How Can Brands Reach China's "Slash Generation"

Tom Doctoroff

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Young Chinese enjoy more freedom than any generation in the country’s history.  However, the combination of the country’s inherent Confucian regimentation and the lack of role models to “show me the way forward” has resulted in underlying anxiety about the future.

Expanded Worldview, Broadened Possibilities

Several forces have expanded the Post 95’s world view, whetting an appetite for broadened possibilities. China now boasts a generation that embraces multidimensional identities and pursues multidimensional paths for the future. 

Overseas travel, once an unimaginable luxury, is increasingly common. At the same time, Internet fueled connectivity has led to lifestyle liberation. The number of passion points – sky diving, pets, yoga, health and wellness, classical music, photography – now accessible to Post 95s is exploding. 

A New Era of Identity Experimentation and Tribal Affiliation

To boot, youth refuses to be confined to a narrow set of interests. They refer to themselves as the “slash generation.” According to a survey conducted by Ctrip, the online travel portal, 85% of Post 90s believe a “modern person should have a multitude of interests.” They admire role models who have achieved just that. Ji Lingchen is a Taobao brand creator/ reality TV star/ hip hop song writer. 

The combination of the explosion of possible passions and the ease of forging online communities has transformed the nature of social engagement. Small “tribes” of individuals who share similar niche interests – street culture, body building, hardcore gaming, rooftop climbers, gay choristers, cosplayers – have blossomed. 

Acceptance of non-conformist pursuits has shaped Post 95s’ view of the future. So, too, has the burgeoning of careers that did not exist a few years ago – for example, UX designers, data scientists, short film directors and cloud service analysts. For now, at least, the new generation eschews “conventional” definitions of success and dulled-out corporate hierarchies. 

Chinese Post 95s and Western Millennials: A Convergence?

Looks are deceiving. In China, everything is a means to an end. Experiences aren’t simply enjoyed. Nothing is savored, and everything requires a payoff, now or in the future.

First, passions need to be converted into social currency that lubricates forward advancement in the future. Broad societal endorsement – everyone from parents and teachers to classmates – is becoming less and less important. But acknowledgement from “the people that matter” – that is, members of the same sub-tribes – is inextricably linked to a positive self-image. 

Second, tribal affiliation requires a payoff in the form of mutual skill enhancement. Xu, an independent traveler, asserts, “My friends and I learn from each other’s experiences, so we can plan for an even better trip next time.” 

Relatedly, multidimensional passions and a broad worldview are spoken of as “tools” in “the toolbox of life,” skills or “weaponry” that can be deployed to overcome unexpected hurdles in the future. 

No Youthful Cultural Revolution

China is still a conventional society in which Confucian patriarchic values rule. Western individualism – that is, the encouragement of society individuals to define themselves independent of society – has not taken, and will not take, root.

Across practically all realms of China’s cultural landscape, regimentation reigns. Overt rebellion is still a one-way ticket to the Land of Outcasts.

Success is still rooted in relationships (guanxi) as much as individual initiative. The well-connected and monied gao fu shuai (tall, rich and handsome) and bai fu mei (pale, rich and beautiful) have infinitely more opportunities to than ordinary folk. 

The Persistence of Anxiety

The Post 95’s, the oldest of whom are still in their early to mid-twenties, have not fully entered “the system.” However, an undercurrent regarding future stability is never far from the surface.   

China’s unbroken top-down, patriarchic rigidity results in two dimensions of uncertainty – one structural, the other psychological. 

A Stagnant Business Model. 

First, stability, always the platform on which progress is constructed, is not taken for granted. The country has not yet shifted from an investment- and export-led model to one driven by consumption and a mature service sector.   

A Dearth of Role Models. 

Second, due to the recency of career and lifestyle choice, Post 95’s have few mentors who have thrived over time. Many passions or skills can only be learned online.

A Master Tension

The juxtaposition of an explosion of new opportunities and anxiety fueled by an unreformed economy and a dearth of role models leads to a new “master tension” confronted by Post 95s: “I want to do and be what I love, but the path ahead is filled with unknowns.” 

Brands that resolve this dilemma by providing tools or encouragement to leap into the unknown will touch the hearts of Post 95s:

1. Dramatize the Now

The Post 90s dream of living their passion, one day. But prospects are limited due to a tradition-bound, regimented culture. Marketers should provide immediate emotional release from anxiety of the future by celebrating the spontaneity and richness of everyday moments. 

• TikTok, known as Douyin on the Mainland, is a hugely popular social media app for creating and sharing videos as well as live broadcasting. The platform’s 250 million Chinese users, eighty percent of whom are between the ages of 18 and 29, are drawn by a rallying cry to “capture beautiful moments.” 

• Airbnb, ranked 19th in Prophet’s 2018 China Brand Relevance Index™, encourages travelers to just “be there” to absorb “music in the air, slow living in a fast city, the simple joy of green.” When venturing to foreign destinations, invites explorers to “live there…even if just for a night.” 

• At the end of 2017, Absolut, China’s leading vodka, launched a hundred New Year’s Eve events in a hundred cities by fusing spontaneity with a twist of empowerment. The brand invited consumers to submit concepts to “throw your own party, because now’s the time for fun.” 

2. Enable Cross-Tribe Mash-Ups

Given a lack of role models, the appeal of getting to know different “tribes” is one of the only ways to achieve a broadened worldview. Brands, therefore, have an opportunity to encourage “cross tribe mash ups.” 

• Xianyu, Alibaba’s second-hand app, enables user to create “fish ponds” based on various interests – geek technologists, fashion stylists, antiquity connoisseurs, etc. – and encourage users to join “more groups for more learning.” 

• In China, WeWork, the shared office space which positions itself as a multination melting pot to young Chinese, has launched the “Creator Awards” to celebrate “unexpected creations from all walks of life.” 

3. “Forge my Own Path"

Brands can be advocates – empathetic cheer leaders – of taking the leap to do what you love.  Powerful stuff in a country that does not reward failure.

• Nike pushes even children to define themselves from within: “You think we’re just kids? That we need protection? In your eyes, you expect us to behave. Don’t underestimate us. Don’t call me baby.” 

• Yuedan, the Chinese version of Task Rabbit, is an online platform that turns sentiment into action – or better still, cold cash.  “Video game leveling, shopping curation, emceeing… Monetize yourself!” 

• Alibaba’s Taobao holds its hugely popular online-to-offline “Maker Festival,” a showcase for Millennial entrepreneurs to demonstrate creations and exchange ideas. 

4. “Rally My Crew”

Social currency is still the fuel of forward advancement. Brands can provide platforms – stages – to inspire people in like-minded tribes.

• Adidas’ “My Girls” campaign invites “super users” to encourage followers to participate in sports, with on- and offline events leaders can organize. 

• Xiao Hong Shu, or Little Red Book, is an ecommerce site that merchandises upscale goods from around the world. Its social platform enables anyone to be an online opinion leader on any category topic.

• Zhihu also allows ordinary folks to attract followers by spreading wisdom. The platform is a question-and-answer website. Questions are posted, answered, edited and organized by its community of users, many of whom have amassed significant followings. Mouse Li, for example, has attracted 372,000 followers due to his interest in second-hand auto purchases.  

In Conclusion

Post 95s suffer from pervasive conflict between the new possibility to “do and be what I love” and timeless reality that “the path ahead is filled with uncertainties.”  

Brands can resolve the gulf between aspiration and reality by providing tools. This article offers four ways to achieve these goals: 1) dramatize “the now,” 2) enable “cross-tribe” mash ups, 3) advocate forging “my own path,” and 4) providing the means to “rally my crew.” 

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