What the 'Kim Kardashian of China' Can Teach You _ Global News - Advertising Age
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By Angela Doland. Published on December 22, 2015.
What the 'Kim Kardashian of C
Can Teach You About Celeb
Endorsements
Yes, They're Still a Really Big Thing in China
Chinese model-turned-actress Angelababy is about to
get her big Hollywood break, playing a fighter pilot in
summer 2016's "Independence Day: Resurgence." That's
a smart way to make sure the movie connects with
audiences in China, the world's No. 2 box office, where
the 26-year-old has quickly risen to the top tier of
stardom.
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In January 2015,
Angelababy had
around 46 million
followers on Weibo,
China's version of
Twitter. About a year
later, it's shot up to
over 68 million, "a
gain of over 47%,
which is absolutely
insane … nobody else
gained 22 million
followers," said
Jerome Mazet,
founder and managing director of Mandaray, which
connects brand sponsors to celebrities and sports teams.
So what happened? And why should marketers pay
attention?
Angelababy appeared on TV hit "Running Man," a
reality show starring celebs. She had endorsement deals
from Mars' Dove, the No. 1 chocolate brand in China, to
Chinese search giant Baidu and its Siri-like personal
assistant.
Her otherworldly beauty is part of the appeal; local
smartphone brand Meitu has an app that alters selfies so
ordinary women can get Angelababy's look: "shiny hair,
white teeth," and a narrow jawline, as the app says in its
promotions. Past endorsement deals have included
Coach, Coca-Cola, Gap and Samsonite.
Kardashian comparisons
Angelababy in a Chaumet tiara Credit: www.chaumet.com
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Headlines
sometimes liken
Angelababy to Kim
Kardashian. Her
May wedding to
fellow actor Huang
Xiaoming
reportedly cost $31
million, almost as
much as Prince
William and Kate
Middleton's $34
million nuptials,
as Forbes pointed
out. The event was
live-streamed
online. She wore
Dior; on Instagram
she posted a selfie
of herself wearing
a 6-carat Chaumet
diamond ring.
There was also an odd episode in which Angelababy
sought to prove (for a lawsuit) that her looks weren't
from plastic surgery. Much-discussed photos on social
media showed doctors poking and probing at her face.
Their verdict: Her appearance is natural.
Despite the Kardashian comparisons, Mr. Mazet says
she reminds him more of Angelina Jolie, "in being very
precise in how to manage her career, hitting all the
milestones how she wants to." She is also a
businesswoman, making investments in e-commerce
platform Ymatou and home rental startup Zhubaijia,
among others.
Angelababy on Meitu's selfie app Credit:
Meitu
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Celebrity endorsements are not
going away
Some marketers and ad execs
grumble about the ubiquity of
celebs in advertising in China. But
in a market flooded with brands,
it's still a shortcut for connecting
with consumers. Kantar Media CIC
counted 24 endorsement deals for
Angelababy before 2015, and 7
during this year.
BBDO polled consumers this year
and found that 92% of people say a
celebrity endorses the brand they
use most everyday. Compared to
Chinese stars, Western celebs are
still niche; 76% of respondents
said they prefer local celebs, 5%
want Western ones and 5% favor
Japanese or Koreans.
Also of note: A new advertising law
in China puts new limits on
celebrity endorsements -- for
example, they can be held liable
for promoting products that make
false advertising claims. But
several executives said the law
hasn't put much of a damper on
endorsements so far.
Fans know when celebs spread
themselves too thin
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All Over Again
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Angelababy is not the most
overexposed. (That honor may go
to Korean heartthrob Kim Soo-
hyun of hit show "My Love From
the Star," who reportedly had
upwards of 30 endorsement deals
in China last year.)
As Angelababy's familiarity has been growing, more
people have positive impressions of her, said Shuman
Ma, innovation director for Millward Brown ACSR.
However more people also think she has too many
endorsement deals – 16% in January 2015, rising to 55%
in October.
Brands often stick with big stars in China, a huge, high-
stakes market, but they need to be careful about using
overexposed stars, "because consumers feel bored and
can't link the face with the brand well," Ms. Ma said.
One agency's perspective
When BBDO helped pick Angelababy to endorse Mars'
Dove chocolate this year, the brand was looking for a
pitchwoman to convey the Dove spirit of "someone who
knows what she wants and goes after life's little
pleasures," said Sherie Chua, group account director of
BBDO Beijing.
Angelababy nailed it with her elegance and playfulness,
Ms. Chua said. (Watch a cute spot here, and a sultry one
here.)
"She was so flawless, she gets these little nuances, how
she would look to the side, how her eyes would light up,
how her smile would break," Ms. Chua said.
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