Xiaohongshu’s category scene content is becoming ineffective…

As consumer demand shifts from category-driven to scenario-driven, traditional category-scenario content strategies are gradually becoming ineffective. This article deeply analyzes the new trend of Xiaohongshu user consumption behavior - scenario-based consumption, and proposes how brands can regain the hearts and minds of users through scenario-based marketing.

Today we are going to talk about a commonplace topic: How can brands do scenario-based marketing on Xiaohongshu?

Every time I write about this kind of topic, everyone can't bear to read it. I can understand that it is too boring and too far from actual work. However, with the changes in platforms, populations and demands, scene marketing may become a new breakthrough point for brands on Xiaohongshu. Several important insights we have gained on Xiaohongshu this year are closely related to scene marketing. It can be said that those who have the scene will have consumption in 2025. I recommend that you take your time and read this article carefully.

1. Consumption is not downgrading, but grading

The overall domestic economy is indeed in a downturn. Looking at the consumption environment of all platforms, Xiaohongshu is relatively the least affected. Xiaohongshu users are the consumer group with the highest income and consumption levels in China. Although the consumption level has not been greatly affected, there are still some changes, that is, consumption has not been downgraded, but has been graded.

Consumers are not unwilling to consume, but they are calmer and more rational. They no longer follow the crowd, no longer consume impulsively, and pay more attention to their own needs. Therefore, demand is graded. Compared with the period of economic upswing, demand is more specific and diversified. We also found through relevant data that Xiaohongshu consumers are showing "scenario-based" characteristics, and demand is gradually changing from being stimulated by categories to being "stimulated by scenarios."

The brand placement of Xiaohongshu is ultimately a content battle. The category and scenario content that the mainstream has been doing in recent years has become less persuasive, or it can be said that it is no longer in line with consumer demand. Therefore, if you still want to deepen your presence on Xiaohongshu in 2025, you have to redo the scenario!

What kind of products are suitable for scenario-based marketing?

1) Products that appear frequently in daily life

These products are closely connected with people's daily lives. Users can see them frequently in their lives and use them frequently, which can easily strengthen consumers' minds and generate a desire to buy.

For example, snacks, such as "drink Xiangpiaopiao when you are a little hungry or sleepy" and "eat Liuliumei when you have nothing to do", can be targeted at people when they are hungry or bored, allowing consumers to naturally associate the product with the corresponding situation, thereby stimulating their desire to buy.

2) Multifunctional or multi-scenario products

1️⃣One item for multiple uses: Products with multiple functions can directly use "one item for multiple uses" as a differentiated selling point, which is easy to attract consumers and is very suitable for scenario-based marketing

For example, Mammut's three-in-one jacket is suitable for casual wear, outdoor sports, and winter jackets. Consumers can replace or adjust some components to adapt it to different usage scenarios and meet the need for multiple uses. The brand can showcase its matching effects in different scenarios during promotion to attract consumers to buy.

2️⃣ Products that can be adapted to different scenarios: If a product can be matched with other products in different scenarios, the brand can show its effects in different scenarios during promotion to attract consumers to buy.

For example, Suntory's core consumers are working people. Based on their pain points of work and life pressure, irregular diet, liking to order takeout, and yearning for freedom, they have created three scenarios: "decompression, relief, and liberation". These three scenarios can easily make working people empathize.

3) Products that can trigger emotional resonance

1️⃣Associated with emotions: If the product can resonate with the emotions of consumers in a specific scenario, it is easier to impress consumers

For example, in the scenario of living alone, RIO cocktail is very suitable for a person's tipsy moment. The relaxed and cozy atmosphere it creates is consistent with the desire to relax and enjoy oneself when living alone, thus establishing the perception of "living alone tipsy = RIO cocktail" in the minds of consumers.

2️⃣ Satisfy emotional needs: Some products carry certain emotional value and can meet consumers’ emotional needs in specific scenarios

For example, Jellycat, a "spiritual pacifier" for adults, launched a limited gift box on May 20, which is closely linked to emotions such as romance and celebration. The merchant also created corresponding scenes to strengthen the connection between the product and the emotional scene and promote sales.

4) Products that solve pain points in specific scenarios

1️⃣ Strong targeting: When a product can accurately solve the problems encountered by consumers in a certain scenario, the effect of scenario-based marketing will be very significant

For example, in outdoor sports, people need lightweight, waterproof, and wear-resistant backpacks. TheNothFace's outdoor backpacks are based on the needs of users in the outdoors. By highlighting its advantages in outdoor sports, such as showing that the backpack can still keep items dry in the rain and is still stable and durable on rugged mountain roads, it can attract the attention and purchase of outdoor sports enthusiasts.

