2025 Wine Industry Douyin & Xiaohongshu Influencer Marketing Strategy Report: Brand and Performance Growth with a 5 Million RMB Budget

I. Executive Summary

In 2025, the Chinese Wine industry is undergoing a profound transformation, driven by the youthfulness of its consumer base and the digitalization of marketing channels. Young consumers, especially those aged 18-30 and even the post-85s to post-95s generations, have become a high-growth segment in the Wine market. Their consumption habits and information acquisition methods for Wine have significantly changed, with a greater tendency to obtain information and make purchases through online platforms like Douyin and Xiaohongshu. Although the total online sales of alcoholic beverages have grown rapidly, the online penetration rate of Wine still has immense room for improvement compared to the overall consumer goods market. This clearly indicates that Wine brands must accelerate their digital transformation to adapt to the evolving consumer demographics and channel landscape.

This report aims to develop a comprehensive 2025 Douyin and Xiaohongshu influencer marketing plan for Wine enterprises, centered around a total budget of 5 million RMB, to achieve a dual objective of brand awareness and sales conversion.

Overview of Douyin and Xiaohongshu Influencer Marketing Strategy:

• Douyin: This platform will focus on live commerce, scenario-based product innovation, and online-to-offline (O2O) traffic redirection to achieve rapid sales conversion and broad brand exposure. Douyin boasts the highest daily active user/monthly active user (DAU/MAU) ratio among all platforms at 76.3% , with users spanning all age groups and accelerating penetration into third and fourth-tier cities , making it an ideal platform for achieving scaled sales.

• Xiaohongshu: This platform will emphasize in-depth content seeding (“zhongcao”), integrating Wine into lifestyle narratives, and encouraging user co-creation, aiming to build brand mindshare and emotional connections. Xiaohongshu’s user stickiness has increased to 39.1%, and its daily average usage time growth rate far surpasses Douyin. Its primary users are light-mature women aged 18-35, with a TGI index exceeding 130 for users in higher-tier cities , providing a unique environment for Wine brands to cultivate a young and fashionable image.

• Dual-Platform Synergy: The core of the strategy is to build a “Xiaohongshu for seeding, Douyin for conversion” path, achieving a blend of brand building and performance. By fully leveraging the strengths of each platform, the strategy aims to cover the entire marketing funnel from brand mindshare to sales conversion.

5 Million RMB Budget Allocation Principles and Expected Benefits:

The budget will be meticulously allocated based on platform characteristics, target audience, influencer tiers, and expected return on investment (ROI), balancing brand awareness enhancement and sales conversion. Douyin will receive a higher proportion of the budget to drive sales, while Xiaohongshu will focus on brand mindshare building. The ads will primarily target cost-effective mid-tier/vertical influencers, combined with a small number of top-tier influencers to boost brand momentum. Through precise targeting, the goal is to enhance brand recognition and favorability among young consumers, drive online sales growth, and effectively expand market share. Simultaneously, strict adherence to alcohol advertising regulations will be maintained to ensure the compliance and sustainability of marketing activities.

II. 2025 Wine Industry Digital Marketing Environment Analysis

Wine Market Status and Online Trends: Youthful, Premium, Diversified

The Chinese Wine market is in a dynamic period of transformation. From macro data, after a period of declining output, the brewing industry saw a slight rebound in 2022, with total output reaching 54.275 million kiloliters, a year-on-year increase of 0.8%. Concurrently, industry operating revenue and profits continued to grow, with cumulative product sales revenue reaching 950.90 billion RMB in 2022, up 9.1% year-on-year; cumulative total profit reached 249.15 billion RMB, up 27.4% year-on-year. These figures collectively depict a recovery and growth trend for the Wine industry as a whole.

Within the alcoholic beverage market, Wine holds a dominant position. According to brand value assessments, the top five listed alcohol companies by brand value are all Wine enterprises, with Kweichow Moutai and Wuliangye leading by a significant margin. This not only highlights Wine’s central role in the alcohol market but also reflects the strong appeal and market concentration of leading brands within the industry. Although the market size grew from 565.4 billion RMB in 2017 to 662.1 billion RMB in 2022, the number of enterprises above a designated size has decreased year by year, from 1,593 in 2017 to 963 in 2022. This phenomenon indicates an accelerating industry consolidation, with market resources concentrating among a few leading enterprises.

Notably, Wine category sales on the Douyin e-commerce platform have shown significant growth, with a year-on-year increase of 122.3% , confirming the immense market potential of Wine in online channels. Douyin already has 330 million users interested in alcoholic beverages, with Wine being the main category , further validating the importance of online channels for Wine sales.

Youthful Consumer Trend

The Wine consumer base is undergoing a significant shift towards younger demographics. Young consumers aged 18-30 have become a high-growth segment for Wine consumption. According to statistics from the China Alcoholic Drinks Association, young people account for 34% of Wine consumption. A report by Ries Consulting further indicates that the young alcohol beverage market size reaches 400 billion RMB, with a potential young alcohol beverage population of 490 million. This trend reveals the core driving force for future growth in the Wine industry: capturing the consumption demands of the younger generation.

Consumer profiles show that the average education level of Wine consumers is gradually increasing, and their average age is decreasing. Young consumers pursue more personalized, fashionable, and diversified consumption experiences. Traditional consumption scenarios such as self-drinking, banquets, and gifting are gradually being replaced by gatherings, entertainment, and parties, while the integration of alcohol and tourism has also become a new consumption scenario, with young people tending to buy local specialty Wine during travel. Furthermore, young consumers not only focus on the quality of Wine but also pay more attention to the cultural stories, historical heritage, and alignment with personal identity behind the brand. They have a higher willingness to pay for “IP,” which has driven the emergence of innovative marketing methods such as co-branded products, customized products, and cross-industry collaborations.

Accelerated Online and Digital Transformation

Young consumers’ channels for obtaining Wine information and making purchases have clearly shifted to online platforms, such as Douyin and Xiaohongshu. In 2023, the total online sales of alcoholic beverages exceeded 120 billion RMB, a year-on-year increase of 56.4%, of which Wine/flavored spirits sales reached 90 billion RMB, a year-on-year increase of 77.7%. These data strongly prove that online channels have become an important growth pole for Wine sales. However, despite rapid online sales growth, the online penetration rate of Wine is only 11.9%, far below the 32.7% of the overall consumer goods market. This significant gap indicates that the Wine industry still has immense room for improvement and development potential in its online transformation process.

