media.

White PAPeR Navigating China’s Complex Media Landscape

This new hybrid landscape, however, still needs to be carefully navigated. Broadcast, print and digital media are closely monitored, and editors and journalists alike are under government pressure to ensure content is suitable for public consumption.

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Newspapers & Magazines

China is the world’s largest newspaper market and while many countries have experienced

a decline in the number of newspapers and magazines being printed, China continues to

expand. With over 9,000 magazine titles and 2,000 newspapers currently in print, China is

king of the printed word.

While the state-run newspapers tend to be older and more

traditional, the newer commercial newspapers showcase

greater freedom, despite being subject to the same levels

of censorship and being owned by consortiums led by

the state-run companies. Almost all revenue, though, is

generated by circulation and advertisements, irrelevant of

the publication’s ownership.

When looking to generate exposure, it is important that both

types of newspapers are targeted. While the commercial

newspapers are enjoying growing readership and building a

reputation for more investigative and sensational journalism,

the state-run newspapers still wield influence, especially on

more sensitive and political subjects. This influence, however,

is certainly waning in business circles, as trade publications

and online sources see increased authority.

Of course, China’s long list of newspapers and magazines are not unknown to the Internet.

Many have online versions that are directly competing for readers against the more well-

known online news portals. Some offer subscription content and a much wider range of

content, as they are not limited by the length of the traditional publication. Newspapers

and magazines are also becoming more actively involved in social media and mobile

entertainment platforms as they look for new ways to expand their readership.

Television

The importance of television to the Chinese cannot be underestimated. With a

penetration rate of 97%, television is at the core of many of China’s 1.3 billion citizens’

news consumption. Television advertisers, clearly aware of this fact, account for 76% of all

advertising revenues in China.

With 374 television channels, it may seem odd that the only national network is the

state-run China Central Television (CCTV). With 20 channels under the CCTV brand, it also

includes the globally-exported CCTV News. Many local and regional TV stations, however,

can be picked up throughout the country, depending on the satellite and cable services

that are available in a given region.

Top 10 Chinese Newspapers by Circulation

Newspaper CirCuLaTioN

Reference News 3,250,000

People’s Daily 2,520,000

Guangzhou Daily 1,850,000

Yangtse Evening News 1,740,000

Qilu Evening News 1,670,000

Information Times 1,570,000

Southern Metropolitan Daily 1,400,000

Global Times 1,350,000

Jinling Evening News 1,200,000

West China City News 1,150,000

Data Source: China.org.cn

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Major TV stations, other than those controlled by CCTV, include Hunan TV, Phoenix TV,

Dragon TV and Travel TV.

Strict censorship guidelines continue to pose an issue to television in China. While the

older generations remain loyal to their favorite medium, teenagers and well-educated

adults are seeing limitations in the type of broadcasting available; becoming increasingly

skeptical of the controlled messages to which they are being exposed. Such demographics,

therefore, are shifting to online sources that have a much greater freedom to entertain.

News agencies

There are only two news agencies in China: Xinhua News Agency and China News Agency.

The latter has a much smaller infl uence on all fronts, while Xinhua is the government’s

primary collector and distributor of information in China- and the most authoritative

source on Chinese government affairs.

As the largest wire service in the world, Xinhua provides daily, 24-hour news information

to the world in Chinese and English. It is also responsible for creating many of the media

controls regarding censorship in China.

online Media

Online media is regarded as one of the major information sources in China today. SINA,

SOHU, NetEase and Tencent (QQ.com), the four largest commercial news websites in

China, are considered the four main web portals and the primary news source for many

younger and more educated people. Today, China has over 513 million active Internet users

and a broadband penetration rate of 98%.

Of note, however, government regulations restrict websites from producing their own news

so most are simply aggregators of content, primarily from newspapers and magazines.

Usually, the online news sites have to acquire news

from reputable print media sources, providing the

online versions of print publications, with strong

networks, even greater leverage. For example, if your

news is picked up by a certain media point and that

media point has a strong content sharing network,

it will be displayed on many other websites and

highly visible in search engines. This is an essential

component of the online news environment in China

and why PR professionals prefer to build relationships

with these types of media or use services that already

have these established relationships.


