In 2025, China’s advertising industry revenue surpassed the 2 trillion yuan milestone, doubling its 2020 figure and marking a new era of commercial saturation. Yet, within this trillion-yuan arena, the lifespans of trendy 'internet celebrity' brands are shrinking, with many failing to survive beyond a three-year window. While high-growth startups like Perfect Diary and Zhong Xue Gao see their valuations evaporate overnight, a triumvirate of veteran marketers has maintained a psychological grip on the Chinese consumer for over two decades.
Shi Yuzhu, Du Guoying, and the late Ye Maozhong represent the 'three mountains' of Chinese marketing, often derided as 'harvesting leeks' yet undeniably successful. Unlike modern digital brands that chase fleeting traffic, these figures built empires by weaponizing deep-seated social anxieties and cultural norms. From health supplements to luxury tea and digital gaming, their portfolios share a common thread: they don't sell products; they sell solutions to social pressure.
Shi Yuzhu’s comeback is the stuff of corporate legend, transforming from China’s 'most indebted' man to a billionaire through the health supplement Melatonin. He realized that in China, health products are rarely purchased by the consumer; they are bought by children as gifts for their parents to signal filial piety. By stripping away complex medical claims and focusing on the repetitive mantra of 'giving gifts,' Shi captured the gift-giving market for 28 years.
Similarly, Du Guoying has spent a career hunting for parental and status-based anxieties. He moved from posture-correcting gear for children to high-end 'Xiao Guan Tea,' which standardizes the opaque tea market for consumers who want to gift prestige without needing to be experts. His strategy involves identifying a niche where information is asymmetric and then deploying 'saturated attacks' through relentless advertising across every available media channel.
Ye Maozhong, the creative force behind some of China’s most annoying yet unforgettable slogans, pioneered 'Conflict Theory.' He argued that advertising is not meant to be liked; it is meant to be remembered through the resolution of social conflicts, such as the tension between wanting to be a 'tough man' and needing to buy affordable clothing. His work for brands like HLA and Mafengwo prioritized brand recognition over aesthetic appeal, often triggering public backlash that only served to increase brand awareness.
While the era of information asymmetry is closing as consumers become more rational and data-savvy, the core logic of these marketing giants remains potent. They understand that while platforms change from newspapers to TikTok, human nature—specifically the desire for status, the fear of falling behind, and the need for social validation—is remarkably static. The age of the 'marketing masters' may be evolving, but their blueprint for psychological engineering continues to define the boundaries of Chinese commerce.