Digitalization and intelligence are irreversible new trends in the Wine industry. The China Alcoholic Drinks Association plans to integrate new AI technologies for promotion in 2025, actively building a national-level platform for wine culture and product trade promotion, and creating a “1+N” international communication model for Wine. Online platforms can precisely target customers through big data technology, eliminate geographical restrictions, and meet consumers’ demand for convenient shopping anytime, anywhere.

Product Innovation and Consumer Preferences

In online sales, mid-to-high-end and high-end price segments, as well as niche aroma types, are faster-growing sub-categories. When purchasing Wine, alcohol content and aroma type are important considerations, with “41-50 degrees” and “sauce aroma” being more popular. To cater to the tastes of young consumers, innovative products such as low-alcohol beverages, fruit wines, and sparkling wines are popular due to their softer, easier-to-drink taste. For example, in 2024, well-known brands like “Moutai, Wuliangye, Luzhou Laojiao, Fenjiu” have successively launched low-alcohol products.

Packaging design innovation has also become increasingly important. Young consumers tend to choose Wine packaging that is fashionable, unique, personalized, and culturally rich, as creative and historically aged packaging can enhance the product’s social value, brand image, and premium capability. Additionally, consumers show a relatively high interest in brewing techniques, knowledge of the brewing process, and knowledge of Wine tasting and collection. Taste/flavor, alcohol content, brand/authenticity guarantee, aroma type, word-of-mouth evaluation, vintage/origin are also major factors consumers consider when purchasing.

Core Target Consumer Insights: Douyin vs. Xiaohongshu User Profile Comparison

A deep understanding of the differences in Douyin and Xiaohongshu user profiles is fundamental to formulating a precise influencer marketing strategy.

Douyin User Profile:

Among Wine-interested users on Douyin, male interest is significantly higher than female interest, with the 31-40 age group having the largest proportion. City distribution is mainly concentrated in first and second-tier cities, but its penetration rate in third and fourth-tier cities is accelerating. The main reasons for Douyin Wine consumers to purchase Wine on short video platforms include: price advantage/price transparency, high platform trustworthiness, wide variety of available products/brands, and strong/diverse promotional activities. In terms of content preference, the top three most watched content types by Douyin users are comedy, food, and film/TV二次创作 (secondary creation). They also show a relatively high interest in brewing techniques/process knowledge and Wine tasting/collection knowledge.

Xiaohongshu User Profile:

Xiaohongshu’s user base, on the other hand, shows significant differences. 70% of users are light-mature women aged 18-35, and the TGI index for users in higher-tier cities (first-tier/new first-tier) exceeds 130. Online consumers generally show a trend of “higher education, younger age”. Xiaohongshu users love life and enjoy food and fashion content, with significantly higher viewership rates for fashion and beauty, parenting, and finance-related content. Xiaohongshu’s content style is highly compatible with the dissemination of alcohol culture, often presented in scenario-based, lifestyle-oriented ways, helping users gain a deeper understanding of alcohol culture and products by conveying emotional value.

To more intuitively illustrate the differences in user profiles between the two platforms, the following table provides a detailed comparison:

Table 1: Douyin vs. Xiaohongshu Platform User Profile Comparison

Feature Dimension	Douyin Platform	Xiaohongshu Platform
User Stickiness	Daily Active User/Monthly Active User (DAU/MAU) reaches 76.3% (highest among all platforms)	User stickiness increased from 32.4% to 39.1%, daily average usage time growth rate of 12.1% (far exceeding Douyin)
Wine Interested Users Gender	Male interest significantly higher than female	Online consumers show a trend of “higher education, younger age,” no clear gender preference, but the platform as a whole is dominated by female users
Wine Interested Users Age	31-40 age group has the highest proportion	70% are light-mature women aged 18-35 ; average age has decreased
City Distribution	Concentrated in first and second-tier cities, accelerating penetration in third and fourth-tier cities	Higher-tier cities (first-tier/new first-tier) user TGI index exceeds 130
Content Preference	Comedy, food, film/TV secondary creation ; brewing techniques/process knowledge, Wine tasting/collection knowledge	Love life, food, fashion content ; content style highly compatible with alcohol culture dissemination, often presented in scenario-based, lifestyle-oriented ways
Purchase Driving Factors	Price advantage/transparency, high platform trustworthiness, wide variety of products/brands, strong promotional activities	Online platforms offer diverse choices, facilitating comparison and selection ; young consumers pay more attention to personalized, fashionable, diversified experiences, high willingness to pay for “IP”

The value of this table lies in its intuitive presentation of the significant differences between Douyin and Xiaohongshu in terms of user composition, content preferences, and purchase drivers. This distinction is the basis for formulating differentiated marketing strategies for both platforms. Douyin leans more towards male, middle-aged, and sinking markets, as well as direct purchase conversion; while Xiaohongshu leans more towards young women, higher-tier cities, and in-depth content seeding and lifestyle integration. This meticulous differentiation allows brands to efficiently allocate resources to the platforms that can best reach their target audience and achieve desired results, based on their product characteristics and marketing objectives.

Douyin Platform Characteristics and Wine Marketing Potential: User Stickiness, Content Preference, Purchase Driving Factors

Douyin, as a leader in short video and live e-commerce, shows immense potential in Wine marketing. Its high DAU/MAU ratio of 76.3% indicates extremely high user activity and efficient content reach, enabling rapid information dissemination.

Douyin’s e-commerce potential cannot be underestimated. Wine category sales on Douyin e-commerce have shown significant growth, with a year-on-year increase of 122.3%. Douyin e-commerce has 330 million users interested in alcoholic beverages, and the alcohol market is experiencing rapid growth, with Wine being a major contributor. This indicates that Douyin has become an important incremental market for Wine sales. Douyin e-commerce’s “CORE” operating methodology, which includes competitive pricing and comprehensive goods, omni-channel content, marketing amplification, and enhanced experience, provides a clear operational path for businesses, helping brands maximize economic benefits while achieving communication.

