---
title: "Liu Chunxiong: Brands focus on 'broadcasting' to reinforce memory; IP emphasizes 'transmission' for social sharing"
description: "Liu Chunxiong, a renowned marketing expert, argues that while traditional brand-driven marketing relies on 'broadcasting' to reinforce memory, the new IP-driven approach emphasizes 'transmission'—making people like you so much that they willingly share your message without payment. He explains how leveraging social media and community connections can maximize marketing efficiency in the digital age."
author: "刘春雄"
publisher: "New Distribution"
email: "zhaobo258@gmail.com"
telephone: "+8615854817671"
published: "2018-08-26"
language: "en"
canonical: "https://xinjignxiao.com/en/articles/liu-chunxiong-brands-focus-on-broadcasting-to-reinforce-memory-ip-emphas-65afd931/"
markdown: "https://xinjignxiao.com/en/articles/liu-chunxiong-brands-focus-on-broadcasting-to-reinforce-memory-ip-emphas-65afd931.md"
original_source: "https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/aeyiRWtwpzYgt2yrSYkg8w"
translation: "https://xinjignxiao.com/zh/articles/%E5%88%98%E6%98%A5%E9%9B%84-%E5%93%81%E7%89%8C%E6%B3%A8%E9%87%8D-%E6%92%AD-%E6%98%AF%E5%BC%BA%E5%8C%96%E8%AE%B0%E5%BF%86-ip%E8%AE%B2%E7%A9%B6-%E4%BC%A0-%E6%98%AF%E7%A4%BE%E4%BA%A4%E5%88%86%E4%BA%AB-65afd931.md"
attribution: "New Distribution — https://xinjignxiao.com/en/articles/liu-chunxiong-brands-focus-on-broadcasting-to-reinforce-memory-ip-emphas-65afd931/"
usage_policy: "https://xinjignxiao.com/ai-policy.txt"
---

# Liu Chunxiong: Brands focus on 'broadcasting' to reinforce memory; IP emphasizes 'transmission' for social sharing

> Liu Chunxiong, a renowned marketing expert, argues that while traditional brand-driven marketing relies on 'broadcasting' to reinforce memory, the new IP-driven approach emphasizes 'transmission'—making people like you so much that they willingly share your message without payment. He explains how leveraging social media and community connections can maximize marketing efficiency in the digital age.

