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SIMON BOND |
SCOTT SYKES Vice-president, new media, Weber Shandwick China |
CHARLES EDWARDS Director, The Media Village This ‘crackdown’ is a joke. |
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The news that the Chinese government has been threatening to close down more online video sites across China such as Tudou.com comes just months after the government blocked access to YouTube after scores of clips showed violence between police and protesters. User-generated sites have become a symbol of freedom of speech. These sites have also given brands an opportunity to integrate their messages into environments where consumers are controlling and creating their own content; it is a much more appealing platform for advertisers. But with all this controversy around online video in China it is advisable for brands to hold back their investment in online video and explore alternative ways to target China’s online population. Brands should wait to invest in this channel until the dust has settled and the government has decided what legalities and measures to put in place to ensure the internet develops in a way it considers safe. |
The reality is that video-sharing sites in China have become a compelling marketing tool.
User-generated videosharing platforms are very popular in China. The top four Chinese video sites ranked by traffic volume are 6.cn, 56.com tudou.com and youku.com. Their influence is growing every day, along with other types of China new media, because consumers inherently trust user-generated content more than what they see in traditional media or on corporate websites. People love multimedia, video and sound, because they make content more fun and interesting. In fact, today’s users in China consume more streaming video than in any other country in the world. And with 3G mobile service imminent in China, videosharing will likely become even more popular, because users will be able to share video more easily on mobile devices. Now that China has the world’s highest number of internet users, it is more important than ever for marketers to be utilising new media channels such as these. |
It is another attempt by the paranoid regime that is the Chinese government to regulate its citizens by trying to control the internet.
But the question of whether marketers should steer clear or not should depend on whether or not this is where their consumers are in number. It should also be a question of cost-efficiency, if considering online video as an advertising medium. Sadly, I dare say there will be those who will stay away from some sites just to be seen to be doing the right thing in the eyes of the government. But in my view this would be completely self-defeating. The government should rightly be afraid, however. It continues to annoy a lot of its own people, and any unregulated medium of mass communication represents a threat to its authority. I doubt it could care less, though, whether advertisers support them or not. |
