3 Key Strategies to Develop an Authentic Chinese Marketing Campaign

Have you noticed Chinese marketing ads are popping up everywhere in Canada?  You see them in department stores, buses, pop-up events, and on your smartphone even if your language setting is in English. International luxury brands are putting enormous energy and investments in the Chinese market. If your business operates in Canada but you’ve never thought about targeting the Chinese-Canadian market, now is the time to leverage this strong and significant demographic for your brand.

It’s not a surprise that the Chinese population is widespread globally. The worldwide Chinese demographic currently sits at over 1.4 billion people and is an influential consumer market for many businesses and brands. As fast as the Chinese economy grows, Chinese consumers are the engine of worldwide growth. As they have become more active and sophisticated, they lead the world in luxury spending. According to Vividata, “nearly 1.2 million Chinese consumers (aged 18 and over) in Canada account for $61 billion in self-reported consumer spending”.

With this in mind, it’s easy to understand why so many brands want to target this influential market. But how do you target them? The answer is simple: Chinese Marketing.

There are three key strategies to developing an authentic Chinese marketing campaign:

1. Embrace the Chinese Culture

From Cartier to Gucci, many luxury brands have been embracing the Chinese culture to cater to these consumers in Canada for sales growth, particularly around the key cultural holidays, such as Chinese New Year and Qixi festival. For example, Gucci just released its Tiger collection with limited-edition products to celebrate the Year of the Tiger 2022 (based on the Chinese Zodiac in the lunar calendar). Likewise, in celebration of Chinese Valentine’s Day, QiXi, Canadian retailer Holt Renfrew hosted a dedicated, luxurious afternoon tea experience at Holts Café to attract Chinese consumers.

The rising trends and exploration of Chinese traditional culture by famous brands reflect that they are eyeing the Chinese market. However, finding the right marketing messages for Chinese consumers is critical. As the line between success and failure is thin, it’s better to make a huge effort to embrace and understand Chinese culture before deploying your marketing plan.

2. Understand Your Target Chinese Consumers

Who are your target consumers – Millennials, Gen Z, male, female? The best way to effectively attract your target Chinese consumers is to understand their way of thinking, behaving, and desires.

It’s significant to develop marketing campaigns by corresponding to what they think and their preferences. For example, most Chinese consumers are price sensitive and brand conscious at the same time. If a brand is trusted, and/or can signal a higher social status or bring good fortune/quality lifestyle, they are happy to purchase a premium or luxury item. If it cannot, they are price sensitive. In addition, according to Vividata, “53% of Chinese Canadians report that they pay more attention to advertising in their own ethnic language”, so advertising on the right Chinese social media platform is crucial!

The most popular, trending Chinese social media apps among Chinese users in Canada are WeChat or Little Red book – which is the best option for your brand?

3. Consult FAULHABER for a Customized Chinese Marketing Plan

With an in-house Chinese Marketing Specialist on our team, FAULHABER understands Chinese culture, consumers, social media and has vast Chinese-Canadian media & influencer relationships. No matter if you are an international brand or a local business, it’s time to invest in the Chinese market with effective Chinese marketing strategies!

Want to get started? Contact us and tell us your brand objectives. We will develop an exclusive, comprehensive Chinese marketing plan to enhance your brand outreach to this niche market and amp up your ROI.