Olivia Plotnick, founder of Shanghai-based social media marketing agency Wai Social, said digital marketing in China is evolving, and foreign brands must adapt to the complex market. With over a decade of experience helping global companies navigate China’s unique digital ecosystem, Plotnick highlighted the rapid development of social media platforms and the importance of long-term, culturally nuanced strategies for international brands to become successful. Plotnick founded Wai Social to escape the slow pace of large marketing firms and to embrace the fast-moving, dynamic environment of China’s social media landscape. She emphasized that her agency aims to connect brands with consumers through social media platforms — which in China are markedly different from those in the West — rather than just filling a specific market gap. “I think it’s always tricky for global brands in China for their marketing strategy,” she said.