Li Wanqiang
Pioneer of the 'sense of participation' marketing philosophy, who redefined brand building in the internet era through fan communities
Li Wanqiang (born 1982) is a co-founder of Xiaomi Technology, former Vice President responsible for brand marketing and MIUI products. He is the core proposer and practitioner of Xiaomi's 'sense of participation' marketing methodology: through MIUI developer edition weekly updates, forum interactions, and fan events, transforming Xiaomi users from consumers into co-creators of the brand. In 2014, he published 'The Sense of Participation: Xiaomi's Internal Word-of-mouth Marketing Manual,' systematically articulating this methodology and becoming a landmark work of Chinese internet marketing. His practice at Xiaomi proved the viability of a 'no advertising' brand building path in the mobile internet era.
Methodologies
- Participation Sense Three-Three Rule - Three strategies (hit products + fans + self-media) combined with three tactics (open nodes + interaction design + word-of-mouth spread), systematically building internet brands
- Seed User Cultivation Method - In the brand cold start phase, precisely find and deeply serve 100 high-quality seed users, making them the brand's first missionaries
Key decisions and timeline
- Born in Hunan Province - Design background has unique value for brand building
- Joined Xiaomi, Responsible for MIUI Products and Brand - Choosing the right track and right team is the most important career development decision
- Launched MIUI, Recruited 100 Seed Users - Precise seed users can start the word-of-mouth flywheel better than large-scale advertising
Beliefs and mental models
- Sense of Participation is the Strongest Brand Adhesive - When users participate in the product creation process, their relationship with the brand upgrades from a purchase relationship to a co-creation relationship. This sense of participation creates brand loyalty and word-of-mouth propagation power that traditional advertising cannot buy.
- Product is the Best Marketing - In the internet era, good products spread themselves. Rather than spending on advertising, invest the advertising budget in making better products. Product word-of-mouth is the most enduring and credible marketing channel.
- Fan Community is the Core Brand Asset - An active fan community is not just a marketing channel but also a feedback source for product improvement, an amplifier of brand value, and the most credible recommendation source for new users. Building a community has more long-term value than running advertisements.
- Participation Flywheel - User participation → product improvement → better word-of-mouth → more user participation, forming a self-reinforcing growth flywheel
- 100 Seed Users Strategy - Before product launch, carefully cultivate a small number of high-quality seed users, making them the brand's first 'missionaries'
- Weekly Iteration Rhythm - Fast iteration rhythm on a weekly basis, maintaining users' continuous sense of participation and freshness while quickly responding to user feedback
Sources
- 黎万强，《参与感：小米口碑营销内部手册》，中信出版社，2014年
- 黎万强，《我心欢喜》，中信出版社，2016年（摄影集，含个人感悟）
- 小米公司官方博客和MIUI社区历史档案，2010-2016年