The social media stars in China who aren’t Chinese – how foreign influencers fluent in Mandarin are winning legions of fans
- Foreigners with particular skills, knowledge or expertise who can also speak Mandarin are building careers on platforms such as Weibo, Bilibili and Kuaishou
- Top sinologist KOLs can get paid up to around US$60,000 for an advertisement, according to one insider
When Antoine Bunel first posted about cooking on China’s Twitter-like microblogging site Weibo in 2015, he didn’t think his use of Chinese social media tools would lead to a full-time job as a key opinion leader (KOL).
Calling himself the French KOL who is the most familiar with the China market, he has amassed over a million fans through his cooking videos and recipes in Mandarin on Weibo, video platforms Douyin and Bilibili, cooking app Xiachufang, and other channels.
The former marketing professional is one of a rising number of foreign sinologist KOLs in China whose popularity rivals or even eclipses the reach of local influencers.
Targeting Chinese audiences, they use local video platforms to establish the persona of a laowai (foreigner) well-versed in Chinese culture. Some share tips on cooking; others use their digital platforms to teach or promote cultural exchanges.
A KOL career can be lucrative, including commercial deals with brands, paid product placement in videos and paid hosting of live-streamed sales.
Bunel’s online content includes stories about European cuisine and comparisons between Chinese and Western food. Gourmet European consul-generals and their spouses sometimes appear on his videos as guest chefs.
