# China entry: PR and social media ads for foreign brands

> MVP (Mega Volume Production, 十方众声) helps foreign brands enter China. It distributes Chinese-language press releases and works with the media, runs ads on Douyin, Xiaohongshu (RedNote), WeChat and Channels, Weibo, Bilibili, Kuaishou and Baidu, sets up and runs official Chinese accounts, and connects brands with Chinese creators. One team runs all four, in ad accounts opened in MVP's name, with reach and ROI targets written into the contract.

- URL: https://www.mvpdata.net/en/brands/china-entry
- Updated: 2026-10-15
- 简体中文: https://www.mvpdata.net/brands/china-entry

## How does MVP help foreign brands enter the Chinese market?

MVP handles the marketing side of entering China: telling your brand's story in Chinese, getting it seen on Chinese social platforms, and giving it official Chinese accounts and creator partnerships of its own. The work has four parts, set out under [scope](#scope): Chinese-language press releases and media, ads on Chinese platforms, official accounts, and Chinese creators.

MVP has run cross-border brand marketing, China entry work and influencer marketing among it, since 2023: it connects North American brands with creators in mainland China and Asia and runs influencer marketing in China on Douyin, Weibo, Bilibili, WeChat and Xiaohongshu.

On every platform MVP works through the platform's own official ad console and creator marketplace, the same ones any advertiser uses. What your side provides is product information and your company's and products' documents: platforms ask for them to open ad accounts and verify business accounts, and some categories need them for ad review.

A foreign brand here is not only a company: a brand owned by an artist, athlete or other public figure from outside China can work with MVP too.

## Which brands is China market entry marketing for?

MVP's China entry PR and social ads are for brands and companies from outside China that want to reach people in mainland China, in any industry and of any size. If you are a Chinese brand going overseas, or you only need creators, see the two services below. Artists and athletes from outside China who want to run their own accounts in China are served by talent management: see [channel operations](https://www.mvpdata.net/en/services/operations).

- [Social media advertising for Chinese brands going global](https://www.mvpdata.net/en/brands/go-global): MVP (Mega Volume Production, 十方众声) helps Chinese companies and brands grow abroad, mainly in North America: it runs ads on TikTok, Facebook and Instagram, Google and YouTube, X and LinkedIn, manages official accounts, brings in overseas creators and distributes English press releases. Ad accounts are opened in MVP’s name and MVP settles the spend, and reach and ROI targets can be written into the contract.
- [Cross-border influencer marketing](https://www.mvpdata.net/en/brands/influencer-marketing): MVP (Mega Volume Production, 十方众声) has run cross-border influencer marketing since 2023, in both directions: it connects North American brands with creators in mainland China and Asia, and Chinese brands with Chinese-speaking creators in North America, and runs creator campaigns inside China too. One MVP team finds and vets creators, negotiates, reviews content and its ad disclosure, and reports results against platform data.

## What does China entry PR and social advertising include?

MVP's China entry work has four parts, which can be combined as the brand needs.

- **Chinese-language press releases and media**: Your news written as a Chinese press release: entering the market, a launch, a partnership or an event. It is distributed to Chinese media and websites through wires such as PR Newswire (美通社), and MVP follows up with the relevant outlets. How distribution works is [below](#press).
- **Ads on Chinese platforms**: Ads on Ocean Engine (Douyin), Xiaohongshu Juguang, Tencent Marketing (WeChat and Channels), Weibo Super Fensitong, Bilibili, Kuaishou Magnetic Engine and Baidu Marketing. MVP watches how content does on its own first, then buys reach for what is already working; how much, to whom and when to stop are decided by the numbers.
- **Official Chinese accounts, set up and run**: Setting up and verifying the brand's official accounts, such as a Douyin business account, a Xiaohongshu enterprise professional account, a WeChat Service Account and a Weibo enterprise account, then planning and running their content. Whether a company outside China can be verified, and with what documents, is [below](#accounts).
- **Chinese creators**: Partnerships with Chinese creators booked through the platforms' official marketplaces, such as Xingtu (巨量星图) and Pugongying (蒲公英), with content labelled as each platform requires. How creators are chosen and approached is on [cross-border influencer marketing](https://www.mvpdata.net/en/brands/influencer-marketing).

