Baidu marketing is undergoing a major transformation as consumer behavior in China’s digital ecosystem evolves rapidly. Today’s users no longer accept passive brand messaging—they expect services to be embedded in content and content to guide their decisions. As a result, the lines between advertising, content, and services are becoming increasingly blurred.
Introducing Baidu Banfei
To help businesses thrive in this new environment, Baidu has launched Baidu Banfei, an AI-native commercial platform that represents a leap forward in Baidu marketing innovation.
At its core, Baidu Banfei redefines advertising by embedding it into services and content: Advertising is service. Advertising is content. Built around intelligent recommendations, precision targeting, verified identities, and smart storefronts, this system also unifies user flow and commerce—seamlessly connecting traffic with transactions.
With a centralized platform for content creation, media delivery, and customer engagement, Baidu marketing through Banfei enables businesses to manage their full marketing lifecycle intelligently.
Key Advantages of Baidu Banfei
Native Conversion
Baidu marketing empowers businesses to create closed-loop ecosystems through four core modules:
1. Zhi (AI Agents) – Your 24/7 Digital Employees
These AI-powered agents can be deployed in as little as 5 minutes, with full customization—tailored to your brand’s tone, needs, and service flow—completed within 21 days, all without the need for any coding expertise.
Capable of engaging users via text, voice, and video formats, these agents efficiently manage a wide range of tasks, including product inquiries, personalized recommendations, appointment scheduling, and event notifications.
Results:
- +51% lead conversion rate
- −32% lead acquisition cost
2. Zhi (AI Livestreaming) – Scalable Retail Activation
Baidu’s full-stack AI-powered livestreaming platform offers a groundbreaking solution for brands seeking cost-effective, scalable retail engagement. By leveraging multimodal AI to automate content creation—including scripts, visuals, and digital hosts—the platform reduces operational costs by up to 80%.
This intelligent approach not only accelerates production but also enhances performance, driving a 62% increase in gross merchandise value (GMV) and a 14% boost in livestream engagement rates. Seamlessly integrated into Baidu’s wider ecosystem, it represents a core pillar of Baidu marketing, enabling brands to activate high-impact campaigns across channels with efficiency and precision.
3. Hao (Baidu Business Accounts) – The Content Hub
Baidu’s business account system helps brands build a strong and flexible digital presence. It supports multiple account types—such as brand profiles, staff accounts, and influencer partnerships. Each can act as a content hub, allowing posts to include lead forms, product cards, and live chat widgets.
When paired with AI-powered messaging, this setup moves users smoothly from comment to conversation—and from interest to conversion. It’s a core strength of Baidu marketing, connecting storytelling with transactions in one seamless flow.
4. Dian (Smart Storefronts) – Online to Offline
With just one streamlined onboarding process, brands can unify their presence across the Baidu App and Baidu Maps. Once activated, businesses benefit from premium visibility features such as verified badges, branded search cards, and prominent map placements, all of which enhance credibility and search relevance.
In addition, AI-powered agents—integrated directly into store profiles—offer real-time customer support, location-specific promotions, and intelligent routing suggestions, helping convert digital engagement into physical foot traffic.
Native Reach
Baidu marketing now focuses on delivering native content experiences that seamlessly blend brand messages into the user’s natural browsing and discovery journey. This strategy enhances engagement by reducing friction between content consumption and ad exposure—making interactions feel more organic and user-driven.
1. Intelligent Search Integration
Through Baidu’s Smart Discovery feature , native ad placements now appear fluidly across multiple touchpoints—including search results, Baijiahao content feeds, and livestream environments—ensuring that users encounter brand messaging in a contextually relevant and non-disruptive manner.
Case Example: Dongfeng Honda Inspire
By leveraging Smart Discovery, the brand achieved:
- A 1.5× increase in user interaction rate
- A 12.6 percentage point improvement in click-through rate
2. Short Drama Marketing – High-Impact Brand Storytelling
Baidu marketing leverages the emotional and narrative power of short-form video to help brands build strong, memorable connections with audiences.
Key Strategy Formats Include:
- IAA (In-Ad Access): Users unlock exclusive drama content by watching a brief ad
- Storyline Integration: Brand messages are woven directly into character dialogue, plot points, and visual elements
- Native Video Feed Placement: Short drama episodes are distributed through Baidu’s content feeds, appearing as natural entertainment rather than promotional content
- Fully Custom Productions: Baidu provides end-to-end creative services, ensuring alignment with a brand’s tone, values, and messaging goals
Performance Outcomes:
- 65% higher ROI compared to standard advertising formats
In one brand case study, short drama content led to a 122% increase in click-through rate, along with significantly lower lead acquisition costs.
An Expansion Project in China? We Can Help You!
Baidu Marketing Case Study: Wong Lo Kat × Baidu Banfei
To celebrate Chinese New Year 2025, Wong Lo Kat partnered with Baidu Banfei to launch a fully integrated, AI-driven campaign spanning the entire Baidu ecosystem—including Baidu Search, Baidu App, Baijiahao, and Haokan Video.
The campaign blended intelligent technology with festive storytelling, deploying:
- AI-powered agents to offer real-time user interaction and recommendations
- Short drama content to build emotional resonance and immersive brand storytelling
- Digital human livestreaming to host virtual product showcases at scale
- Autonomous delivery vehicles for last-mile engagement and product sampling
This comprehensive, multi-channel execution allowed Wong Lo Kat to remain top-of-mind during one of China’s most competitive advertising seasons.
Campaign Results:
- Over 5.3 billion total impressions
- 2 million+ user interactions
- 200 million+ views on branded short drama content
- +29% uplift in AI-driven engagement click-through rate (CTR)
- +27% increase in e-commerce redirection CTR
This case showcases how a strategically executed Baidu marketing initiative—rooted in native AI capabilities and immersive content delivery—can drive exceptional end-to-end performance, from audience reach and engagement to conversion and brand lift.
STAiiRS — Your Gateway to China’s AI Economy
As China leads the global shift toward AI-powered commerce, Baidu marketing is becoming essential for brands that want to succeed in this fast-changing landscape. STAiiRS supports international businesses in navigating this shift with confidence. We integrate Baidu-native tools—like smart agents, short-form storytelling, and automated media delivery—into clear, results-driven strategies.
If you’re ready to explore China’s AI-powered market, STAiiRS can help. We make sure your brand is not only seen—but truly chosen.
Recent Comments