SiNa, SOhU, Netease and tencent (QQ.com) are the largest commercial news websites in China, and they act as the primary news source for many younger and more educated people in China.

Major News Portals

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Unsurprisingly, the Internet is also closely censored. Many international sites are blocked-

by the infamous “Great Firewall of China,” including news sites such as the BBC, at times..

Chinese websites are sometimes blocked during times of increased sensitivity, especially

those built around blogs and public forums that allow people to freely express their

opinions. Specific materials deemed a threat to political stability, such as controversial

photos, search terms and particular iPhone apps, are also banned.

search engines

Just as in the U.S., search engines are playing an increasingly important role in how news is

found and read. With the mounting popularity of online news and entertainment, search

engines will continue to gain importance, and are therefore essential components of any

strategy in China. After all, with internet users surpassing 513 million, there are a lot of

people searching for content so a strong SEO strategy will provide a big advantage for

international companies looking for visibility in China. Press releases and news articles,

multimedia content, and Chinese social media platforms are the best tools for improving

search engine visibility.

Baidu is by far the dominant player in the search engine market in China;

and shows no signs of losing its grip. The NASDAQ-listed company enjoys

more than 80% market share according to statistics from the China

Internet Network Information Center, with Google enjoying less than 6%.

The Center also reported that Baidu is the first port-of-call for over 95%

of searches, although Google ranked the most popular second choice

so targeting both Baidu and Google is undoubtedly a good strategy for

getting found in Chinese search engines.

New Media

China is home to an abundance of online content, with a host of domestic and international

companies competing across numerous channels. Getting found can certainly be

challenging, but for those companies that are willing to spend a little time to provide

engaging information in Chinese, the rewards can be endless. The Chinese are far more

welcoming of those companies that are seen to be making an effort. While mistakes can be

forgiven, ignorance is a much greater challenge to overcome. The new media platforms offer

an ideal place to build relationships, tell your story and engage with stakeholders.

Of course, social media hasn’t replaced the traditional news media yet and given that the

traditional elements still hold great influence over China’s media industry, there needs

to be a fine balance between the new and the old. A fully integrated marketing and

communications campaign is, without doubt, the fastest way to success.


With more than 80% market share, Baidu is the dominant search engine in China.

Major Search engine

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And, for those relying on YouTube, Facebook, Google+, Twitter and the like, the Great

Firewall of China ensures that these efforts are lost on the majority of Chinese. Western

social media, blogs and social networking sites are generally blocked, and it’s therefore

essential to get involved in the local Chinese equivalents of these platforms in order to

reach the desired target audience.

Many of the online giants are also publicly-traded, with the likes of SOHU, SINA, Tudou,

Renren and Youku listed on either NASDAQ or the NYSE.


Source: CiC Western social media, blogs and social networking sites are generally blocked. this chart shows the local Chinese equivalents of popular Western platforms.

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social Media

Social media now plays an undeniable role in connecting people

and developing and maintaining relationship with the media;

serving as a platform for PR professionals to interact with

journalists, other professionals and the general public.

The dominant social media sites in China are the “Weibo”

(Twitter-style micro-blogging) sites, which enable 140-character

long tweets to be posted, and can include photos and

multimedia content. However, where in the US Twitter

essentially monopolizes the micro-blogging environment, China

is home to numerous micro-blogging platforms that compete

with each other to become more infl uential and attract the

highest number of users.

social Networking sites

China’s social networking sites are also enjoying strong growth. With Facebook banned

in China, QZone, Renren, 51.com and Kaixin dominate the local markets with a combined

total of nearly 750 million users. LinkedIn is also growing in popularity in China,

representing one of the only global networking platforms open to Chinese professionals

and reporting over one million China-based users.


siNa weibo (weibo.com): With 250 million users, SiNa Weibo is the most infl uential weibo in China.

