Foreign influencers arrive to turn focus on culture, creativity

Stretching a friendship

It will not be the first time the Chinese company has brought a Western influencer to China.

ShootsWorks has had a successful collaboration with Pamela Reif, a German workout lifestyle influencer, whose fitness content has a massive global following.

The collaboration with Reif began in early 2023 when Zhu recognized her growing popularity in China, particularly during the pandemic. Zhu, who was living in Germany at the time, reached out to Reif who was seeking to grow her presence in China.

In 2023, Zhu took on the role of managing Reif's Chinese social media accounts, helping her navigate platforms like Weibo and Red-Note. The goal was to introduce Reif's positive and healthy lifestyle message to China's massive audience, offering her fans not just workout routines, but also a connection to a role model.

In October 2023, Reif visited major Chinese cities including Shanghai, Beijing, and Changsha. Zhu planned the trip, and Reif engaged with her Chinese fans by hosting live workout sessions and fan events.

"Despite the language barrier, the energy and enthusiasm of the events showed that fitness and fun are universal languages," Zhu recalled.

In addition to a massive 9.68 million followers on YouTube, Reif has established a presence on Chinese social media — including the video-sharing platform Bilibili — and has more than 11.6 million followers.

Reif's first whirlwind trip to China was a success. On the streets of Shanghai, she was frequently stopped for photos by fans who were thrilled to meet the fitness icon in person. Her events in Beijing and Changsha featured cultural immersion, including trying the traditional Chinese exercises baduanjin and wuqinxi.

Reif's visit also incorporated Chinese culture, including visits to landmarks like the Great Wall and the Forbidden City, which offered her followers around the world a look at China's rich history.