China Blogging Tour

Q & A on Social Media in China

Thanks to Geoff Livingston for prompting a bit of reflection on what it all meant in Debbie Weil Discusses Social Media in China.

This blog chronicles my two weeks in China in October 2007 during which I spoke to a number of audiences (primarily English speaking ex-pats) about corporate blogging and social media in the U.S.

I tried to learn as much as possible about the attitudes in China towards the tools and technologies of social media and how they're being used by businesses, both multinational and Chinese. But in two weeks, you can only scratch the surface.

Here is the complete text of my Q & A on social media in China for the BuzzBin (BB) blog:

BB: What’s the state of social media in China?

DW: It's exploding. First, there are the sheer numbers: 162 million Chinese Internet users. That puts China right behind – or almost even with – the U.S., which has an estimated Internet user population of 165 million to 210 million, depending on whom you believe. And yes, blogs are big.

There are 30 million Chinese blogs [links to PDF report], according to CNNIC. But discussion or bulletin boards, known as BBS, along with email and IMing, are even bigger. Everyone in the middle class uses BBS – to express themselves, to network, to learn.

Sharon [links to YouTube interview], the guide I hired to take me to the Great Wall, told me she met her husband online, in a discussion forum for those who've studied abroad. Jason Ge, general manager of channel & marketing sales for Sina.com, China's major portal and BSP (blog services provider), told me the site gets 300 million page views a day. Jason and I were on an Ad-tech Beijing panel together, along with Des Walsh.

As for corporate use of social media - both multinationals and Chinese companies - yes, it's starting to happen. Think about it: with that many middle class consumers online, Chinese customers are like low-hanging fruit, just waiting for companies to engage with them through blogs, contest Web sites discussion forums and SMS. And yes there are Chinese CEO blogs. Here's my short list of Chinese CEO and corporate blogs.

BB: What was your biggest take away from the China book tour?

DW: The red-hot sense of possibility. I loved it. The energy, enthusiasm and entrepreneurialism amongst the professionals I met – both ex-pats and native Chinese – was astounding. China reminds me of America and the exhilaration of the dot com era. And yes of course it might be a bubble. But it's not going to burst anytime soon.

We know that China’s economy is exploding: the growth is palpable. Factories are cranking; office towers are shooting up; everybody is working 24X7.

[Aside: Remarkably, there was no (apparent) pollution in Beijing the week I was there, Oct. 15 - 19, 2007. Locals said the 17th National Party Congress, meeting that week next to Tiananmen Square, had purposely shut down factories surrounding the the city two weeks earlier. Like much of what goes in China, nobody really seemed to have the answer.]

If I could live a different life I’d move to Beijing or Shanghai, learn to speak Mandarin fluently and work there as an ex-pat. Oh yeah, my take away? I want to go back and dig deeper. You can’t possibly understand China after a two-week trip. Here’s a list I compiled of best resources to learn about social media in China.

BB: How is commenting different?

DW: Again, the sheer numbers. The Chinese are comment crazy. But you need to put commenting in a bucket that includes all kinds of posting online. The population of the US is just over 300 million. The population of China is over 1.3 billion, or 20% of the world’s population. As Sharon Ruwart, CEO of Elsevier Science & Technology China told me after I spoke at AmCham China in Beijing: “Just put two zeroes next to anything you’re accustomed to.”

So instead of 10 comments, think 1000 comments. When she started blogging for Elsevier she posted a first entry that said simply: “I’m starting a blog.” She didn’t publicize it in any way. She immediately got seven comments. Sharon and her husband moved to Beijing three years ago and are among the new group of older ex-pats.

When the Forbidden Starbucks drama unfolded (a Starbucks was formerly located inside Beijing’s Forbidden City palace; it has since moved), it was mentioned on a TV newcaster’s blog, then picked up and discussed thousands of times in discussion groups. The ripple effect? Close to 3,000 comments on one blog post about it.

BB: How do the Chinese fight off authoritarian control of their sites?

DW: They don’t “fight it off” per se. The Chinese government censors the Internet and everyone knows it. The cyber-police are always hovering. Self-censorship comes naturally. But so do entrepreneurialism and a certain amount of risk-taking. Everyone knows about proxy servers like Anonymouse.org. They’re also accustomed to sudden and unexplained shutdowns of sites like YouTube.

That happened while I was there. Everyone felt it was connected to Google’s ill-advised decision to launch YouTube China during the Party Congress meeting in Beijing.* The explosion in the use of the Internet – despite censorship – is a fascinating part of the contradictions that define China.

BB: What should the U.S. learn from China?

DW: Not to be complacent. That our utterly unfettered self-expression is precious. But to look to China for energy and possibility. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that this is the China Century. If you have a chance to visit, go.

BB: After blogging, what’s your favorite social media form?

DW: My new iPhone. I’m captivated by it: the expanding and shrinking photos; the text messages in bubbles; the voicemail that automatically plays back for you. Oops… wait, an iPhone isn’t social media. My husband says I haven't spoken to him since I got mine a few weeks ago.

