How Luxury Brands Engage with Chinese Consumers via WeChat Mini Program

The Chinese Luxury Goods Market is valued at $55 billion and grew by almost 50% in one year. This crucial data highlights considerable opportunities in the luxury goods world and how brands can learn the art of captivating viewers.

WeChat Mini Programs are growing in popularity as various luxury brands use it to expand their customer base and connect with Chinese consumers. Here, we've created an exhaustive list of the top WeChat marketing campaigns and case studies that you and your brand can learn from:

What is Unique about WeChat Mini Program?

WeChat mini-programs empower luxury brands to design captivating campaigns, eye-catching visuals and include product assortments. Here, we discuss how the WeChat Mini Program allows luxury brands to address client's needs:

• YSL Members Club will enable users to share selfies with their YSL items. In turn, consumers can win discounts, deals, or even win the item you posed with 
• Your WeWallet comes with an additional feature so you can save e-cards. This way, you can easily organize, share, and redeem gift cards. You can even sift through a variety of enthralling, customizable gift cards to express your love for your special one
• Enjoy personalizing a product that catches your eye using the WeChat Mini Program. For instance, Longchamp allows customers to change exterior parts of their purse such as its color, exterior, patches, and so on to create the perfect gift
• Purchase all your must-haves from duty-free stores while you're on a budget. With the WeChat Mini Program, you can place an order beforehand and pick it up when you're visiting the city
• Learn to drive sales better and more effectively by leveraging KOLs. Include persuasive yet honest recommendations to convert organic leads
• Create editorial content on WeChat Mini Program to make it easier for your buyers to locate a specific object

5 Ways Brands Engage with Consumers by WeChat Mini Program

Here are the top 5 ways luxury brands across the globe are engaging with Chinese consumers via the WeChat mini-program:

Gamification: Fendi Mini-Game

Enjoy the perfect blend of star power with fashion in WeChat Mini's fun mini-games.

WeChat's incredible Mini Games are lucrative, helping businesses earn up to 10 million monthly revenue from in-app purchases. In addition, the platform has grown to an estimated 400 million monthly users with the help of its interactive mini-games.

The Fendi mini-game takes players on an exciting journey through Rome. Fendi Ways to Rome is the first WeChat game introduced to luxury brands. What's more? The game provides users with several impressive features, an easy user interface, and fun configurations.

The incredible game allows gamers to choose their avatar. You can even select Xu Weizhou, i.e., the Chinese actor, singer, songwriter, and brand ambassador for the Fendi Peekaboo bag in China. You can even enjoy his music playing in the background. Follow Xu Weizhou through the streets of Rome and discover and pursue your dreams. Unlock the game's 'hidden' level and enjoy the perfect gaming experience.

The game unfolds the tales of ancient Rome to help players learn Fendi's back story.It includes Fendi's headquarters, referred to as the 'Square Colosseum, the Palazzo Della Civilta Italiana, the Spanish Steps, and so much more!

The best part? Fendi collaborated with WeChat to provide the gamer with a fantastic reward. The brand will choose three lucky players from the top 1000 and provide them with a trip to Rome from Shanghai, three nights at a high-quality hotel, and an exciting, guided tour across Rome.

AR/VR Experience: Armani's ARVirtual Try-On Makeup

WeChat Mini Program allows brands to develop innovative AR features. For their pilot launch, WeChat collaborated with Armani. Together they launched a virtual try-on lipstick experience enabling users to try different lipsticks with a click-of-a-button.

While virtual testing is not a new concept and has been leveraged by retailers like Sephora, WeChat provides users with a unique feature. Instead of visiting a store to test makeup, WeChat Mini Program allows consumers to try virtual testing anywhere through their mobile devices.

The AR/VR experience allows makeup fanatics to upload their picture to WeChat and test different shades. The Mini Program automatically identifies the lip area and applies hues to it. In addition, the Mini-program comes with 'viral features' that allow users to create a 2 by 2 test card shareable with family members and friends.

