WeChat has completely redefined luxury brand marketing in Mainland China ever since Dior posted its first WeChat Moments ad on the platform. After that, WeChat was quite readily embraced by many international brands who wanted to tap into the Chinese fashion community.
Recently, Tencent’s WeChat released a report that recaps its luxury advertising business for 2019 called “Solution for Luxury Brands Advertising on WeChat”. According to the report, the number of luxury brands that have injected money into their WeChat Marketing campaigns over the last five years has steadily increased. The end of 2019 saw over 90 percent of luxury brands with a presence in China had established WeChat Mini Programs. Performance-based advertising by luxury brands on WeChat in 2019 increased by 80%.
Here are some key takeaways from the WeChat report:
Live Streaming: Showcasing online for conversion
According to the report, major fashion brands live-streamed their runway shows during Fashion Week. These have become so popular over the past few years that they warranted the need for a special feature called Online Showroom, which was embedded within the brands’ Mini Program. It generated a lot of online buzz among influencers and mainstream fashion-savvy audiences as well.
Mini-Programs: From online to offline
Offline exhibitions became a new and savvy way of audience interaction, especially for luxury brands. This way, online fans can become prospective customers, leading to online buzz. Also, netizens love the recognition they get by being invited to luxury events. Here, WeChat Mini Programs can act as the online medium through which luxury brands can communicate with their audience in an interactive way.
Moments Ads: Where celebrities reside
Consumers trust the voices of KOLs and celebrities, which is why luxury brands put a lot of effort into getting a celebrity on-board their marketing strategy, preferably one that resonates with their audience. And celebrities benefit from it as well. Moments Ads are the best way to facilitate these partnerships.
One huge benefit is the fact that a celebrity profile can link to a company’s marketing campaign easily. Another way is to embed PMs into their audience’s Moments Updates, allowing them to feel as if they’re friends with the celebrity. These strategies have been very helpful for luxury brands for turning traffic into sales.
