Show notes
Welcome back to the only podcast to ask: China, WTF?! What’s The Future? Arnold Ma, founder of Chinese creative agency Qumin https://qumin.co.uk/, gets to the bottom of what tomorrow may look like, globally, by dissecting China's today. The podcast focuses on Chinese tech disrupters, people and cultures.For Episode 4 Qumin take a journey through time and replace the magic carpet with a phone. Arnold, Sam and Louisa whizz through 24 hours on both a UK and a Chinese phone and pinpoint differences and similarities. They look at user behaviours and habits, as well as the platforms these manifest on. Sam Phillips is Qumin’s Account Director who looks after all the global brands, while Louisa Loehrig takes care of Qumin's marketing.Topics include:3:37 The Chinese Dream vs ‘Generation sensible’ 6:15 Why mobile apps are so powerful in China9:30 Mornings in the UK vs in China12:34 ‘Jinri Toutiao’, Bytedance’s hyper-powered news platform13:19 How WeChat replaced email: The convergence of professional and social spheres16:03 How AI algorithms and interest-driven content feeds cater to heightened user expectations19:01 The commute to work: transport, in-transit entertainment and breakfast 20:42 Omnipresent signal: zero downtime in China23:41 What the fierce competition between Chinese corporations (e.g. Alibaba vs Tencent) means for consumers33:01 The biggest difference between Western and Chinese platforms: Social operating systems34:01 ‘Digital self’: Profiles and online identities in China vs in the West35:27 The importance of desktop in the UK 37:21 Work in the West is doable without a phone, but in China: no phone/no WeChat, no business40:50 The Chinese favour culture42:07 Red envelopes and social currencies connect life and work on WeChat45:29 Ordering a takeaway for lunch in China: Cheap, quick, convenient services enabled through manpower47:01 Saving time and convenience are key with mobile service design in China48:24 The importance of food in China 53:01 The death of TV in China and the rise of mobile short form videos56:50 China’s content marketing is a preview of the futureIf you like this episode, hit subscribe for more and follow 'Qumin' on LinkedIn for the latest updates. You can also watch the show on YouTube: https://youtu.be/avrSGAjOVlw