newzealandinc.com Informed. Influential. Indispensable.
The China Challenge – Digital Disruption vs. Disruption in Commerce
Fran O’Sullivan (Moderator)
Kestrel Lee, Executive Creative Director, George P Johnson, Greater China
The focus of New Zealand businesses’ activities in China is often on commodities; Kestrel Lee offered insight on a very different level. Lee’s keynote address centred on how companies can succeed digitally within China.
A number of Lee’s comments shattered the preconceptions delegates held about the Chinese market. For example, “in China, it’s not ecommerce; it’s social commerce.”
But that social strategy should not just be a replica of your company’s New Zealand strategy on platforms like Twitter and Facebook. All of your campaigns must be WeChat compatible, and designed for mobile first.
Similarly, QR codes, often disregarded in Western markets as gimicks, are a gateway to success in China.
Lee also gave a number of illustrative examples of how important service is as a form of branding. Companies like Porsche have utilised offline experiences to complement a digital strategy, in order to actually convert followers to sales. “What’s the point of millions of fans when they do jack for you offline?!” asked Lee.
Finally, having a tailored strategy for millenials and women were essential to any successful digital marketing plan in China, he said. Online shopping has become the new “womens’ disease” and in most families women are the driving force behind household consumption.