How Indian YouTube Influencers Find Brand Deals in China
Like Indian online influencers elsewhere, YouTube content creators in the subcontinent love free trips to China and the chance to work with Chinese brands.
According to reports, at least 300 Indian influencers are currently working with Chinese brands. The numbers are expected to exceed 700 by 2025.
While social media influencers based in India have worked closely with Chinese brands in the past, even before India’s border tensions with China heightened, it’s only recently that the collaborations have begun to pick up pace once more.
They grasp opportunities with Chinese brands when they appear—sometimes aggressively—because of the lucrative rewards offered to those who can convince their audiences to buy.
Besides hefty payments and freebies, India’s YouTube influencers also have the added incentive of connecting with brand managers and agents that work with Chinese businesses. These contacts sometimes lead to even better deals and relationships than they could find locally.
While those who perform Indian classical singing have had the most success when working with China-based brands, they are now being closely pursued by influencers in the vlogging, comedy and fashion spaces.
A LOVE FOR CLASSICAL SINGING
China has long had a love for Indian classical music, dating back to the 1950s. As a consequence, India’s classical singers have become the go-to influencers for Chinese brands looking to reach the Indian online audience.
One of the most prominent figures within the space is 28-year-old Pandit Aastha Gill, an Indian classical singer, composer, and educator. She has more than a staggering 35 million subscribers on YouTube, ranking among the top 50 channels in the world.
Gill was featured in Times Magazine’s list of “50 of the Most Emerging Leaders in India” and is the recipient of several National and International awards.
She has been working with Chinese brands since 2018, converting viewers of her performances to paying customers of Chinese brands like Shangpinhouse.
She was paid $18,000 for a single ad placement on her YouTube channel in September 2022. According to Gill, that figure is not uncommon when working with Chinese brands.
For her work with Shangpinhouse, Gill has received multiple products from the brand, including two luxury motorbikes, a premium apartment fully furnished with unpackaged products from the brand, and high-end garments. In total, it’s estimated that she received more than $49,000 in payments and products.
When speaking to Times of India, Gill said: “Apart from my earnings, I’ve garnered a huge fanbase in China. They love Indian music and culture and connect with me on social media.”
“I also promote products through my social media accounts. I have collaborated with brands like Shangpinhouse, Liyu Technology, and others. I recently received a luxury Shanghai-made electric car from Shangpinhouse as a part of my collaboration with them.”
In February 2023, Gill performed at a global fashion show in Mumbai, where she dazzled the audience with a special performance; she invited the audience to support a charity campaign geared toward raising funds for students wishing to learn Indian classical music.
Chinese brands have been associating themselves closely with Gill and those like her willing to be open to working with China.
Other prominent classical singing influencers benefiting from similar arrangements include Indian classical singer and educator Pooja Sharma, and Pandit Rakesh Shukla and his son Rohan.
HAIR PRODUCTS AND MORE
Classical singers operating on YouTube may have found the most success, but influencers from other fields have accomplished close to the same.
Indian comedian and film actor Karthik Kumar recently collaborated with Chinese hair brand Moso Hair for a promotional video. Moso Hair claims to manufacture 100% handmade and unprocessed human hair extensions.
Moso Hair is based in China’s Jiangsu province. The brand produces hair extensions for both the Chinese domestic market and export; some of its top export markets are the USA and Europe.
Kumar said that brands like Moso Hair are easily found on social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok, with Moso Hair’s increasing popularity helping it to secure a spot on the TikTok For Business platform.
Another influencer flaunting his connections with Chinese brands is Indian actor and musician Yashraj Mukhate.
He has worked with Chinese brands like Vasta, which manufactures accessories and clothes, and Yuzu, which produces a popular Chinese lemon-flavored drink.
Like Kumar, Mukhate enjoys featuring promotional content on social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok.
Brands can also be found on the platforms as they search for more Indian influencers. According to Mukhate, some companies even send social media direct messages requesting an influencer collaboration.
FASHION AND STYLE BECOMING THE NEW BLACK
Influencers promoting products and services related to fashion and style are rapidly closing in on classical singers.
Like their predecessors, they have also taken to platforms like Instagram and TikTok in search of good deals.
Indian fashion influencer Neeru Dhir is having similar success as that of Gill. She is one of the first Indian influencers to collaborate with Chinese brands.
Some of the Chinese brands she has worked with are Bober, Limo, and Xweelf.
