Some Thoughts on Foreign Internet Companies in China
I read a fantastic article last week on the Advertising Age website entitled, “The Internet Does Not Rise Above Nations and Cultures.” The article, by @wolfgroupasia of the Silicon Hutong blog, takes a closer look at why foreign Internet companies in China fail. Wolf writes that through observing past examples (such as: eBay, Yahoo! & [...]
Keep an Eye on E-Commerce in China During The Year of the Tiger
In this recent post on The China Observer about where I see the most potential growth for businesses in China’s Internet space I wrote:
“Companies who wish to succeed in China’s Internet space would best stick to areas that focus on job creation and economic gain that do not overlap with broader social & societal challenges. [...]
秒杀 Miaosha, the Chinese e-tail phenomenon
What is miaosha?
Miaosha is a Chinese online consumer phenomenon quickly becoming widespread. Translated literally as “second kill,” the term originated from online multiplayer videogames like Blizzard’s World of Warcraft. In its original context, the term refers to a situation in which a player without any other option is killed or kills his opponent in an instantaneous attack. [...]
Beyond Google: How can foreign companies operate successfully in China’s Internet space?
When Google announced that they may exit the China market, it sent shock waves across both traditional media and new media. I’d like to highlight a few of the thoughtful posts that helped shape my perspective on this issue:
Clearing Up Confusion on Google and China
WSJ China Real Time Report
Why it’s Good that Google.cn Leaves + [...]
World’s Largest Internet Population in Asia-Pacific – China Leads the Way
The Asia-Pacific Internet population, particularly in China, continues to grow at a rapid pace. comScore recently held a webinar on Internet population growth in the region.
Here are a few key highlights:
· China has the world’s largest Internet population with 220.8 million users
· China is also the world’s fastest growing Internet market (31% growth year-on-year)
· The [...]
Comparison of China vs. US Internet Users
The New York Times tech blog recently posted an article entitled, “China Lets a Hundred Social Networks Bloom (sort of)“
The post itself does a decent job introducing the current state of China’s Internet/Social Media space. I found that the chart above does a great job depicting the age range for who is actually using the [...]
Tuangou: Chinese Consumers Group Together For Bargains
The China Observer’s post about human flesh search earlier this month examined how Chinese netizens utilize enabling communication technologies for organizational purposes. We found that these manhunts begin online, but often conclude in a real world interaction with the target of the search. tuangou, otherwise known as “group purchase” or “team buying,” is another part [...]
Quick Observation: Virtual Currency Leads To Real World Ad Revenue For This Chinese Web Company
帮忙找骗我4000å—钱的女的（120000MP)
(Help me find the woman who cheated me out of 4000RMB (120000MP reward)
Over the course of my research for last week’s post on renrou sousuo I came across this article on Sina Finance. MOP.com (猫扑) one of the largest Chinese BBS, media and renrou sousuo portals came up with a very clever way to build [...]
Fleshing Out The Truth: Chinese netizens unite to deliver their own form of justice
“Yesterday after work I went online and took part in renrou sousuo. The girl’s boyfriend cheated on her while she was away on vacation in Hong Kong, so she posted all of his personal information on her blog. He deserves to be punished!”
I don’t think I have ever been more confused than the time when [...]
The Chinese Social Media Prism
You have most likely heard of a number of Chinese social media companies and their global counterparts. Below are two excellent graphical representations that summarize the key social media companies to observe (A special thanks to Brian Solis and Sam Flemming at the SeeiSee Blog):
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