In March 2012, more than two out of three Americans who were active online visited Facebook. The rate is even higher in Brazil, New Zealand and Italy, underscoring Facebook’s transcendence of borders around the world.

Today’s Chinese consumer is different than the one of just two or three years ago. Increasingly sophisticated, connected and with upgraded preferences, today’s consumer is willing to pay a higher price for certain goods if the value proposition is right. Gaining competitive advantage in China, whether in traditional brick and mortar stores or in the emerging online retail landscape, takes more than just good strategy—it takes indepth knowledge of the consumer.

The dynamics of the Chinese media market make for a unique environment for marketers and advertisers looking to reach the country’s consumers.

Chinese auto makers face three major challenges: Finding the right demand in market, reaching consumers effectively and creating optimal distribution systems.

In China, recent gains in income and the growth of the middle class over the past decade have dramatically increased the demand for retail banking services.

With over 500 million people online, China’s e-commerce industry already offers major opportunities to retailers and is poised for significant development in the years ahead.

China crossed over from a majority-rural to a majority-urban country last year, when the urban population increased by 21 million. The urban population of 691 million residents now officially represents 51 percent of the total population. But marketers striving to reach only urban consumers are missing out on a 650 million rural consumer opportunity and a market worth almost $500 billion. Companies can no longer afford to ignore this segment of the market where consumers are often experiencing brands and products for the first time, forming brand connections that may last a lifetime.

Billions of dollars are spent every year researching and launching new products in China. In a recent Nielsen study of major industries, new products contribute over 75 percent of annual growth in China, which equates to 56 trillion RMB.

According to Nielsen’s global survey of multi-screen media usage, watching video content on computers has become just as common as watching video content on television among online consumers.

Nielsen Informate notes that in India, women spend the same amount of time on their smartphones as compared to men. However, there are sharp contrasts in how they use their phones.