Why Chinese Consumers are a massive opportunity for Australian Brands

It seems counterintuitive to market to Chinese consumers. They have their own digital ecosystem — their own apps, platforms and social media. And those who are abroad probably use the same apps as the rest of us (Instagram, TikTok, etc). So why bother?

Because the Chinese consumer market isn't just in China. Those abroad also have different consumer behaviours.

As of 2026, there are around 700,000 Chinese-born residents in Australia, and almost a million Chinese visitors. That's a significant, high-spending consumer base making purchase decisions right here in Australia. They're one of the fastest growing and highest spending demographic groups — digitally savvy, highly connected to both Australian and Chinese media, and they trust peer recommendations above almost everything else.

RedNote (小红书) is unlike any Western platform. Think Yelp, Pinterest, TikTok and Amazon all in one. Chinese consumers use it to discover brands, research purchases, read reviews, watch tutorials and make buying decisions — all without leaving the app (yes, you can also place orders directly on the app!).

But here's what's interesting about user behaviour on RedNote: consumers know they're being marketed to and they don't mind.

On Instagram or TikTok, brands spend enormous energy making ads feel organic. There's real resistance to corporate marketing and influencer content. RedNote flips this completely. Chinese consumers actively seek out brand content and product recommendations. They want to be informed before they buy. This is unique to RedNote and it's why users on the platform have some of the highest purchasing intent of any social media audience, including Douyin.

Early mover advantage on RedNote in Australia is real. The brands showing up now with authentic Mandarin content, genuine platform knowledge, and content that actually resonates will build brand loyalty with a demographic that's notoriously difficult to reach through traditional marketing.

Offline Studio creates RedNote content for Australian brands targeting Chinese consumers - filmed, written and posted in Mandarin by someone who actually uses the platform. To understand how Offline Studio can work for your brand, let's chat.