## Which Chinese platforms should a foreign brand advertise on?

MVP promotes foreign brands on seven Chinese platforms: Douyin, Xiaohongshu (RedNote), WeChat and Channels, Weibo, Bilibili, Kuaishou and Baidu; which ones fit depends on the product and the people you want to reach. On each, ads and creator deals run through the platform's own official consoles, listed below.

*Ad consoles and creator marketplaces on Chinese platforms*

| Platform | Ads | Creator deals |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Douyin | Ocean Engine (巨量引擎); DOU+ (boosting single posts) | Xingtu (巨量星图) |
| Xiaohongshu (RedNote) | Juguang (聚光); Shutiao (薯条, boosting notes) | Pugongying (蒲公英) |
| WeChat and Channels | Tencent Marketing (腾讯营销, formerly Tencent Ads); Channels boost | Tencent Marketing Huxuan (互选) |
| Weibo | Super Fensitong (超级粉丝通); Fensi Toutiao (粉丝头条) | Weirenwu (微任务) |
| Bilibili | Sanlian ads (三连); Bihuo (必火) | Huahuo (花火) |
| Kuaishou | Magnetic Engine (磁力引擎) | Magnetic Star (磁力聚星) |
| Baidu | Baidu Marketing (search and feed ads) | — |

Names as each platform wrote them on its site in October 2026. Each platform's rules for agencies and creators are on [platform rules](https://www.mvpdata.net/en/platforms#china); every platform and tool MVP uses is listed under [platforms and tools](https://www.mvpdata.net/en/services#toolkit).

## How does Xiaohongshu (RedNote) marketing work for foreign brands?

MVP runs Xiaohongshu marketing for foreign brands in three parts: notes posted from the brand's own enterprise professional account, paid collaborations with creators booked through Pugongying, and [in-feed](https://www.mvpdata.net/en/glossary/in-feed-ads) and search ads bought through Juguang; small boosts for a single note go through Shutiao. Pugongying is Xiaohongshu's official platform for product-seeding ([zhongcao](https://www.mvpdata.net/en/glossary/zhongcao)) content and livestream collaborations.[^1]

All three start from the enterprise professional account: commercial promotion on Xiaohongshu requires a verified enterprise professional account, and the Juguang ad account is opened together with it.[^2] How brands work with creators on Pugongying is on [platform rules](https://www.mvpdata.net/en/platforms#xiaohongshu). Whether a company outside China can be verified is covered [below](#accounts).

## Where does a Chinese-language press release go, and what happens next?

MVP sends a foreign brand's Chinese press release out through a newswire, which delivers it to media outlets and websites; whether an outlet then interviews you or writes its own story is the outlet's decision.

美通社 is PR Newswire's business in China and Asia. By its own account, PR Newswire started the corporate press release distribution business in 1954 and has been part of Cision since 2016.[^3] The other wires MVP uses are listed under [platforms and tools](https://www.mvpdata.net/en/services#toolkit).

A press release carries the brand's official news and is published in the company's own name, so readers know who it comes from. That is not the same as a 软文, an ad written to pass as news; the difference is in the [FAQ](#faq) below.

## Can a foreign company open ad accounts and official accounts on Chinese platforms?

According to the platforms' own help centres, a company outside China can verify a business account on Douyin, Xiaohongshu and WeChat, and Weibo verifies overseas companies too, but the regions and the documents differ; MVP confirms the requirements platform by platform, and only the platform decides whether an application passes. What Tencent Marketing, Bilibili, Kuaishou and Baidu Marketing ask of an overseas company for an ad account is likewise confirmed with each platform case by case. Below is what each platform's official page says, as checked on 14 October 2026.

