Mingle, meet and connect with top people from luxury brands, agencies and media at Shanghai’s sophisticated networking event at M Glam, on Thursday November the 22nd. Continue reading “The Luxury Conversation ‘Nights’: Shanghai’s Luxury Industry Mixer, Nov 22, M Glam on the Bund”
The travel hopes and dreams of one of the most important demographics for luxury hospitality globally are finally revealed in The Luxury Conversation’s China Insight Report:
Next-Gen Luxury Travellers: Affluent Chinese Families.
Continue reading “China Insight Report: Next-Gen Luxury Travellers – Affluent Chinese Families”
What’s new? What’s coming next? These are the go-to questions on ‘China marketing’, whether you’re a journalist looking for a headline or in the industry and looking for the most cutting-edge, client-wowing solution.
If you are seeking further understanding on China, then media content and events are available routes where answers and help may be expected. However, much of this just spreads the same basic messages – and my question is whether an adult really needs to be told that in China you need to ‘research your target audience’ or ‘be customer focused’. Oh, we were about to not be customer focused – thanks! I have the same confusion when I read a sentence such as ‘in China, you need to be digital and mobile’. Continue reading “Op-Ed: Why Not to Try Anything New in China, from Not a China Expert”
Yes, I said it: China’s KOL bubble.
KOLs have become a solid part of any brand’s checklist when operating in China. To be frank, if that needs further explanation then you’re already a few years behind the curve: KOLs in China are examples of many aspects of modern society here – when a concept is taken from the west (influencers, in this case) and is super-charged into massive earning and income potential. You might even say ‘enhanced capitalism’, but now is not the time to go into that.
KOLs are more influential on both consumption behaviours and social trends than celebrity movie stars and singers. There are Chinese KOLs for any type of field you can imagine – not only fashion and sports, but there are travel KOLs, pet KOLs, even ‘park & garden KOLs‘. With a population this big and country this diverse, there’s something for everyone.
Yet, is there now over-reliance on the KOL as a silver bullet? More than that, are certain ‘China marketing/business experts’ guilty of reducing KOL marketing to mere advertising of budget = views theorem? Continue reading “Op-Ed: China’s KOL Bubble, and How Brands Can Prepare”
Even the briefest of browses through international media should turn up clear indications of the power of the Chinese consumer. Bain & Co’s ‘China consumes 32% of global luxury’ is perhaps the best known, while big number after eye-opening stat can be trotted out to really clarify – to anyone who has been living in a cave for the last decade – that your luxury business really ought to be selling to the people that want to buy most of it. Continue reading “Op-Ed: The One Way to Succeed in Business in China”
It isn’t in any doubt that China is the place to be for luxury brands. How can businesses take the first steps to tapping into this huge market? Thankfully, the opportunity is possible due to China becoming one of, if not the most digitally innovative country in the world.
Here are 8 ways WeChat can work magic — even for a company based outside of China: Continue reading “8 Ways WeChat Can Work Magic for Luxury Brands in China – and Beyond”
Living in Shanghai, you’ll overhear or have conversations about ‘an idea’ to start a new business and attract China’s wealthy demographic. There are so many of them that you just need a small portion to be successful, right? While for many, these ideas are as immobile as the traffic on the Yan’an road tunnel, a few shine through.
Guillaume Rué de Bernadac started with an idea to teach etiquette in China. Years later, just some of the luxury brands his Academie works with are Cartier, Gucci, Bottega Veneta, Givenchy, Ritz-Carlton, Shangri-La, St. Regis, The Temple House, Christofle, Baccarat, L’Oréal, Roger & Gallet, and Maserati. Continue reading “5 Questions With: Guillaume Rué de Bernadac, Founder of Luxury Etiquette Brand Academie de Bernadac”
It’s safe to say that Queennie Yang is an authority on luxury in China. Currently Editor (Asia) of VOGUE International, Queennie’s previous roles include Managing Editor (China) of The Business of Fashion, as well as contributing writer for VOGUE, NUMERO, GQ, ELLE, Harper’s BAZAAR, Cosmopolitan, Madame Figaro, Grazia and STYLETV.
Queennie’s own blog has many thousands of visitors each day, and her Weibo has more than 140,000 followers.
We spoke with Queennie to get her views on current trends and the state of play in China at present. Continue reading “5 Questions With: Queennie Yang, Editor of VOGUE International”