China HNWI 2025: where intent turns into action (and how marketing actually helps)

We partnered with a leading global private bank to survey 2,042 affluent Chinese households. The punchline isn’t “awareness” or “reach”. It’s a mid-funnel stall: families are clear on why (education, lifestyle, business expansion) but hesitate on how (documents, custody, FX, sequencing). The growth lever for private banks and wealth brands is service design, not louder ads.

Five headline signals marketers should act on

1. Activation clocks differ by corridor. US & UK show the fastest near-term action (higher “≤12 months” and “applying/completed”). Canada follows closely; Singapore/Australia-NZ move steadily but slower.

2. IPB readiness is real. About ~50% overall intend to open an international/private bank account in the next 12 months; US/UK/CA cohorts approach ~62%.

3. Capital is there. First-year deployable tickets cluster at RMB 2–10m, with ≥RMB 5m common in US/CA corridors.

4. Property isn’t a maybe. 60%+ plan to purchase within 24 months, peaking again in UK/US/CA cohorts.

5. “Trusted bank” is operational, not a slogan. Families define trust as stewardship over time (~65.6%), money kept safe (~59.7%), understanding family needs (~47.7%)—the things you show (custody diagrams, fee/FX clarity, service SLAs), not claim.

Platform reality: where influence actually happens

Decision-making lives inside China’s walled gardens: WeChat for education → conversion, Xiaohongshu for credibility and saved checklists, Douyin for scalable explainers and creator amplification. Professional advisers (lawyers, accountants) are conversion accelerants, not “nice to have”.

The Five Plays (how to win)

1) XHS credibility engine

Seed KOCs around outcomes (school pathways, first-90-days checklists, fee/FX explainers). Promote winners; drive “save” and “favourite”, not just likes.

2) Douyin education at scale

20–30s creator-whitelisted explainers that end with a WeChat QR. Use calm proof (custody/fees/service) and corridor-specific CTAs.

3) WeChat conversion spine

OA article → Mini Programme tools (view-only onboarding, FX budgeter, mortgage pre-qual) → WeCom RM. Define SLAs (e.g., RM call <24h). This is where first funding happens.

4) Search capture

Own Baidu and social search around intents (“英国 学校 资金路径”, “加拿大 按揭 预批”, “美国 账户 托管”). Your OA/MP surfaces must answer these queries plainly.

5) PC/OTT credibility spots (QR → OA series)

15–30s big-screen reassurance: custody/segregation visual, fee & FX clarity, and a single next step. Use them to warm up households before WeChat flows.

Corridor snapshots (signal → move)

• US / UK — fastest clocks; complex docs

Move: IPB-first journeys with custody and tax/fee transparency, doc-pack upload, and RM within 24h.

CTA: “Start your UK/US onboarding.”

• Canada — bigger first-year tickets; property-led

Move: OA pre-approval steps, mortgage pre-qual, FX budgeter, plus webinar with lawyer/accountant.

CTA: “Check Canada pre-approval.”

• Singapore / Australia-NZ — education-led, steady movers

Move: School timelines, rent→buy runway, bank-account view-only onboarding; partner immigration/education advisers.

CTA: “Plan your SG/AU-NZ pathway.”

• Hong Kong / GBA — regional hub; custody & liquidity

Move: Emphasise segregation/custody and multi-currency liquidity; cross-border appointment booking and branch discovery.

CTA: “See your GBA options.”

Creative that respects compliance (and still converts)

• XHS carousel: “UK school timelines & fees”, “What custody actually means”, “First-year cost map”.

• Douyin 20–30s: “Moving to the UK or planning schools? Our specialists may help you plan funding, documents and timing—returns not guaranteed; capital at risk. Scan to see the steps inside WeChat.”

• WeChat OA series: 3–5 posts: (1) Custody & safety, (2) Fees/FX scenarios, (3) First-90-days checklist, (4) Property pre-approval, (5) Book your 20-min consult.

• Mini Programme: tools, not brochures—view-only onboarding, FX budgeter, doc-pack uploader, mortgage pre-qual.

Measurement that matters (from media to money)

• Content health: XHS saves, completion on Douyin explainers, OA read-through.

• Funnel movement: Mini Programme tool starts → WeCom RM bookings → first funding / pre-approval.

• Trust proof: SLA adherence, fee/FX view rates, custody diagram dwell time.

• Economics: CAC to first funding, ticket-by-lane (RMB 2–5m / 5–10m / 10m+), RM time per funded account.

What this means for marketers (three decisions)

1. Design journeys around outcomes, not products. Families start with school placements, property and compliant first steps—so should your content.

2. Make trust visible. Replace claims with diagrams, tables and SLAs—and keep them scannable on mobile.

3. Convert where they live. The winning funnel is XHS → Douyin → WeChat OA/Mini Programme → WeCom. Landing pages outside China’s ecosystem won’t do the job.

Want the charts and the “Five Plays” templates?

Book a 20-minute read-out and we’ll share the corridor clock visuals, WeChat funnel blueprints, and compliant copy lines (EN/中文).