- **Douyin business account**: Companies from Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan and outside China can complete business verification themselves in the Douyin Merchant Center (抖音商家中心), submitting their own registration documents. Corporate verification is by document review only: an application letter signed or stamped by an authorized signatory, plus a bank account certificate or statement. A company without a company seal can have an authorized signatory, such as a director or legal representative, sign instead. The application is submitted by the company's handler or operator in mainland China, and review usually takes 0 to 1 working days (page updated 13 October 2026).[^4]
- **Ocean Engine ad account**: Opening an Ocean Engine ad account takes the advertiser's entity, industry and content qualifications; special industries also submit their industry licence, and the industry chosen when the account is opened must match the ads run later.[^5] That checklist is written for mainland Chinese companies, so what an overseas company needs for an ad account is confirmed with the platform case by case.
- **Xiaohongshu enterprise professional account**: Xiaohongshu has opened enterprise professional account verification to companies in the regions it has opened, such as Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia, and only in the industries it has opened. An overseas company submits its local registration documents and any industry licence it needs, which must be held by the company itself, with translations of documents not in Chinese (page updated 12 October 2026).[^6]
- **WeChat Service Account**: Companies in some regions outside China can register a WeChat Service Account; for accounts registered outside China only the Service Account type is supported for now, one per company, and it can be used only after WeChat verification.[^7] The page does not list which regions are open.
- **Weibo enterprise account**: Weibo verifies overseas companies as enterprise accounts too; changing the verified company runs offline, with the help of the overseas agency that handled the verification.[^8] That page does not say what an overseas company submits the first time, so it is confirmed case by case.

## What advertising rules must a foreign brand follow in China?

The ads MVP runs in China for foreign brands fall, like every ad that promotes goods or services online inside China, under China's Advertising Law and the Measures for the Administration of Internet Advertising (Article 2 of the Measures).[^9] Below are the five kinds of rule a brand most needs to know first. This describes the rules only: MVP does not give legal advice, and specific questions belong with a lawyer.

- **Words you cannot use**: Ads may not use terms such as “国家级 (national-level)”, “最高级 (highest-grade)” or “最佳 (best)” (Advertising Law, Article 9(3)); figures, statistics, survey results and quotations in an ad must be true and accurate and state their source (Article 11).[^10] This site follows the same rule: in Chinese it says “头部”, never “顶级 (top-class)”.
- **Products that cannot be advertised, or only in some places**: Narcotic, psychotropic, toxic medical and radioactive drugs and other special drugs, drug-related precursor chemicals, and drugs, medical devices and treatments for drug rehabilitation may not be advertised (Article 15). Tobacco may not be advertised in mass media, public places, on public transport or outdoors, and no tobacco ad may be sent to minors (Article 22). Infant dairy products, drinks and other foods claimed to replace breast milk wholly or in part may not be advertised in mass media or public places (Article 20).[^10]
- **Ads that must be reviewed before they run**: Ads for medical treatment, drugs, medical devices, pesticides, veterinary drugs and health foods, and any other ads that laws or administrative regulations require to be reviewed, must be reviewed by the advertising review authority before publication, and may not run without it (Advertising Law, Article 46).[^10] The Internet Advertising Measures add foods for special medical purposes to the list, forbid cutting, splicing or changing an approved ad, and forbid running these ads in disguise as health or wellness tips (Articles 7 and 8).[^9] Ads for drugs, medical devices, health foods and foods for special medical purposes must show their approval number prominently (Article 9 of the interim review measures).[^11]
- **An ad must be recognizable as an ad**: Ads must be identifiable as ads, and mass media may not run ads disguised as news reports (Advertising Law, Article 14).[^10] Online, goods or services in paid search rankings must be clearly marked 广告 ("ad"), and so must content that sells through knowledge sharing, experience posts or reviews with a purchase link attached (Internet Advertising Measures, Article 9).[^9] How a creator's sponsored post must be labelled in China, the US and Canada is set out under [channel operations](https://www.mvpdata.net/en/services/operations#disclosure).
- **Platforms add rules of their own**: Platforms turn away more categories than the law bans. One Ocean Engine help page lists, besides the industries the law prohibits, a separate list of industries Toutiao (今日头条) does not promote, such as WeChat resellers (微商) and personal shoppers (代购).[^12] So a category the law allows may still be refused by a given platform; each platform's rules at the time of the campaign decide.

**How MVP works**: MVP takes brands in any category, but not ads the law forbids, and ads that need review run only after approval. Pricing, eligibility and categories are covered in full in the [brand marketing FAQ](https://www.mvpdata.net/en/brands#faq).

