The Chinese Digital Christmas Campaigns That Were Done Right

As Chinese celebrations and trends, such as Singles’ Day, are getting more buzz around the world, Western holidays are becoming a major part of the everyday life in China as well.

This is more common especially among Chinese millennials or the post-90s generation.

Having talked about how WeChat and Weibo are the two most prominent social channels to reach the younger generations in China, many Western brands are jumping on the bandwagon.

Swarovski’s WeChat campaign from last year set a perfect example for many luxury brands that are still figuring out strategies to reaching Chinese consumers. To drive the sale of their limited-edition Advent Calendar Box — which contained 24 gifts, one for each of the days leading up to Christmas — Swarovski launched a highly interactive WeChat campaign allowing users to redeem gifts by engaging with the platform.

Upon entering Swarovski’s account, the users were given access to different built-in mini-games on a daily basis, through which they were able to collect a card each time they won. After collecting all seven unique cards, they would receive a free gift.

Pop quizzes and selfie makers have proven to be successful, with Chinese consumers enjoying customized user experience. In 2017, Italian handbag brand, Furla, designed a quiz for their Christmas WeChat campaign, encouraging their female followers to discover their signature charm (passion, elegance, mystery, etc.). The final answer would come up with a product recommendation based on the quiz, as well as a customized page they could share to their own WeChat feeds. Meanwhile, Stella McCartney’s Christmas campaign brought more aesthetic elements to their user experience by launching a mini-program that allowed users to upload their selfies before adding vintage-style stickers and filters.

London's iconic department store Harrods also arranged a #ChristmasTreasureHunt campaign, providing clues each day leading up to Christmas for customers to find hidden Christmas presents in store.

Not only have these campaigns drawn significant organic followers to the brands’ social channels, they’ve also promoted brand awareness through interactive experiences and seamless integration — which are both key factors in effective social marketing in any country.

While shopping for the holiday, keep in mind that more Vancouver outlets and stores are accepting WeChat Pay — given that you’ve already connected at least one bank card).

From all of us at Spotlight West Communications, we want to wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for more on Chinese social trends, WeChat marketing tips, or other fun tidbits about the Chinese community. You can also reach us at info@spotlightwest.ca.

The Sad Story Behind Chinese Valentine’s Day

As if there wasn’t already an online Valentine’s Day in China — set on the popular date of May 20th which sounds similar to “I love you” in Chinese — you may be surprised to find out there’s actually another day even more authentic when it comes to celebrating love in China.

Officially named “Chinese Valentine’s Day”, this special date falls on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month, which is why it’s also called “Double Seventh Day” or “Qixi Festival”. This year, that happens to be August 17. Although it’s been around for more than 2,000 years, it wasn’t until recently that its popularity returned, thanks to the massive influence of global consumerism.

So what’s the story behind Chinese Valentine’s Day?

Legend has it there once was a cowherd named Niu Lang, who was a very kind-hearted young man, attending to his crops and taking good care of his cattles everyday. One day, a mysterious old man showed up, leading the cowherd to visit a sick cattle from heaven. After the cattle recovered due to the great care from the cowherd, it showed its gratitude by helping Niu Lang meet Zhi Nu, a weaver girl from heaven. They fell madly in love with each other.

Unfortunately, their time together didn’t last long. Just like every great love story, an obstacle came about — the Empress of heaven was furious to learn that one of her weaver girls had eloped with a human being. She decided to punish the couple by splitting them apart and creating a huge river between them, keeping them from seeing each other for eternity (in some stories, this is also considered the origin of the Milky Way Galaxy).

Absolutely devastated, the couple cried day and night. The Empress saw this, and decided to make an exception, allowing them to meet for one day every year on the seventh day of the seventh month.

Although the story is sad, the day is now celebrated much more positively by Chinese millennials. While not exactly used to showing affection as outwardly as Westerners, the Chinese are always looking for perfect opportunities to profess their love — whether it be May 20th, Singles Day, White Valentine’s Day, or the official Chinese Valentine’s Day. It’s less intimidating to ask small or big relationship-related questions on a special occasion, knowing that there are many others doing so on the same day!

