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by THE BERGSTROM GROUP on September 20, 2012
Xiao qinxin style aka Little Freshness
We have seen a lot of love for xiao qingxin (aka 小清新) style among Chinese youth. At first the term xiao qingxin was used to describe a kind of indie pop music genre, but now it has been used to describe fashion, movies, photography, and even objects.
Features: light colors, canvas shoes, cotton or linen material, images with vintage effects
Keywords: xian (仙 literally meaning fairy), light, refreshing
Read more about how brands are tapping into the xiao qingxin style trend in China: HAIER LOOKS TO CONNECT STYLE AND THE ENVIRONMENT
We have seen a lot of love for xiao qingxin (aka 小清新) style among Chinese youth. At first the term xiao qingxin was used to describe a kind of indie pop music genre, but now it has been used to describe fashion, movies, photography, and even objects.
Features: light colors, canvas shoes, cotton or linen material, images with vintage effects
Keywords: xian (仙 literally meaning fairy), light, refreshing
Read more about how brands are tapping into the xiao qingxin style trend in China: HAIER LOOKS TO CONNECT STYLE AND THE ENVIRONMENT
by THE BERGSTROM GROUP on January 10, 2012
One of the hospital theme party held in Fee Café.
Alice works at a gothic-themed hangout tucked into a quiet street in Shanghai. We were keen to share her impressions of the sub-culture and understand how the cafe helps to build a community.
The Bergstrom Group: What products and services do you offer besides coffee and drinks?
Alice: We also sell Gothic style clothes, do Tarot cards readings, organize themed events, and host a weekly movie night.
TBG: Could you tell us more about the Gothic style clothes? Who are the designers or brands?
Alice: There are more and more original Goth or Gothic Lolita brands, such as 表面咒语(Surfacespell), 第69部门(The 69th Department), Kred Lanrete, and le Flacon. Some of the brands have 7-9 years of history, they are sold online, some even internationally. The designers and most of the customers are Chinese youth. These indie brands belong to an underground culture, we just provide a platform for them.
Alice works at a gothic-themed hangout tucked into a quiet street in Shanghai. We were keen to share her impressions of the sub-culture and understand how the cafe helps to build a community.
The Bergstrom Group: What products and services do you offer besides coffee and drinks?
Alice: We also sell Gothic style clothes, do Tarot cards readings, organize themed events, and host a weekly movie night.
TBG: Could you tell us more about the Gothic style clothes? Who are the designers or brands?
Alice: There are more and more original Goth or Gothic Lolita brands, such as 表面咒语(Surfacespell), 第69部门(
by THE BERGSTROM GROUP on October 24, 2011
We are looking forward to a more research-focused "sex talk" put forth in Dr. Katrien Jacobs’ new book “People’s Pornography: Sex and Surveillance on the Chinese Internet,” set for publication in December. In the book, Jacobs, a professor of Cultural Studies at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, offers examples and analysis into China's tense stance on sexuality. She goes beyond what is taboo to get behind the scenes perspectives on online pornography, including the development of DIY sexual content (images and videos being posted by amateurs).
In our own research, we have run into a pornography community called Caoliu Shequ, a place where people in China have free access to pornographic videos, pictures, comics, and stories. People who have been there leave the comment "1024" to express their gratitude and respect for the posters instead of a "mark" (1G which equals 1024MB and also is pronounced as class A or super good in Chinese). The URL of this website has been changed often to hide from surveillance teams, but netizens always have a way to find it. This BBS (or we can regard it as an online secret community) has developed a reputation as an educational resource for curious youth.
In our own research, we have run into a pornography community called Caoliu Shequ, a place where people in China have free access to pornographic videos, pictures, comics, and stories. People who have been there leave the comment "1024" to express their gratitude and respect for the posters instead of a "mark" (1G which equals 1024MB and also is pronounced as class A or super good in Chinese). The URL of this website has been changed often to hide from surveillance teams, but netizens always have a way to find it. This BBS (or we can regard it as an online secret community) has developed a reputation as an educational resource for curious youth.
by THE BERGSTROM GROUP on August 15, 2011
Branded music channels are nothing new on Douban FM, but now Burberry is sliding Chief Creative Officer Christopher Bailey's personal picks into the mix. The brand's station "Burberry Music MHz," gives young Chinese a way to know more about British music, the brand and the designer.
Burberry's emphasis on social media in China was reported by the Wall Street Journal,
Burberry has also set up accounts on Chinese social-networking sites Kaixin001.com and Douban.com, and on Internet television site Youku.com Inc. It is tapping two Chinese celebrities to send out comments through its account on Sina Weibo, a Twitter-like microblogging service where it has more than 90,000 fans.
Many of China's shoppers rely on blogs and other forms of social media for information about brands, said Colleen Cheng, senior vice president and national business director, Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide China.
"Engaging in these channels through influencer engagement and conversation management, therefore, is critical for any brand that hopes to make an impact in this market," Ms. Cheng said.
by THE BERGSTROM GROUP on June 24, 2011
A few days after it screened, the movie "Beginning of the Great Revival" (aka 建党伟业) became famous - not for its nationalistic message but for its censored reviews. The movie, a celebration of the Communist Party's 90th anniversary, has been called out by netizens for being the first movie they can't rate, comment or recommend on Douban, a SNS based on creative communities sharing opinions and grouping around their interest in arts and culture.
While the box office in Shanghai alone is reporting a 10.5 million RMB take for five days' run, Douban users are miffed that their opinions can't be heard. A netizen doubted on a forum, "I noticed ratings and comments were blocked on Douban after ratings were found to be way too low (4.8/10) and the comments were too negative and ironic. I think that's the reason why Douban blocked these functions, just to this one and only movie."
by THE BERGSTROM GROUP on May 16, 2011
Haier Group, a domestic Chinese brand which topped the Euromonitor Global Major Appliances 2010 Brands' rankings for the second consecutive year, is turning its eyes on Chinese youth. The brand's “Everyday Xiao Qingxin" (小清新 literally meaning little freshness) campaign on the indie youth favorite SNS, Douban, is directed at connecting its new environmentally-conscious, formaldehyde removal air-conditioning product with fashionable consumers.
"Xiao Qingxin" originates from Indie Pop, but it has since become a fresh style of its own in China, grounded in aesthetic and simple design, with its own manifestations in books, magazines, photographs, and music. Xiao Qingxin style even has a standard dress code - white canvas shoes, long cotton skirts, white T-shirt, armed with a LOMO camera.
"Xiao Qingxin" originates from Indie Pop, but it has since become a fresh style of its own in China, grounded in aesthetic and simple design, with its own manifestations in books, magazines, photographs, and music. Xiao Qingxin style even has a standard dress code - white canvas shoes, long cotton skirts, white T-shirt, armed with a LOMO camera.
The Bergstrom Group is an insights consultancy with a passion for telling the story of new China.
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