Michael Kors hasn't lost any time marketing to Chinese handbag lovers via its relatively new WeChat platform, which first launched during the summer of 2015. Last month, the handbag brand teamed up with Grazia China to create a digital editorial spread called Chic Together, which features five pairs of female Chinese personalities sporting bags and shoes from the Michael Kors Spring/Summer 2016 collection.
The interactive app, complete with optional music, is pretty straightforward. It prompts users to scroll through five photos, each containing optional pop-up windows that display the names and prices of the accessories in the pictures. Highlights include actress Zhang Tian Ai and friend sporting the quilted leather Sloan, pink Savannah satchel, and Michael Kors wedge sandals.
At the end of the photo series, the app then invites users to upload a selfie with a friend to the app (they don't need to be wearing Michael Kors, but it seems that doesn't hurt). In exchange, their friend qualifies for a free gift with a purchase. Users can also upvote the photos by sharing them with friends on social media, and the WeChat app displays the top 30 photos as voted by other users.
This follows Michael Kors' collaboration with Harper's Bazaar China, featuring two videos, directed by Steven Tong, in which Chinese actress Cecilia Liu and Taiwanese actor Chen Bolin each give their own short tours of their favorite New York City spots while wearing garments from the Michael Kors Spring 2016 womenswear and menswear collections. In one video, Liu explores a record store and a trendy vintage boutique, while in the other, Chen offers a more urban experience where he hangs out near New York University, sips coffee and rides the subway.
Michael Kors is set to enjoy a good year, according to a February report by Exane BNP Paribas, after already showing growth in popularity among China's middle class. Late last year, the company released its positive Q2 earnings, and announced their success was in part because of an increased brand awareness in China and the desire there for affordability when it comes to high-end handbags.