I was just tagged in a LinkedIn post saying that China Decode, the podcast from Scott Galloway’s Prof G network, was canceled two days ago because it was struggling to secure advertisers. I only recently discovered the show, since I spend most of my time in Chinese-language sources. I did know
@JKynge from his FT days, though. Hi, James!
Unfortunately, this doesn’t surprise me one bit. My view is that serious, analytical China coverage needs a business model beyond advertising. A podcast or newsletter can help bring in clients for higher-value services, but it’s a tough standalone business, especially when you’re not chasing views with sensationalism.
Selective decoupling has already happened. Even where commercial ties remain, companies often seem reluctant to draw attention to them. So who wants to put their brand next to “China” content? There’s an audience that needs this information, but finding advertisers eager to associate themselves with it is another matter.
There’s also the uncomfortable reality that relatively few people are genuinely interested in understanding what’s happening in China. Many have already settled on a narrative they picked up along the way and are happy to stick with it.
At
@TechBuzzChina, we’re focused on the people who want to dig deeper, especially those whose business decisions depend on getting China right. We want to do more in-depth consulting with that group, on initiatives with meaningful impact for their businesses. Please reach out if that’s you.
And yes, we’ll take you to China too, as my pinned note says! But our ambition goes well beyond organizing visits. We want to help you turn that understanding and access into something useful for your business. Hopefully, we’ll have some case studies to share in the coming months.