"
In the past, brand-driven marketing emphasized 'broadcasting' in communication, but now I want to emphasize 'transmission.' I can make you like me, and even without paying you, you'll be willing to spread the word.
**—Liu Chunxiong, renowned marketing expert**
"
**This article is a transcript of Mr. Liu Chunxiong's speech at the FDIC2018 China FMCG Digital Innovation Conference, edited for our readers.**
Chinese marketing has two driving forces: brand and channel. In the past, Ye Maozhong mainly focused on brand-driven strategies, while I focused on channel-driven ones.
Why did I choose channel-driven? Because brand-driven requires substantial investment. However, in recent years, I've changed my approach: I now advocate brand-driven, but I call it IP-driven rather than brand-driven. Why? Because traditional brand-driven marketing emphasized 'broadcasting' in communication, but now I want to emphasize 'transmission.' 'I can make you like me, and even without paying you, you'll spread the word.'
The word 'communication' (传播) consists of two characters: 'transmit' (传) and 'broadcast' (播). In the past, brand-driven marketing focused more on 'broadcasting'—putting it out there. But now it's about 'transmission,' which is a fundamental feature of the internet.
Persuading one person is most efficient through in-depth communication. But to persuade a group, you need media to amplify your message. Communication is the amplification of your awareness and influence. Without this amplification tool, your impact is limited.
**Marketing is persuading a group from a thousand miles away. Sales is persuading one person at the last meter.**
I propose a concept: 'Media determines the maximum efficiency of marketing.' Whoever uses media well will have the highest marketing efficiency.
The first company to leverage mass media effectively was Procter & Gamble. A hundred years ago, the invention of radio allowed our voices to reach the world.
In the 1920s, P&G used radio to advertise its Ivory soap, placing ads during prime-time programs. That's why prime-time shows were called 'soap operas'—because of P&G. P&G was originally a small company, but it became a giant by being the first to exploit the dividends of mass communication. Communication amplifies influence, so whoever uses mass media well enjoys the benefits. Now, the communication dividend has shifted from traditional media to new media.
**Why must marketing always involve communication?**
Because the essence of marketing is creating information asymmetry. What is information asymmetry? When you are persuaded by me, that's information asymmetry. There will always be some people persuading others, so what does marketing communication do? It strengthens information asymmetry that favors you and eliminates information asymmetry that works against you.
My conclusion: The use of large-scale communication tools determines the maximum efficiency of marketing.
In every era, the most efficient communication tools change. Our marketing efficiency depends on using the most effective communication tools of that era.
From a communication perspective, we have gone through three eras, forming three major media.
In the traditional agricultural era, word-of-mouth was the medium. 'Good wine needs no bush' because the distance of communication was short.
In the industrial era of mass media, communication was amplified and fast, but it had a problem: it was non-targeted. Communication techniques were crucial because no one wants to watch ads unless there's a special way to grab attention. For example, Lao Miao (Miao Qingxian) talks about 'conflict'—conflict makes you pay attention even to things you dislike.
But in the mobile internet era, you'll notice media has changed. People watch less TV, and media exists everywhere. Is a product media? Is a person media? Anything can be media; anything can be amplified.
**In the mobile internet era, understanding communication from a marketing perspective:**
First, we've moved from the mass media era to the social media era. Communication can be 'broadcasting' or 'transmission.' Social sharing is 'transmission'—you share with friends, they like it, and they share it again. That's communication in action. In the internet era, the weight of 'transmission' has increased.
Second, the internet gives us tools to connect people. We may never meet, but we are connected. Connection provides channels for communication. So now we live in two worlds: the physical world where we meet offline, and the virtual world—the world of communities and networks—where we are connected through communities and networks.
Third, we are in the digital era. In the past, it was hard to measure the effect of communication; we only had ratings and surveys.
Now we can use quantitative indicators. For example, half a month ago, I asked a boss what his WeChat Index was. He said, 'What's that?' I told him to check it, and he found it was over 20,000. I asked, 'Do you know what my WeChat Index is?' He said, 'How much?' 'Seven million,' I told him. This shows that your IP or brand can be quantified.
What is the WeChat Index? It's how many people are talking about you, following you, sharing you on social media. If you're not being followed, you're not an IP or a brand. In the internet era, everything leaves traces.
In the mobile internet era, social sharing is the main source of commercial information. Social connections allow not only retailers but also brand owners and distributors to build relationships with consumers. Once connected, digital data can precisely tell us who are good customers, who have problems, who can be ignored, and who needs special attention. Everything is driven by numbers, unlike the vague past.
The ability to use mainstream social media determines our maximum marketing efficiency. How do we build a system and knowledge framework for media efficiency?
**Four aspects: First, what is the media architecture; second, communication ignition requires capturing head attention; third, what is communication power—content power; fourth, the operating system.**
First, media architecture: **Media architecture is the combination of IP + community.** What is IP? IP is a banner of spiritual identity. What is community? Community is the infrastructure of society.
In the mobile internet era, we exist in three spaces. The first is offline space, the second is online space. Offline is inefficient, and online is non-targeted. What truly connects offline and online? It's community.