I guess I have a love/hate relationship with Facebook. I’m fascinated by the concentric linkages it creates between and amongst communities. And the blurring of personal with professional. I’m wary, however, about the lack of privacy and of course appalled by Facebook’s recent misstep in how it launched Beacon for advertisers.

I have a Twitter account but don't use it much.

BB: What’s next for Debbie Weil?

DW: I’ve got some big ideas. I plan to go back to China and work with multinationals on implementing social media strategies. But as long as you’re asking… at some point I’d like to move outside the corporate realm. I would like to create the programmatic piece of Nicholas Negroponte’s One Laptop Per Child.

What should these kids do with their laptops? I want to teach kids all over the world how to write clearly by using a blog. How to network and empower themselves and their families by tapping into the global online economy.

I believe in the power of words. Blogs and other online channels are just a new place to deploy them. If anyone’s got great contacts at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, or another appropriate resource for executing a big idea, let me know.

* Has YouTube China been launched - ? I can’t find it. Tudou is the Chinese equivalent of YouTube.

Des Walsh on our corporate blogging panel at ad-tech Beijing

A :33 second interview with Des Walsh right before our panel at ad-tech Beijing. Des, thanks for a good time. This was a very interesting event for all of us. Des writes about it here and here (with some interesting observations on how to make sense of the numbers of Internet users as reported by the Chinese government). BusinessBlogConsulting colleague Rick Bruner writes up the panel here.

Interview with Jeremy Goldkorn, founder of Danwei.org

Had a great lunch in Beijing with online media legend Jeremy Goldkorn, founder and editor of Danwei.org. I'll call him a legend because Jeremy, 37 (as I recall), has been in Beijing for 12 years, speaks fluent Mandarin and is regarded as the best "alternative" voice on what's happening in China as far as the media, marketing and the Internet.

I asked him how companies in China, both Chinese and multinational, are using social media. And yes, Chinese CEOs such as SOHO's Pan Shiyi, are blogging. Listen in...

After close to 3,000 comments from readers, the Forbidden Starbucks is gone

Everybody here in China knows about this. CCTV celebrity news anchor Rui Chenggang blogged about the Starbucks inside Beijing's Forbidden City [points to blog entry in Mandarin] in January 2007, questioning whether it was culturally appropriate for a U.S. business to be located there.

One thing led to another - his blog post was picked up and debated on bulletin boards; blog host Sina.com featured his blog prominently on their home page; that drove more traffic. The result was 2,864 comments left by readers and over half a million page views on Rui's blog. (You can see these numbers at the bottom of the second image, below.)

As you may recall, Starbucks agreed that a storefront inside the 600-year-old imperial palace wasn't the best idea. Starbucks' lease ran out and the shop officially closed in July 2007. Now a Chinese brand of lattes occupies the space. I had an espresso there (see photo above) when I toured the Forbidden City last week in Beijing. It was just as pricey as Starbucks!

Is this an example of corporate blogging? You bet

Given that Rui's is an official employee blog, sanctioned by CCTV (China's official news network), I'd call this an example of effective corporate blogging. Waddya think?

Great explanation of the Forbidden Starbucks brouhaha here by William Moss / aka Imagethief, who is based in Shanghai.

Riding China's expat roller coaster: two days vs. two weeks vs. two years

I've been here in China (my first visit) for exactly one week. The roller coaster phenomenon goes something like this...

1. Scarcely 48 hours after arriving in Beijing I shared what I considered to be my GREAT revelation with an audience at Amcham Beijing: with 137 million Internet users [make that 172 million] and an estimated 30 million bloggers, China's use of social media is MUCH BIGGER than in the U.S. Wow.

The corollary... this is an amazing opportunity for companies - Chinese or multinational. Tap into this online crowd with a corporate or CEO blog and your company can reap the benefits. OK, hmmm... maybe.

2. Two days later, I was back to square one; not sure I understood anything about China and China's use of the Internet as a marketing channel. Censorship is a gray area and quite nuanced. It's confusing.

Note: I had a great lunch with Jeremy Goldkorn, founder and publisher of Danwei.org, who explained some of the nuances. Did a video interview with him which I'll post to YouTube when I get back to the U.S. (YouTube continues to be blocked here in China.)

3. It's now eight days since I've arrived and I'm where I should be... I understand much more than when I left the U.S. on Oct. 13, 2007. But I realize it would take years (perhaps a lifetime) to really understand Chinese consumer and business culture.

Having said that, I'm looking forward enormously to sharing a panel tomorrow on CEO blogging (21st Century PR: Executives and Their Blogs) at Amcham Shanghai with China's word of mouth marketing expert Sam Flemming and China PR / tech guru Will Moss (aka Imagethief).

