- Huw Hughes
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As Chinese New Year approaches – this year it falls on 25 January – 22
percent of luxury fashion marketers in the UK are capitalising on the event
by launching specific Lunar New Year campaigns, according to new
research.
In the last two years, there has been a 35 percent increase in UK
campaigns targeted at international shoppers – with the highest growth (42
percent) in the luxury fashion sector. That’s according to a study by
Rakuten Marketing which was conducted among 600 retail marketers in the UK,
France and Germany.
Burberry is just one example of a luxury brand focusing its marketing on
international shoppers. Earlier this month, the British luxury brand
launched a Chinese New Year 2020 campaign celebrating the
Year of the Rat – it even released a new online mobile game, called
Ratberry, to celebrate the event.
Rakuten Marketing’s study more broadly focused on the “importance of
smarter marketing investment”, after finding that two-thirds of advertising
campaigns lack personalised experiences as marketers struggle with the
“multi-national challenge.”
It also found that 32 percent of retail marketers think that ‘consumer
fatigue with online ads’ is the biggest threat in 2020. In a bid to counter
this, nine in ten retail marketers are now opting to create more relevant
campaigns orientated around major sales moments in the calendar, including
Christmas (51 percent), Cyber Weekend (32 percent), Amazon Prime Day (18
percent) and Chinese New Year (15 percent).
Nick Fletcher, country manager UK at Rakuten Marketing, said in a
statement: “Marketers are increasingly struggling to reach their entire
target audience across all channels at all times. The truth is it’s
unsustainable. Marketers have to rationalise their approach, making
data-led decisions about who it makes sense to speak to, when and via which
channels.
“Going international with marketing campaigns means making fundamental
alterations – from language to pricing and messaging. In some cases, price
competition and discounts are essential to driving cross-border commerce,
but they should not be seen as a substitute for great customer experiences.
To ensure brands can replicate their success in new markets, experiences
that feel personal are a must.”
Photo credit: Off-White
