In China’s rapidly evolving digital landscape, marketing automation has emerged as a cornerstone of customer engagement and business growth — especially within private traffic ecosystems like WeChat, where personalized communication and first-party data are key.

For many global and local brands operating in the region, their current marketing automation platforms may no longer be fit for purpose — especially as economic challenges and vendor instability increase the risks of relying on outdated solutions.

The need to migrate to a more suitable marketing automation solution for China would be crucial.

This article explores when to consider a move, how to evaluate the right solution, and the key steps to marketing automation solution migration to help digital leaders future-proof their MarTech stack in China.

Executive Summary:

1. Marketing automation in China presents unique challenges and opportunities due to its mobile-first behavior, dominant local platforms like WeChat, and strict data regulations such as PIPL. 

2. Many global and local brands face limitations with outdated platforms that can no longer support real-time engagement, omnichannel integration, or compliance needs. 

3. Migrating to a more suitable marketing automation system is not just a technical upgrade, but a strategic move to future-proof operations and stay competitive in China’s fast-moving digital environment. 

4. This article outlines a clear roadmap to guide your migration — from aligning business goals and selecting the right solution, to executing data migration, testing, team training, and optimization. 

5. A successful transition empowers brands to enhance personalization, ensure regulatory compliance, improve operational efficiency, and unlock deeper insights for smarter decision-making.

What to Know about Marketing Automation in China

Marketing automation helps automate and streamline marketing tasks to improve targeting and efficiency — whether for a single campaign or across the customer lifecycle. In China, marketing automation operates very differently from the rest of the world:

1. Unique Channels:

Instead of global platforms like Facebook, Google, or Amazon, Chinese consumers frequent homegrown “counterparts” like WeChat, Douyin, Baidu, Tmall, JD.com…

This social commerce-driven ecosystem has made super-apps like WeChat the core of MarTech development and pushed Social CRM (sCRM) tools to the forefront to drive data collection and manage brand-user interactions.

2. Unique User Behaviors:

China’s mobile-first landscape, driven by a highly integrated digital ecosystem, is characterized by strong consumer engagement in social commerce. Over 80% of consumers use their mobile phones for online purchases, and 45% are willing to share personal data for more personalized, relevant, and seamless content and experiences.

3. Unique Data Regulations:

China’s own data laws, such as the Personal Information Protection Law (PIPL), also require brands to rethink engagement touchpoints and strategies — shifting from marketplaces to brand-owned channels like WeChat to ensure compliance and focus on first-party data collection.

As a result, Social CRM has emerged as a key system for brands to conduct marketing automation initiatives (especially on platforms like WeChat) and a key part of their CRM strategy in China.

For example, Dulwich College International empowered their WeChat Official Account with a Social CRM system to enhance data collection, follower segmentation, and lead generation (student recruitment)

When to Consider a Marketing Automation Platform Migration in China?

Many brands outgrow their current marketing automation system. As personalization and clienteling become more important, older platforms often struggle to keep up — especially when it comes to integration, data flow, or real-time customer engagement.

New technologies now offer features like AI-driven analytics, cloud scalability, and stronger omnichannel capabilities. If your system cannot support these, it may be holding you back.

In some cases, the issue lies with the vendor — slow support, outdated product development, or even the company exiting the market can put your operations at risk.

Additionally, with the current tough economy and the challenges SaaS companies face raising funds in China, many vendors are now going bankrupt. This increases the risk of relying on platforms that may not be around in the near future.

Other factors like stricter data laws, better tools used by competitors, or internal goals for digital transformation can also trigger the need for change.

To achieve a smooth and successful transition, we recommend looking at both internal and external signals. When these factors are present, a timely migration to a new marketing automation platform becomes a strategic imperative:

Internally

• Strategic misalignment: Your current system no longer supports your marketing and growth objectives. 
• Operational readiness: The organization is ready for change, with the right talent, resources, and timing.
• Investment preparedness: Investment is available not just for technology, but for training and adoption.
• Optimal timing: The migration is planned during a period when business activities are relatively low to minimize business disruption.

Externally

• Platform innovation: Advanced solutions offer significant improvements in capability and integration.
• Vendor viability: Your existing vendor support is lacking, its long-term reliability is uncertain, or the vendor may be at risk of bankruptcy due to economic pressures.
• Regulatory pressure: Regulatory changes, especially in China, demand a more secure, auditable infrastructure.
• Technology opportunity: New technologies (AI, cloud, automation) present measurable business advantages.

Migration is not merely a technical upgrade. It is a strategic move to unlock performance, future-proof operations, and enable marketing to drive sustained business impact.

How to Choose the Right Marketing Automation / Social CRM Solution (with Consideration for B2C vs B2B Contexts)

1. Business Fit & Functionality

When selecting a marketing automation platform for China, it’s essential to recognize that Social CRM strategies — and thus platform requirements — differ significantly between B2C and B2B business models.

Additionally, some platforms that once targeted both B2C and B2B have since specialized, making it even more important to choose a solution that aligns with your business model.

Tailoring to B2C Needs:

B2C brands typically manage a high volume of leads with smaller deal sizes and shorter sales cycles. Success hinges on robust automation, advanced segmentation, and the ability to deliver personalized content and promotions at scale — especially within WeChat. The platform should empower your team to:

• Automate and personalize onboarding journeys for thousands of users.
• Implement dynamic user segmentation for targeted messaging.
• Leverage parametric QR codes and social fission (viral) marketing to drive rapid user acquisition and engagement.
• Collect granular consumer data to enable real-time, context-aware campaigns.

