ChinaJoy 2023 was held at the Shanghai New International Expo Center in July, marking yet another milestone for one of the globe’s most influential digital entertainment expos.
This year, the event caught the attention of countless young people with its pulse on the digital zeitgeist. Stepping onto this high-profile stage, Soul App showcased its trending IP, “Mobius,” offering a window into emerging social trends, youth culture, and cutting-edge digital experiences in virtual but authentic socialization.
Numerous young people came to the Soul App booth during the event to engage with the “Mobius” IP. The success and popularity of this trending IP lies in its seamless alignment with youth culture, offering a resonating frequency that speaks to the needs and aspirations of younger people.
In fact, “Mobius” taps into Soul App’s unique user identity of “avatar”. To alleviate the social pressure on users, Soul App has used avatars as its virtual identity system since its launch in 2016, allowing users to create personalized virtual profiles. This lowers the importance of physical attractiveness and location, reducing social pressure and allowing users to express themselves and share their passions freely.
The young users of the platform pay significant attention to their avatars, turning them into vital social currency within the platform. This phenomenon has given rise to thriving communities where users not only create but also share and discuss these digital personas.
With the development of the digital economy, personalized virtual products and services are particularly popular among young people. Starting in 2022, Soul App has released a series of digital collections of creative avatars that can be applied in various scenarios. These avatars have been well received by Generation Z. Among them, “Mobius” has become one of the IPs gaining initial fame among young people.
At the ChinaJoy exhibition, Soul App launched a limited ChinaJoy edition of the “Mobius” series, which again attracted attention. As young people and IPs like “Mobius” converge towards each other, the connection between the younger generation and Soul App is deepening. In this continuous resonance, the boundaries of social interaction are continually expanding.
In addition to taking photos with Cosers dressed in the trendy “Mobius” series outfits, many young people also experienced products and participated in interactive games at the booth. They directly experienced the new ecology brought by Soul App, combining “trendy culture” and “social interaction.”
Traditional social interaction methods, based on kinship and geography, are fading. As “social anxiety” offline and “social prowess” online become the norm for young people, the methods and modes of social interaction have quietly changed. Based on insights into social trends, Soul App helps young people express themselves comfortably and interact without pressure, more efficiently building and maintaining a high-quality social network, through game-like methods and deep relationships based on interest graphs.
Whether through group chat parties, pet planets, or unique gamified activities, young people find their tribe by aligning interests, sharing passions, and immersing themselves in a myriad of subcultures.
At the ChinaJoy exhibition, Soul App’s Vice President Liu Yinan said that Mobius’ was a microcosm of the platform’s youth pop culture. Nearly 80% of its users are from Generation Z. Many young people share authentically, displaying their life attitudes, aesthetic values, and amazing creativity. These have converged into a trend and have become the foundation for the birth of highly recognizable IPs. Soul App will continue to co-create an innovative digital ecology with young users, leading to a new trend in internet social interaction.
Driven by technological innovation, Soul App aims to keep redefining the digital social landscape. For example, in promoting the deep integration of AIGC with social scenarios, Soul App initiated relevant technology R&D work in 2020.
The platform already has advanced technical accumulation in smart dialogue, image generation, voice technology, etc., and is committed to implementing AIGC technology in creative user support, intelligent dialogue, and other aspects. This enhances user interaction, expression, and immersive social experiences.
As Gen Z emerges as the dominant force in the digital realm, new intergenerational dialogues and tech-driven demands are reshaping social platforms and popular culture. Liu concluded, “In the future, Soul App will remain committed to understanding the core social needs of younger audiences.
We’ll keep our finger on the pulse of emerging trends while fostering a technology-first approach. Together with our user base, we’ll co-create a content ecosystem that embodies a culture that’s optimistic, progressive, and diverse.
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Ankita Tripathy loves to write about food and the Hallyu Wave in particular. During her free time, she enjoys looking at the sky or reading books while sipping a cup of hot coffee. Her favourite niches are food, music, lifestyle, travel, and Korean Pop music and drama.