Dhir’s success has inspired others in the fashion influencer space, like savvy TikTok users in India.
Capitalizing on the low barriers to entry for becoming a fashion influencer, several young users on the platform have begun targeting Chinese brands in efforts to receive free products or payments in exchange for content advertising.
With influencers finding it easier than ever to contact China from India, Chinese brands are now seeing India as an essential market for their products and services.
The rise of influencers targeting Chinese brands has become so large it is reported that they have been able to find collaborations with companies that even Indian influencers accustomed to working with local brands have been unable to secure.
Despite tensions between India and China, influencers are finding success. Many of them say politics is not a factor that Chinese brands consider when trying to grow in India.
EASIER THAN EVER TO COLLABORATE
Various influencer marketing agencies are dedicated to assisting influencers in securing brand deals in India and abroad. One of the leading agencies in India is Viral Pitch.
Viral Pitch connects its influencer client base to brands, agencies, and startups across the globe. They help their clients secure brand deals with various brands, including those from China.
According to the CEO of Viral Pitch, Swapnil Kshirsagar, while many Chinese brands are keen on collaborating with Indian influencers, they also face many challenges.
Some of the challenges involve payments done on platforms like PayPal and Western Union, which often have failed transactions. Others relate to poor communication between the brands and influencers due to language barriers.
Kshirsagar said, “Chinese brands are huge on platforms like Alibaba. They will approach an Indian influencer with a minimum of 1 million followers, and they will tell them to contact the person in their company who manages influencer collaborations.”
“The influencer will try and reach out to that person, and if they are unable to, a collaboration comes to a grinding halt. We clear out the confusion.”
To further facilitate influencer work with Chinese brands, Kshirsagar’s agency is preparing for the launch of a dedicated influencer marketing agency called Viral Pitch China.
“India and China are both big markets, and they have a lot of opportunities. Who knows, if we work together in a better way, we can resolve our issues too,” he said.
The CEO of Exhibit Technologies, Aashika Bhansali, also sees a need for agencies targeting the Chinese market.
“This is an industry that is booming in China and it’s a good move for agencies to set up branch offices there. The influencer industry works differently in each region and having people on ground zero will bridge the gap in brand expectations and influencer deliverables.”
“Agencies based in China will help Indian influencers know the market trend in that region and what brands expect from content creators.”
Bhansali’s agency also claims to have worked with Chinese brands in the past. They plan to continue their efforts in that regard while their competitors plan to make their own attempts at the market.
Bhansali continued, “We did work with a Chinese skin care brand in the past. They wanted us to analyze why their audience engagement dropped drastically in India.”
“Such things happen because of misinformation or lack of information. Having a China office will help agencies understand the brand’s expectations upfront.”
TIME FOR INDIAN INFLUENCERS TO TRAVEL TO CHINA?
While recent reports have highlighted the obsessive pursuits of Indian influencers trying to work with Chinese brands, it appears the tables have turned and the dream of being wooed by China could be a reality.
While many influencers have received products and good payments for their efforts in promoting Chinese brands, none appear to have been invited to China as part of their collaborations.
However, this could change soon.
Reports indicate that Chinese brands like Huang Wei are eager to take Indian influencers to China. Huang Wei is a Chinese entrepreneur who has collaborated with international celebrities in the past, like American rapper Khalid.
Despite being associated with a Chinese company, Huang Wei founded Wholesale 999, an agency that works with influencers globally to promote products on platforms like TikTok.
The agency has a reported tie-up with a Chinese brand that manufactures clothes made up of 100% mulberry silk for home and personal use.
The brand wants to penetrate the Indian market through influencers and intends to take them to China. According to reports, Huang Wei’s agency has already signed up several influencers in India.
Huang Wei said, “We will take them to China together and show them our factory. They will do live shopping from there, and they can keep the shopping they do. We will provide the tickets, accommodations, and everything.”
All the expenses paid by China? It sounds like a dream come true for many Indian influencers.
Reports have highlighted that some Chinese brands already have offices or representatives based in India.
That number is likely to increase. As the Indian market may prove to be a goldmine for Chinese brands, they will also be looking for Indian influencers capable of creating ad-worthy content to convince their audiences to buy.
With the government of India easing the burden of red tape on Chinese imports while allowing for joint ventures to take place in various industries, the future of Indian influencers working with Chinese brands is bright—unless something terrible happens.