The gap between what's visible on Xiaohongshu and what's actually driving café revenue is such a good illustration of how misleading Chinese social media can be as a market signal. The creative drink gets the photo, the americano pays the rent.
This also maps onto a broader pattern where foreign brands read the surface of Chinese consumer culture and build strategy around the exception, rather than the rule.
Sam: Nice essay! It brings to mind that excellent Cantonese expression “口水多過茶“.
Haha, true. The essence of things is often not that complicated.
The gap between what's visible on Xiaohongshu and what's actually driving café revenue is such a good illustration of how misleading Chinese social media can be as a market signal. The creative drink gets the photo, the americano pays the rent.
This also maps onto a broader pattern where foreign brands read the surface of Chinese consumer culture and build strategy around the exception, rather than the rule.
Couldn't agree more：）