In China’s fast‑evolving and increasingly competitive design and furniture market, Western brands must fundamentally rethink how they communicate value, identity, and culture. To explore these dynamics, the latest Value China Talk hosted Sijia Chen 思嘉, curator, interior design expert, and KOP (Key Opinion Professional) on REDnote, now based in Milan.
Her perspective offers valuable insights into how Italian brands can adapt their strategies to engage with a demanding and culturally sophisticated audience like the Chinese one.
From KOL to KOP: the cultural “translator” of Italian design
In the past, marketing strategies relied almost exclusively on traditional KOLs (Key Opinion Leaders) to generate broad visibility and mass brand awareness. Today, however, the role of the KOP (Key Opinion Professional) is emerging with increasing strength. Unlike KOLs, KOPs are content creators distinguished by a much deeper and more specialized level of expertise in specific sectors — such as interior design.
As Sijia Chen highlights, the KOP is a true cultural translator, capable of bridging the gap between Italian aesthetics and the expectations of the Chinese audience.
I describe my work as that of a cultural translator, and also as a bridge that closes the gap between the Chinese market and the entire Italian design industry.
This expertise makes them essential for building trust and influencing informed purchasing decisions.
The new Chinese consumer: depth, authenticity, and self‑care
In recent years, the behavior of Chinese premium‑segment consumers has undergone a major shift. While they once settled for surface‑level aesthetics, flawless catalog images, and premium products valued mainly for their status, today they experience a kind of “aesthetic fatigue.”
Consumers want to understand the story, the designer’s original intent, and the brand’s true identity, gravitating toward content with an almost editorial and analytical tone. At the same time, there is growing attention to the concept of self‑care and to the intimacy of domestic spaces. Rooms such as bathrooms and kitchens — once overlooked in favor of the living area — are now gaining absolute centrality, becoming personal sanctuaries curated like art galleries, where users enjoy mixing different brands and vintage pieces.
The social ecosystem: REDnote driving aesthetics, Douyin reshaping engagement
REDnote
For any furniture brand aiming to position itself in China, maintaining a presence on REDnote (Xiaohongshu) is no longer optional, it is an absolute necessity. REDnote functions as a powerful aesthetic search engine in China, where users conduct in‑depth research before making a purchase.
On the platform, audiences are not looking for simple commercial catalogues, but for true taste makers: they expect highly curated content that resembles an editorial magazine, where professional, in‑depth design analysis blends seamlessly with authentic life stories. Users want to see furniture placed in real‑life settings to understand how design and art can merge to create intimate, personal spaces — but above all, to find inspiration on how to practically solve everyday spatial needs.
Demonstrating the strong connection between REDnote and the furniture sector, the platform actively promotes the world of interiors, creating dedicated hashtags and themed events during key moments such as Milan Design Week to boost creators’ content.
Douyin
The social landscape is also entering a phase of maturity across other key platforms. Douyin (China’s TikTok), traditionally associated with fast entertainment, is adjusting its algorithms to promote longer and more in‑depth videos, sometimes exceeding two minutes. This shift opens the door to far more complex narratives, allowing creators to gain strong traction even with detailed analyses or storytelling around art exhibitions.
Douyin also boasts an intergenerational audience, disproving the Western assumption that it is limited to Gen Z. Since many foreign brands still struggle to produce effective video formats, relying mostly on traditional photo shoots, partnering with local KOLs and KOPs becomes the strategic key to filling this gap and creating video content that resonates authentically with this vast audience.
Beyond Made in Italy: the importance of flexibility and storytelling
Faced with increasingly fierce competition, which now includes excellent Chinese local brands, Italian companies can no longer rely on “Made in Italy” as their sole sales driver. It has become essential to build deep, highly localized storytelling that reflects an understanding of Chinese culture rather than simply showcasing heritage.
As Sijia Chen 思嘉 points out:
Made in Italy and Italian heritage are still very relevant in the Chinese market. But I believe that, for brand awareness, it’s truly necessary to find your own unique perspective — your exclusive Unique Selling Point.
One of the biggest challenges in collaborations between Western brands and KOPs is finding the right balance: companies should avoid imposing overly rigid guidelines that make the content look clearly sponsored and unnatural. Instead, they must allow creators the freedom to express their own tone of voice, preserving the audience’s trust.
Finally, brands must remember that in China, social media platforms function as true customer‑care channels, where users expect immediate interactions and responses directly in the comments section.
The 3 key takeaways for furniture‑sector strategies in China
- Differentiate between awareness and trust: To launch an unknown brand or generate broad buzz, traditional Key Opinion Leaders can be effective. But to educate the market about niche products, explain the features of a “hero” product, and drive meaningful conversions, it is essential to rely on KOPs (Key Opinion Professionals) or KOSs (Key Opinion Sales), who can build long‑term relationships with their communities.
- Contextualization and problem‑solving: Consumers do not want abstract content. Marketing strategies must show furniture in real‑life environments and everyday contexts — even collaborating with stylists inside showrooms — to address concrete interior‑design challenges faced by Chinese customers.
- Identify your Unique Selling Proposition (USP): Relying solely on Italian tradition is no longer enough. Brands must identify what truly makes them unique, whether it’s distinctive design, special materials, or the integration of smart technologies, which are increasingly in demand in Chinese homes.