OMD uncovers industry specific Search behaviours in China across three categories

As the second most-used Internet application, accessed by 81% of all Internet users in China, Search remains an essential component of every marketer’s digital toolkit, accounting for nearly 25% of all digital spends. Yet little is known about the discipline beyond spends, keywords and bidding. To advance marketers’ understanding of the practice, OMD China has produced three infographics to illustrate key findings of its Dive Search study, examining consumer search behaviours and how search advertising influences purchase decisions in three categories – automotive, skincare and travel.

By examining what consumers are searching for during each step of the journey, the study answers marketers’ questions on the frequency of searches and the number of pages users typically go through, as well as how emerging Search technologies, such as voice- and image-search capabilities, are impacting consumer behaviours. Other findings reveal insights on Search behaviours across genders, generations, platforms and devices, time of day, as well as by product and service type. In order to gain such robust insights, the study comprised two stages: tracking actual Search behaviours across platforms, followed by gathering participants’ feedback.

Here is a sample of some of the key findings presented in OMD China’s Dive Search infographics, across the different categories:

Automotive:

•                Experienced car buyers spend more time researching throughout the consumer journey than first-time car buyers.

•                Women are equally involved in the car buying process in China, and they care about branding and basic knowledge the most.

Skincare:

•                Social media plays an important role in the research process. The study found that people actively searched social media platforms for skincare reviews and inspiration.

•                Another interesting finding is that men take more time to search for skincare information in comparison to women.

Travel:

•                One of the main triggers for people choosing a destination is the activities available there.

•                77% of travel searchers are married couples, with women playing a bigger role in searching for travel ideas.

Bhasker Jaiswal, Managing Partner of OMD China, said, “We all know of the importance of Search in the digital marketing mix, particularly in China where platforms like Baidu and Tencent play an increasing role in our daily lives. With this study, we wanted to dive deeper into the consumer behaviours driving Search journeys in specific categories, to understand the details behind the big picture. By gaining a better understanding of these behaviours, brands can enhance their practices to ensure they are present at the critical moments of the Search journey. This also improves the consumer’s experience with Search by providing them with more relevant information to their queries, essentially creating a win-win situation for all parties. Search will only continue to escalate with growing digitization, and it’s important that we add to the momentum.”

More insights from OMD China’s Dive Search study can be found in the full research report, which can be downloaded here.