SHANGHAI, Aug. 8, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Wavemaker, in partnership with social media platform Xiaohongshu, recently unveiled the Xiaohongshu SEED+ Product Seeding Solution. The initiative includes three key modules: the Precise Insight Methodology for Growth Opportunity, the Effective Approach to the Media Mix, and the Optimization of the Scientific Evaluation System. The debut module, the Precise Insight Methodology for Growth Opportunity, employs data analysis to provide insights into the platform’s ecosystem, enabling brands to accurately identify growth opportunities with new communication track and implement precise, science-based product endorsement strategies.
Evolving product seeding to a scientific level and transforming the marketing strategy landscape
As the digital landscape evolves, Xiaohongshu has emerged as a crucial platform for brands to showcase, recommend and promote products. The diminishing benefits from internet traffic necessitate a move from traffic-centric marketing to data-driven, science-based product promotion strategies.
As brand marketing extends beyond mere product promotion, brands now view Xiaohongshu as a comprehensive strategic partner rather than a mere product seeding platform. By leveraging the platform’s extensive media resources, brands also aim to provide potential customers with data-driven, scientifically backed product seeding experience. The approach augments promotional effectiveness and fosters a holistic approach to platform marketing.
At its annual Business Conference, Xiaohongshu underscored the significance of these data-driven product endorsement strategies by introducing its science-based product seeding concept. To capitalize on its data insight platform – Lingxi, Xiaohongshu and Wavemaker embarked on a joint project to create a practical, science-based solution They initiated the collaboration by brainstorming on how to better deliver data analysis, insight diagnostics, the marketing mix and optimization of the evaluation system, resulting in the SEED+ Product Seeding Solution, a response to Xiaohongshu’s precision marketing challenges.
An insightful approach to tackling brands’ marketing challenges
The SEED+ Product Seeding Solution comprises three key parts, with the Precise Insight Methodology forGrowth Opportunity forming the first step in building a holistic marketing journey. The methodology, based on the analysis of multiple data points, including brand tone of voice as well as product and audience characteristics, delivers precise data analytics and insights for brand marketing. It offers a useful, instructive, and science-based roadmap for the collaboration with Xiaohongshu.
With its extensive experience and data capabilities, Wavemaker offers precise placement analysis and seeding for diverse growth opportunity by transforming its case study experience into quantifiable data. This pragmatic and instructive approach ensures that the methodology is not merely theoretical but rather addresses tangible challenges that Xiaohongshu encounters in real-world collaborations. The challenges include new product launches, product updates, the media mix and optimization of the evaluation system. Through accurate measurement and defining of growth opportunity, Wavemaker provides brands at different stages in their development cycles with science-based approaches and targeted growth strategies, enhancing the effectiveness of product seeding.
The Precise Insight Methodology for Growth Opportunity has been effectively deployed in several brand marketing campaigns, with Wavemaker’s assistance to L’Oréal Travel Retail serving as a prime example. By analyzing consumer content preferences, search behavior as well as beauty and skincare trends observed on Xiaohongshu, Wavemaker provided a scientifically backed solution for L’Oréal’s new product incubation model targeting the platform. This approach quickly raised the visibility of L’Oréal Paris Midnight Serum and the brand’s Hainan pop-up shop, capturing the attention of Xiaohongshu’s young female audience, as well as beauty and travel enthusiasts.
Groundbreaking collaboration facilitates the creation of a comprehensive seeding-based marketing system
As part of the strategic collaboration, GroupM China and Xiaohongshu first decided on the Joint Business Partnership (JBP) framework in tandem with setting goals for further collaborations involving business strategy, science and technology, innovative solutions, and capacity building.
One of the first results of the collaboration is the SEED+ Product Seeding Solution. The initiative, based on data empowerment, aims to further optimize Xiaohongshu’s data insights while providing brands with comprehensive, precise marketing solutions, delivering a more science-based, targeted, and enhanced seeding experience. This partnership marks a significant milestone as it represents the first strategic collaboration between a 4A agency and Xiaohongshu in the industry.
The strategic partnership centers around data empowerment. With the SEED+ Product Seeding Solution, Wavemaker seeks to improve the seeding effectiveness of brands by utilizing data processing to address Xiaohongshu’s seeding system’s shortcomings through a vast expansion in how the data is analyzed and leveraged. In particular, Wavemaker, by combining the platform’s extensive user data and resources with the firm’s proprietary data tools and third-party professional data platforms, conducts in-depth consumer, brand and sector analysis.
The SEED+ Product Seeding Solution provides a complete marketing framework that leverages data as its underlying logic to enable evidence-based product seeding. The all-inclusive system not only enhances the accuracy of seeding but also assists platforms in providing resource integration strategies and suggestions, including stream seeding, keyword search enhancement and IP event marketing. The ultimate goal is to build a complete seeding-based marketing system.
The strong alliance with Wavemaker enables Xiaohongshu to achieve sustainable and effective conversions
Wavemaker China CEO Jose Campon stated that as the first 4A agency to form a strategic partnership with Xiaohongshu, Wavemaker is well-positioned to explore ways to help brands achieve their growth goals by fully utilizing the lifestyle platform.
Given a longstanding demand for promoting products via Xiaohongshu, brands have been exploring a science-based business model for content marketing. Riki Li, Wavemaker’s Chief Transformation Officer, explained that the firm’s collaboration with Xiaohongshu is a full-spectrum marketing partnership. By leveraging the platform’s data insights and an in-depth commitment to the consumer-centric journey, the partnership aims to create a precise branded content experience and attain conversion outcomes, added Li. The successful tie-ups with L’Oréal Travel Retail and CK have given both parties the confidence to explore further communication and business opportunities for customers in the future. Built on this success, Wavemaker will continue to work closely with Xiaohongshu in an effort to further leverage the benefits of integrated marketing across the entire supply chain, with the aim of aiding brands in attaining sustainable growth.
“Xiaohongshu’s natural Human2Human community boasts a large number of users who frequently communicate their product needs, enabling brands to connect with consumers through compelling content,” noted Yuan Lang, Head of Xiaohongshu Commercial Agency Partnership. “Over the past few years, the platform has assisted in the growth of numerous superior products across various sectors. We talk about the most successful of these products in the ‘Seeding Case’ section on our platform.”
Leveraging its alliance with Wavemaker, Xiaohongshu has adeptly utilized its data capabilities to engineer unique marketing strategies. The platform eagerly anticipates offering brands finely-tuned marketing approaches, each meticulously designed to fit distinct product life cycles. By highlighting quality products on the e-commerce platform, brands acquire a promising launchpad for exponential growth. Moving forward, Wavemaker plans to capitalize on its strengths in integrated marketing to encourage data-driven expansion while steadfastly aiding and empowering platforms and brands. The ultimate aim is to provide a laser-focused and impactful marketing experience.
