Wanghong

About

Wanghong, literally translated as "internet famous," refers to the class of online influencers in China and the economy that has developed around them. Like Western influencers, Wanghong generate revenue through advertising promotions and online sales, and due to the differences in payout structure between Western social media sites and Chinese sites, the profits can be much more lucrative. This has led to a comparably more dedicated pursuit of influencing as a career in China, and schools on how to be successful in the industry (aka Influencer Farms) as well as businesses specifically designed to be visited by Wanghong have become more popular in China. Occasionally, some videos from Wanghong will go viral globally, often to the confusion of Western viewers.

History

While there isn't an exact date for the creation of the Wanghong economy, it appears to have begun growing in 2014, when marketing company Ruhnn partnered with Zhang Dayi^[1] to help launch her career as an influencer. According to a BBC report from 2016,^[2] Zhang was making roughly $46 million a year in US dollars from operating an online store on Taobao. This was more than twice the income of the top actress in China at the time, Fan Bingbing. It was also nearly four times the money generated by Logan Paul that year.^[3]

The growth of the Wanghong economy has been aided by the payout structures of the platforms Wanghong use. China has several websites that are similar to Western counterparts, such as Weibo in place of Twitter and Douyin vs. TikTok. Weibo is not involved in advertising sales, whereas YouTube, for example, takes 45% of advertising revenue from streamers. The difference allows Wanghong to earn significantly more money than even some top Western streamers. The Wanghong industry is estimated to surpass $1 trillion by 2025.^[3]

As a result of the tremendous cash flow in the industry, social spaces have begun being shaped to attract Wanghong. In 2019, the Chaoyang Trap House podcast recorded an episode about social spaces in China becoming specifically designed to attract Wanghong. One example they brought up was the Binhai New Area Library in Tianjin, which has an extravagantly large bookshelf that is filled with fake books in order to attract influencers.

Related Memes

The amount of money in the Wanghong industry has led to more intense dedication to the pursuit of online celebrity than in the West. Occasionally, this has led some Wanghong videos to go viral globally, often due to Western users' confusion at the intensity of the industry.

Influencer Farms

Influencer Farm is a slang term referring to a location in which thousands of social media influencers specialized in sales are trained to keep revenues high, working close to one another in cramped booths or a factory-like space to create online content. This type of content generation has been a well-known tactic since 2022 in China, Indonesia and other Asian countries, where livestreamed e-commerce generates a multi-billion-dollar industry. After becoming more well-known in 2023, the practice garnered controversy online from many who perceived it as dystopian.

Xiao Xiaoru Getting Egged

"Woman Pelted with Eggs and Water," also known as Xiao Xiaoru Getting Egged, is a viral video of Chinese influencer 张曼如 (Eng: Zhang Manru), known by the internet handle 小小如 (Eng: Xiao Xiaoru), standing on a red carpet when an apparently angry mob throws eggs and buckets of water on her, destroying her set. Xiao Xiaoru then pulls out some makeup products to touch up her face, revealing that the video is an advertisement for one of her beauty products. Online, the clip has been shortened to only show Xiao getting pelted with detritus and has become a reaction clip paired with captions describing situations in which a person angers a mob of people.

"Just Turned 18" Girl

The Chinese "Just Turned 18" Interview Girl, also known as the "My Tongue Is Too Flexible" Interview Girl, refers to a viral video of a street interview with a female Chinese influencer who tells the camera that she "just turned 18" and was "born in November 2005," among other statements like her tongue being too flexible and her weighing 35 kg (77 lb). The girl's cutesy way of speaking and flirtatious, suggestive answers were humorously ridiculed and mocked on TikTok in late 2023, leading to parodies and satirical usage. Many labeled her cringe or called her a Pick Me Girl in referential content. The original video was notably posted to Douyin.

Search Interest

External References