Chinese social media platform RedNote (Xiaohongshu) launched an aggressive influencer marketing campaign in the United States, seeking to capitalize on uncertainty surrounding TikTok's future in the country.
According to campaign documents, New York-based marketing agency Solare Global approached US content creators to produce sponsored posts promoting RedNote's growing presence in the American market. The campaign emphasized the app's user-friendly interface and potential for international connection.
Creators were instructed to highlight RedNote's engaging features and encourage their followers to join the platform. The campaign required a rapid 24-hour turnaround for content creation, timing the push to coincide with a critical Supreme Court decision regarding TikTok's potential ban.
RedNote, which boasts over 300 million monthly active users primarily in China, saw an unexpected surge in US downloads as TikTok faced regulatory challenges. The platform differs from TikTok by presenting content in a grid format that combines photos, videos, and text posts.
A notable distinction between the platforms lies in their content moderation approaches. As a China-based service, RedNote operates under Beijing's content restrictions, while TikTok maintains separate operations through its parent company ByteDance's Douyin app in China.
The influx of American users created unprecedented cultural exchange opportunities on RedNote, with users from both countries engaging in conversations about daily life, education, and living conditions. The marketing campaign aimed to leverage this organic cross-cultural dialogue, promoting RedNote as a global platform fostering international understanding.
Neither RedNote nor Solare Global responded to requests for comment regarding campaign specifics or creator compensation details.