Global brands and local businesses have joined the trend, showcasing products through campaigns that are targeted specifically for the Chinese Valentine’s Day. Luxury names such as Burberry, Dior, Bvlgari, Tiffany, and even athletic brands like Nike, have all launched their “Qixi” lines recently, each represented by a popular Chinese influencer or celebrity.

As for traditions, Chinese Valentine’s Day is unlike other more common festivals such as Spring Festival or the Mid-Autumn Festival: there aren’t any specific ones you have to follow. The more popular one for young couples would be to get married on the day  — which is more romantic than the actual Valentine’s Day or on an anniversary.

As this year’s Chinese Valentine’s Day arrives, you can hopefully take time to celebrate with your loved one as well — having now had a crash course on the special day!

Shoot us a message at info@spotlightwest.ca if you’re interested in learning more, or follow our social media accounts (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter) to find out more about Chinese social trends, or WeChat marketing tips!

Asian Inspirations on How to Spend This Father’s Day

Still looking for the best way to spend some quality time with your dad for this Father’s Day? For the Asians in us, we at Spotlight West have some ideas on how to best treat your dad!

1. Father’s Day Dim Sum

Although there won’t be any Father’s Day discounts or specialties at local Chinese restaurants — unlike at those fancy brunch spots — spending a late Sunday morning to enjoy a full spread of delicious dim sum with dad while sipping on some sizzling hot Pu’erh would still be a rather welcoming plan for this Father’s Day. After all, sitting around a table of food is our favourite form of quality time, especially in Vancouver! Some of our top recommendations in town include Chef Tony Seafood Restaurant, the Deluxe Chinese Restaurant, Sun Sui Wah Seafood Restaurant, Dynasty Dumpling House, and Kirin Restaurant.

2. Visit a Local Craft Beer Brewery

Ok, maybe Craft Beer isn’t a typical Asian parent thing to do. But he might enjoy trying something different. If you missed the Vancouver Craft Beer Week this year, you still have a chance to taste some of the highlights by taking your dad to one of the breweries it showcased. Our recommendations include the Grapefruit Radler from Parallel 49 and the London Fog Ale from Faculty Brewing. Or better yet, why not indulge yourselves in the Father’s Day Brunch offered by Craft Beer Market? There’s never a bad day to enjoy a good beer.

3. An Urban Getaway at Parq Vancouver

Weekend getaways are not just for Mother’s Day or Valentine’s Day; a father could use some serious replenishing time too. The Parq Vancouver in downtown (right beside BC Place) which opened late last year might offer some fresh experiences for your family to relax. There are luxury hotel rooms, a world-class casino, whiskey lounges, and a rather sophisticated Asian food scene with 1886 Chinese Fine Dining — all in one place for your dad to experience.

4. BC Family Fishing Weekend

You know what they say — a bad day at fishing is better than a good day at the office. If your dad’s into spending his weekends on the water, take advantage of the upcoming BC Family Fishing Weekend, which happens from June 16 to 17. It’ll be the only time this year for Vancouverites to do some license-free fishing!

5. Vancouver Canadians’ Annual Father’s Day Catch

Maybe your dad is the athletic type, or at least tries to stay in shape. Bring your baseball gloves and balls down to Nat Bailey Stadium for a fun (and, “look dad, it’s free!”) tradition with the Vancouver Canadians’ annual Father’s Day catch. Hosting it again this year on June 17th between 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., the club wants you to bring your father onto the field as they invite everyone to their home turf to spend the day the good old fashioned way — with some catch.

6. Watching Golf

For those with dads who might appreciate some alone time on his appreciation day, set him up with his favourite snacks, turn the T.V. on to the US Open, and give him some peace and quiet for the afternoon. Or better yet, watch the golf tournament with him and show genuine interest in wanting to learn more.   

7. Prepare for the Chinese Dragon Boat Festival

Finally, don’t forget that the Chinese Dragon Boat Festival is also coming up! Invite your dad to join you in watching the annual Vancouver Dragon Boat race hosted by Concord Pacific, or getting ready for the annual celebration by preparing traditional foods together, such as rice dumplings. There’s a chance he might prefer that you make it and he eats it, but as long as you end up spending time with your parents, they’ll appreciate it!

In our future #SpotOn blog posts, we will be sharing more insights from the Asian Community and Chinese social trends, so make sure to follow us on our Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter!