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Consumers are re-evaluating their lifestyles post-pandemic, becoming more intentional in how they spend their disposable income and choosing products that deliver both immediate and long-term benefits. Shoppers are also getting smarter about where to find authentic reviews about products and brands. Increasingly, time-poor and digitally connected consumers are looking online. This is especially true in China, where the average consumer spends more than five hours a day on their mobile phone and conducts more than two-thirds of their shopping online.
One of the fastest-growing lifestyle platforms in this space is Xiaohongshu. Originally established as a cross-border travel guide in 2013, it has become the go-to destination for consumers looking for first-hand product reviews and recommendations written by real people. The health and wellness market has become a focus point for these conversations. The platform, underpinned by user-generated content, saw over 180 million searches for health-related topics and information in 2023 alone. Top searches over the year targeted concerns around “anti-ageing, slimming, haircare and nourishment, achieving a balanced nutrition and reducing anxiety”.
Given the user-generated nature of the content on Xiaohongshu, and its popularity-based algorithms, which promote content with higher engagement, users have come up with innovative ways of discussing their health and lifestyle habits. This has led to the emergence of several culturally nuanced conversational trends, including “Adult Milk Tea”, a concoction of various multi-vitamins sprinkled over a smoothie bowl, “Lazy Sleeping Beauty” recommendations around fish oils and other supplements, and “rebirth with a new body type”, in which women share how they are changing their lifestyle habits to elevate their natural metabolism.
Curating your life with KOL inspiration
It’s not just the average consumer or KOLs who are sharing their lifestyle and inspiration on Xiaohongshu. The platform is increasingly being used by celebrities in China to cultivate closer relationships with fans and share their authentic lifestyle and work with the world. The interactive nature of Xiaohongshu enables users to engage with each other and celebrities through comments, likes, and upvotes, fostering a sense of community among its members. On top of conventional social content like image and text sharing, live streaming has emerged as a powerful tool for celebrities to interact with their fans and benefit from their influence and content being translated into sales.
Annie Yi is a Taiwanese singer approaching her 60s, who has amassed an engaged following of live streamers via her Xiaohongshu account, “A room for one”. In her first live stream in September 2024, over 1.6 million people tuned in and purchased over RMB 47 million worth of goods. Her favourite brands are subtly woven into her streaming sessions alongside advice on divorce, motherhood, female independence and individuality. This demonstrates how the platform thrives on emotional mileage, not simply practical advice.
Finding your community at every life stage
Cindy, a first-time mother, is another user who has found vital support and advice through the online community Xiaohongshu provides. She says the platform was a critical resource during her postpartum experience.
“I started scrolling on Xiaohongshu to find some tips on breastfeeding and how to manage our baby’s nighttime wakes.” Not only did she find useful tips on managing this transition, but it was a place where she could vent to other mothers going through similar challenges. The anonymity of the online forum protects privacy but also acts as a safe space for those looking for support and solutions. According to Xiaohongshu’s user stats, there are over eight million women who self-identify as new mothers on the platform and are taking health supplements for themselves and their infants.
Lifestyle marketing redefined
In the health supplements category alone, the platform has identified eight user segments with specific needs, purchasing power and clear decision-making criteria for branded products, including students, gym-goers and high-net-worth individuals. Drawing on data from multiple touchpoints, the platform is able to provide actionable insight on how best to market to and convert each of these user groups.
For example, top searches and product purchases in the health supplements category among gym-goers include protein powder and amino acid products from recognisable brands. Their top decision-making criteria for making purchases is the efficacy of the product, as well as the perceived professionalism of the brand. In contrast, high-net-worth individuals prioritise “herbal” supplements such as Bird’s Nest or “ejiao”, a type of animal gelatin. According to iiMedia Research, a consumer consulting group based in China, the 2023 market value for health supplements has reached RMB 328 billion, with a projected rise to RMB 423 billion by 2027. Its recent consumer survey revealed that the average consumer spends just over $14 (RMB 100) per month on health supplements, and over 72 per cent of Chinese consumers use supplements as an additional source of nutrients to complement their diet.
At the China Digital Excellence Summit, hosted by Vogue Business in partnership with Xiaohongshu in Milan, Jayden Wu, head of healthcare and wellness at Xiaohongshu, said the key to success for brands promoting themselves on the platform is to “win the hearts of consumers”. According to Wu, the platform can help brands achieve “awareness, consideration and conversion” all in one interface, with a plethora of tools to measure outcome and ROI. As more and more users search for health-related topics on Xiaohongshu, each brand’s product offering can be tailored to solve a targeted pain point using language designed specifically for the user persona they are seeking to engage. Xiahongshu’s data enables brands to “listen” more closely to their users’ needs while also tapping into the conversations the platform’s communities are having. This empowers brands to not only respond with original, relevant content but also commercialise their content to encourage conversion. The tailored marketing tools offered by platforms such as Xiaohongshu will give brands a competitive edge in the Chinese health and wellness market as the industry continues to expand.
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