Tencent weibo (t.qq.com): tencent is the biggest interesnt service provider in China and its micro-blogging service has more than 300 million users.

Major Weibo Sites

Source: BloggerInsight

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Mobile

There is also a strong trend towards mobile media. According to data released by China’s

Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, by mid-2011 China had over 920 million

mobile users. And, of the 513 million Internet users, 65.5% use mobile devices to access

online content. Mobile platforms offer a huge potential for expanding the number of

opportunities a company has to engage with their

audience. Any company looking to gain influence

in China should actively offer content across the

relevant online platforms and locations and engage

stakeholders through mobile devices. In fact, iResearch

recently reported that the market scale of China’s

mobile internet is over US$6 billion, with a year-on-

year growth of 97.5%.

Traditionally, “Shou Ji Bao” has been seen as the most

prominent source of news for mobile users. As an

aggregator of news from newspapers, websites and

other media, Shou Ji Bao’s distribution platform has

seen its influence diminish recently, as other news

media have become more sophisticated in the tools

they use to present their own news and information.

Also, as smartphones become more sophisticated,

and people better understand their full capabilities, Chinese users are looking to mobile

devices to complete a full array of tasks, including accessing news from a variety of

sources, as highlighted in iResearch’s report on the “China Mobile Internet Market 2011.”

Multimedia

According to iResearch, the number of video users in China is expected to reach nearly 500

million by 2013, representing a huge opportunity that should not be overlooked.

With non-Chinese video sites such as YouTube

blocked in China, posting multimedia content to

them with hopes to reach Chinese netizens from

the mainland would be for naught. China, however,

has an array of video-sharing sites equivalent to

YouTube. Given the increasing popularity of social

media content, it’s valuable and essential for SEO

success to have video content present on the major

multimedia sites in China. It also ensures the other

Chinese platforms can play videos directly.


Major Multimedia Sites

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Reiterating the importance of the online audience in China, a recent iResearch report

analyzing the China advertising market reveals that internet advertising in 2011, for the

first time, surpassed newspaper advertising. Accounting for a whopping US$8.11 billion,

the figure represents a staggering 57.3% increase over 2010, with iResearch forecasting it

will double again by 2013.

successful Media relations & Communications in China

General Do’s and Don’t’s

Do write your messaging in Chinese whenever possible; English is not common at all.

Do respect China and Chinese consumers and watch them respect you back.

Do think viral – interactive, multimedia content works best.

Do use an integrated strategy and be active across platforms.

Do engage with your stakeholders; put in the leg work and reap the benefits.

Do carefully define your target audience and carefully select the right media to reach them.

Do write your messages in an easy to understand format.

Do remember that China is a large, diverse country, where trends and cultures can vary from region to region.

Do take the time to learn the traditional and online media that are important to your business.

Don’t offer English only content and then wonder why it failed to gain traction.

Don’t criticize aspects of China that differ from the West.

Don’t presume text only content will get you the same level of results.

Don’t rely on just one type of media to get your message out there.

Don’t think one message will win over people - even the top brands need to work at it.

Don’t underestimate the need to target the smaller, niche media points.

Don’t use jargon unless you want to alienate a large percentage of the population.

Don’t presume one size fits all – you may need to alter messages and strategies in different cities and regions.

Don’t think you can rely on Western media - traditional or online – to reach Chinese audiences.

Top Tips for writing press releases

Keep your headlines short – under 20 characters is best, as many sites have limitations regarding what they’ll accept.

Understand your target audience and write copy that will be interesting and relevant.

Try to include a local contact person. The journalist will be far more likely to follow up.


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Keywords are important, so think about how English content is translated; use native speakers or translators that can be trusted.

Localize your content whenever possible, tailoring content so that it stands out and shows effort.

Top Tips for Building Media relationships

Personal relationships are key; work at building a network (“guanxi”).

Be proactive and research information about media points that are of interest – journalists will appreciate you far more if you know something about them and it will also protect you against those with bad reputations.

Be active in your communications, answer questions and don’t be afraid to follow-up via telephone.