On Douyin, the main reasons consumers purchase Wine include: price advantage/price transparency, high platform trustworthiness, wide variety of available products/brands, and strong/diverse promotional activities. This suggests that brands should pay special attention to price competitiveness and promotional activity design when advertising on Douyin. Short videos and live streams are the core content formats on Douyin, effectively conveying brand stories, alcohol culture, and brewing techniques. The popularity of Wine content on Douyin has steadily increased, especially influenced by major marketing nodes such as Chinese New Year, 618, and Double 11.

Successful cases also confirm Douyin’s effectiveness in Wine marketing. For example, a well-known Wine brand collaborated with Douyin influencers for live commerce, exceeding online sales expectations and increasing offline store experiences in the local market, successfully integrating the O2O model. Another case is the “Father and Son” Wine brand, which, through creative soft content seeding, formed a small brand-performance-sales cycle, with some high-performing content having a lifespan of up to 9 months, and indirect transaction占比 reaching over 43%. These cases fully demonstrate Douyin’s powerful ability to achieve brand exposure and sales conversion in Wine marketing.

Xiaohongshu Platform Characteristics and Wine Marketing Potential: User Stickiness, Content Style, Content Seeding Conversion Path

Xiaohongshu plays a unique role in Wine marketing, especially in brand mindshare building and in-depth content seeding, where it has irreplaceable advantages. Xiaohongshu’s user stickiness increased from 32.4% to 39.1%, with a daily average usage time growth rate of 12.1%, far exceeding Douyin. This indicates that users spend a long time on Xiaohongshu and consume content deeply, which is conducive to in-depth brand communication and emotional connection.

Xiaohongshu’s user base is primarily light-mature women aged 18-35, with a TGI index exceeding 130 for users in higher-tier cities. These groups are important potential consumers in the trend of Wine’s youthfulness and premiumization, particularly suitable for market cultivation of high-end Wine or innovative categories.

Xiaohongshu’s content style is highly compatible with the dissemination of alcohol culture. Platform content is often presented in scenario-based, lifestyle-oriented ways, capable of conveying emotional value and helping users gain a deeper understanding of alcohol culture and products. This provides a natural environment for Wine brands to export culture and penetrate lifestyles, helping to enhance brand style and cultural added value.

Xiaohongshu’s strong content seeding capability and conversion potential are increasingly prominent. It has become a new upstream for consumption decisions, with the platform connecting the entire chain from content seeding to purchase, and some ad notes can even directly jump to the Taobao APP. The number of brand and buyer collaborations has increased by 370% year-on-year, and buyer streamers like Zhang Xiaohui and Dong Jie have achieved over 100 million RMB in single-session live sales, strongly promoting the formation of a content seeding closed loop.

As of February 2024, Xiaohongshu’s alcohol-interested audience has reached 140 million, with over 80 million users in the alcohol industry vertical, indicating immense untapped potential for alcohol marketing on Xiaohongshu. TAUTROPFEN, through Xiaohongshu KOL marketing, successfully increased brand exposure by 225% and significantly boosted sales. During its first Double 11 promotional period, its facial essence oil jumped to the top in pre-sales on e-commerce platforms, and overall purchase volume increased by 3 times compared to the previous year. This case strongly demonstrates that Xiaohongshu’s content seeding ability can directly translate into significant sales growth.

Alcohol Advertising Regulations and Platform Policy Compliance Analysis and Risk Avoidance

In online marketing for the Wine industry, strict adherence to relevant laws, regulations, and platform policies is crucial. Any non-compliant behavior can lead to severe legal consequences and damage to brand reputation.

National Regulatory Requirements:

According to China’s “Advertising Law” and related regulations, alcohol advertising has clear restrictions:

• Must not contain content that induces or encourages drinking or promotes excessive drinking.

• Must not show drinking actions; must not depict activities such as driving cars, boats, or airplanes.

• Must not be specifically targeted at minors, or specifically depict minors consuming these products. Internet media must not use websites, web pages, internet applications, etc., targeting minors to publish alcohol advertisements.

• Must not link drinking with enhanced physical ability or social/sexual success; must not claim that alcohol has therapeutic effects, or that it is a stimulant, sedative, or a means to resolve interpersonal conflicts.

• Alcohol advertisements can only appear in media where 71.6% of readers (or viewers) are above the legal drinking age.

Douyin Platform Policy (TikTok Ads Policy):

Douyin has clear policy requirements for alcohol advertising:

• Ads must only be shown to audiences aged 18 and above, and landing pages must have an age gate mechanism.

• Must clearly state the alcohol content and concentration of the beverage, and publish a responsible drinking disclaimer in the ad content and on the landing page.

• Prohibited content includes: targeting or appealing to individuals below the legal drinking age; featuring individuals under 25 years old; featuring pregnant women; depicting excessive drinking, drunkenness, or reckless behavior under the influence of alcohol; offering alcohol as prizes or rewards, or promoting any offers or incentives that encourage drinking.

• Advertisements for alcohol-related products are allowed, but must be targeted at users aged 18 and above, and must not mention, describe, or encourage excessive drinking behavior.

Xiaohongshu Platform Policy:

Although Xiaohongshu does not directly provide detailed alcohol advertising policies, as a content platform, its advertising must also strictly comply with national laws and regulations. The Xiaohongshu App’s age rating is 12+, but content involving tobacco, alcohol, or drug use or related content is marked as “occasional/mild” , implying certain restrictions and censorship on alcohol-related content on the platform. Official cooperation through the Xiaohongshu Pugongying (Dandelion) platform can ensure content filing and advertising compliance.

Risk Avoidance and Response:

To effectively mitigate compliance risks, this marketing strategy will adopt the following measures:

• Pre-emptive Content Review: All influencer collaboration content must undergo strict internal review and platform filing (e.g., Douyin Star Chart, Xiaohongshu Pugongying) before publication to ensure full compliance with laws, regulations, and platform policies.

• Clear Influencer Collaboration Guidelines: When signing collaboration agreements with influencers, clear red lines for content creation will be stipulated, including but not limited to not featuring minors, drinking actions, excessive drinking, exaggerated promotion, etc.

• Age Gate Setting: Ensure that all ad landing pages and live streams have age verification mechanisms, strictly restricting access for minors.

