10 Trends Changing Media Buying in China

TV May Not Be the Focus for Chinese Media Buyers Much Longer, Predicts Mindshare's Karl Cluck

by Normandy Madden
Published: October 28, 2009

More than 50% of Chinese internet users have visited a social network site like Ipart.cn

SHANGHAI (AdAgeChina.com) -- China's media environment is big, "making it hard to achieve national scale, it's complex, it's highly regulated, and it's evolving rapidly," said Karl Cluck, Mindshare's partner, invention for China, based in Shanghai.

Television remains the primary ad medium in China for multinationals, with 96% penetration, but a shift towards digital media is taking place. Chinese adults spend 3.3 hours per day watching TV, a figure that has remained steady for years. The amount of time spent online per week has risen from almost zero a decade ago to 16.1 hours.

Karl Cluck

"While TV remains the primary focus for advertisers, the time spent with that medium is declining among young consumers. But internet penetration reaches 23%, exceeding the global average. China has rapidly become the world's largest digital market," Mr. Cluck said.

Growing interest in new media tops the list of 10 media trends in China, Mr. Cluck said at a Shanghai seminar organized by Ad Age China and Stern Agee, a U.S. brokerage firm that specializes in Chinese tech companies. Below is an edited version of his presentation.

1. Screens are everywhere.

Spending on out-of-home digital media grew 42% in 2008.