2️⃣Special life scenarios: Some products are mainly targeted at specific life scenarios. When we plant a scenario-based seed for users during content marketing, it is easy for consumers to think of it in their specific scenarios.

For example, Kangenbei Enteritis Ning, a gastrointestinal medicine for travel, is positioned as a "must-have intestinal medicine for travel". Through advertising films and offline channels, it shows the gastrointestinal problems that may be encountered when traveling, and how the product can solve these problems. It successfully binds the product deeply with the travel scene, expanding the consumer group and usage scenarios.

5) Products with cyclical or seasonal usage

1️⃣ Cyclical scenarios: Some products are related to specific cyclical scenarios. For example, some highly seasonal products need to be marketed in scenarios around their specific seasons. For example, if sunscreen clothing is sold in winter, it will be a disaster.

For example, antiperspirant is a highly seasonal product. When laying out the content, you should create a scene of "sweating a lot in the hot summer" so that it is easier for people to relate to the product. When consumers see the product, they will naturally associate it with themselves.

2️⃣Festival scene: Festivals are an important time for product sales, and many products have festival attributes

For example, a typical case is "If you don't give gifts during the Spring Festival this year, give Melatonin" which is a good way to connect the product with the Spring Festival gift-giving scene. Although this advertisement has been around for many years, it still brainwashed a generation of people.

2. How to understand the scene?

If you want to accurately match products to the right scenarios, the first step is to understand consumers, observe their needs and consumption behaviors, and then truly reproduce the scenarios in which consumers need products. Of course, now that the market is saturated and products are involuted, brands need to explore consumer demand scenarios more deeply, segmented, and uniquely.

1) Deeply understand the crowd and discover their pain points

1️⃣Explore potential needs: Through big data analysis and user research, understand the potential needs of consumers in specific situations, and then match the appropriate scenarios for each need for marketing

2️⃣ Pay attention to special situations: Pay attention to consumers’ behaviors and needs in special situations. For example, in the example of antiperspirant mentioned above, antiperspirant can not only stop sweating, but also be used as a tool for “body fragrance” in summer. It is easy to hit consumers with the fragrance of antiperspirant targeting the excessive sweating and body odor in summer.

3️⃣ Create scenarios that consumers yearn for: Sometimes consumers pay for the life they desire. If you can create a scenario that consumers yearn for, it will be easy for consumers to associate and make impulse purchases. For example, Xiaodu Tiantian girlfriend phone relies on creating a "relaxed home life", which makes many single users yearn for owning a girlfriend phone.

4️⃣ Let consumers have "emotional resonance": For many consumers nowadays, in addition to placing orders for demand, a large number of users place orders for emotions. Creating a scene that resonates with consumers is more likely to impress users and make the brand be chosen.

For example, Neiwai, which focuses on "no body shame", breaks through the circle by empathizing with girls who have body anxiety, creating a scene suitable for women of all ages and body shapes. The female brand speaks for women and wins the market.

3. Expand the scene according to the characteristics of the crowd

Sometimes when selecting a group of people, you can expand the scope based on the core group of people, and choose people who have the same hobbies as the core group of the product. Here is an example from our actual practice. When our team selected users for an "electric curtain" brand, we did not limit ourselves to users who were only interested in electric curtains. Instead, we expanded the scene and selected users who were interested in "smart home". We used "smart home appliances" to layout the scene and achieve seeding.

1) Analyze competing products and take advantage of opportunities

Analyze competitors’ marketing strategies in unconventional scenarios to understand their successes and shortcomings

Pay attention to market trends: Pay attention to market dynamics and emerging trends, and adjust marketing strategies in a timely manner

2) Expand scenarios based on trends

Finally, on Xiaohongshu, a platform that guides trends, brands must also pay attention to the hot spots and trends of the platform. Taking advantage of the hot spots to expand the scenarios can make the brand "explode". For example, in the "Mai Lin smoked chicken incident" some time ago, KFC saw the hot trend and immediately expanded the "scenario of buying KFC smoked chicken", and once again successfully broke the circle.

For brands, it is not only necessary to discover needs and innovate products based on consumption scenarios, but also to build trust scenarios based on consumption scenarios to strengthen the identification bond between consumers and product value. Only by establishing a certain mentality in the minds of consumers can they be more easily remembered and obtain "priority purchase rights"

The brand's scene marketing should not be limited to a single, fixed scene, but needs to find a combination of two-way running with consumers through the continuous reconstruction and innovation of the scene, so as to develop diversified marketing inspiration and enable the whole chain operation from single product to brand.