On team purchasing and the future of social commerce with Ada Yang at Pinduoduo
I spoke with Ada Yang who works in international strategy and corporate affairs at Pinduoduo on team purchasing, Pinduoduo’s global implications, the future of social commerce in the US, and revolutionizing agtech through Duo Duo University.
1. Can you share a bit more about your first experience with team purchasing and how you have seen this model evolve in China?
My first experience with team purchasing was actually in physical retail , buying wines together with my friend in the U.S. We hadn’t planned to purchase wine at first and were only checking things out in the neighborhood, but we happened to spot the group sales and wine collections in the display and ended up having quite a memorable discovery experience.
Because there was a buy-3-get-1-free deal, the two of us decided to share in the purchase (it would have been too much for either of us to get four bottles of wine on our own). Besides the bargain, we learnt some interesting facts from the owner about the history, regions of wine, and tips on how to appreciate wine. Fast-forward to today, I never thought things could be just as fun online before I came back to China, where I have seen this experience-driven team purchasing model evolving via the tremendous growth of recommendation-based marketplaces.
The goal of online team purchasing is not only to reach a quota to save money, but also more of a social experience integrated with interaction, sharing and discovery, just like going to a weekend flea market with your good friends, or in my particular example, roping in a friend to get a good bargain on wine.
You don’t need to have a shopping list in mind, but you tend to end up buying something after browsing and engaging with the merchants. In China, with the proliferation of the smartphone and mobile internet, consumers have ubiquitous access to the online world. That accelerated the innovation of the e-commerce platforms to make the shopping experience more interactive and fun.
2. You spent quite some time living and working in the US. How has your time in the US shaped your work with Pinduoduo?
My time in the U.S. has helped prepare me in the sense that it allowed me to familiarize myself with the type of people and industry insiders that I deal with on an everyday basis now. My role at Pinduoduo is to serve as a communication bridge between Pinduoduo and the tech and business community in the West. I get to interact with the likes of industry thought leaders, academia, entrepreneurs and industry experts who want to know more about Pinduoduo’s business and the stories behind it. It is a relatively new idea and different approach compared to managing traditional media relations. The time I spent in the US matured my understanding of the social communications scene and made me feel comfortable building connections and telling stories of the organization I represent. And for people to understand Pinduoduo, it’s important to put it into the right context. Being born and raised in China also helps because I can relate to things happening here with my understanding of the culture and history of my own country. At the end of the day, what matters the most is to have an authentic, meaningful and effective dialogue with your audiences. And of course, a little humor I learnt in the U.S. helps as well!
3. What is the most surprising thing you have learned about global communications?
I think we need to strike a balance when it comes to “global” vs “local” in communications. While it’s important to be aware and mindful of some of the big, global themes, the most authentic connections are made when the stories are relatable to them in their local communities. The best conversations I have had were always the ones where both you and your audiences have a common affinity for the topic.
Also, putting yourself in the audience’s shoes and speaking in a language that they can understand and relate to is very important in communicating. It’s a dialogue, not a lecture.
4. What does a typical day at work look like for you?
As international PR, we basically work 24/7 because of the nature of the job and the time zone difference of the various people we are in contact with. In addition to my normal working hours, we have podcasts, meetings, video calls and such in the mornings and the evenings to accommodate the time differences for the U.S. and Europe.
There is constant communication both internally and externally via multiple channels going on simultaneously throughout the day. So the first thing I do when I arrive in the office, I would start writing down my to-do list of the day and try to categorize them based on urgency and priority and start executing. We’ve got no time to feel bored at work, there are always surprises and impromptu meetings we are roped into in the middle of ongoing projects, so I make a conscious effort to compartmentalize and enjoy the challenges.
5. What do you think the future of social commerce in the US will look like?
What we learned about social commerce in China, take PDD as an example, is to bring “value for money” via “fun and interactive” experiences, and I see the US trending that way too.
Value-for-money is a universal ask, not dependent on location, or how rich a person is. Even the richest person in the world does not want to overpay. Fun and interactivity is essential for anyone, as humans are social animals.
PDD’s social commerce model addresses both universal needs, and such a model in my mind is appealing to everyone no matter the zip code.
7. Influencers sometimes worry that working with platforms disintermediates them from their end followers. How has Pinduoduo found a balance between empowering influencers and being a platform?
We want to build a “virtual e-commerce club” where tech lovers can share insights, knowledge and build networks with a broader group of people with similar interests from all over the world. We started engaging influencers because we saw genuine interest out there about the technology innovation, fast growing business models, interesting initiatives and stories happening in China. Also, you can’t really ignore the voices of influencers with substance and authenticity so we encourage and support influencers to create their own content that can make an impact to the ecosystem.
7. I love the work that Pinduoduo is doing with farmers through Duo Duo University. What other underserved groups you are all excited to support and work with.
Since Pinduoduo was established, our mission has been to serve and benefit all. While we devote ourselves into helping farmers improve the quality of their lives, we make sure our urban consumers can get value-for-money products as well. You may have seen a story in our latest newsletter, that of a young man with muscular dystrophy who built a 100-million-yuan e-commerce fruit business online with his friend, who suffers hearing loss. They are among millions of sellers who are unseen but are the people behind the real products we buy. It has been our mission to provide them access, knowledge and a platform for them to succeed. And we’re excited to be building a stronger platform to bring more positive changes to their lives, big or small.