## How does a China entry campaign with MVP work?

MVP's China entry work runs in five steps, starting on the contact page; the quote comes with the proposal.

1. **Tell MVP what you need**: On the [contact page](https://www.mvpdata.net/en/contact), choose "International brand entering China" and describe your brand, your product category and whether you want press releases, ads, official accounts or creator partnerships.
2. **Check the category and documents**: MVP checks your product against Chinese law and each platform's rules: whether it can be advertised in China, whether its ads need review first, and which documents opening accounts and verification will take.
3. **Proposal and quote**: MVP sets out which platforms to use, what content to make and how the budget is split, and gives you a quote.
4. **Contract**: Which company signs depends on where the business is: business in mainland China is contracted by 北京十方众声传媒有限公司, business outside mainland China by Mega Volume Production Inc.
5. **Delivery and review**: MVP sets up or takes over the official accounts, issues the press releases, runs the ads and works with creators, then reviews and adjusts against the data in each platform's official console. Which data counts is set out under [approach](https://www.mvpdata.net/en/approach#data-sources).

## Frequently asked questions

### How is a Chinese press release different from an advertorial (软文)?

A press release is published in the company's own name, so readers know where the news comes from; a 软文 is usually an ad written to look like news or a review, so readers cannot tell it is an ad. China's Advertising Law requires ads to be identifiable as ads and bars mass media from running ads disguised as news reports (Article 14).[^13] What MVP does for brands is press release distribution.

### How is working with MVP different from running ads in the platforms' consoles yourself?

The consoles are the same: MVP also works in Ocean Engine, Xiaohongshu Juguang, Tencent Marketing and the platforms' other official ad consoles. The difference is who does the work. Chinese-language creative, each platform's review rules, the documents for opening accounts and verification, and adjustments while a campaign runs are handled by MVP's team; running ads yourself means having people who know Chinese and the Chinese platforms. With MVP, the ad accounts are in MVP's name and MVP settles the costs; see the [FAQ](https://www.mvpdata.net/en/brands#faq).

### Is China's ad review the same as a platform's ad review?

No. Ad review is set by law: ads for medical treatment, drugs, medical devices, pesticides, veterinary drugs, health foods and some other categories are reviewed by the advertising review authority before they run.[^13] Platform review is the platform's own: opening an account takes entity, industry and content qualifications,[^14] and some categories the law allows are still refused by the platform.[^15] An ad that needs review has to pass both.

## Related pages

Creator deals in China go through each platform's official marketplace, whose rules are on platform rules; artists and athletes from outside China who want to run their own accounts in China are served by channel operations. All three brand services are on [cross-border brand marketing](https://www.mvpdata.net/en/brands).

- [Brand-deal platforms and agency rules in China and North America](https://www.mvpdata.net/en/platforms): MVP (Mega Volume Production, 十方众声) has compiled the official brand-deal platforms of the main content platforms in China and North America. Each platform runs its own marketplace, an agency has to qualify on each separately, and fees, settlement and agency requirements all differ. This page states only what the platforms publish, with the date each rule was checked.
- [China social media management for public figures and brands](https://www.mvpdata.net/en/services/operations): MVP (Mega Volume Production, 十方众声) provides China social media management for established creators, celebrities, founders and companies. Its in-house team plans content, schedules posts, looks after fan communities, reviews the numbers and checks every post before it goes live, on Douyin, Xiaohongshu, Weibo, Bilibili and WeChat as well as YouTube, Instagram and TikTok. The accounts stay in your name.

## Bringing your brand to China? Send MVP your brief.

On the contact page, choose "International brand entering China" and describe your brand, your category and what you want to do in China; MVP follows up with a proposal and a quote.

