As Bilibili's traffic grows and lifestyle vloggers gain millions of followers, the platform has become a new frontier for FMCG brands. The challenge for marketing departments is how to effectively promote on Bilibili. Image source: Bilibili official wallpaper site
Bilibili Dictionary:
UP主 (Uploader): A person who uploads videos to Bilibili;
小破站 (Little Broken Station): An affectionate nickname for Bilibili used by its fans, without any derogatory meaning;
恰饭视频 (Rice Bowl Video): A video sponsored by a brand;
全明星 (All-Star): Refers to popular figures used as素材 in the鬼畜 (Kichiku) zone. -01- Bilibili: Rapid Growth Among Gen Z In 2019, Bilibili celebrated its 10th anniversary, evolving from a niche site for anime and manga fans to a mainstream video platform challenging traditional streaming services like Youku and Tencent Video. Over the past decade, Bilibili has grown from an AcFun fan site to a platform with over 100 million daily active users, something even founder Xu Yi might not have anticipated. As an early user of the platform, my ID ranks in the top 2.6 million (now a top 100 UP主 can easily have over 2 million followers). Back then, becoming a member required passing a 100-question anime and manga exam, and after countless failures, I finally joined with tears of joy. In 2018, Bilibili (NASDAQ: BILI) went public on NASDAQ with an IPO price of $11.5, and the latest stock price is $26.5. According to the Q1 2019 financial report, Bilibili's monthly active users exceeded 100 million, and the number of paid premium members reached 7.6 million. Major companies, including Tencent, Alibaba, and Xiaomi (represented by Lei Jun, a popular figure in the鬼畜 zone), have all joined the platform. Alibaba's DingTalk official鬼畜 video has surpassed 19 million views. Image source: Bilibili As active users and video uploads increase, Bilibili has this year switched from the "av" numbering system to the "bv" system (a combination of numbers and letters) to accommodate more video capacity. In 2019, Bilibili's chairman Chen Rui mentioned in a speech that the average age of new users is 21.5 years old, with users aged 18-35 accounting for 78% of the user base, concentrated in first- and second-tier cities. Image source: Bilibili These users will be the main consumers of new products and high-value-added products in the future consumer market. According to CBNdata (under China Business Network) in 2018, the 90s generation showed the fastest growth in average transaction value for luxury goods. This indicates that the spending power of the 90s generation is considerable. Moreover, for small-packaged snacks, 90s consumers are more interested and pay more attention to added value such as health and functionality. A 2018 survey by iiMedia Research also showed that the average monthly consumption of the 90s generation exceeds 5,000 RMB. Image source: Bilibili -02- Food and Beverage: Better to "Feed" in Bilibili's Lifestyle Zone With more users and UP主 joining, Bilibili's video categories have become more refined. From early fan-uploaded animations and edits, to the creation of the鬼畜 zone and music zone, and later the lifestyle zone, more and more foodie KOLs have entered or become famous through the lifestyle zone. Bilibili category bar, image source: Bilibili Food review UP主 like Da Xiang Ge, Xiao Xiang Ge, Dan Huang Pai, Chi Huo Xiao Ming, and the daredevil Jing Han Qing have millions of followers. Among food preparation UP主, many have moved from Weibo, Youku, and Xigua Video, such as Amanda (Man Shi Man Yu), Ri Shi Ji, Food Writer Wang Gang, Mian Yang, and Yu Tou, bringing their traffic from other platforms to Bilibili. Image source: Bilibili screenshot Although the danmaku (bullet comment) feature is criticized by many born in the 70s and 80s, high-quality danmaku and real-time interaction with UP主 videos increase the fun. In the early days, only members could use advanced danmaku, which improved quality and set a good example for current danmaku culture. Compared to traditional streaming platforms like iQiyi and Tencent Video, danmaku is more of a gimmick there, often filled with meaningless comments. As more lifestyle UP主 surpass one million followers, their income is no longer limited to Bilibili's rewards. Notable examples of off-platform带货 (product promotion) include Li Ziqi and Man Shi Man Yu. As a phenomenal UP主, Li Ziqi and her team launched their own online brand in 2019, including health teas, lotus root powder, and beef sauce featured in her videos. On Tmall, sales of Luosifen (river snail rice noodles) exceeded 3.6 million, and osmanthus lotus root powder reached 2.2 million. The combination of ancient-style design and online videos has boosted Li Ziqi's products. However, this type of带货 requires cultivating your own UP主 and developing a video style, which can take months or even years, making it unsuitable for many new product launches. Li Ziqi flagship store, screenshot source: Tmall For better ad integration, the collaboration between Mengniu and Xiao Xiang Ge serves as a case study. The video from Xiao Xiang Ge has reached 3.26 million views