[Webinar] What's going on in China's sports sector? Let's chat on July 10 🖥️ | Following the Yuan x Baiguan

And become a paid subscriber before July 6 to lock in current rates

Hi everyone,

Hope you’re having a great, breezy summer wherever you are. I’m writing to say hi and also to tell you about an exciting new offering✨:

I’m launching a quarterly webinar that encapsulates thematic China things/trends in 30 minutes, followed by a 10-minute Q&A. The debut session with alternative data company BigOne Lab’s

Baiguan

will take place on Thursday, July 10.

This is a paid subscriber-only, you can sign up through this link before July 9 or scan the QR code below:

In early 2023, I worked on a piece about China’s coffee market in collaboration with

Baiguan

and pinpointed these 3 areas where Starbucks China was left behind:

1.⁠ ⁠Pricing: Fail to meet Chinese consumers’ changing perception about product price.

2.⁠ ⁠Branding and marketing: Fail to create new experiences and capture the cultural zeitgeist.

3.⁠ ⁠Product: Fail to innovate on the product level at China speed.

It’s been interesting to see how they have become part of a consensus and reflect not just Starbucks, but many other MNCs’ narrative in China’s consumer market.

It also shows, I hope, the power of combining a qualitative perspective (how and why) with a quantitative (what) one.

Having previously worked at the internal innovation center of a Chinese food corporation before turning full-time to journalism, covering fashion, beauty, business and tech, I’ve come to believe that understanding China’s consumers isn’t a nice-to-have for businesses; it’s essential.

The color, nuance, and real-time stories are critical for any business leader or brand hoping to continue to make meaningful moves in this fast-changing market with vast regional differences.

I started Following the Yuan out of a sense of frustration — that consumer trends and human-centered business stories from China were too often neglected or sidelined in major news coverage.

After doing this for about 2.5 years, I want to thank you for supporting my journey into more hands-on research and strategic work for overseas businesses navigating China.

As the newsletter evolves, I’m also thinking more intentionally about how to sustain and grow this work. Part of that means aligning the pricing with other business-focused newsletters — but also expanding what I offer, so I can better support your decision-making and curiosity around China.

Going forward, paid subscribers will gain exclusive access to quarterly webinar sessions, which discuss the trends I’ve cover more in-depth.

To existing subscribers: your rate remains $6.80/month; $68/year;

To those who subscribe after July 6: you will be on the new rate of $9.80/month; $98/year.

You will receive:

• Access to all posts (current posts are auto-paywalled after a week)

• Exclusive access to quarterly webinar sessions

• Direct input into future topics

I’m also offering 10 complimentary memberships for students and media/translation freelancers before August. If cost is a barrier, please email my personal address at yjiang2530 at gmail.com by July 6. Let me know how it’d benefit your work. (Apologies for the delay for those who reached out during the last round, I will add your subscriptions along with the new batch.)

Thanks for being here — and for believing that Chinese consumers are worth understanding deeply.

Warmly,
Yaling