Core Insights - The article highlights the challenges faced by Chinese companies in overseas markets, particularly in Southeast Asia, where competition has intensified and return on investment (ROI) from marketing efforts has declined significantly [3][6][8] - A shift in growth paradigms is necessary for these companies, moving from a focus on sheer traffic acquisition to a more refined approach centered on user engagement and brand loyalty [4][9][10] Industry Trends - The cost of acquiring traffic in Southeast Asia has risen dramatically, with user reach costs on platforms like Meta increasing from under $0.5 to $3.9 per user within two years [6][8] - Traditional marketing strategies that relied on high-volume advertising are becoming less effective as consumer sensitivity to ads decreases and product competition increases [8][9] Marketing Strategies - The concept of "planting grass" (种草) is emerging as a new marketing paradigm, focusing on building brand awareness through word-of-mouth and community engagement rather than aggressive advertising [9][12] - Effective "planting grass" requires identifying target audiences and creating relatable content that resonates with their lifestyles and preferences [10][13] Brand Consideration Solution - TikTok has introduced the Brand Consideration solution to help brands focus on the "consideration" phase of the marketing funnel, which is often overlooked but crucial for driving purchase decisions [17][21] - This solution leverages user behavior data on TikTok to identify high-intent users, thereby reducing user consideration costs and enhancing marketing effectiveness [21][22] Case Studies - An Indonesian beauty brand utilizing the Brand Consideration strategy saw a 46% reduction in user consideration costs and a 10% increase in "planting grass" users [22] - A Thai brand that combined Brand Consideration with Shop Ads achieved a 22.5% decrease in user consideration costs and an 18.5% improvement in user acquisition efficiency [24][25]