WeChat has become one of the most important windows for luxury brands to communicate with Chinese consumers. While users of the app receive many WeChat campaigns from brands they follow each day, what are some of the factors that inspire people to open a post, and to read and engage with the brands, and purchase the products they offer, whether online or offline?
The “Winners and Losers” column is where we attempt to help luxury brands understand this question. Each week, the editors of Jing Daily pick the winners and losers of luxury and premium fashion campaigns on WeChat. We select our choices based on pageviews* (those with the most and the least), originality and creativity, and the level of engagement. Since there are two types of accounts** you can have on WeChat, we also indicate the type of account.
We derived our data on pageviews from the WeChat industry monitoring software Curio Eye*, which monitors over 1,000 accounts in 15 different industries. Our pageviews report is based exclusively on data from this monitoring tool.
In the comments section below, tell us what you think were the best and worst campaigns of the week.
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Winners of the week:#
Roger Dubuis: A recipe for a fine cocktail and a watch#
Pageviews:#
1,626
Likes:#
12
Account type#
: Service
What type of watch would go with a dry Martini? Roger Dubuis's Excalibur. You'll find it in the latest campaign from the Swiss watchmaker, which draws connections between timepieces and cocktail-making—a fresh idea. Roger Dubuis takes it one step further by releasing exclusive information on WeChat about where the “dry martini watch,” the Excalibur, will be available: eight of them would be on offer at the SKP mall in Beijing for two weeks. And it drummed up enthusiastic responses. “Love both the drink and the watch," wrote one Chinese reader under the post. It’s worth noting that WeChat posts from Roger Dubuis tend to focus on lifestyle rather the product itself, which is a thoughtful way of attracting lifestyle-oriented Chinese millennials.
Maje: Made to buy via Tmall#
Pageviews:#
7,439
Likes:#
15
Account type#
: Service
Maje is one of the few brands that links its WeChat posts to their Tmall store, which speaks to its sales-oriented approach which makes it easier on readers to buy on impulse. If readers do opt to buy, they can choose to pay in installments with their Huabei credit line, making their offerings more accessible. Linking the WeChat post to the Tmall shop could potentially lead readers to shop the fall/winter 2017 collection, or just learn more about it. But judging from an announcement on its official China website that the brand will be launching an e-commerce platform soon, it looks like its days on Tmall may be limited.
Chanel: A healthy diet made for your skin#
Pageviews:#
20,990
Likes:#
127
Account type#
: Subscription
Ever wonder what ingredients are in your skin care products? In this WeChat post featuring Chanel's Blue Serum, Chanel not only featured information about what's in the product but made it visually appealing. While there's a lot of jargon that might be over your head unless you're a beauty expert, giving readers the information allows them to make a more informed decision about their purchase. In this way, Chanel achieved an experience similar to one a reader might have had they hired a beauty KOL to do a tutorial.
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Losers of the week:#
Louis Vuitton: A plain vanilla announcement#
Pageviews:#
59,434
Likes:#
469
Account type#
: Service
With LV-lovers still buzzing about the brand’s newly launched e-commerce platform, this WeChat post announcing the launch may have dampened their enthusiasm. Contrary to Gucci's WeChat announcement about the launch of its China e-commerce platform, Louis Vuitton’s post neither had a personal touch nor offered any exclusive products for readers. Though it did brief readers with basic information, including payment options, if they have questions, readers are directed back to WeChat or to call customer service. According to LV’s customer service staff, placing orders via phone call has been an effective way for the past three years. Perhaps Louis Vuitton is intentionally keeping a distance with its readers in an attempt to maintain its high-end appeal. But it feels just a bit too aloof for the digital age.
Berluti: Wish we could indulge more#
Pageviews:#
1,424
Likes:#
12
Account type#
: Service
In this WeChat post, the Parisian house Berluti, which started as a maker of bespoke footwear and now offers leather accessories and ready-to-wear, gives the spotlight to a leather pocket flask from its 2017 Fall/Winter collection. Entitled the independent world of rock n roll spirit, the post features a short poem and the sounds of water dripping as background music. The combination creates an environment seemingly meant to inspire the imagination, but it leaves perhaps a little too much to the imagination.
Fendi: A lot of attitude but not a lot of substance#
Pageviews:#
11,047
Likes:#
68
Account type#
: Service
We have a love/hate relationship with Fendi's WeChat campaign called "What the F?” We love it for showcasing the millennial attitude and desire for the unique. Yet the campaign, which had Gigi Hadid and Kendall Jenner posing in an installation of giant Fendi logos, was a bit off. The logo trend is going strong, according to the CEO, who brought the signature "F" logo back into the brand's visual vocabulary. But we were overwhelmed by the logo and forgot what it was we were looking for. And the pictures alone were not enough and left readers wanting more. “Fendi should set up an e-commerce site," one reader suggested, "so that we can buy directly."
*We derived our data on pageviews from the WeChat industry monitoring software Curio Eye, which monitors over 1,000 accounts in 15 different industries. Our pageviews report is based exclusively on data from this monitoring tool. While some brands have multiple accounts on Curio Eye, not all of them may currently be monitored.
**A WeChat account can be categorized as either a service account or a subscription account. A service account allows the brand to publish four times per month and to focus more on customer service, whereas a subscription account focuses on providing content and allows the brand to publish once a day. Because each brand may have more than one WeChat account, in this series we specify the type of account on which the campaign was published.