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IMS launches China’s largest online community of organic and natural consumers

The venture capital arm of Asia’s leading digital transformation agency, IMS, has launched OrgHive with the mission of helping consumers make better lifestyle choices while improving return on investment for brands marketing to China.

At its core, OrgHive provides transparency and trust in the organic and natural market in China thanks to blockchain technology

Two significant barriers to Chinese consumers purchasing organic products is a lack of trust in supply chain verification and absence of objective, reliable information on the benefits of related lifestyle choices. OrgHive facilitates authentication of Chinese certified products by leveraging the security and transparency of blockchain.

The platform’s launch follows an announcement from Beijing that China would be seizing the opportunity to invest in blockchain to help bring it in line with other market’s standards for this emerging technology. "We’re launching at a time when all the technology leaders of the world have their eye on China, to see what opportunities and innovations spring from this initiative," says Anastasios Papadopoulos, CEO of Integrated Management Systems (IMS) and IMS Digital Ventures. "For domestic brands, OrgHive represents a crucial touchpoint to gain consumer trust and drive conversion to third-party e-commerce websites."

For international organic and natural brands, OrgHive is key to overcoming increasing operational and advertising costs associated with selling online in China

"While operational costs of doing e-commerce have at least doubled since 2015, we have witnessed advertising and influencer costs increase by 350%-500% in the last three years," explains Manuela Buerki, Director of Marketing and Strategy at IMS. "OrgHive addresses the pain points of customer acquisition in China by enabling brands to reach their target audiences within a transparent framework that also provides necessary insight into their customer’s browsing and buying behaviours."

Brands can access OrgHive via different membership tiers, according to the level of exposure and engagement they are aiming for with consumers. The platform has also been designed to reflect the internet habits of consumers shaped by China’s social commerce landscape, leveraging community content, peer to peer recommendations, brand and product discovery, and loyalty rewards – all within the same ecosystem.

OrgHive’s launch coincides with revived consumer interest into wellness trends and healthier food choices amid the COVID outbreak

"At IMS, our marketing analysts have been using data insights from social intelligence to monitor trends in consumer attitudes towards more balanced lifestyle choices and healthier nutrition and exercise habits. We’ve witnessed a surge in conversations reflecting the need for change, particularly relating to 996 consumers (those working 9am to 9pm, 6 days a week)," comments Manuela. "We expect to see an increase in content searches related to making better choices, and plan to be at the forefront of providing trusted solutions to Chinese consumers."

As both a content and social platform, OrgHive provides the answer for consumers seeking advice and inspiration to ignite change in their lifestyle habits.