• Responsible Drinking Advocacy: Mandatorily include “drink responsibly, consume in moderation” disclaimers in all marketing content, actively fulfilling social responsibility.

• Avoid Exaggerated Promotion: Avoid unrealistic exaggeration of Wine’s efficacy and social value, focusing on authentic presentation of product essence and cultural value.

• Monitor Policy Changes: Establish a regular mechanism to closely monitor the latest changes in national and platform policies regarding alcohol advertising, and adjust marketing strategies promptly to ensure long-term compliant operations.

In-depth Analysis: The Inevitability of Digital Marketing in the Wine Industry and Its Synergistic Value

The Wine industry is facing profound changes in consumption structure. The rise of young consumer groups and the rapid development of online channels collectively constitute the inevitable trend of digital transformation in the industry. Young consumers’ pursuit of personalized, fashionable, and diversified consumption experiences, as well as their willingness to pay for “IP,” provide unprecedented opportunities for Wine brands in product and marketing innovation. While the “old-fashioned” image of traditional Wine is a challenge, it is precisely through online marketing and innovative content that brands can achieve “breakthroughs.” However, this online shift also brings potential risks of “price wars” and “channel conflicts,” requiring brands to operate meticulously. For example, Moutai’s “iMoutai” online community model, through the synergy of interaction and sales, effectively avoided online-offline conflicts, providing a valuable reference for the industry. At the same time, young consumers’ attention to “responsible drinking” and “healthy living” also prompts marketing content to focus more on conveying culture, scenarios, and experiences, rather than simply excessive drinking. This forms a positive interaction with strict alcohol advertising regulations, guiding the industry towards a healthier direction.

Douyin and Xiaohongshu demonstrate significant complementarity and synergistic value in Wine marketing. Douyin, with its massive user base, high activity, and strong live e-commerce capabilities, is more suitable for large-scale brand exposure, rapid sales conversion, and O2O traffic generation. Its users’ sensitivity to prices and promotional activities makes it an effective platform for directly driving purchases. Xiaohongshu, with its deep content seeding capabilities, highly engaged female user base, and lifestyle-oriented content style, is more suitable for brand mindshare building, cultural penetration, and emotional connection. This platform is particularly suitable for attracting young female consumers and promoting high-end or niche categories, subtly influencing consumption decisions through refined content. Therefore, the ideal strategy is to use Xiaohongshu for in-depth content seeding, building brand awareness and favorability, and influencing consumers’ initial decisions; then use Douyin for live commerce and short video marketing to achieve efficient sales conversion and traffic absorption. This “Xiaohongshu for seeding – Douyin for conversion” synergistic model can maximize the dual value of brand building and performance for the 5 million RMB budget, covering the entire funnel from interest generation to purchase conversion, thereby achieving more comprehensive marketing results.

Finally, compliance with alcohol advertising regulations is the lifeline of online marketing. Strict alcohol advertising laws prohibiting inducing drinking, featuring minors, drinking actions, exaggerating efficacy, etc., as well as Douyin’s clear age targeting and content restrictions , all mean that any non-compliant marketing behavior could lead to ad removal, account throttling or even banning, damage to brand reputation, and even hefty fines and legal liabilities. For Wine, an industry under strict regulation, these risks are unacceptable and could render marketing investments futile. Therefore, in the influencer marketing strategy, compliance is not an option but a core priority. From influencer selection, content creation, script review to final publication, every step must strictly adhere to regulations and platform policies. This means investing additional resources in compliance review and providing sufficient compliance training to influencers, ensuring all content conveys a positive image of “responsible drinking” rather than simply pursuing traffic and sales. Compliance is the cornerstone for sustainable marketing activities and long-term healthy brand development.

III. Influencer Marketing Strategy Overview

Core Strategy: Centered on “Content Seeding” to Achieve a Blend of Brand Awareness and Sales Conversion

Given that young consumers are increasingly inclined to obtain information and make purchases through online platforms , and KOL (Key Opinion Leader) marketing has become a crucial means for brands to capture consumer attention and achieve product seeding , this marketing plan will focus on content seeding. Through the influence of influencers, it aims to enhance brand awareness and drive sales conversion. By leveraging influencers’ authentic product experience sharing and professional content output, the goal is to build consumer trust and stimulate purchase desire.

This strategy pursues the goal of integrating brand building and performance, meaning it not only seeks short-term sales growth but also focuses on long-term brand asset accumulation and user mindshare capture. Through high-quality, in-depth content, it aims to spark consumer interest and emotional resonance with Wine, ultimately guiding purchasing behavior and cultivating brand loyalty. Performance evaluation will use multi-dimensional metrics, including brand exposure (views, reads), engagement (likes, comments, shares), follower growth, content sharing, live commerce gross merchandise volume (GMV), as well as conversion rates and user retention, to ensure the transparency and measurability of marketing investment.

Dual-Platform Differentiated Positioning and Synergistic Effects

To maximize the effectiveness of the 5 million RMB budget, Douyin and Xiaohongshu will be positioned differently to achieve synergistic effects.

Douyin: Drive Conversion, Strong Interaction, Scenario-Based Sales

Douyin will serve as the core sales conversion platform, directly guiding purchases through live commerce and short video content to achieve rapid conversion from traffic to sales.

• Content Focus:

  • Scenario-based Marketing: Combine Wine with scenarios preferred by young consumers, such as gatherings, entertainment, parties, and gifting , to showcase Wine’s application in different life situations, such as food pairing, casual drinks with friends, holiday gifting, business banquets, etc., emphasizing the product’s practicality and social attributes.

  • Product Innovation Showcase: Highlight product features that align with young people’s preferences, such as low-alcohol Wine, innovative aroma types, and fashionable packaging. Directly demonstrate product advantages through influencer reviews and experience sharing.

  • Knowledge Popularization: Address consumers’ interest in brewing techniques, tasting knowledge, and collection knowledge by providing professional popular science content through short videos and live streams, enhancing brand professionalism and trustworthiness, and satisfying users’ thirst for knowledge.

  • Live Commerce: Fully leverage Douyin e-commerce’s live streaming advantages, stimulating immediate purchases through real-time influencer interaction, limited-time offers, product explanations, and Q&A sessions. Simultaneously, combine with online-to-offline (O2O) models to guide online traffic to offline stores for experiences, achieving full-funnel conversion.

