How iQIYI Uses Its Café for Offline Marketing

In a quiet single-family villa tucked along South Sanlitun Road in Beijing, diners at a small café spot plates stamped with a clear message: 'iQIYI Café.' That’s right—China’s major video streaming service iQIYI runs a real coffeehouse. Though locals don’t flock here for expertly brewed shots, they do come for scoop on the latest dramas and the off-chance of spotting a director or star.

iQIYI didn’t set out to open a café—or even sell coffee. What began as a staff office for easier access to Sanlitun’s event scene gradually morphed into a branded coffee space, then a key tool for offline marketing.

What Is iQIYI Café?

iQIYI Café is located in a standalone villa on South Sanlitun Road in Beijing. The space serves food and drinks, and prominently displays the iQIYI brand on dinnerware. Though the coffee quality isn’t the draw, the venue attracts fans interested in upcoming shows and potential celebrity sightings.

Why Did iQIYI Open a Café?

Contrary to assumptions, iQIYI didn’t enter the café business. Originally, the location served as an employee liaison office for handling events in Sanlitun. Over time, it transitioned into a public café, and eventually into a strategic offline marketing hub.

How iQIYI Café Drives Drama Promotion

iQIYI uses the café as a physical extension of its digital marketing. Before launching its hit Super Drama 'Psychological Crime,' which racked up over 500 million on-demand views, the café ran a targeted pre-launch campaign. Staff handed out cards on the street, inviting pedestrians to step into the café and participate in detective-themed roleplay aligned with the show’s storyline. This helped build early buzz and loyalty among potential viewers.

Beyond immersive street marketing, iQIYI also hosts exclusive offline events at the café. These include director forums, actor meet-and-greets, and celebration parties—all contributing to deeper fan engagement and word-of-mouth promotion. Rather than treating the café as a profit center, iQIYI leverages its prime Sanlitun location to connect face-to-face with audiences.

Is This the Future of Video Marketing?

The campaign around 'Psychological Crime' demonstrated how an unconventional physical space can amplify digital content. With strong foot traffic and strategic activation, iQIYI Café shows how video platforms might blend online reach with offline community-building. Whether other streaming services will adopt similar café-based marketing remains to be seen—but the model is already generating attention.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is iQIYI Café located?

iQIYI Café is located in a standalone villa on South Sanlitun Road in Beijing, China. It’s not a chain or franchise, but a branded space operated by the video platform iQIYI.

Does iQIYI Café serve good coffee?

The coffee at iQIYI Café is not the main attraction. While drinks are served, customers generally aren’t there for the brew quality—they visit for drama updates and the possibility of meeting celebrities or creators.

What marketing campaigns has iQIYI run from the café?

iQIYI used the café to promote its Super Drama 'Psychological Crime' with street teams handing out cards that invited people to roleplay as detectives inside the café. The café also hosts director panels, fan meetups, and celebration events for shows.

Why did iQIYI turn an office into a café?

Originally, the Sanlitun property was used as an employee office for coordinating events. It later became a public café and eventually evolved into an official marketing venue to engage audiences offline.

Is iQIYI Café meant to make money?

No, the café is not a profit-driven venture. It functions primarily as a marketing tool to promote iQIYI’s original content and foster direct relationships with fans and industry figures.

Will other streaming services copy this café strategy?

It’s unclear if other platforms will adopt the same approach, but iQIYI’s use of a physical café for interactive, immersive drama marketing has drawn attention as a potential new trend in entertainment promotion.