Free · Published monthly
Which Western brands China is actually talking about — and how much of that conversation was paid for.
One published, 12 in the queue.
Published
August 2026 edition
In the queue, subscriber-first
Tell us which category you need and it moves up the queue. Subscribers decide the order.
August 2026 · Live now
L'Oréal leads on total volume. Strip out the paid posts and YSL is the one China actually loves.
This edition is being prepared. Join the list below and you will get it first.
Public posts mentioning each brand across Xiaohongshu and Douyin over the month.
Sponsored placement is identified and split out, so the ranking can be read both ways.
L'Oréal leads on total volume. Strip out the paid posts and YSL is the one China actually loves. That gap is the finding.
A free monthly ranking of how much Western brands are discussed on Chinese social platforms — and how much of that discussion was paid for rather than earned. Methodology is published with every edition.
Total mentions are easy to buy. A brand can sit at number one while almost all of its volume is sponsored placement, which tells you about media spend rather than genuine preference. Splitting earned from paid changes the ranking substantially — and the earned column is the one that predicts repeat purchase.
Xiaohongshu and Douyin in the current edition. These are where consumer discussion of beauty, lifestyle and retail brands concentrates in China.
Beauty is the pilot. Once the format is settled, fashion, travel and food follow. Join the list below and you'll hear when your category is next.
The index covers a fixed basket of brands per category. Brand-specific intelligence — your mentions, your competitors, and an analyst's read on what it means — is a separate subscription.
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AI Foundation Models — how DeepSeek and Qwen crossed a billion downloads while Western boards were counting Mag7 capex, and which layers of the AI stack the rotation has not reached. No excerpt tricks: it is the full chapter.
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Your industry, your brand
Beauty is the pilot edition. Fashion, travel, food and 9 more are built next, and subscribers name which one moves up. Everything published stays free to read, including this page.
See pricingThe index ranks 12 named brands per category. The subscription is the other shape of the same work: one email a week on your brand alone, your five most-discussed posts translated, and a named analyst's read on what changed and what to do.
See how the subscription worksNot ready for either? The email list is free, and the next edition lands there first.
