Qumin is an award winning, full service digital agency specialising in the creation of scalable online presence for brands marketing to China. The Chinese digital market, devoid of the global powerhouses of Facebook, YouTube, Twitter or Google, is truly unique.
Through our passion and expertise, our service offering has been constructed to make entry into this unfamiliar territory as comprehensible, transparent and profitable as possible for the uninitiated. We work with some of the largest brands in the world including SONY, FC Barcelona, Harrods and Marriott Hotels.
How did you come up with the idea for the company?
When I was working at my first digital marketing agency, after leaving university, our then Managing Director encouraged us to create content and videos. I produced a video on Chinese SEO, at a time when China wasn’t the global focal point it is today.
This was a period when China wasn’t as open and appealing on the global stage as it is now. We had a few inquiries off the back of my video, one of which was from Expedia who loved the fact we were talking about Chinese SEO and wanted to know if we could handle it for them. However, my Managing Director didn’t have the confidence in our ability to scale to the Chinese market and declined the opportunity. However, I recognised the significant potential, especially with a major brand like Expedia showing interest.
I started talking to one of my friends from university and we both decided to start an agency together. What sets us apart is the cross-cultural background of our team. We’ve all either lived or studied in both China and the UK, which is crucial when entering a foreign market as a brand. It enables us to authentically convey the meaning and purpose of a brand to a different audience.
In terms of the name ‘Qumin’ itself, it translates as ‘lamb skewers’, and was my favourite food growing up as a child in China, hence I wanted an agency name which evoked happy memories of my childhood.
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How has the company evolved over the last couple of years?
Over the years we have evolved from focussing on performance marketing (SEO and PPC),to more creative and content creation work. We realised that brands looking to establish themselves in China don’t need performance marketing, they need brand awareness and for people to know who they are and what they do.
What can we hope to see from Qumin in the future?
We just want to be fortunate enough to keep doing what we are doing and delivering outstanding work for our clients. We are looking to expand globally and see massive potential in the US market for American brands to succeed in China, as we do similarly with the Middle East. Watch this space!
