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.