At the "2025 China Entrepreneur Influence Annual Conference" held from December 5 to 7 in Beijing, Jiang Nanchun, founder and chairman of Focus Media Information Technology Co., Ltd., delivered a speech on brand advertising in the internet era.
Jiang emphasized that in today's fragmented media landscape, brands must dare to centralize their communication. "The more we talk about precision, the more we need consensus," he said. While the internet appears to offer greater targeting capabilities, spreading brand messages has actually become more challenging.
He offered three key recommendations for brands:
1. **Prioritize Mindshare Over Traffic** Jiang pointed out that many brands rely on rented traffic—whether from KOLs, livestream hosts, or platforms—without cultivating their own. "A strong brand generates its own traffic. Only by capturing consumers' minds can you sustain lasting traffic," he said. He stressed that traffic is not the foundation of business growth but rather the outcome of winning consumer loyalty.
2. **Plant Trees, Not Just Grass** While content marketing is ubiquitous, Jiang likened the current approach to "scattering grass seeds in a vast field—once sown, brands struggle to find their own 'grass' amid the weeds." He advocated for building a "brand tree" with deep-rooted core values. "A healthy brand garden needs both trees and grass," he remarked.
3. **Engage, Don’t Just Reach** Jiang noted that while consumers encounter countless ads daily, few leave a lasting impression or drive behavioral change. "Effective advertising shouldn’t just pass by; it should inspire action," he said.
Addressing the challenges of modern branding, Jiang acknowledged the dilemma: "Brand ads are seen as slow to show results, while performance ads feel constrained by platform algorithms." To maximize brand advertising’s impact, he highlighted the need for high reach, engagement, completion rates, and frequency—coupled with measurable, attributable, interactive, and optimizable campaigns. "This gives brands the confidence to invest in long-term growth while seeing short-term returns," he added.
Jiang also discussed AI’s role in advertising, noting that smart matching, attribution, and optimization are transforming traditional methods. For example, Focus Media runs 200 tailored ad versions daily for Taobao Flash Sales, adjusting creatives by city, time of day, and location (e.g., residential vs. office buildings). "Data-driven refinements replace 50 versions daily, ensuring ads not only reach but resonate with consumers," he explained.
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