• Influencer Selection: Prioritize food, lifestyle, comedy/drama KOLs with strong sales capabilities, outstanding content creation abilities, and high follower stickiness , as well as influencers with professional backgrounds in alcohol culture.

Xiaohongshu: Deep Content Seeding, Mindshare Building, Lifestyle Integration

Xiaohongshu will serve as a platform for brand mindshare building and deep content seeding, influencing consumer decisions through lifestyle content and establishing emotional connections and long-term brand value.

• Content Focus:

  • Lifestyle Integration: Subtly integrate Wine into daily outfits, food exploration, home life, travel experiences, festive atmospheres, and other scenarios, emphasizing Wine’s fashion sense, taste symbol, and aesthetic appeal.

  • Emotional Value Transmission: Tell brand stories, brewing processes, and cultural heritage, attracting young female users through emotional resonance. For example, explore the craftsmanship, regional characteristics, or historical anecdotes behind Wine.

  • User Co-creation and UGC: Encourage users to share Wine-related experiences, pairing tips, gifting guides, tasting notes, etc., leveraging Xiaohongshu’s UGC community features to foster authentic word-of-mouth spread and content compounding.

  • Tasting Experience Sharing: Invite influencers to create Wine tasting notes, sharing detailed insights from the perspectives of taste, aroma, drinking experience, and pairing suggestions, to satisfy consumers’ pursuit of “high quality” and “value for money”.

• Influencer Selection: Prioritize KOLs with high influence, exquisite content, and high engagement rates in fashion, food, lifestyle, and travel, especially T3/T4 tier influencers, who typically offer higher cost-effectiveness and precise follower targeting.

Synergistic Effects:

The core of this strategy is to achieve synergistic effects between Douyin and Xiaohongshu. Xiaohongshu, through refined content and deep content seeding, builds brand awareness and favorability, attracting potential consumers. These “seeded” users have their purchase intent initially stimulated. Subsequently, Douyin, through efficient live streams and short videos, takes over the traffic from Xiaohongshu, providing direct purchase entry points and promotional incentives, thereby achieving sales conversion. This “Xiaohongshu for seeding – Douyin for conversion” marketing loop maximizes the dual enhancement of brand awareness and sales performance, ensuring the 5 million RMB budget achieves its maximum potential.

Integration of Innovative Marketing Methods: Low-alcohol Wine, Packaging Design, AI Empowerment, Immersive Experiences, Digital Assets

To stand out in the competitive Wine market and effectively reach young consumers, this strategy will integrate multiple innovative marketing methods.

• Low-alcohol Wine and Category Innovation: Addressing young consumers’ shifting preferences away from the strong traditional Wine and their demand for low-alcohol beverages , influencers will be encouraged to prominently promote innovative categories such as low-alcohol Wine, fruit wines, and sparkling wines. Content creation will incorporate fashionable drinking scenarios, such as light social gatherings and personal “micro-tipsy” moments, thereby breaking traditional Wine stereotypes and showcasing the product’s diversification and youthfulness.

• Packaging Design Innovation: Emphasize the fashionable, unique, and personalized design of Wine product packaging. Through influencer showcases of its “high aesthetic value” and “social attributes,” enhance the product’s appeal among young people, making it a vehicle for social sharing and stimulating spontaneous user dissemination.

• AI Technology Empowering Marketing: Leverage AI technologies like DeepSeek for in-depth data mining and consumer behavior analysis. This will help brands accurately predict consumption trends, provide more targeted directions for influencer content creation, and enable customized social interaction content and online activities. The integration of AI will not only improve the precision and efficiency of marketing activities but also inject a sense of technology and intelligence into the brand. The China Alcoholic Drinks Association also plans to integrate new AI technologies for promotion in 2025 , indicating that AI applications in alcohol marketing will become more widespread.

• Creating “Immersive” Experiences: Through influencer content, combined with virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and other technological means, provide seamless online and offline immersive alcohol culture experiences. For example, influencers can guide viewers on a “cloud tour” of brewing origins or core production bases, allowing them to personally participate in brewing, tasting, and cultural heritage activities, thereby enhancing consumer emotional connection and brand favorability.

• Wine Digital Assets: Explore the launch of digital assets similar to “Wine coins” or “Wine NFTs (Non-Fungible Tokens)” within the context of blockchain and digital currencies. Influencers can promote these digital assets, digitizing brand culture, limited edition Wine, specific series, etc., allowing consumers to purchase, trade, and collect them. This will not only enhance the scarcity and collection value of brand assets but also trigger cross-industry collaborations and market expansion. For instance, purchasing an NFT could grant access to limited physical Wine or exclusive tasting experiences.

IV. Budget Allocation and Roadmap

Budget Allocation Principles

The total budget of 5 million RMB will be meticulously allocated to maximize marketing effectiveness. The core principle is to prioritize based on platform characteristics, target audience, influencer tiers, and expected ROI, balancing brand awareness enhancement and sales conversion. Douyin, as the primary sales conversion platform, will receive a higher proportion of the budget; Xiaohongshu, as a platform for brand mindshare building and deep content seeding, will also receive a significant share. The investment will focus on cost-effective mid-tier/vertical influencers, combined with a small number of top-tier influencers to boost brand momentum, while reserving a portion of the budget for platform traffic boosting and contingency adjustments.

