Australia × China · Cross-Border Growth
Connecting Australia to China’s Digital World
Great brands don’t fail in China because they aren’t good enough — they fail because the playbook is different. We are the bridge that makes Australian brands genuinely China-savvy across WeChat, RED (Xiaohongshu) and Douyin. 100+ brands, one bilingual team.
Set your China strategy in stone. Drum up your global growth.
Stone Drums is a boutique cross-border marketing consultancy, founded in 2016 and based in Melbourne with deep roots in China. We help Australian and global brands cross the gap between how the West builds brands and how China actually discovers, trusts and buys.
Australian thinking, meet Chinese reality
Hover any card to flip from the assumption to what actually happens — and how we fix it.
Australian mindset
“A great brand story sells itself.”
Polished brand films, awards and heritage win at home — so they’ll win in China too.
Hover to see the reality →China reality
Trust is earned through 种草 (seeding), not storytelling.
Chinese consumers buy on KOL/KOC reviews, RED notes and live demos — not a hero film.
Our fix: a RED + Douyin content engine of authentic, conversion-led reviews.Australian mindset
“We’ll just translate the website.”
Run the English site through translation, add a contact form, done.
Hover to see the reality →China reality
The journey lives inside WeChat, not your .com.
Discovery, service and re-purchase happen in Mini Programs, Official Accounts and social commerce.
Our fix: WeChat ecosystem build + localized funnels that fit how China shops.Australian mindset
“Google & SEO will bring traffic.”
Rank on Google, run some Meta ads, watch the leads roll in.
Hover to see the reality →China reality
Google is blocked. Discovery is Baidu, RED & Douyin search.
Your audience searches inside apps and on Baidu — a different SEO game entirely.
Our fix: in-platform search optimization across Baidu, RED and Douyin.Australian mindset
“We can run it from Melbourne.”
Manage channels remotely, post when it suits the AEST workday.
Hover to see the reality →China reality
Real-time, on-the-ground execution wins.
Live-streaming, community ops and platform rules move daily and need local hands.
Our fix: a bilingual team across Melbourne & China running it end-to-end.Four ways we close the gap
China Digital Marketing
WeChat, RED (Xiaohongshu) and Douyin — influencer seeding, live-streaming commerce and social funnels built for how China discovers and buys.
SEO & Content
Be found where it counts: Baidu, plus RED and Douyin in-app search. Localized content that ranks and converts.
Website & Localization
Fast China-hosted sites and the WeChat Mini Program ecosystem — not a translated brochure.
Cross-border Strategy
Market entry, channel and Tmall/JD strategy, and investment guidance from a partner who has done it.
Trusted by 100+ brands since 2016
A selection of the Australian, New Zealand and global brands we’ve taken into the Chinese market across categories.
