In November 2020, a Tibetan boy conquered Chinese netizens’ hearts with rugged good looks. It’s been two months since he first hit social media, but discussions over him and every aspect of his life have hardly stopped since. Even China’s Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying commented on Twitter that he has a “bright, sunny and innocent smile”. His name is Ding Zhen.
Who is Ding Zhen?
Ding Zhen is a 20-year-old native of Litang, a remote county in Sichuan province. Ding was seen on his way to buy instant noodles and a 10-second video of him captured by a photographer went viral on Douyin (TikTok China) instantly.
A week after he’d first become popular, he accepted a job offer from the local government and became the tourism ambassador of Litang county. A three-minute short film The World of Ding Zhen was launched days later as a promotion for Ding as well as his hometown.
Thanks to Ding, the number of searches for Litang through China’s biggest travel agency Ctrip skyrocketed by 620% in 10 days. The move sparked a war among various departments of culture and tourism in different regions. Everyone wants a piece of him. Tourism authorities all over China leap on the moment and invite Ding Zhen – via their own WeChat and Weibo accounts – to visit their destinations.
Why did he go viral?
In a fast-paced society immersed with fast-food culture, Ding Zhen stands out with his weathered natural skin color, rugged sweet smile, and innocent sparkling eyes. His natural rugged beauty deeply touched urbanites who long for unworldly pureness in a complicated environment, and serenity in the hustle and bustle.
In a world dazzled with artificial beauty and “perfect” makeup, Ding Zhen appears like a clear spring flowing silently or a free eagle soaring in the sky. Unlike China’s “little fresh meat” male idols (xiaoxianrou, 小鲜肉), Ding’s unpolished look and shy smile have given netizens a new type of crush, with many labelling him a “sweet and wild boy (tianye nanhai, 甜野男孩)”, meaning a boy who has both heart-melting sweetness and wild beauty.
What can brands learn from this?
With the promotion of Ding Zhen, his hometown “Litang” has become the new most-desired destination. The career in which Ding will devote himself as tourism ambassador is meaningful and a perfect example of applying fame to something that could bring real changes to the region and its people.
While Ding Zhen’s example is specifically about domestic travel, international brands should realize that local figures make a brand accessible and communicable for their Chinese audience. These internet celebrities in China can not only boost social engagement, but also help localization as they have the cultural awareness to communicate authentically, especially for an international brand.
When it comes to influencers, speed is of the essence. Like anything viral, Ding Zhen will be old news in a month from now. Brands need to have a professional marketing team that is always ready to jump on viral trends that capture the hearts and minds of Chinese consumers.
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