Table 2: Suggested Dual-Platform Budget Allocation for 5 Million RMB

Platform	Budget Percentage	Budget Amount (RMB)	Focus	Influencer Tiers & Types	Remarks
Douyin	65%	3.25 million	Sales conversion, brand exposure, O2O traffic generation	Top-tier influencers (10-15%): Renowned food/lifestyle/alcohol culture KOLs for live commerce, brand endorsement, boosting overall awareness. Mid-tier/Vertical influencers (35-40%): Food, local exploration, drama, alcohol review influencers for high-frequency short video content, live commerce, achieving daily sales and content coverage. Amateur/KOCs (5-10%): Encourage user-generated content (UGC) to form authentic word-of-mouth and increase content interaction.	Douyin influencer pricing reference: Top-tier influencers are expensive, drama/comedy KOLs offer high overall cost-effectiveness, and agricultural KOLs have low exposure costs.
Xiaohongshu	35%	1.75 million	Deep content seeding, brand mindshare building, lifestyle integration	Top-tier influencers (5-8%): Fashion, lifestyle aesthetics, tasting KOLs for brand image building, high-end content output. Mid-tier/Vertical influencers (15-20%): Food, fashion, home, travel, tasting influencers for high-quality graphic/short video notes, penetrating lifestyle scenarios, deep content seeding. Amateur/KOCs (5-7%): Encourage user sharing to enhance content authenticity and community activity.	Xiaohongshu influencer pricing reference: T3&T4 influencers are more cost-effective, and graphic KOLs have 35% lower cost per thousand followers than video KOLs. Luxury industry KOLs can cost 100,000-1,000,000 RMB , providing a reference for high-end Wine top-tier influencers.
Platform Boost/Advertising	Included in each platform’s budget	Approx. 500,000-700,000 (15-20% of each platform’s budget)	Content amplification, precise targeting	Douyin Jiliang Xingtu, Xiaohongshu Pugongying (Dandelion) efficient mode, and other official traffic tools.	Ensure quality influencer content receives sufficient exposure and improves conversion efficiency.
Content Production/Creative	Included in each platform’s budget	Approx. 300,000-500,000	Enhance content quality and appeal	Influencer content production fees, creative planning fees, material shooting fees, etc.	Ensure high-quality content that aligns with platform style is produced.
Monitoring/Optimization/Contingency	5%	250,000	Data analysis, strategy adjustment, risk response	Data analysis tools, public opinion monitoring, backup influencer resources, etc.	Respond to market changes and emergencies, ensuring marketing flexibility.
Total	100%	5 million

2025 Marketing Roadmap

Phase 1: Strategy Formulation and Influencer Selection (Q1 2025)

This phase aims to lay a solid foundation for the entire year’s marketing activities.

• Market Research and Goal Refinement: Based on the 2025 Wine industry trend report, combined with the brand’s characteristics, define specific marketing objectives, such as new product launch promotion, specific product line sales increase, brand youthfulness image building, etc.

• Influencer Profiling and Selection: Based on the differences in Douyin and Xiaohongshu user profiles, establish detailed influencer selection criteria, including follower count, content vertical, engagement data, past cases, and compliance records, to build a tiered influencer collaboration pool.

• Content Strategy and Creative: Customize content themes, creative directions, and interaction mechanisms for different platforms and influencer types, ensuring content is both platform-appropriate and highlights brand characteristics. For example, Douyin focuses on short, fast, and highly interactive scenario-based content, while Xiaohongshu focuses on refined, in-depth lifestyle sharing.

• Compliance Review: Strictly enforce alcohol advertising regulations and platform policies, conducting pre-emptive compliance reviews of all content creatives and potential influencer backgrounds to ensure controllable risks.

Phase 2: Content Creation and Initial Launch (Q2 2025)

This phase will initiate preliminary content ads, test market response, and optimize.

• Xiaohongshu Deep Content Seeding: Initiate collaborations with mid-tier/vertical influencers to publish high-quality graphic/short video notes. Content will deeply penetrate topics related to Wine’s integration into lifestyle, tasting experiences, and cultural stories, aiming to build brand awareness and emotional connection.

• Douyin Scenario-Based Short Videos: Initiate collaborations with mid-tier/vertical influencers to publish short videos combining Wine drinking scenarios, focusing on the content’s entertainment and practicality, to accumulate traffic for subsequent sales conversion.

• Data Monitoring and Optimization: Real-time monitor content performance and engagement data (e.g., views, likes, comments, shares, saves) on each platform, conduct preliminary effect evaluation and content optimization, such as adjusting publishing times, content formats, or influencer selection.

Phase 3: Explosive Promotion and Sales Conversion (Q3-Q4 2025, around key nodes)

This phase will focus on the traditional peak consumption seasons and e-commerce major sales events in the Wine industry, conducting concentrated explosive promotions to achieve significant sales growth.

• Node Marketing: Increase ads intensity around important consumption nodes such as Chinese New Year, 618, Double 11, Mid-Autumn Festival, and National Day , launching customized marketing activities.

• Douyin Live Commerce: Invite top-tier/mid-tier influencers to conduct multiple live commerce sessions, combining with platform promotional activities (e.g., Douyin e-commerce’s “competitive pricing and comprehensive goods, marketing amplification” strategy ), stimulating immediate purchases through real-time interaction and limited-time offers to achieve sales explosion.

• Xiaohongshu Brand Linkage: Engage in deep brand collaborations with top-tier influencers, launching co-branded products and customized content to enhance brand awareness and influence, maximizing Xiaohongshu’s content seeding effect.

• O2O Integration: Guide online traffic to offline stores, hosting tasting events and alcohol culture experience activities to achieve online-offline linkage, enhancing consumer experience and conversion rates.

• AI Empowerment: Utilize AI technology to optimize ads strategies, precisely reaching potential consumers through in-depth data mining and consumer behavior analysis, improving marketing efficiency and personalized experiences.

Continuous Optimization and Performance Evaluation:

• Regular Review: Conduct comprehensive reviews of ads effectiveness monthly or quarterly, analyze ROI, and adjust influencer strategies and content direction based on data feedback.

• User Feedback: Actively collect user comments and private messages to understand consumers’ true feedback on the brand and products, using it as an important basis for product iteration and marketing optimization.

• Innovative Attempts: Continuously pay attention to new platform features and trends, such as Douyin Star Chart’s T+S benefits for high returns , or Xiaohongshu Pugongying’s “Efficient Mode”. Simultaneously, actively try cutting-edge digital asset marketing like VR/AR immersive experiences, Wine coins/NFTs , to maintain the brand’s innovative vitality.

V. Influencer Resource Recommendations

Influencer selection is crucial for the success of an influencer marketing strategy. Strict influencer selection criteria will be established based on the characteristics of the Wine industry and the preferences of users on both platforms, and corresponding types of influencers will be recommended.

Influencer Selection Criteria

• Fit: The influencer’s personal image, content style, and follower demographics must highly match the Wine brand’s core values and target audience.

