Marketers often tout the potential of the Chinese Internet based on sheer numbers — the country has more people online than in any other, an estimated 298 million users. But analysts add that the Chinese, especially youth, use the Internet in a fundamentally different than their Western counterparts. Recent advertising efforts in cosmetics have taken advantage of that difference – with surprising results.
Earlier this year, young Chinese viewers obsessed over “Sufei’s Diary,” a web series about a college girl in Shanghai. In China, episodes chronicled Sufei’s teasing classmates, tough boss, snooty coworker, and older crush. Most [...]