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The Reception of the Barbie Movie in China & Newsletter-Based Journalism with Yaling Jiang

Podcast
In this episode of The Negotiation Podcast, we feature part one of our conversation with Yaling Jiang, Founder of “Following the Yuan,” a popular newsletter focused on Chinese consumers. Before launching her own newsletter, Yaling wrote for outlets such as SCMP, Glossy, Vogue Business, and WWD. 
 
In the first half of our conversation with Yaling, we learn the history of “Following the Yuan” and what drove her to start producing it, as well as an overview of the newsletter-based journalism field in general and its parallels with WeChat official accounts. We also ask Yaling to touch on the “Asian Baby Girl” trend, before diving head-long into the Barbie movie phenomenon, its reception amongst audiences in China, and dovetailing that into a deeper discussion of what toys children in China grow up with. Enjoy!

Topics discussed in this interview:

  • Yaling’s frustration with English-language journalism covering China
  • The increasing popularity of newsletter-based journalism
  • The parallels between newsletter-based journalism and WeChat official accounts in China
  • Cultural perceptions and misunderstandings of “Asian Baby Girl” (ABG)
  • The reception of the Barbie movie in China compared to the incredible fanfare received in the West
  • A discussion of what toys children in China grow up with and how it differs from the West both in quantity and style 

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