• Follower Quality: Focus on the influencer’s follower activity, authenticity, and overlap with the target consumer profile (e.g., age, region, purchasing power). Highly engaged follower groups often indicate higher conversion potential.

• Content Creation Ability: Influencers must possess the ability to produce high-quality content that naturally and cleverly integrates Wine products into daily scenarios, avoiding a stiff advertising feel, and resonating with users through creative content.

• Past Cases and Reputation: Prioritize influencers with successful marketing experience in alcohol or related categories. Their past ROI performance and brand collaboration reputation are important references.

• Compliance Awareness: Given the strict regulation of alcohol advertising, influencers must have a high degree of awareness of laws, regulations, and platform policies, and be willing to actively cooperate with the brand for content review and adjustments.

Douyin Influencer Types and Recommendation Directions

Douyin, with its short video and live streaming features, is more suitable for directly stimulating purchases through scenario-based, entertaining, and informative content.

• Food/Restaurant Review Influencers: These influencers can pair Wine with various foods, such as home-cooked meals, barbecue, hot pot, high-end dining, etc., showcasing Wine’s role as a meal accompaniment and the joy of tasting.

  • Content Example: “This Wine with spicy crayfish is absolutely amazing!” “Discovered a hidden gem of a liquor store, this Wine is a must-have for gatherings!”

• Lifestyle/Emotional Resonance Influencers: Combine Wine with scenarios like family gatherings, holiday gifting, and life reflections, conveying the emotional value and cultural connotations of Wine through storytelling.

  • Content Example: “A glass of Wine, to the flavors of life, to the friends who’ve been through thick and thin with you!” “Gifting Wine to my father, it’s not just a gift, but a transfer of heartfelt sentiment!”

• Alcohol Culture/Tasting Knowledge Influencers: Provide popular science content on professional topics such as Wine brewing techniques, historical culture, tasting methods, and collection knowledge, enhancing brand professionalism and trustworthiness.

  • Content Example: “The secret of sauce-aroma Wine, I’ll tell you today!” “How to taste a good Wine, even a beginner can easily get started!”

• Drama/Comedy Influencers: Cleverly integrate Wine products into humorous, story-driven short dramas, increasing content virality and entertainment.

  • Content Example: Scenario-based dramas around funny family moments or awkward friend gatherings involving Wine.

• O2O/Local Life Influencers: Guide online users to offline stores for experiences or purchases, achieving offline conversion of online traffic.

  • Content Example: “Check in at XX Winery, taste authentic Wine, and experience traditional brewing craftsmanship!”

Xiaohongshu Influencer Types and Recommendation Directions

Xiaohongshu, with its refined graphic content and lifestyle focus, is more suitable for deep content seeding and brand mindshare building.

• Fashion/Outfit/Beauty Influencers: Integrate Wine as a fashion item or a symbol of lifestyle into exquisite living scenarios, enhancing Wine’s trendiness and taste attribute.

  • Content Example: “My tipsy night starts with a glass of XX Wine, paired with my new dress!” “Girlfriends’ afternoon tea, Wine can be elegant too, I’ll teach you how to mix your exclusive drink!”

• Food/Baking/Home Living Influencers: Combine Wine with cooking, drink mixing, home decor, and other scenarios, showcasing Wine’s diversified applications and lifestyle aesthetics.

  • Content Example: “Cooking with Wine, the taste goes up a notch, here’s my exclusive recipe!” “My private collection of Wine, creating a high-end home ambiance, making life full of rituals!”

• Travel/Outdoor Influencers: Combine Wine with local customs, outdoor picnics, camping, and other scenarios during travel, showcasing Wine’s regional culture and leisure attributes.

  • Content Example: “In XX ancient town, taste a sip of authentic Wine and experience the local charm!” “Camping essential, this Wine will make you slightly tipsy all summer, enjoying the beauty of nature!”

• Tasting/Collection Influencers: For high-end Wine or niche aroma types, conduct professional and aesthetically pleasing tasting shares, attracting high-net-worth users and enthusiasts with in-depth knowledge of Wine.

  • Content Example: “My Wine collection, every bottle has a story, today I’m sharing this treasured one!” “In-depth tasting of XX Wine, experiencing the ingenious brewing craftsmanship and unique flavor!”

• Lifestyle Aesthetics/Art Influencers: Create aesthetically pleasing and profound content combining Wine’s cultural heritage and artistic attributes, elevating brand style.

  • Content Example: “The collision of Wine and traditional culture, a feast for the eyes and taste buds, experiencing the charm of national essence!”

VI. Risk Management and Compliance

In influencer marketing for the Wine industry, risk management and compliance are crucial. Any oversight can lead to severe legal consequences, platform penalties, and damage to brand reputation. Therefore, this strategy will implement comprehensive risk management across four dimensions: laws and regulations, platform policies, brand reputation, and conversion effectiveness.

Legal and Regulatory Risks

• Risk Points: Violations of the “Advertising Law” and related alcohol advertising regulations, such as inducing or encouraging drinking, showing drinking actions, featuring minors, exaggerating product efficacy, or engaging in false advertising. These violations can lead to hefty fines, ad removal, or even legal action.

• Mitigation Measures:

  • Pre-emptive Content Review: Establish a strict content review mechanism. All influencer-created content must undergo dual review by the brand’s marketing department and legal team before publication to ensure full compliance with national laws and regulations.

  • Clear Collaboration Terms: Clearly list prohibited content and compliance requirements in collaboration agreements with influencers, and specify corresponding liabilities for breach of contract, ensuring influencers are aware of their compliance obligations.

  • Compliance Training: Provide alcohol advertising compliance training to all collaborating influencers to enhance their legal awareness and sensitivity to compliant content creation.

  • Responsible Drinking Advocacy: Mandatorily add disclaimers such as “drink responsibly, no alcohol for minors” in all marketing content , actively fulfilling social responsibility and promoting healthy drinking habits.

Platform Policy Risks

• Risk Points: Violations of specific rules on official collaboration platforms like Douyin Star Chart and Xiaohongshu Pugongying, such as incorrect age targeting, content throttling, or account suspension. Changes in platform policies can also bring new compliance challenges.

