Core Insights - The iPX 2025 China Outbound Marketing Summit, hosted by impact.com, gathered over 600 industry representatives to discuss the transformation driven by AI technology and the new global market landscape for Chinese brands [1] - Jennifer Zhang, Managing Director of impact.com Greater China, emphasized that partnerships are the underlying logic driving the transformation of Chinese brands, moving away from traditional customer acquisition models towards partnership marketing [1][3] - The shift towards partnership marketing is particularly effective for engaging Generation Z and emerging consumer groups, establishing brand trust through community and creator-driven strategies [1] Group 1 - AI advancements, such as those from DeepSeek and the widespread application of generative AI tools like ChatGPT, are pushing marketing into the AI era, complicating market competition and diversifying consumer demands [3] - SAP's CRM expert highlighted that AI-supported user operations and DTC transformation can help brands shift from a transaction-centric model to a user interaction model, enhancing customer lifetime value [3] Group 2 - impact.com is upgrading its products to enhance partnership marketing efficiency, focusing on four key areas that leverage AI and automation [3][5] - The platform has undergone a complete front-end redesign for improved user experience, introduced an AI-powered assistant "Ask Impact" for partner recommendations and insights, and implemented an intelligent agent framework to automate repetitive tasks [5] - The launch of the "Product Boost" retail media solution allows brands to incentivize specific product promotions through partnerships, creating new growth channels [5] Group 3 - Participants at the summit stressed that Chinese brands are in a critical transition from "Made in China" to "Created in China," needing to shed low-cost labels and rely on product innovation, design, and quality to reshape their international image [7] - To penetrate mature markets like the U.S., companies must build multi-touchpoint partnership matrices and focus on localized communication to integrate into local cultural contexts [7]