Tailoring to B2B Needs:

B2B companies, by contrast, handle fewer leads but with much larger deal sizes and longer, more complex buying journeys. Here, the platform must facilitate deep, relationship-driven engagement and support multi-touchpoint nurturing. Key capabilities include:

• Managing and mapping multiple decision-makers within client organizations.
• Supporting long-term, personalized communications and content delivery.
• Enabling account-based marketing and tracking of complex sales cycles.
• Providing tools for relationship building and authority establishment, with conversions often occurring outside WeChat.

2. Existing Business Systems Integration

The new system must integrate seamlessly with your existing CRM, CDP, clienteling system, CMS, and data lake — ensuring high performance and stability for both B2C and B2B use cases.

• For B2C, this means supporting large-scale, real-time data flows and campaign execution.
• For B2B, it means enabling deep integration with sales and account management tools to track long-term engagement.

For example, Moschino integrates the Social CRM system with its WeChat Official Account, loyalty WeChat Mini Program, and WeCom to effectively consolidate scattered digital assets.

3. Data Security & Compliance 

Given China’s stringent data privacy laws (e.g., PIPL), your platform must ensure robust data protection through encryption and access controls.

• For B2C, this means safeguarding vast amounts of consumer data.
• For B2B, it means protecting sensitive organizational and stakeholder information.

4. Cost & ROI 

The ideal solution should deliver clear business results and efficiency gains.

• For B2C, this may be measured in campaign reach and conversion rates.
• For B2B, consider the number of conversions down the funnel (e.g., marketing-qualified leads, sales-qualified leads, clients), revenue generated, and relationship depth.

Transparent cost structures and demonstrable ROI are essential for both.

5. Vendor’s Functional Capability and Financial Stability

Select a vendor with proven expertise in China’s digital ecosystem, strong local support, rapid deployment, and a track record of innovation.

The vendor should demonstrate success in the Social CRM implementations that you need (in B2C, B2B, or both), offering references and case studies relevant to your sector.

Brands should also actively challenge vendors to provide a clear and detailed roadmap for features related to B2C/B2B use cases, as well as their plans for AI capabilities.

It’s important to request a specific function list and ask probing questions to verify the vendor’s claims. This due diligence helps ensure the chosen platform will truly meet your business needs — now and in the future.

The right marketing automation solution for China is not one-size-fits-all. It must be tailored to your business model — whether B2C, B2B, or hybrid — empowering your teams to engage, convert, and retain customers effectively in China’s unique digital landscape.

Moreover, with many SaaS vendors going bankrupt due to ongoing economic challenges, it is essential for brands to deeply audit the vendor’s P&L and overall profitability before making a decision. Too many SaaS providers have failed in the past few years, and this trend is likely to continue.

• Only engage with vendors that are financially stable and transparent about their financial health.
• When possible, consider partnering with more established providers — such as Salesforce, Tencent, or Adobe — to reduce risk and ensure long-term support.

Step-by-Step Migration Strategy

1. Defining Objectives & Requirements 

Align system goals with short- and long-term business strategy and stakeholder priorities.

2. Selecting the Right Solution

Research, compare, and choose a platform that fits your requirements and budget.

At IT Consultis, we partner with top-tier MarTech solution providers to deliver tailored consulting and execution services.

Our experienced consultants ensure you select a marketing automation / Social CRM solution that offers the essential functionalities, complies with legal regulations, seamlessly integrates with both local and global business systems, and fits within your budget.

3. Building a Transition Plan 

Set clear milestones, timelines, resources, and risk controls.

4. Migrating & Integrating Data 

Plan for a clean and accurate transfer of all customer data — profiles, events, campaigns, and segments, ensuring smooth system integration.

5. Testing & Validating 

Map and test all key workflows, customer journeys, use cases, and cross-system compatibility in the new system to avoid disruption.

6. Training & Aligning Teams 

Prepare users through targeted departmental training and change management (e.g., dedicated standard operating procedures development and training sessions for Marketing, Sales, CRM teams…).

7. Launching & Monitoring 

Roll out in phases, track performance, and resolve early issues.

8. Reviewing & Optimizing 

Measure outcomes, gather feedback, and refine as needed.

Key Benefits for Brands

This smooth and successful transition will therefore unlock a range of strategic advantages for your business operations:

• Enhance customer engagement by enabling personalized, real-time campaigns across China’s key digital ecosystems, especially in the WeChat ecosystem with Social CRM.
• Ensure regulatory compliance with China’s stringent data privacy laws, minimizing legal risk and exposure. 
• Drive operational efficiency by automating marketing workflows and reducing reliance on manual processes. 
• Improve decision-making through deeper insights powered by advanced analytics and user behavior tracking. 
• Strengthen market competitiveness by increasing agility in responding to evolving consumer trends and platform dynamics

To Wrap Up 

Marketing automation platform migration in China is not just a technical necessity — it is a strategic opportunity to re-architect your digital marketing foundation for long-term success in this unique market.

With the right roadmap, partners, and platforms, your organization can accelerate personalization, compliance, and omnichannel engagement — unlocking the next phase of growth.