The Recipe for Success: How Knorr Mastered Search-Driven Influence on Xiaohongshu

In Malaysia, Chinese New Year is defined by the spirit of reunion. The dinner table serves as the ultimate symbol of family unity, where dishes are more than just food; they are a bridge between generations. However, this creates a high-pressure environment for home cooks tasked with delivering grandma-approved flavors.

To stand out during this high-intent season, Knorr partnered with AnyMind Group to position its All-In-One Seasoning and Chicken Cubes as the secret to achieving “Pasti Ngam” (perfectly suited) results, ensuring every reunion dish was both delicious and authentic.

Cutting through the festive noise

The weeks leading up to the reunion dinner represent the most saturated media environment in Malaysia. Knorr faced the hurdle of moving beyond traditional festive advertising to reach a digitally-savvy audience that actively seeks out culinary inspiration rather than passively consuming ads. The goal was to build trust in the kitchen, proving that Knorr products are reliable companions for these high-stakes festive moments.

Leveraging search-driven storytelling on Xiaohongshu

The campaign strategy was built exclusively around Xiaohongshu (XHS), a platform that functions more like a search engine than a social feed for the Malaysian Chinese community. XHS users exhibit high search intent, specifically looking for utility-based content like “reunion dinner recipe ideas” or “how to cook festive dishes.”

By leveraging this search-driven behavior, the approach moved away from hard-sell promotional messaging toward cooking-led storytelling. The strategy focused on providing high “how-to” value, ensuring that Knorr was naturally integrated into the search results of users who were already in a “planning and buying” mindset for their festive meals.

On top of that, AnyMind’s proprietary influencer marketing platform, AnyTag, was utilized for data-driven influencer selection and end-to-end campaign management, ensuring the right voices led this conversation.

Simmering the strategy into reality

To transform high-level intent into kitchen action, the execution blueprint focused on turning passive viewers into active cooks. By shifting the creative narrative from brand-led promotions to high-utility creator recipes, Knorr mapped its products across the entire user journey on Xiaohongshu, capturing audience attention at discovery and sustaining it through targeted media boosting.

Combining organic creator creativity with data-backed performance boosting across several key layers:

1. Diverse creator mix: A total of 9 creators were activated on XHS. To find the perfect brand fit, AnyTag’s AI-driven discovery tool was utilized, applying sophisticated KOL filters to identify creators with the right audience demographics and engagement patterns. This mix included 6 video-led creators to demonstrate real-time product usage and 3 photo carousel creators to provide “saveable” recipe cards.

2. Creative autonomy: To maintain authenticity, creators were encouraged to utilize their signature styles and unique recipe presentations. Narrative hooks focused on emotional and cultural resonance—such as “impressing the family” or achieving a nostalgic “kampung taste”—which helped the brand connect on a deeper level than functional claims alone.

3. Pugongying boosting for precision: To bridge the gap between organic reach and targeted visibility, Pugongying Boosting (XHS’s native ad tool) was utilized. The boosting was specifically optimized for Infeed Clicks, ensuring the content appeared in the feeds of users actively interested in culinary and festive topics.

4. Centralized campaign management: Through the use of AnyTag, the end-to-end process—from creator discovery to real-time performance tracking—was streamlined to ensure delivery consistency and consistent brand messaging across all content pieces.

The impact of intent-based engagement

The campaign achieved outstanding results across all key metrics, proving that a highly targeted approach can drive significant scale. Despite engaging just 9 creators, the content delivered over 331,900 total impressions and captured more than 4,000 total engagements. Comment analysis revealed a deep level of consumer interest and purchase consideration. Approximately 35–40% of users expressed clear learning or trial intent through comments such as “Learned it!” and “I’ve saved this,” while 20–25% of the community explicitly reinforced product trust, crediting Knorr for guaranteed flavor success.

The performance was further amplified by Pugongying Boosting, which acted as a powerful secondary driver for traffic. By the end of the campaign, the boosting efforts delivered over 10,900 clicks and a healthy 10.90% click-through-rate (CTR). This ensured that the content remained highly discoverable for users throughout the critical festive window.

Turn seasonal search intent into lifelong brand love with AnyMind

Knorr’s Chinese New Year campaign demonstrates that for brands looking to win over the Malaysian Chinese and Mandarin-speaking market, XHS is a critical touchpoint. By aligning product utility with the platform’s search-driven nature, Knorr transformed from a standard seasoning into a trusted partner for the most important meal of the year.

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Contact us today to discover how our XHS strategies can scale your brand’s impact.