Brands in China are increasingly focusing on storytelling as a key approach to building emotional connections with their consumers, according to R3’s most recent EnSpire report. In order to tell stories that really resonate with consumers, most brands tend to craft their stories around holidays or other key cultural moments or public figures.

In the leading campaign of Q4 2017, OPPO leveraged the famous singer, Jay Zhou. By recreating one of Jay Zhou’s famous songs, OPPO created a short film to connect with his fans. The film focused on an old couple rediscovering their memories through a Jay Zhou song. After the video was released, it became a trending topic on Sina Weibo and WeChat Moments.

In addition to the focus on storytelling, other big trends in Q4 included collaboration with new media platforms, gamification, sponsorship programs and linking e-commerce with seasonal campaigns.

Other brands included in the top ten campaigns of Q4 include Airbnb, Tiffany, AdidasNike and New Balance. 

For the last EnSpire Index, please click here.