A scene at YoyWow's booth in Hall 10 of the 20th ICIF.
Through supporting the livestreaming of the Chinese Spring Festival Gala — one of China's most iconic events — and Chinese variety shows on international platforms with official authorization, Shenzhen-based YoyWow Co. Ltd. has been dedicated to sharing Chinese content with the world for over a decade.
YoyWow is making its first appearance at the China (Shenzhen) International Cultural Industries Fair (ICIF) this year. Its booth is located in Hall 10.
"The fair's international influence spans the globe. Many overseas enterprises and institutions make their entrance into the Chinese market through the fair," Jiang Xiezhen, executive director of YoyWow, told Shenzhen Daily.
The company delivers services in more than 20 languages that reach audiences in over 200 countries and regions.
The company's booth highlights the presence and impact of exceptional Chinese films, TV series, and variety shows in overseas market, and the international communication and technological solutions provided by the company that help partners in adapting to overseas markets.
When discussing the types of content suitable for international dissemination, Jiang said universal themes of humanity hold the greatest appeal. Whether centered on sports, music, or entertainment, content imbued with sincerity, kindness, and beauty resonates across cultures, transcends barriers, and touches viewers' hearts.
Jiang stressed that true localization involves not only understanding the language but also collaborating with local partners to grasp cultural nuances, customs, values, and the topics foreign audiences would be interested in.
"We created a word — glocalization — that describes the strategy of creating global reach with local nuance," said Jiang. YoyWow has established 15 offices across North America, Europe, Australia, and Asia as part of its glocalization strategy.
In recent years, China's domestic movies and TV series have gone global with diversified themes and higher production standards that appeal to more people from different cultures.
The export value of Chinese TV series stood at US$82.74 million in 2022, a year-on-year increase of 45.6%, according to the National Radio and Television Administration. Southeast Asia and East Asia are the core markets for these dramas, accounting for 86.3% of the series that are exported.
Female audiences from Asia, especially those born in the 1990s and 2000s, comprised the majority of people who enjoy watching Chinese series.