Use social media platforms to build lasting relationships – these are growing in influence and also offer great ways to build relationships with other key influencers.

Media events and face-to-face meetings are still important tools for building trusting relationships and shouldn’t be ignored.

Top Tips for Getting Noticed online

If serious about the Chinese market, optimize your website in Mandarin Chinese.

Search remains a key tool for both consumers and journalists, so ensure content is SEO-friendly, remembering Baidu.com dominates the search engine market and has its own unique search rules – don’t presume Google search rules work as well for Baidu.

Traditional media currently remain the most important and influential, and major portals also aggregate their content, so they continue to offer the best ROI - don’t ignore them.

Utilize images and video to your advantage. You’re much more likely to get noticed and shared if you do.

The major blogs and social media platforms carry a lot of weight with search engines, and such content can be easily searched, so make sure you are on them.

success stories at a Glance

We’ve addressed much of what a company must understand about the media landscape

in China, as well as offered best practice advice to develop a strong foundation for

communication success. The next section showcases some examples of companies

that have utilized these suggestions and have succeeded, as a result. The companies

highlighted took the time to ensure they utilized the best network available for their PR

initiatives and reaped the benefits of their efforts.


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wal-Mart (Traditional Media)

While likely to be of great interest to the Chinese media, when Wal-Mart announced

their new China CEO, they were proactive in preparing journalists with the right facts and

information about the announcement by disseminating a timely press release to all major

media points across China. Additionally, Wal-Mart posted the announcement to key weibo

feeds, resulting in significant earned media; securing coverage in both traditional and new

media including the Southern Metropolitan Daily.

accenture (social Media)

Accenture has enjoyed success in China by incorporating multimedia content into their

messages and engaging audiences through social media. When a press release about a

new business development program was posted to SINA Weibo, aside from the excellent

organic search results, it was forwarded on SINA Weibo over 500 times and received many

positive comments from the weibo community.

adidas (Multimedia)

adidas has achieved regular communication success in China,

predominantly through use of multimedia. adidas rarely issues a press

release without an engaging photo or video to generate interest and

gain traction. By sending out multimedia news releases, adidas is able

to reach all the media types mentioned in this white paper, while also

greatly improving their natural search results. Multimedia content is also

far more likely to be shared amongst online communities and this is a

great way to increase awareness and garner even more interest.

Conclusion

The media landscape in China is quite complex and constantly evolving, as attitudes and

policies continue to change. Online and mobile media are definitely stamping their mark,

but it would be foolish to ignore the importance of the traditional news media. As in the

United States, cultivating strong relationships with the media is essential, while building

“guanxi” or leveraging the network of an agency or service provider is critical to success.

The Chinese are unique and therefore the approach to business is too. Though it may

seem obvious, those who do not embrace the innate cultural differences, will fail. China

can offer incredible business opportunity, if you are willing to embrace the differences

and adapt accordingly.


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about pr Newswire in China

Over the last ten years PR Newswire has committed itself to building up a comprehensive

network of professional media and key influentials across China, helping companies from

around the world to communicate and engage with those who matter most. Now with

offices in key locations throughout China, PR Newswire is expertly positioned to offer the

best in-country support possible, and remains the only major newswire service to have full

operations in China that includes 24-hour editorial teams.

Through our proprietary distribution platform, PR Newswire helps deliver your messages to

China’s print and broadcast newsrooms, journalists, bloggers, financial portals, social media

networks, web sites, content syndicators and search engines in a full SEO-friendly XHTML

format. This network includes 15,000+ journalists representing 4,500 +media agencies,

which include 800 general media, 3,700 trade publications, 3,000+ websites and 50 foreign

news media.

PR Newswire’s extensive portfolio of localized services include distribution, monitoring and

engagement tools to ensure successful targeting and ROI, including full text distributions,

Multimedia News Releases, Online Media Monitoring Services, Chinese ProfNet, China

SocialPost™ and Print Media Clipping Services.


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Copyright © 2012 PR Newswire Association LLC. All Rights Reserved.

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China Media Landscape - White Paper