[Apply](https://www.mvpdata.net/en/contact)

## Further reading

- [Labeling AI-Generated Content: China's Rules vs Platform Policies](https://www.mvpdata.net/en/insights/ai-generated-content-labels): As of October 2026, China's Measures for Labeling AI-Generated and Synthetic Content require AI-made text, images, audio and video to carry labels: AI tools add a visible label where content could mislead and an implicit one to the file metadata, platforms check and display them, posters declare AI content, and no one may strip a label. Douyin, Xiaohongshu and WeChat Channels write the duty into their terms, while TikTok, YouTube and Meta require labels on realistic AI content and may add labels automatically when files carry C2PA or similar signals.
- [China Advertising Law absolute terms: when an ad may say “best”](https://www.mvpdata.net/en/insights/china-ad-law-absolute-terms): China’s Advertising Law bans absolute terms such as “national-level”, “highest-grade” and “best” in Article 9(3), and as of October 2026 local regulators apply it with SAMR’s 2023 Enforcement Guidelines on Absolute Terms in Advertising. A claim that points at the product and fits none of the guidelines’ nine carve-outs can cost the advertiser a fine of CNY 200,000 to 1,000,000; a first use with slight harm, promptly corrected, may go unpunished.
- [China Celebrity Endorsement Rules: Who Can Endorse What in 2026](https://www.mvpdata.net/en/insights/china-celebrity-endorsement-rules): As of October 2026, China's celebrity endorsement rules bar celebrities from endorsing medical services, drugs, medical devices, health foods, foods for special medical purposes, tobacco or off-campus tutoring, under the Advertising Law and the 2022 guiding opinions of seven departments. An endorser may recommend only products they have used, and no one under ten or penalised for a false endorsement in the past three years may endorse. A rule-breaking endorser forfeits the illegal gains, pays a fine of one to two times that amount, and shares liability with the brand when a false health-related ad harms consumers.
- [China Social Media Users 2026: Official Numbers by Platform](https://www.mvpdata.net/en/insights/china-social-media-users): As of October 2026, WeChat leads the China social media platforms that report users: Tencent puts combined Weixin and WeChat monthly active users at 1.439 billion as of June 30, 2026. Kuaishou averaged 797.3 million MAU over the quarter, Weibo 561 million, QQ 520 million and Bilibili 371 million, all in Q2 2026 results, while Douyin and Xiaohongshu (RedNote) publish no regular user numbers. China had 1.125 billion internet users at the end of 2025, 1.114 billion of them on social networks, according to CNNIC.
- [China's New Trademark Law 2027: Key Changes for Brands and Names](https://www.mvpdata.net/en/insights/china-trademark-law-2027): China's revised Trademark Law was adopted on June 26, 2026 and takes effect on January 1, 2027; as of October 2026 the 2019 text still applies. The new law refuses filings made without intent to use; a bad-faith filing with adverse effects brings a warning, and a fine of up to RMB 100,000 may be added; the opposition period falls from three months to two; and foreign applicants with a residence or place of business in China may file without an agency. Creators and foreign brands should check their names, including Chinese-language names, before and after the change.
- [Douyin Xingtu Fees 2026: What Brands, Creators and MCNs Pay](https://www.mvpdata.net/en/insights/douyin-xingtu-fees): As of October 2026, Xingtu (巨量星图), Douyin's creator marketplace, charges both sides: brands pay 5% on top of the creator fee (10% on open submissions, nothing for now on Xingguang orders), and creators have 5% deducted, or 3% where an MCN settles. The rates are in the Settlement Management Rules in force since January 1, 2026. On a direct booking of RMB 10,000, the brand pays RMB 10,500 and an individual creator receives RMB 9,500 before tax.
- [How Much Does It Cost to Advertise on Xiaohongshu (RedNote)?](https://www.mvpdata.net/en/insights/xiaohongshu-advertising-cost): As of October 2026, advertising on Xiaohongshu (RedNote) costs money in three places: creator collaborations booked through Pugongying, where the brand pays the creator’s own flat rate plus a 10% platform service fee; Juguang ads in the feed and search, bought by CPC or CPM auction from a prepaid balance; and boosts for single notes, where a Pugongying content boost costs RMB 25 per 1,000 impressions. On top come RMB 600 to verify an enterprise professional account plus RMB 600 a year, and a refundable deposit of RMB 30,000–150,000 in 68 regulated sub-sectors such as health, finance and education.