Useful Links

China's Online Internet Explosion (What It May Mean for the Internet Globally... and for U.S. Users) by Deborah Fallows, Pew Internet - July 2007 (download PDF report)

Social Media Flourishes in China (Jennifer Jones' interview with Sam Flemming on Podtech)

Chinese Bloggers: "Everybody Is Somebody" by Rebecca MacKinnon (Nov. 7, 2005)

Blogging in Beijing: Rick Bruner's write-up of our Ad-Tech Beijing panel on corporate blogging

Thanks to Rick Bruner, Double Click research director and founding contributor of Business Blog Consulting for this great write-up of our Ad-Tech Beijing panel. Des Walsh did a great job moderating. Jason Ge's comments (in Chinese) were fascinating. Jason is General Manager, National Sales for Sina.com. Download our slides (courtesy of Des).
 

November 2007 blogging & social meda conferences in Beijing and Shanghai

Wish I could stick around for the 3rd Chinese Blogger Conference to be held in Beijing on November 3rd and 4th. The folks behind China Web 2.0 Review will be talking about social networking applications and the requirements for using them. Although there is as yet no Chinese version of Facebook they note that's exactly the right name:

"In Chinese, face or mianzi is a strong factor behind social activities. It seems Facebook has got a relevant name in Chinese culture even before rolling out a Chinese version."

- China Web 2.0 Review

Karen Christensen, publisher of Guanxi: The China Letter, notes that social media conferences are springing up everywhere in China. I was invited to speak at Nurturing & Commercializing Online Communities in Shanghai, Nov. 28 - 29, 2007 but declined as I couldn't make the trip back to China so soon. Darn. Karen, who's a friend, is moderating the final panel.

Kevin Wang, director of Edelman Beijing's corporate practice, on corporate blogging in China

I asked Kevin Wang, director of Edelman Beijing's corporate practice, what the future of corporate blogging is in China. "You have to have a social media strategy," he said. It's no longer optional. Video below.

Patty Lee in Edelman's Beijing office on the use of social media

Patty, who is Canadian, is a new account director for Edelman Beijing's corporate practice. I asked her whether corporate clients in China are interested in using social media.

Why should multi-nationals be blogging in China? Answer #1: to recruit the best employees

That's the key question I'll be addressing in Beijing and Shanghai next month. One answer is this: to recruit the best and brightest employees. Recruiting is a high-priority in China. The Economist wrote last month that Asia's skill shortage is the top business concern.

20-somethings expect a higher level of openness, authenticity and engagement from their employers these days, whether they're coming out of Chinese universities or are up-and-coming expat managers. And blogging is one of the best ways to not only project that image but to embody the new culture of engagement, whether it's a multi-author corporate blog or a visionary CEO blog.

Exploring China's Business Blogosphere... in English

One of the best blog/sites about what's happening in China (for those interested in business, media and marketing) is danwei.org. I ran across danwei's 2007 list of "best blogs" in a number of categories, including business and marketing. Here's a partial list (note: annotations are verbatim from danwei):

Advertising, marketing and PR

Imagethief
A very funny blog about public relations, communications, tech industry and life in China by an American PR professional who lives in Shanghai.

Madison Boom
Subtitled 'The world filled with egos,' this blog is written by a Chinese advertising industry insider and presents regular updates on new ad campaigns and industry gossip. It's written mostly in English with some Chinese posts.

Digital Watch
News from and analysis of the world of digital marketing and media from Kaiser Kuo and others at the ad agency Ogilvy's China offices.

Sam Flemming
Commentary on word of mouth and brands on the Chinese Internet, by the CEO of CIC Data, a company that analyzes and quantifies online chatter on behalf of multinational companies.

Business, finance and technology

Silicon Hutong
David Wolf is a very sharp consultant who works in the technology, media and telecom industries in China. His blog covers his areas of professional interest and, once in a while, some general China stuff.

Billsdue
Technology, markets, venture capital, gaming and the Internet in China: tersely worded commentary from a savvy American guy who knows his way around the markets.

China Web 2.0 Review
A Chinese view of the Internet business and Internet startups, China Web 2.0 Review is written by two Chinese guys who work in the industry, and presents clearly thought-out posts about new developments. A valuable resource for anyone interested in Internet innovation in China.

Managing the Dragon
Mr China by Tim Clissold is an entertaining book about China and business. The 'Mr China' of the title is a charismatic investment banker who first came here in 1992, was smitten, and then employed Clissold to help him lose a lot of money. Now, several years after the publication of the book, Mr China is apparently making boatloads of money, or so the business gossips say. Managing the Dragon is a group blog under his leadership.

Complete list here.

Dell launches a Chinese version of its corporate blog

Dell today launched a Mandarin Chinese version of its Direct2Dell blog. Digital Media Manager Lionel Menchaca, who writes a lot of the entries, says the Dell blog is now getting 2.5 million page views a month. (It launched less than a year ago, in July 2006.) I suspect Dell will be the first in a pack of multinationals to launch a corporate blog in Chinese. Good move.

Also check out Dell's IdeaStorm (designed to capture and rank customer ideas for new products) and StudioDell where you can down and upload videos and podcasts.