• Mitigation Measures:

  • Official Platform Collaboration: Prioritize influencer collaborations through official platforms like Douyin Star Chart and Xiaohongshu Pugongying. These platforms typically offer content filing and traffic boosting services, helping ensure content compliance and stable exposure.

  • Age Gate Setting: Ensure that all ad landing pages and live streams have age verification mechanisms and strictly limit ads to users aged 18 and above.

  • Avoid Sensitive Content: Strictly avoid content explicitly prohibited by platforms, such as featuring individuals under 25, pregnant women, or depicting excessive drinking.

  • Real-time Policy Monitoring: Establish a mechanism to real-time monitor updates to Douyin, Xiaohongshu, and other platform policies, and promptly adjust marketing strategies and content direction to adapt to changes in platform rules.

Brand Reputation Risks

• Risk Points: Improper influencer selection, low content quality, inappropriate influencer personal behavior, or negative public opinion outbreaks can all damage the Wine brand’s image and consumer trust.

• Mitigation Measures:

  • Strict Influencer Screening: In the influencer selection process, in addition to follower data, comprehensively consider the influencer’s past content quality, public image, reputation, and alignment with brand tone, choosing influencers with a positive image and good reputation.

  • Content Quality Control: Ensure that influencers produce high-quality, creative content that meets brand communication objectives, avoiding vulgar, overly commercial, or brand-inconsistent content.

  • Public Opinion Monitoring and Response: Establish a 24-hour public opinion monitoring mechanism to real-time monitor negative comments and inappropriate remarks related to the brand or influencers, and develop rapid response and handling plans.

  • Crisis PR Plan: Develop a detailed crisis public relations plan in advance, clarifying procedures and responsible parties for handling emergencies, to minimize negative impact.

Conversion Effectiveness Risks

• Risk Points: Marketing investment fails to deliver expected sales growth or brand awareness improvement, leading to budget waste.

• Mitigation Measures:

  • Refined Data Analysis: Utilize professional data analysis tools to conduct multi-dimensional analysis of ads data, including exposure, engagement, click-through rates, conversion rates, and ROI, to deeply uncover underlying reasons.

  • A/B Testing and Iteration: Conduct A/B tests on different content formats, influencer types, and ads strategies, continuously optimizing ads strategies based on data feedback, achieving rapid iteration.

  • Online-Offline Linkage: Combine online marketing with offline tasting events, themed exhibitions, and other activities to form an O2O closed loop of online traffic generation and offline conversion, improving overall conversion effectiveness.

  • User Asset Accumulation and Private Domain Operations: Guide online traffic to follow official brand accounts and join brand communities, transforming one-time traffic into long-term operable user assets. Enhance user stickiness and cultivate brand loyalty through community interaction and membership systems.

VII. Conclusion and Outlook

In 2025, the Chinese Wine industry is at a critical juncture of digital transformation, full of opportunities and challenges. The rise of young consumer groups and the vigorous development of online channels collectively constitute the core driving force for the industry’s future growth. Douyin and Xiaohongshu, as two core social media platforms, each possess unique platform characteristics and user profiles. Through differentiated positioning and synergistic strategies, they can effectively cover the entire funnel from deep brand content seeding to efficient sales conversion. The successful implementation of influencer marketing as a core means hinges on precise grasp and strict adherence to content creativity, influencer selection, platform rules, and legal regulations.

Key Conclusions:

• The youthfulness and online shift of the Wine industry are irreversible trends, with online channels becoming a new growth pole that still holds immense untapped potential.

• Douyin and Xiaohongshu are highly complementary in Wine marketing; Douyin excels at rapid conversion and scaled exposure, while Xiaohongshu focuses on deep content seeding and mindshare building.

• Influencer marketing is an effective bridge connecting brands with young consumers, capable of conveying brand value and stimulating consumption interest through engaging content.

• Strict alcohol advertising regulations and platform policies are the red lines for online marketing; compliance must permeate the entire marketing process.

Action Recommendations:

• Continue to Deepen Dual-Platform Synergistic Strategy: Strengthen Xiaohongshu’s brand mindshare building and deep content seeding capabilities, attracting young groups through refined, lifestyle-oriented content; simultaneously, fully leverage Douyin’s live commerce and scenario-based marketing advantages to absorb traffic from Xiaohongshu and achieve efficient sales conversion. Build a “Xiaohongshu for seeding – Douyin for conversion” marketing closed loop.

• Embrace Innovative Content and Technology: Actively explore product features that align with young consumers’ preferences, such as low-alcohol Wine and innovative packaging, and present them vividly through influencer content. Simultaneously, boldly experiment with cutting-edge technologies like AI-powered marketing, immersive experiences, and digital assets (e.g., “Wine coins” or NFTs) to meet young consumers’ personalized and diversified needs and enhance the brand’s technological appeal.

• Build an Influencer Matrix and Refined Operations: Establish a diverse influencer matrix covering top-tier, mid-tier, vertical influencers, and amateur/KOCs, achieving a combination of broad coverage and deep penetration. Manage influencer ads meticulously, continuously optimizing influencer selection, content formats, and ads rhythm based on data feedback to improve ads efficiency and ROI.

• Integrate Compliance into the Entire Marketing Process: From strategy formulation to content execution, always treat alcohol advertising regulations and platform policies as inviolable red lines. Strengthen internal review and influencer training to ensure all marketing content conveys a positive image of “responsible drinking” and safeguards brand reputation and business security.

• Strengthen User Asset Accumulation and Private Domain Operations: Convert online traffic into brand private domain traffic. Through community operations, membership systems, and other means, enhance user stickiness and cultivate brand loyalty, laying a solid user foundation for the brand’s long-term development.

Future Outlook:

Looking ahead to 2025, the Wine industry will continue to deepen its digital transformation, with social media and influencer marketing playing increasingly important roles. With the popularization of new technologies like AI, marketing will become more intelligent and personalized, with precise targeting and interaction becoming the norm. Wine brands will increasingly focus on cultural output and lifestyle integration, building deeper emotional connections with young consumers through content and experiences. Online and offline integration will become tighter, forming an omni-channel, multi-scenario marketing ecosystem. Ultimately, compliance and social responsibility will not only be the baseline but also the core competitiveness for Wine brands to achieve long-term healthy development in the digital age.