How China found joy in being “cheap” | Following the Yuan
When being economical becomes a competition.
What does vegetarian street food and a black puffer have in common?
They have both become the sources of entertainment for Chinese consumers with shrinking wallets in 2026.
About two weeks ago, Xi’an hosted a Caijiamo competition (as opposed to Roujiamo with meat, it’s vegetables), where contestants were given a Shaanxi-style crispy flatbread and were asked to stuff as much shredded vegetables in it as they could.
The black puffer competition — namely the unofficial uniform of China’s capital, especially in CBD areas and university clusters — was held in Beijing just before Chinese New Year. Contestants were asked to do a catwalk and give a speech, showcasing their puffer’s practicality, rarity, and aesthetic appeal.
The popularity of grassroots community events like these, as well as the CunBA (village basketball tournaments) and Suchao (Jiangsu Provincial City Football League), have surged in recent years. These events aren’t following any global marketing briefs. On the contrary, they are leading a subtle movement that redefines the paradigm around values.
If you went back to 2015 and asked consumers what they thought of such themes, many would have called them Tu (土, literally translated as “soil,” carries connotations of tastelessness) or cheap.
The downward economy and more insular cultural dynamics post-COVID have largely reversed that perception.
Being culturally proud, not just of national culture but of regional and sub-regional identity, and being economical have been widely embraced and celebrated.
Following this shift in values, the aspirations of middle-class consumers have also changed.
Behaviors driven by those aspirations are no longer about slapping logos onto one’s outfits for social equity, it’s no longer saving a fraction of one’s salary to buy a handbag, it’s no longer kowtowing to the external validation of who they are.
Today’s Chinese consumers are comfortable of who they are. They are no longer shying away from their Tu roots, seeming flaws and vulnerabilities. This is the case not only on the macro but also the micro level.
Ai Ni Lao Ji (爱你老己, directly translated as “love you, my old self”), the phrase went viral last year first among Chinese Gen-Zs, offers a glimpse of the societal and cultural shift, despite its seemingly simple meaning of loving oneself.
When people use the term — such as “sorry Lao Ji, I chose the wrong major, which is probably why you haven’t found a job,” “Ai Ni Lao Ji, I ordered a milk tea for you, see you tomorrow!” — they split themselves into two:
One tiresomely holds up the financial, career and family responsibilities; the other is allowed to be authentic and vulnerable.
This can be read as disassociation — a collective defense mechanism against overwhelming stress from youth unemployment, volatile housing prices and AI disruptions.
This psychological shift is playing out among consumers. Coming back to the two competitions, what are the takeaways for brands in products, marketing and sales?
BE ECONOMICAL
Contestants in the two grass-roots competitions were applauded for logistical efficiency and practicality.
The Caijiamo winner packed up 1759g shredded carrots and finished eating them on the spot (bottom left). The runner up of the black puffer competition (bottom right) showcased the 9 pockets on her US$20 jacket, which could hold an iPad, two 900-ml drinks, which eliminates the need to leave any bags at Beijing subway security screeners.
Compared with pre-COVID era, celebrating such behaviors would have felt out of place, even unnecessary, when consumers thought every tomorrow would be better than yesterday. Why risk being seen as cheap?
Now, there is a common denominator for different brands with the middle class consumer in mind: durability and practicality is no longer a nice-to-have, it’s a must.
BE REGIONAL
Marketing events in China should be local, not just on a national level but a regional one because consumers live in different realities in China.
The reason black puffers are so central to Beijing professionals and students are partially due to the climate — long and dry winters followed by springs prone to sandstorms.
Simply translating global briefs to a Chinese one is seen lazy, and you will get picked apart for being inauthentic.
BE EMPATHETIC
The tone of the ‘self-love’ messaging has to change. Previously, it was: you love yourself, therefore you should buy our products.
Now, it needs to be less transactional. Brands must first establish that you are on the same level as consumers, that you understand their emotional reality, rather than simply selling to them.
You should not be either above or below them, you are with them, and you must be empathetic to their everyday struggle, their wins and losses.
There have been multiple negative examples from both domestic and Western brands that try to emphasize with consumers in the current social and economic environment:
One can always discount products or work with a pyramid of influencers to drive sales in the short-term. However, like the universal rule of human relationships, the ones that can weather storms and go through hard times, would come out stronger.
This should be reflected in the marketing copies, and in the marketing events one held.
How far could these events go? I believe there will be even more of them in the future, and they would still be largely held in first-tier or new-first-tier cities.
While overseas brands may be wary of how “being economical” could destroy their premium branding. I want to argue that it entirely depends on what that means in their brand context. Being economical isn’t necessarily bad. It could mean one can use its slashed China marketing budget in a more efficient, thoughtful and relevant manner.
I hope many brands are already doing a China-for-China strategy and adjacent regional implementation plans, and have an annual review to ensure it is up to date.
Within a Western brand, that means local staff should be given more power, more freedom for creativity for experiments. If done right, you won’t just fit in — you’ll be seen as a brand that truly gets it. 🔚
