Event Recap: The Marketer’s Lounge @ Xiaohongshu

On July 3, the Benelux Chamber of Commerce had the pleasure of organizing The Marketer’s Lounge in collaboration with SwissCham China and the British Chamber of Commerce in China (BritCham China). The event took place at the Shanghai headquarters of 小红书 (Xiaohongshu/RED), one of China’s most dynamic platforms shaping modern consumer culture.

With over 80 attendees, the evening provided a unique opportunity for marketing professionals from across industries to unpack the latest trends in China’s digital landscape. A special thank you goes to our two brilliant speakers, Winnie Wing Yin Lau, Regional Manager of Global Business Solutions Team at Xiaohongshu who shared insights into the platform's evolving role in shaping digital consumer behavior in China, covering content-driven commerce, community engagement, and brand storytelling. And Jacquelien Postigo Brussee, Managing Partner at next-gen branding agency Jibe who talked about how culture is now the most powerful lever for brands, drawing from her deep experience helping international brands land with impact in China and Chinese brands move onto the global stage. 

We would also like to thank Nicole Shen (沈嘉璐) and Loop Earplugs for sponsoring the event.

Key Takeaways

The central theme of the event was clear: marketing in China is no longer about simply increasing visibility.  It’s about relevance, community, authenticity, and micro-targeted influence.
Consumer behavior in China is rapidly evolving toward community-driven engagement, search-based discovery, and a culture-first mindset. Xiaohongshu’s platform, with over 300 million monthly users, plays a central role in shaping how younger generations connect with brands. As Jacquelien Postigo Brussee highlighted, culture is no longer just a backdrop, it is a brand’s most strategic asset.

Our Perspective: Relevance Over Reach

At the Benelux Chamber of Commerce, we are in constant dialogue with our member companies, who are dealing with the challenges and opportunities of doing business in China on a daily basis. What we observe aligns closely with what was shared during The Marketer’s Lounge:

Today, platform-native storytelling and product seeding are no longer optional add-ons. They are the baseline requirements for brand success in China’s competitive digital industry. Without relevance, even the most well-resourced campaigns are at risk.

Consumers, especially Gen Z and millennial buyers, seek products that resonate with their identities and values. They trust authentic voices, micro-influencers, and real experiences over top-down messaging. And increasingly, they discover brands not through mass advertising, but through searchable content within their trusted platforms like Xiaohongshu.

We are proud to have organized this insightful evening and grateful for the community that joined us. Thank you again to our speakers, sponsors, and partners for making it an interesting night!

Stay tuned for more upcoming events where we continue to keep on learning about China’s rapidly evolving business landscape.

Find the pictures here.