April 2008 Monthly Newsletter :: Anduro Marketing

Nobody wants to get left behind when it comes to the burgeoning Chinese market, but the challenges faced by companies hoping to find fortune out East are numerous. Organizations must determine their own unique ways of breaking through language and cultural barriers to gain traction in a traditionally insular society. Competing effectively for the attention of a huge pool of relatively new consumers can be extremely difficult. But consumers in China are avid users of the Internet, and as a result, most businesses are turning to some form of Internet advertising, including pay-per-click ad campaigns to drive up online sales.

The strategy of online marketing is very viable, though deploying such online marketing endeavors in China can be more complicated than is often anticipated, especially when compared to similar activities in North America. Besides common problems such as producing quality translations in any of the thirteen Chinese sub-languages, notably Mandarin and Wu, understanding China’s Internet censorship policies is paramount to a successful campaign. While the majority of mainstream businesses will not face the prospect of being directly blocked, it is a good idea to test the waters before jumping in.

China’s State Council Information Office is the primary agency by which information-sharing is regulated and, in some cases, blocked. Websites promoting free social, political or religious discussion are routinely blocked, as are sites that feature unlawful or pornographic imagery and content. Sites are also inspected on a regular basis by the Chinese government, and two cartoon characters, Jingjing and Chacha, have been created as a visual reminder of the government’s watchfulness and its expectation that all Internet users follow China’s laws and codes of conduct.

With this information in mind, companies hoping to sell controversial products online should consider expanding to other regions. However, most Internet businesses will face only a few minor problems in reaching Chinese consumers. A few of our clients have expressed interest in building a Chinese consumer base, and we have risen to the challenge of helping them in this regard. As a result, Anduro is just beginning to assist an assortment of companies to set up shop in the Far East.

Baidu is China’s answer to Google, offering many of the same services, including the pay-per-click advertising model. Owning a commanding 60% share of the Chinese search engine market, Baidu is the single most effective tool in reaching Chinese consumers online.

Anduro can help businesses set up their own Baidu account, craft sponsored advertisements using relevant keywords, and monitor online clicks to a Chinese-language webpage or an entire website. In addition, we can assist organizations in the trying task of building an all-Chinese version of their website.

North American companies can either rise in the East or get left in the West. With Anduro’s help, our clients will face a bright future in China.  This has been the latest in Anduro’s continuing efforts to follow business and marketing trends that may affect our clients as they develop.