Recently, I did a live stream with Teacher Ding Ding and another teacher to celebrate three books. In one hour, 3.01 million people were online. We're not entertainment stars; we talked about professional topics. We simultaneously connected offline communities and online spaces. You'll find that from offline to community is a first-level amplification, which can be thousands of times. From community to online space, there are many more levels of amplification. In the end, the three of us brought 3.01 million people online simultaneously. That's the power of connecting all three spaces in the communication process.
**Second, communication ignition ultimately requires capturing head attention.** Fifteen years ago, Ye Maozhong often said: 'If you buy a half-way ticket, you'll never reach your destination.' Similarly, in the internet era, if your communication doesn't form head attention, all your efforts immediately go to zero.
Mobile internet has three major sources of information. The first is precise targeting using big data and AI, like Toutiao. Toutiao delivers precise content based on your past behavior.
The second is information from friends' recommendations and follows. Because the information we receive is filtered by our friends. If your friends' circle sends messy information, don't blame yourself—blame your friends for poor choices.
The third is leveraging information at the top of platforms. When we open WeChat every day, we see many people sharing the same information, like the vaccine incident. On the first day, I didn't read it. On the second day, I saw friends sharing it, so I opened it. I was angry and shared it too.
I realize that daily news headlines are the result of our crowdfunding. Because your participation makes that information today's headline. Every headline includes the effort of each of us. Even platform traffic isn't given randomly.
Take Douyin's recommendation rewards. After Douyin grew, it finds you an audience nearby. If your likes are high, watch time is long, and comments are good, the platform rewards you. So you'll find that every like you give is important, and whether you watch for one second or ten seconds matters.
Because your behavior is incorporated into the platform's big data, determining whether to put it on the headline or let it fade away. This is called head attention. The difference between the 'transmission' era and the 'broadcasting' era: in the broadcasting era, if you spent less money, there was no effect. In the transmission era, if you don't reach head attention, there's no effect. So the ultimate result is two words: 'ignition.'
'Ignition' happens overnight. In the past, with advertising, we never formed a brand overnight. But IP can lie dormant for a long time and then ignite overnight. You wake up and find you're an internet celebrity. Why? Because while you slept, some people liked and shared, pushing you to fame.
**The internet ignition principle:** Either ignite or be a dud. Ignition is 1, dud is 0. But it's not about having more traffic. Teacher Ding Ding and I participated in the New Marketing Awards. Ten million traffic didn't ignite, but 100,000 did. The reason is density and targeting. You must reach a critical point. That's why we pay special attention to whether an article reaches 100,000+ views. The ignition point tells us that if density is sufficient, 144,000 people is the critical point, like boiling water at 100 degrees—99 degrees won't boil. Ignition follows the principle of fission.
**How to ignite? One is through circles, the other is through emotion.**
Circles mean birds of a feather flock together. In a community, everyone is similar; if you're not, you're in the wrong group. Second, emotion. Advertising tells you how good a product is, but when a merchant says it in a group, it's useless. We must evoke emotion. For example, the vaccine incident: why were we so angry? Because it involved our future children. Ads that use children have strong communication power. In society, although people differ in function, what we can agree on is human emotion. Emotion is the most contagious.
**The third framework is content power.** In the past, advertising communication was about brand. Brand meant spending 200 million a year to make consumers remember a slogan. But in the internet era, no one would share that. We need a strong capability to continuously produce content that gets transmitted.
In the past, a marketing department supported 500 salespeople on the front lines. Now it's different; the back office has grown significantly, and one important role is producing content.
Companies like Jiangxiaobai have hundreds of people in back-office content production. The source of content is scenario + emotion. Why scenario? Because the old consumption orientation is outdated; consumers change. As a consumer, I might drink baijiu, beer, or wine. It's hard to say which I prefer. What I drink depends on the scenario—what kind of wine should be drunk in what kind of scenario. This is a product with content power and sociality.
The last is the operating system. In the traditional marketing framework, it's called 4P. All 4Ps are communication. How to do it? Make everything have communication power. Based on the traditional 4P, I summarize four sentences.
**First, product is IP.** The product itself must have sociality.
**Second, channel.** All touchpoints—distributors, retailers, salespeople—are communication points.
**Third, promotion.** It's not about selling; promotion is for communication. As Jiangxiaobai says, all promotions have communication value; their promotions don't sell goods.
**Fourth, price.** Price is the quantification of communication value.
This is how we've moved from mass communication to the social era, from broadcasting to transmission. In such an era, our ability to use mainstream social media determines our maximum marketing efficiency.
**Note:**
At this conference, Mr. Liu Chunxiong's new book "New Marketing" was also officially launched.
Interested friends can click "Read Original" for details; those who want to buy Mr. Liu Chunxiong's "New Marketing" can scan the mini-program below to order directly.
(Long press the QR code to enter the "New Marketing" mini-program to order)
-END-


---

## Copyright and AI use

This article is sourced from New Distribution. Search, quotation, summarization, and model training are permitted, but every use must credit New Distribution and retain the canonical source URL.

Contact: zhaobo258@gmail.com · +86 158 5481 7671