WeChat Mini Program allows you to integrate virtual try-on makeup without any extra steps. This makes it a great tool for luxury brands looking to provide users with natural stimulation. With AR technology, viewers can try accessories, jewelry, handbags, and footwear.   

Live Streaming: Sephora Live Stream on E-Commerce WeChat Mini Program

Digital apps have lost substantial market share in China over the past couple of years as the increasing customer base engages with brands on WeChat Mini Program. Sephora is well-known for the forefront of technology in China and recently launched its own Mini Program in 2018.  

The goal for WeChat Mini Program in 2020 is to improve the channel to share and boost its contribution to total sales. Since China's live streaming industry has grown significantly over the past few years, Sephora has adopted new strategies to connect with users.

This way, Sephora leveraged its community of KOLs and leading makeup artists to create quality live-streaming content. Live streaming is driven by the need to offer users valuable and informative content, allowing them to connect with brands whenever required.  

The WeChat mini program also provides users with multiple benefits, including:

• Enjoy using WeChat Mini Program to communicate with brands directly
• Utilize its seamless integration to keep traffic within your mini program
• Leverage its low barrier to access its mini-program live streaming suite packed with easy to use tools
• Live streaming videos are easily accessible for users across the globe. Plus, they have a higher conversion rate

Sephora utilized WeChat's live-streaming app to showcase its products, gather a crowd, use KOLs, and interact with consumers directly.

Cross Border E-Commerce: Ma France Cross Border E-Commerce Mini Program

Ma France is the first French e-commerce platform that enables French SMEs to provide Chinese viewers with top-notch quality products 'manufactured in France.' The B2C channel strives to offer exports for French enterprises to China and 220 different countries. 

Here, Chinese customers can get access to high-quality French-made products at affordable prices. Ma France has been using WeChat Official Account to notify viewers about their latest promotions and newest publications. After few years, they decided to evolve their WeChat ecosystem by developing a WeChat Mini Program.

Cross border e-commerce provides Ma France and other cross-border businesses with an effective way to engage the Chinese market:

• An eCommerce mini program can access behavioral data to organize stellar marketing campaigns
• It also serves as an excellent CRM tool to engage with your audience and expand your existing consumer base
• Opening a WeChat Store is a budget-friendly investment for most brands.
• WeChat has a large audience, so posting content on the platform exposes you to a massive audience
• You may connect with a local web design company to ensure your WeChat store resonates with the local market

Personalization: Longchamp Customized Journey

Longchamp is one of the best handbag manufacturers in France and focuses on increasing brand awareness across China. Most Chinese viewers learned about Longchamp's reputation in the luxury brand industry via its popular folding Pliage handbags. 

In early 2017, Longchamp started using the WeChat Mini Program to boost sales in China, making it one of the earliest adopters. Despite using WeChat Mini Programs in different ways over the past couple of years, Longchamp has successfully set up its customized workshop.

The French brand uses WeChat Mini Program to focus on visual communications. Upon visiting its web page, you'll discover that the home page is packed with high-quality pictures of Longchamp products, particularly its bags. These feature bold colors, smart designs, and an auto-scrolling of pink, black, red, and yellow to engage your eyes. These attention-grabbing images matched with the brand's CTA's tempt users to make a purchase instantly.

With WeChat Mini Program, Longchamp has fortified its online boutique by transforming the program into an e-commerce platform. It even provides you with various e-commerce functions, including reading product details, selecting product categories, filling in addresses, and making online payments.

The Bottom Line

Research reveals that the online luxury brand penetration in China grew by a whopping 153% in a single year. The WeChat Mini Program has an undergone an array of changes that contribute to its growth and development.

As a result, e-commerce mini-programs were able to save up to US$830 million annually. The fact is more and more viewers are engaging with WeChat Mini-Program. Consider investing in an affordable WeChat Mini Program to boost your brand awareness, expand your customer reach, and enhance your revenue.