[^1]: 小红书蒲公英 (Pugongying), Xingyin Information Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd.. https://pgy.xiaohongshu.com/ (Checked 2026-09-30, Unofficial translation)
[^2]: 《【变更】专业号认证规则规范》 (Professional account verification rules (revised)), Xiaohongshu Juguang Help Center. Page updated 2026-10-12. https://ad.xiaohongshu.com/next_help/docs/195c5fe505c71b4b0335a2fe0d61d8e0 (Checked 2026-10-14, Unofficial translation)
[^3]: 关于美通社 (About PR Newswire), PR Newswire Asia. https://www.prnasia.com/about/ (Checked 2026-10-14, Vendor’s own claim, Unofficial translation)
[^4]: 《港澳台/海外主体自助入驻》 (Self-service onboarding for Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan and overseas entities), Ocean Engine Enterprise Account Help Center. Page updated 2026-10-13. https://support.oceanengine.com/support/content/227771?pageId=146&spaceId=77 (Checked 2026-10-14, Unofficial translation)
[^5]: 《在巨量引擎开户需要哪些流程？》 (What does it take to open an Ocean Engine account?), Ocean Engine. https://www.oceanengine.com/help/kaihu-liucheng (Checked 2026-10-17, Unofficial translation)
[^6]: 《【变更】专业号认证规则规范》 (Professional account verification rules (revised)), Xiaohongshu Juguang Help Center. Page updated 2026-10-12. https://ad.xiaohongshu.com/next_help/docs/195c5fe505c71b4b0335a2fe0d61d8e0 (Checked 2026-10-14, Unofficial translation)
[^7]: 《境外主体服务号注册流程》 (How overseas entities register a WeChat Service Account), Tencent Customer Service. https://kf.qq.com/faq/180312zQjeYV180312FNNbmA.html (Checked 2026-10-14, Unofficial translation)
[^8]: 《企业主体变更规则及提交流程》 (Weibo: rules and procedure for changing the verified company), Weibo Customer Service. https://kefu.weibo.com/faqdetail?id=21369 (Checked 2026-10-14, Unofficial translation)
[^9]: 《互联网广告管理办法》 (Measures for the Administration of Internet Advertising), State Administration for Market Regulation, 国家市场监督管理总局令第 72 号. Effective 2023-05-01. https://www.gov.cn/gongbao/2023/issue_10506/202306/content_6885261.html (Checked 2026-10-17, Unofficial translation)
[^10]: 《中华人民共和国广告法》 (Advertising Law of the People’s Republic of China), Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress. Published 2021-04-29. https://www.samr.gov.cn/zw/zfxxgk/fdzdgknr/fgs/art/2023/art_5474cf75173c45d6a0379730fb4e8d97.html (Checked 2026-10-17, Unofficial translation)
[^11]: 《药品、医疗器械、保健食品、特殊医学用途配方食品广告审查管理暂行办法》 (Interim Measures for the Review of Advertisements for Drugs, Medical Devices, Health Foods and Foods for Special Medical Purposes), State Administration for Market Regulation, 国家市场监督管理总局令第 21 号. Effective 2020-03-01. https://www.gov.cn/gongbao/content/2020/content_5488918.htm (Checked 2026-10-17, Unofficial translation)
[^12]: 《哪些产品不能在巨量引擎上做推广？》 (Which products cannot be promoted on Ocean Engine?), Ocean Engine. https://www.oceanengine.com/help/buneng-tuiguang-chanpin (Checked 2026-10-14, Unofficial translation)
[^13]: 《中华人民共和国广告法》 (Advertising Law of the People’s Republic of China), Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress. Published 2021-04-29. https://www.samr.gov.cn/zw/zfxxgk/fdzdgknr/fgs/art/2023/art_5474cf75173c45d6a0379730fb4e8d97.html (Checked 2026-10-17, Unofficial translation)
[^14]: 《在巨量引擎开户需要哪些流程？》 (What does it take to open an Ocean Engine account?), Ocean Engine. https://www.oceanengine.com/help/kaihu-liucheng (Checked 2026-10-17, Unofficial translation)
[^15]: 《哪些产品不能在巨量引擎上做推广？》 (Which products cannot be promoted on Ocean Engine?), Ocean Engine. https://www.oceanengine.com/help/buneng-tuiguang-chanpin (Checked 2026-10-14, Unofficial translation)