and 16,000 danmaku, comparable to his other videos, showing that sponsored content doesn't necessarily reduce engagement. Xiao Xiang Ge didn't mention Mengniu products in the thumbnail but showcased them through food segments, including Guan Yi Ru, Future Star Bang, Mengniu Pure Milk, and Jing Po Milk Powder. This approach proved effective. Image source: Bilibili screenshot Another gaming UP主, Xu Da Xia, inserted a small "rice bowl" segment into his regular video, collaborating with Genki Forest to promote the new grape flavor of their sparkling water. The video achieved 1.963 million views and 49,000 danmaku. However, the fitness ring content was behind in updates among various UP主, failing to attract new fans and visitors. Compared to Xu Da Xia's other videos with over 3 million views, this one lagged significantly. This shows that content timeliness is crucial for promotion effectiveness. Image source: Bilibili screenshot Compared to novelty food and gaming UP主, competitive eaters are more suitable for带货, and their videos appear more natural. Competitive eater Mi Zi Jun has done ad placements, mostly for beverages, with special videos during Double 12 and Double 11. She has collaborated frequently with Lily Zhou's fruit wine, even securing discounts for fans. Fans are less resistant to this type of带货 video. Image source: Bilibili screenshot In contrast, KFC has maintained stable traffic on Bilibili. Several major lifestyle UP主 have made related videos. Xiao Xiang Ge's obvious sponsored video has over 3.5 million views. KFC's recent quirky ad campaigns in the U.S. have positively influenced its reputation on Bilibili, helping UP主 better accept the brand's带货 ads. Bilibili search for KFC, image source: Bilibili screenshot -03- Bilibili's Unique Content Marketing Approach Unlike traditional streaming media, forced ad placements can harm UP主's reputation and danmaku quality. Another difference is that Bilibili counts views per IP address, meaning one IP only counts once, largely preventing view inflation. Bilibili's unique incentive plan recommends and rewards based on danmaku, comments, and favorites, not just views. Image source: Bilibili We consulted some MCN agencies and learned that Bilibili creators are very cautious about the products they promote. They need to create good content with the product, have high quality requirements, and consider whether it suits their audience's tastes. This makes advertising on Bilibili more expensive than on traditional platforms like Taobao and JD.com. However, the direct conversion traffic is visible. -04- How Food and Beverage Brands Can Leverage Bilibili in the New Retail Era Not only lifestyle UP主 can带货; other UP主 also have the ability. The tech channel "TESTV值不值得买" has its own Taobao store called "佼佼流口水", focusing on Sichuan-style foods, from hot and sour noodles to beef tendons and small noodles, and runs giveaways with their videos. Their best-selling Chongqing small noodles have accumulated 65,343 comments. Although sales differ from traditional FMCG brands, high engagement brings better word-of-mouth and marketing. Testv Taobao store, image source: Taobao screenshot Like DingTalk, becoming a viral UP主 requires the right opportunity. "Official鬼畜 is the most lethal." Xiaomi and Lei Jun have established a presence on Bilibili largely due to Lei Jun's speech in India promoting the Mi Band, where his accent quickly became素材 for鬼畜 UP主. Lei Jun himself became an all-star due to "Are you OK?" Lei Jun is open and tolerant of鬼畜素材, even allowing Xiaomi to use his image in鬼畜 videos, earning goodwill among Bilibili fans. Seizing the opportunity when the trend comes is key to increasing exposure. Xiaomi official account, image source: Bilibili Finding the highlight of your product is more important than sponsorship fees. Choosing the right UP主 for your product and planning content together to attract more clicks and attention yields higher conversion rates than simply spending money on ads. Beauty zone UP主 Xu Lao Shi and Qian Hu Chang Sheng often recommend products, but only those they genuinely use and like. As a well-funded UP主, Qian Hu Chang Sheng frequently collaborates with big brands to launch limited edition products. However, in the food zone, there are few co-branded products with UP主, which could be a future opportunity to leverage UP主 traffic to launch more appealing products. Qian Hu Chang Sheng co-branded product, image source: Bilibili screenshot -05- Final Thoughts: Bilibili ( ゚- ゚)つロ 干杯~ Bilibili, as a platform distinct from traditional video media, has higher requirements for advertising and product带货. Its ad space is limited and content-driven, which is why it continues to attract fans and receive praise. Food and FMCG products can achieve higher conversion efficiency and greater exposure on Bilibili, but there are also higher demands on product design and quality. We hope the little broken station continues to improve, providing more content and bringing more opportunities for innovative food products. Source: Food Research FTA (ID: spplj21) Tips will be paid 400-2000 RMB upon adoption.