Thomas runs a German sportswear label that entered China two years ago. He was reluctant to put himself on Chinese social media. “I’m a founder, not an influencer.” His team pushed him. He posted his first XHS video: a two-minute behind-the-scenes look at how his factory tests fabric durability. No script. Just him, a technician, and a machine pulling threads. 230,000 views in four days.
His brand account had 1,200 followers at the time. His personal account, after that one video, had 8,000 new followers by the end of the week. And something more important: the comments were not “nice video.” They were “where can I buy this?”
Why Chinese Consumers Trust Brand Founders More Than Brand Accounts in 2026
Chinese consumers, particularly those on XHS, have become sophisticated at recognizing and discounting polished brand content. A brand account that posts product photos and campaign images generates a fraction of the engagement that a founder account posting authentic process content receives. This is not unique to China, but it is more pronounced here because the trust deficit for international brands is higher: Chinese consumers who do not know your brand need a human signal before they trust the product.
The founder or CEO as content creator is one of the most effective and underused strategies for international fashion brands entering China. It works for three reasons: authenticity (real people, real places, real process), credibility (the person who built the brand explaining the decisions), and discoverability (XHS algorithm favors personal content over brand content in fashion and lifestyle categories).
How to Build a Founder Brand on XHS: What Works
- Start with process content, not product content. Behind-the-scenes in your atelier, factory, or design studio. How materials are selected. How quality is tested. Chinese consumers who care about craft want to see it.
- Post in your own voice, with translation. You do not need to speak Chinese. A bilingual caption (your authentic voice in your language, translated underneath) works well on XHS. The authenticity of your native language comes through even to readers who need the translation.
- Answer comments personally. When followers comment on your posts, reply. This is unusual behavior for a brand founder on Chinese social media and generates significant attention and trust signals.
- Post consistently, not perfectly. Two posts per week of genuine founder content outperforms one perfect production-quality brand post per week. Consistency signals that a real person is behind the account.
- Share the “why” behind product decisions. Why did you choose this material instead of a cheaper alternative? Why is this jacket designed this specific way? Chinese consumers who discover your brand through founder content want the reasoning, not just the result.
Thomas now posts twice a week on his personal XHS account. 52,000 followers. His brand account has 11,000. When he runs a product drop, his personal account drives 70% of the traffic. The brand account drives 30%.
Voilà pourquoi: in China, you are your brand’s best content. The person who built it is the most credible spokesperson for it. Start posting.
If you want to build a founder content strategy for China, our XHS marketing team designs and executes personal brand programs for fashion executives. For beauty brand founders using the same approach, Cosmetics China Agency runs personal brand programs on Chinese platforms. I share weekly insights on LinkedIn: follow me there.
Olivier Verot is co-founder and CEO of GMA (Gentlemen Marketing Agency) and Fashion China Agency. He builds personal brand content strategies for fashion executives and brand founders entering the Chinese market through XHS and Douyin. Based in Shanghai since 2012. Connect on LinkedIn, where I share weekly insights on China fashion and marketing.