A lot of luxury brands went further with WeChat in 2018, whether that meant launching a mini-program, utilizing “moments” ads or livestreaming. Through China’s super-influencial social messaging app, luxury brands can connect with over one billion of monthly users, but it took innovation, creativity and strategy to set a campaign apart.
Here are Jing Daily’s top 8 innovative and engaging luxury campaigns on WeChat in 2018.
1. Most Interactive#
As the line between fashion and art continues to blur, many luxury brands are leveraging WeChat to facilitate “visits,” virtual and otherwise, to special exhibitions. Standing out from its peers, Louis Vuitton kept visitors engaged at their latest exhibition in Shanghai. Besides the “must-haves” on WeChat -- an audio tour and virtual maps -- the campaign encouraged visitors to join a virtual game, virtually customize Vuitton trunks, and take selfies using exhibition stickers.
What worked: Vuitton’s interactive WeChat services sustained the impact of an offline event.
2. Most Democratic#
Sergio Rossi offered consumers ultra-customization with its latest WeChat mini-program. Consumers could experiment with a wide variety of elements to create their very own Sergio Rossi shoe -- choosing everything from the material, color and length of the heel to plate and customized letters. And the mini-program allows for a one-stop shopping experience -- from design and payment to social-media sharing.
What worked: Sergio Rossi’s campaign smartly expanded and streamlined customer personalization.
3. Most Exciting#
Burberry had fans' hearts racing with its 24-hour flash sale on WeChat. Its Spring/Summer 2019 runway show items, ranging from fresh-looking trench coats to modernized logo t-shirts and new monogram sneakers, were made available for only one day. The result? Nearly half of the products sold out before the end of the sale.
What worked: Burberry made WeChat a channel to release exclusive products, but gave it urgency with a deadline.
4. Most Gamified#
Farfetch set out a mobile game to test fans’ luxury brands knowledge. The winners (who had to answer correctly and share with their friends) got a chance to win a special Singles’ Day gift package. Amid the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays, Farfecth also launched a virtual game where users can discover different gifting ideas, and then directed them to the e-commerce page to place the order.
What worked: Farfetch Integrated gaming into the campaign to educate fans about the brand.
5. Most Targeted#
By leveraging WeChat moments ads, Michael Kors was able to locate a demographic that’s often ignored by many luxury brands -- the overseas Chinese consumers in New York. The reward for fans who came out out was alluring: An opportunity for a face-to-face meeting with brand ambassador actress Yang Mi at the flagship store and the chance to purchase an exclusively-designed handbag from her. According to Tencent, compared to other fashion brands, Michael Kors saw a 330 percent higher engagement rate among Chinese tourists.
What worked: Kors used location-based moments ads to target potential buyers, and develop a deeper customer base.
6. Most Immersive#
Dior garnered significant attention (more than three million viewers) by livestreaming a beauty event in Chengdu. As the first luxury brand to test the "See Now, Buy Now" livestream feature on WeChat, Dior Beauty creative director Peter Philips hosted the event and offered makeup tips and tutorials with their products such as foundations ($58) and eye palettes ($66).
What worked: Dior smartly capitalized on “See Now, Buy Now" and got significant buzz by being an early adopter of the feature.
7. Most Thoughtful#
While most brands had exclusive products available to celebrate this year’s Chinese Valentine’s Day, Bottega Veneta allowed consumers to share their love in an extra-thoughtful way – by designing personalized greeting cards via an embedded HTML5 page, with the ability to add an audio greeting to their loved ones.
What worked: Adding thoughtful creative bells-and-whistles set the campaign apart.
8. Most Exclusive#
Not everyone could join MCM’s event – the brand rewarded its VIP customers who had visited the cafe to participate in a “VVIP” event, where they could enjoy an enhanced coffee-making experience.
What worked: MCM leveraged WeChat CRM to reward loyal followers with something extra exclusive that built enjoyment and brand loyalty.