Green Fields Ahead for Advertising in China's Countryside

Greater prosperity for those who live in the countryside has long been one of China’s major concerns. But incomes of rural residents still lag far behind those of city-dwellers and the gap has steadily widened in recent decades. Now, however, the Central Government is making a concerted effort to redress the balance, allocating almost RMB 340 billion to improve rural infrastructure and accelerate agricultural development. These measures will go a long way towards boosting the incomes of those in the countryside.

Implications for the advertising industry are immense, although it will require a great deal of preparation to take full advantage of the newly affluent rural market. The groundwork should start now, urges Matthew Fan, CEO of local advertising company Bates Apex, based in Chengdu. Among other campaigns, the highly successful Mengniu Super Girl Competition was conceived by his company. Mr Matthew Fan’s long experience with many local clients has enabled him to develop unique insight into China’s third- and fourth-tier cities and particularly the country’s unexplored rural market.

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